The Church has released a new video explaining the temple garment, and the temple robes. This is also the first time that the Church has publicly displayed what the clothing looks like. See the video above, or click through to the Church’s newsroom.
[via Millennial Star]
I think this is a good, proactive thing for the Church to do.
Hi, we thought we would share this with our children tonight for FHE, and it was… okay, but not as good as it could have been. We were fine explaining to them that the garments of the holy priesthood are symbolic. However, when they started asking what they were symbolic of we kind of just stared off into space and didn’t really have a good answer for them. Can anybody share a good answer? What do the garments of the holy priesthood represent and why do we wear them? Sincerely and Thanks.
Chad: In your question online, were you asking why we wear our temple undergarments, and what do they represent, or were you asking why we wear our temple robes and vestments when we do temple work? As to our temple undergarments, the answer to what they represent is pretty much explained during the endowment and during the initiatory sessions inside the temple. We also wear them as a means of helping us keep our outer dress modest because as long as we wear clothes that completely cover our temple undergarments then we are less likely to wear immodest clothes. As far as the Priesthood robes and clothing we wear inside the temple, I really don’t know the symbolic meaning of most of it. Now that these sacred items of clothing have been put out there for all to see, does that mean we are allowed to explain to anyone who asks what their meaning is, including what we learn within the walls of the temple as to their meaning? I feel like the leaders of the Church need to have our local leaders explain all of this to us.
Chad,
One article I have found helpful was “The Temple Garment: An Outward Expression of an Inward Commitment.” It was included in an old Ensign issue that was all about temples. It has some great insights on what the garment represents, and why we wear them. I love that it briefly goes through the history of sacred clothing throughout the history of God’s people.
The problem we often have is that we aren’t sure what we should share and what we shouldn’t, so we stammer and stutter because we don’t want to say the wrong thing. The way I try to gauge to what extent I share about the temple is that if a prophet or one of the apostles or one of the brethren has shared it, then that is probably OK to share. It’s a great thing when you have inquisitive children. It’s great that they are curious and what to know the answers to things. I was the same way, and I as a child and as a teenager had some profoundly deep discussions with my father from time to time. Those moments are priceless to me and helped solidify my testimony that has stuck with me my entire life.
Bottom line, keep your temple covenants, but spiritually feed your kids as much as you can. Hope the article above helps in that conversation.
I like that the video referenced the wearing of the garment and temple robes to the scriptures. You can find much of the symbolism within the scriptures of the Old Testament and in the Pearl of Great Price. Through these scriptures, you can not only find enlightenment… but ways to express the types of symbolism used to represent our connection and commitment to God.
I’m good on the under garment, but not so clear on the garments of the holy priesthood. RGV – do you care to elaborate? I just feel like we are coming into a new age with this stuff and we should have some appropriate yet adequate answers on the tip of our tongues.
Chad: for explaining temple robes, talk about the ancient robes of the high priest. The Temple Insitute has great resources for this. You could talk about they represent our commitment to be more like the Savior. They represent attributes of the Savior that we strive to attain in this life. They represent his power, but also his absolute commitment to follow our Father in Heaven. They represent Christ’s purity, righteousness, chastity etc… When we die, we first get to meet the Savior and at that time we want to present ourselves at true followers of his commandments and show that we really do love him. A good song to sing for FHE would be “I’m trying to be like Jesus.”
After watching the video I had an additional understanding of the temple garment of the holy priesthood. The video mentions how the temple robes are only worn in LDS temples and reserved for the highest sacraments of the church. Could it be that the temple garment is a smaller, more practical representation of the temple robes? If this is true then we are always dressed in temple robes of the priesthood (and the power, blessings, and meaning attached to the robes). The garments enables us to wear the robes of the priesthood while carrying out the practical aspects of life, such as work, gardening, cooking, cleaning, painting houses, mowing, shoveling snow, etc.
Great video. Very well handled. I do did agree with one statement regarding Temple Garments. The Narrator states that the Garments are neither ‘Magical’ or ‘Mystical’ I agree with the Magical part of the statement… but not so with stating that Temple Garments are not ‘Mystical’. The word ‘Mystical’ is not known or fully understood by very many. It is Not cognate with ‘Magic’ or ‘Unknown’ or obscure. It means experiencing the Divine directly… being Close to God. Being in Direct communication with the Divine. By this Definition, this is Exactly the purpose of the Temple Garments. Not ‘Magical’…..but, very Definitely ‘Mystical’