I was raised in Utah and am a fifth-generation member of the Church (hello pioneer ancestors!). Even so, temple garments were something I didn’t even realize surrounded my everyday life until about middle school. My understanding of why a Latter-day Saint would wear garments has evolved over time—and so has my personal conviction of why I choose to wear them.
What I Understood in High School
While I’ll admit to not having the sharpest memory, I can’t ever remember having a conversation about the temple garments in my Young Women classes at church. We definitely talked about the temple, but I don’t think there was a moment where I learned that the temple and the garment were inextricably linked. I mostly understood the temple as the place where we did proxy baptism for the dead and where I wanted to get married.
One thing I have an appreciation for in retrospect is that neither my Young Women leaders nor my mom taught me that the purpose of the garment was to maintain a modesty standard. I am grateful I wasn’t taught that because I think it prepared me to later understand the deeper, symbolic meaning of the garment.
Choosing to go on a Mission
The second semester of my freshman year of college brought big changes to my life: I felt prompted to go on a mission.
My friends had all started opening their mission calls and I remember thinking, “I’m at a crossroads in life. Probably one of the first I’ve ever been at.” That’s a story for another time, but, ultimately, I submitted my papers, anxiously waited for my call, and opened the envelope in front of a room of my friends and family. The assignment was to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
When I First Started Wearing Temple Garments
This brings me to when I received my endowment and started wearing the temple garment. To my 19-year-old brain, the big decision was submitting my mission papers—receiving my endowment and wearing the temple garment felt more like something that came along with that. My focus was more on my mission than it was on the temple. When my temple appointment came close, it occurred to me that I had never taken a temple preparation class, and I didn’t thoroughly understand what kind of covenants I was about to partake in.
My grandpa used to be the temple president of the Provo Utah Temple, so I asked him if he would sit me down and give me the Reader’s Digest version of a temple prep course. He told me about the sacredness and seriousness of the commitment and some things to expect in the temple. His insight helped me feel more prepared and even excited.
When I went through the initiatory and the endowment ordinances, I felt at peace with it all. But looking back, it was merely another item on the checklist of prepping for my mission.
The Evolution Slowly Begins
Since then, I’ve experienced a rather long and ongoing evolution in how I view my covenants and temple garments. As a missionary, the nearest temple was a five-hour flight to Hong Kong, and most of our lessons with people didn’t focus directly on the ordinances of the temple. So while I learned so much about the gospel of Jesus Christ in Cambodia, I wasn’t in the temple regularly and wasn’t involved in a lot of discussions about the garment, nor did I ponder on it that much.
When I got home from my mission, most of my friends were returning from their missions around the same time, so wearing garments was not only normal; it was ubiquitous. So, again, I didn’t have a reason to think deeply about them. I’m a little ashamed to admit that this carried on for years. Wearing garments felt like a rote, mundane part of my every day. Because most of the people around me have worn garments, the choice to wear them hasn’t even felt like a choice, but a regular part of everyone’s routine.
But lately, I’ve come to see wearing garments as a very deliberate choice I make—a choice that is becoming ever more meaningful to me.
The Allegory of the Cave
When I think about how my perspective of the temple garment has recently shifted, I am reminded of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. When I was younger, I didn’t appreciate the incredible symbolism of temple garments because the garment felt so normal. I was still “living in the cave,” to follow Plato’s allegory.
Then in my mid-to-late twenties, I began to hear different perspectives about temple garments. Some of my friends expressed frustration over them or stopped wearing them altogether for various reasons. Others expressed a love for their temple garments that I realized I didn’t feel in my life. These moments pushed me to think more deeply about my choice. As I did, I slowly began to see the garment in a new light. I came to understand more about what they really symbolize. I had now “left the cave” so to speak and saw a different reality.
This process of growth, while not always comfortable, has changed forever how I see temple garments. My choice to wear them is both more serious and more meaningful. It has been a beautiful, exciting process.
At one point, wearing garments felt like something I did out of duty. Now, I increasingly see it as a privilege. I feel more of a sense of integrity than a sense of duty about wearing temple garments. This is something I want to do. (I had a great conversation with Melinda Brown about this on the Magnify podcast you can listen to).
I’ve come to feel this way about my temple garments through studying what the garments symbolize, sharing my feelings with others, and, of course, attending the temple for deeper understanding.
What Temple Garments Mean to Me Now
Wearing temple garments has gone from feeling new to part of a routine to something everyone around me does, to something not everyone does, to something I have had to decide if I want to do, to something I want to learn more about, to something I’m learning to love.
Today, I see wearing temple garments as a powerful, tangible reminder to myself of my personal commitment to Jesus Christ—and that is the commitment that matters most to me. I am grateful to wear the garment as a reminder that a Christ-centered life is what I believe is the best path for me. To have a physical reminder of the Savior’s power with me is a privilege I don’t want to lose my awe over. Coming to this point took time, and I still have a lot to learn, but I am grateful to be on the journey.
For more great articles about temple ordinances and covenants, check out the links below.
► The simple thing my mom did that showed me the power of temple garments
► Why saying ‘receive’ your endowment can be more helpful, accurate, and respectful
► 3 simple questions to ask yourself each time you participate in the endowment
▶ Our favorite resources for anyone preparing to enter the temple
▶ 4 genius ways to study the temple from one of our favorite scholars (+ her book recommendations)
Gather with like-minded women!
Fill your spiritual cup with inspiring speakers, uplifting music, and encouraging conversations—all from a central stage. Participants will receive a beautiful event-themed notebook and pen and have the chance to participate in fun giveaways and a meet and mingle.
Come be inspired to act on President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to seek and expect miracles—the miracles of joy, peace, faith, and hope that we can find in Christ.
