Mormonism & the Mormon church

While some are fascinated with the sacred temple garment that endowed¹, temple-going Mormons wear, another kind of Mormon underwear goes virtually unnoticed!

The Mormon church encourages modest dress and demeanor. Mormon girls and boys are encouraged to follow the guidelines in the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet:

Servants of God have always counseled his children to dress modestly to show respect for him and for themselves. Because the way you dress sends messages about yourself to others and often influences the way you and others act, you should dress in such a way as to bring out the best in yourself and those around you. However, if you wear an immodest bathing suit because it’s “the style,” it sends a message that you are using your body to get attention and approval, and that modesty is not important.

Immodest clothing includes short shorts, tight pants, and other revealing attire. Young women should refrain from wearing off-the-shoulder, low-cut, or revealing clothes. Young men should similarly maintain modesty in their dress. All should avoid tight fitting or revealing clothes and extremes in clothing and appearance.

Source: For the Strength of Youth: Dress and Appearance

Since recent fashion trends are toward bare midriffs and sleeveless styles, several clothiers have sprung up to bridge the gap (pun intended) between what faithful Mormons want to wear and what is sold in stores. Companies like Modbe, ComforTeez, and Great Lengths sell a variety of camisoles, cap sleeves, and tank tops that Mormon girls and women can wear underneath their clothes, making it possible to wear a wider variety of styles.

1. Endowed Mormons are those who have participated in a series of Mormon temple ceremonies called the endowment. This usually occur before leaving on a Mormon mission or before getting married. Read more about the Mormon temple endowment.

My senator, Harry Reid (D-NV), happens to be a Mormon. Rumors of Mormon governor Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign have brought a new wave of attention to Mormonism, but Senator Reid’s shared religion goes mostly unnoticed. (I wonder why.) When Harry Reid becomes Senate majority leader in 2007, he’ll be the “most powerful Mormon in Washington.”

USA Today reports that 15 members of Congress are Mormon. The Church encourages participation in civics, which explains this more than proportionate participation by members of the Church. As to whether a Mormon can become president of the United States, BYU Professor Quin Monson says, “If a Mormon can be elected as governor of Massachusetts and a Mormon can be Senate majority leader, certainly a Mormon can be president.”

When Tucker Carlson mentioned that some Southern christians don’t consider Mormon christians, Michael Graham responded that “evangelicals [don't] consider Judaism a form of Christianity either, and yet Joe Lieberman is wildly popular and is probably the most popular Democrat among Southern Republicans. In the modern era, it is not one religion versus another.” (MediaMatters.org)

Speaking of the Church, Senator Reid said: “The church has been a wonderful thing in my life. It helps me try to always do the right thing, understand that what you do has consequences.”

Source: USA Today

The Guardian has a good article on the rock band The Killers. They hail from my hometown of Las Vegas and lead singer Brandon Flowers is a Mormon. They’ve enjoyed successes like opening for U2 and a run at #1 with their latest album Sam’s Town. Brandon’s concept of God sounds like the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith’s:

“Mormonism is a Christian religion, but the biggest thing is we believe we know where we’re going when we die. It’s not just about heaven and hell. The Bible says we’re all made in God’s image but we believe that literally – that God is a man. Other religions have always shied away from embracing that particular concept, but we don’t: we really think God’s a dude.” Flowers laughs. “I’ve always been a believer. It’s always been a big part of my life even when I was young. There’s always been that push-and-pull of living in Sin City and believing in God. And now it’s become absolutely incredible, after all that’s happened to us.”

Source: The Saints of Sin City (The Guardian)

Additional reading: Former BYU’s student’s brother is lead singer of the Killers (BYU Daily Universe)