On January 2nd, 1831 it was said that the Mormons should gather to Kirtland, Ohio, and there they would “be endowed with power from on high”. On December 27th-28th, 1832, this was then built off of and said that the Kirtland Temple should be built. At this temple there were no special clothing for any of the rituals conducted there.
On January 19th, 1841 there was another call to build a temple, this time in Nauvoo, Illinois. The rituals in this temple would also be an endowment, and it was said that the rituals in Kirtland were just preparatory, or as they came to be known, initiatory.
Joseph Smith Jr. seemingly was considering what to include in this ritual, and I believe he found a fair amount of inspiration amongst the Freemasons. On March 15th, 1842 Joseph Smith Jr. was inducted as a mason and quickly became a master mason. Weeks later on May 4th, 1842 the ritual that we recognize as “The Endowment” was first performed.
As this ritual developed, specific clothing was developed for it, which was patterned off of the Israelite priestly robes as they are described in Exodus 28.
The Mormon “Robes of the Priesthood” consisted of several things:
- A head covering, such as a white cap (traditionally for men) or a white veil (traditionally for women)
- Clothing referred to as “The Garment”, which contained the symbols of the priesthood.
- A robe that goes over one shoulder
- A white sash or gartel that is tied at the hip
- An apron that had green fig leaves on it.
As Mormonism continued to develop, these articles of clothing came to be worn at times other than the Endowment, such as during a wedding/sealing and many Mormons are buried or cremated in these.
Modernization and Experimentation
I believe that religion is never a static thing; it is always undergoing changes. The Mormon community’s relationship with their robes of the priesthood are no different. I wanted to touch on some of the modernizations and experimentations of each of these articles of clothing.
Head Covering
In the Temple, men traditionally wear a cap and women wear a veil. It has been said that Joseph Smith Jr. asked for the temple cap to be modeled after a monarch’s crown, which makes since considering concurrently he was being ordained “Prophet, Priest, and King”. Yet it also echoes the ancient Israelite priesthood, where the head was veiled or crowned to mark it as holy – the seat of revelation and discernment.
Last week I asked ChatGPT to make a more sleek and stylish version of the robes of the priesthood. I was impressed with its results, and loved how it standardized the head covering as a cap, but made the feminine version have a veil that was under it.
I was interested in getting a cap like this and putting a veil on it. I asked ChatGPT what kind of hat it was, and it told me that it is a “pillbox-style” cap. After some quick googling, I was able to see that these caps are often used in culinary spaces, thus why the Mormon caps are often called “baker’s hats”. Admittedly, I have considered buying a baker’s hat for a temple outfit, but decided to explore some other options.
Many of the non-culinary pillbox-style hats even included a small veil already on the hat!
Nevertheless, I felt like the cap wouldn’t necessarily be conducive to a spiritual experience for me, and so I wanted to see if there were any other options. I was pleased to see that The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship has taught that if you are a High Priestess / High Priest, you are permitted to wear a hood, or “Tallit”. One of the presidents of that church, David Ferriman, often conducts his General Conferences while wearing one.
Even so, I wanted something a bit more feminine, and I looked around for lace head coverings, and was struck by this veil:
The Garments
Garments, aka “The Magic Underwear”, traditionally represent the “garments of skin” that Eve and Adam are given in Genesis 3:21. This article of clothing is something that is one of the most peculiar parts of Mormonism, and its meaning and form have changed over time as well. Because this is a closely studied part of Mormon history, I will only give a brief summary.
Originally they were essentially a “union suit” with a collar. The garments, however, did not have buttons, and the reason for this is reportedly because the Mormons were too poor to include buttons when the garments were first introduced and string closures were used instead. Around this time is when the myth that the garments served as a sort of physical protection started.
In the early 1920s discussions arose about the impracticality of the garments, for both social and day-to-day reasons. It was noted that when doing household chores many people rolled up the sleeves of their garments, and some just suggested making the garments that length to begin with. In 1923 Heber J. Grant and the rest of the LDS’s leadership agreed to create a modified pattern for wear outside of the Temple that used buttons instead of ties, the sleeves went to the elbow, and the legs for women went to just below the knee. Over the next decade and a half the sleeve and leg length were adjusted a couple times.
In 1980 the LDS church introduced the 2-peice option that most are familiar with today. The LDS church would go on to experiment with fabric type and different colors for people in the military. During this time the garments were strongly pushed as an aspect of “purity culture”, and all Mormons were expected to wear clothing that entirely covered the garments, whether you were endowed or not.
In 2024 the LDS church announced that they had again approved new designs, this time being sleeveless for both genders, and women getting sleeveless slips and skirts. This was met with mixed reactions; most were happy with this new change, but many women felt gaslit because suddenly showing your shoulders was permitted by the church and not considered immodest – something many Mormon women had been accused of over the decades. Lindsay Hansen Park openly spoke about this, and I have archived it here.
The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship has an interesting approach to the garments. They believe that the important part is that the garments contain the marks of the priesthood (square, compass, navel, knee). They permit the garments to take several forms, such as stoles, ephods, vests, tabards, and jerkins. I appreciate this approach, because it wants to keep the tradition of a special piece of clothing, but doesn’t mandate how it looks. Additionally, this church doesn’t mandate when they should be worn, and but does suggest they be worn when officiating in a priesthood capacity.
Inspired by this, in 2024 when I conducted a vow renewal for some friends, I made and wore a white stole.
As early as 2007 the Reform Mormons have been saying that an Endowment really only needed white clothing (dress or suit) and no Garments needed. This is why when I was designing my version of the Endowment in 2024, I decided to just wear a white dress with the symbols of the priesthood embroidered onto it. When my friend was embroidering these on, she accidentally embroidered the knee mark on the left knee. I have decided to keep it, as I feel this might be a fun way to distinguish if someone chiefly worships a Heavenly Mother. I consider this white dress my “garments” now, but like CJCCF I only really wear it when I am officiating something special, such as an endowment. If I am conducting something like a vow renewal or a wedding, i will likely wear my stole.
Robe and Sash
Very little has been written about the robe and sash, and much of what has been written relies upon the descriptions found in the Old Testament.
From what I have read, it was suggested that the sash was more of a practical piece of clothing for the Israelites to keep the robes from flowing too much.
I reached out to my friend David Ferriman and asked him about the robe, and he said:
“I am of the opinion that the robe (being one shouldered) represents a light blanket one carries over their shoulder. My current robe is a meditation shawl/blanket. I fold it into 3rds and put it over my shoulder.”
Apron
The aprons as they were in Nauvoo were likely white with fig leaves either embroidered or painted on. At this time there wasn’t a single standard, because they were all made at home, and so each one was unique. However, in Utah they came to be standardized over time, and today there are two main types: the squared-off edge and the leaf edge.
The Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship has done something interesting with its aprons; they can be many different colors. each color is meant to symbolize something different, and reflect what the wearer values.
While the LDS church emphasizes that the apron is meant to cover up the nakedness and shame of Adam and Eve, this is not considered a universal interpretation. CJCCF emphasizes that the apron is meant to be a symbol of work, akin to how a blacksmith puts on an apron when smithing. In this way, the apron symbolizes actively participating in priestly activities.
While I own several temple aprons already, I wanted one for this new Reform Mormon phase of my life. Being a graphic designer who has worked with the apron fig leaf before, I decided to just make a new graphic. I knew I wanted multiple colors in it – which I think is a fun theological innovation that CJCCF came up with. I also knew I didn’t want the fig leaves BIG as they typically are, and was inspired by the uniforms in the 2009 Star Trek movie, which repeat the icon over and over and create a pleasing pattern/texture as a result.
I decided to do something similar with my new temple apron. I decided on a green background and blue outlining for the fig leaves. I chose blue largely because it is the only other color that the LDS church has used for aprons (blue fabric was bough by accident, and these blue aprons were distributed largely in Idaho for only a short time decades ago.)
My Current Relationship with the Robes
(Picture of me in my full Robes of the Holy Priesthood will go here once my apron arrives)
The Endowment is a ritual that celebrates transition, and is a time when you step out of the mundane and into the sacred. The clothing that is worn in this ceremony have symbolic meaning to help remind you of the transcendent purpose.
I do not believe that these articles of clothing or their meanings need to be standardized, because none of us as people are the same. However, I think there is value in explicitly writing out what you think about these, and this is what I would like to do.
Head Covering
Symbolism: The head covering is like a crown, and symbolizes each person’s inherent dignity and sacred potential.
Application: The head covering should be white and either a modest cap, hood, or veil.
Garment
Symbolism: The garment symbolizes how the heavens work to provide bare necessities, such as clothing.
Application: There are 3 types of garments: underwear, outerwear (dress, shirt, etc), and symbolic (stole, vest, etc). The compass, square, and navel marks are on the upper portion, and the knee mark is on the lower portion. All of these are encouraged to be white.
Robe
Symbolism: The robe, draped diagonally from hip to shoulder, symbolizes the connection between earth and heaven, reminding us that humanity may ascend toward exaltation, just as the exalted reach back to uplift those still in mortality. Thus, the robe becomes a symbol of divine reciprocity, linking the temporal with the eternal.
Application: The robe should be white fabric that can reach from your hip, to your shoulders, and back to your hip. Typically it is wider than your sash, but not so wide and heavy that it is cumbersome to meditation.
Sash
Symbolism: The sash, which is tied around the hips, symbolizes being supported in one’s calling so that one may, in turn, offer support to others. In tying on the sash, we accept help from both the heavens and the earth in order to become helpers ourselves.
Application: A white strip of fabric or rope that can be nearly tied around your waist.
Apron
Symbolism: The apron, which is also tied around the hips, symbolizes Eve’s choice to grow and eventually achieve exaltation. In wearing the apron, we are likewise expressing our desire to grow and likewise achieve exaltation.
Application: The apron is typically green and has leaves (usually fig leaves) on it to symbolize how Adam and Eve covered their bodies in Eden, but I don’t think the apron MUST have leaves embroidered or printed onto it.
Additionally, I like how our tradition has a precedent for multiple colors of aprons. With that in mind, these are the meanings of the colors of aprons as I see them:
- White: Represents Divine light, purity, truth, and faith. Encourages us to remember the worth of all person.
- Red: Represents Severity, strength, love, passion, and strength. Encourages us to remember the sacrifices that others have made for us.
- Orange: Represents splendor, glory, optimism, cheerfulness, and happiness. Encourages us to remember to be curious and courageous.
- Yellow: Represents beauty, youth, energy, and warmth. Encourages us to remember the Celestial Kingdom as well as the sun which brings warmth, light, and chases away darkness.
- Green: Represents wisdom, balance, nature, and rest. Encourages us to remember Eve and Adam’s choice to grow in the Garden of Eden.
- Blue: Represents mercy, trust, faith, sustainability. Encourages us to remember that our souls will go on forever, just as the blue sea and sky
- Purple/violet: Represents foundation, spirituality, mystery, and creation. Encourages us to remember the Divinity of the gods, goddesses, and deities.