Let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands; and let all things be done in cleanliness before me.” —Doctrines of the Saints 4a:51
As a part of receiving the Initiatories we are given the Garments of the Priesthood. A new name is presented with the garment as the individual is made a new person in their ministry in the name of Jesus Christ. Into these garments symbols are sewn or cut, that they may function much like a classic amulet that has power from God to shield the wearer against evil powers and demonic spirits.
The Garments of the Priesthood, or more simply “garments,” are clothing with the four symbols of the priesthood upon them. These are the Square, the Compass, the Horizontal Line on or about the Navel, and the Horizontal Line on or about the Knee. These symbols are what make the garments sacred. Without them, the garments are merely mundane clothing.
The Lord has told us:
And on the right breast place the sign of the square, yea, and on left breast the sign of the compass; for these are signs unto me from before the beginning. Yea signs of which are the justice of Elohim and the salvation of the Only Begotten; for in the square is Gevurah, the justice of God, and in the compass is Chesed, His mercy. And place upon this, my holy garment, two lines; one at the bottom on the right about the knee as a reminder that every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, and the other midway upon the front thereof, yea or upon the the right of the divide, about that of the navel; and this thou shalt do for health in the belly, and as a sign and token of my Holy Spirit, and of temporal salvation.” —Doctrines of the Saints 2b:20-21
This revelation makes clear the meaning of these symbols. They represent the attributes of the God we worship and represent as His ministers. More specificity, they represent the atonement of Jesus Christ. God the Father is represented by knowledge, and the Justice of the Holy Spirit; the Mother by wisdom, and the Mercy of Jesus Christ. In the atonement both justice and mercy were appeased.
Because of the sacred nature of these symbols, we cut them out of the garments and burn them before discarding them when they are worn out.
The Mantel of Righteousness
Thou shalt place the symbols upon it: Lamed, the staff of Elohiml upon the right breast; and Gimel, the motion upon the path of YHVH on the left breast; Vav, the guidance of El Elyon upon the right about the knee, and Bet, the house of Ruach Elohim about the navel.” —4 Moses 32:8
The symbols of the Garments are explained in the Book of Remembrance Doctrines of the Saints, and 4 Moses from the plates of brass. Here, we will go over these and because of the ties of the Latter Day Saint Endowments to Masonry, the Masonic symbolism as well. it shoudl be noted that the letters/symbols on the plates of brass do not look like the Hebrew letters we know today, nor do they look exactly like the symbols on the Latter Day Saint garments. Their meaning and our understanding of them comes per inspiration as a part of the translation method.
The Square and Compass
The square is place on the right breast, and the compass on the left. In Masonic rights, a square is held to the right breast, and a compass is used to pierce the skin left breast, leading many to see Masonic influence. In Masonry, the square symbolises honor, integrity, loyalty, trustworthiness, and “to square our actions” while the compass symbolises an unwavering course towards truth, and “to keep us in due bounds with all mankind” (William Morgan, Freemasonry Exposed and Explained, 1882, p. 10).
The Book of Remembrance states that the square is “for the justice of Elohim,” that the compass is for the mercy of Jesus Christ (Book of Remembrance 14:29). Doctrines of the Saints 2b:20 echoes this. In 4 Moses however, this symbols is “the staff of Elohim” and an ancient version of the letter Lamed (4 Moses 32:8). Lamed would mean “goad” to Israelites of Lehi’s day. That would be a acattle prod, or a shepherd’s stick, a common symbol of pastors today. The meaning Moses gives us for the symbol of the Compass is “motion upon the path of YHVH” and an ancient version of the letter Gimel (4 Moses 32:8). To the Israelites of Lehi’s day, Gimel might have meant something like “stick in motion.” Again, action, movement.
The Line About the Knee Navel
In Masonic rights there is nothing known of note in regards to the knee or the navel. The Book of Remembrance states that the line at the knee represnts bowing to Jesus as our Chrsit and King (Book of Remembrance 14:30). And Doctrines of the Saints 2b:21 says the same. In 4 Moses the line upon the knee symbolizes guidance of the Most High God and uses an ancient version of the letter Vav laying on its side, as if laying prostrate, showing reverence before the Lord (4 Moses 32:8). Vav means “hook,” a tool used to join things together.
The Book of Remembrance states the line at the navel represnts Holy Spirit (Book of Remembrance 14:30). And Doctrines of the Saints 2b:21 adds “health in the belly.” In 4 Moses this symbols is the house of the Holy Ghost, using an ancient form of Bet, which means house. This symbol is crescent shape, similar to the navel mark on Hyrum Smith’s’s garments (Richard A. Ware, The Development of the LDS Endowment Part II, p. 6).
Types of Garments
While the revelation above describes one type of garments, there are a number of types: under garments, ephods, vests, or tabards. The sole requirements are that they be white they are close to knee length. When sewing on the symbols, the thread color should match the material, both bring similar shades of white. We recommend they not be drawn or stained onto the fabric.
Under Garments
And behold, if thou desire to do as the Latter-day Saints and wear these at the day and at the night, hidden beneath the clothing, thou mayest purchase from them that sell these; this I say unto all that have made the covenant of the priesthood in me; but behold, if they shall keep these things unto themselves, and shall not sell them unto my servants in the Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship then I say unto you: Condemn them not, for they know not what they have nor what to do with it; therefore, to keep the peace between my Saints I say that thou should make thine own garments” —Doctrines of the Saints 106:61-62
By sewing the symbols on white underwear, we change the nature of the underclothing to garments. These should always be worn under our clothing, the symbols hidden, in a manner that does not call attention to them.
The advantage of these is that one is always ready to minister in the name of the Lord. The disadvantage is that if one isn’t wearing them they must remove their clothes to put them on. We encourage members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to wear them at all times, as their denomination requires. They may be used then for work preformed in the name of that denomination, and when doing work in God’s name for the Fellowship.
However, if one is removed from the ministry of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints they should stop wearing their version of the garments, per the revelation above. Their garments are a symbol of ministry in their branch of our shared faith. If one is no longer a minister for them, while they are still ordained, there is no reason to wear items that symbolize the ministry of their sect. We do not wish to create ill dealings between the two branches of our shared faith.
To make undergarments into Garments of the Priesthood, one may purchase white underwear that meets the requirements and cut or sew the symbols on them.
Tabards and Jerkins
Behold, I say unto thee: take unto thee a white cloth, be it about the width of thy shoulders and as long as thou art tall; and cut the cloth in the middle of it’s longest side two thirds inwards and seal up the edges round about.” —Doctrines of the Saints 106:50
There are two types of tabards, the first being that mentioned in the revelation above. By following these instructions, one’s tabard will fall just below the knees, perfectly as required by the Lord. If one is making their own garments, this is one of the simplist way to go about it. It just measuring, cutting and hemming. When making tabards for me and my daughter, my wife went the extra mile and cut an actual neck line. This was a very comfortable modification. When making these, please keep in mind that it’s the spirit one is making it in that matters, there are no hard rules other than length, color, and placement of the correct symbols.
A jerked is another type of tabard, and it’s just as simple. It’s much like a Jewish tallit karan, but longer. Take a cloth about sholder’s width and as long as one is tall. Fold it in half and cut a “T” that one’s head will fit through, like a poncho. The vertical line of the “T” should be the front. And, the line about the navel should be centered, rather than at the side as it would be done on the other type of tabard described above.
Either of these may be tied loosely at the waist by a gartel or sash, as desired when worn alone. When worn with the robes of the priesthood, the gartel should be worn as appropriate.
Ephods and Vests
And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him.” —Leviticus 8:6-7
An ephod is a sleeveless garment traditionally worn by Jewish priests. For use within the Fellowship, it should be a sleeveless vest that falls, at the shortest, to just below the knee. It may hand open, or be tied by a white sash called a gartel. “Gartel” is Yiddish for “belt.” While Jewish gartels are typically black, sometimes white, ours are always white or off white. If tied by a gartel, the vest should either be open, or the right side should overlap the left.
When to Wear
Yea, and these garments thou shalt wear throughout thy life, at times even as the Spirit directs: to bless the sick, and to preach my gospel at the pulpit, and to do works in my name as thou art moved to do so by my Spirit.” —Doctrines of the Saints 106:57-58
When officiating, one should wear the proper Robes of the Priesthood, with the garments beneath. At other times one may merely dawn their garments. For example, when giving a blessing, or if one is meeting at home or a hospital, etc. the garments alone may be warm that people understand the wearer is clergy. If one is ordained but not engaged in their ministry, they may wish to wear their garments during worship or other services. There may be other times as well when the Spirit moves us to wear our garments.
8 Threads of the Garments of the Priesthood
And there, in the Garden, said I unto them: I wash thee preparatory to your receiving your anointings, that you may become clean from the blood and sins of this generation.” —Book of Remembrance 10:1
When one enters the ministry we are ordained to the priesthood. Our feet are washed and we receive our Initiatories; we are washed and anointed. We are then, being clean, given the Garments of the Priesthood. These Garments represent the Garments given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the Book of Remembrance, the Lord God sends Raphael to teach us the deeper symbolism of the Garments (Book of Remembrance 13:1- 7).
Hear the Word of the Lord
And the first thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the ears; thus do not be deceived by hearing lies, nor hear the ending of the Word.” —Book of Remembrance 13:9
The Book of Remembrance puts hearing the Word of God first in importance to the ministry. As ministers it is our duty to teach God’s Word; to love God and love our neighbors. To do this we must first hear God’s Word. We must avoid deception. To do this, we must be in tune, spiritually, with God. Being in tube, we enter Israel, or Yashar-El: the straight path to God. To know the path we must listen to the voice of the Lord (Book of Remembrance 13:8-10).
Behold the Glory of God
The second thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the eyes; thus shalt thou see by raising up the eyes.” —Book of Remembrance 13:12
On the Tree of Life the eyes represent the Divine Masculine, Da’at (knowledge) and the Divine Feminine, Chokhmah (wisdom). Raphael teaches us to cast our eyes towards Keter, the crown of God,
and salvation. As ministers we must seek revelation and inspiration from God to truly understand God’s will. Intellect alone is not enough. If we are to teach others to develop a relationship with God, we must first have a deep and meaningful relationship with God ourselves. As we develop this relationship our eyes are opened and in a very real way we will see God (Book of Remembrance 13:11-15).
Smell the Sweet Offerings of the Lord
The third thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the nose. Let thy nose… smell the sweet scents of the Sabbath.” —Book of Remembrance 13:127-18
Smell helps us, in the mortal world, sense a great number of things. For example, one can tell the difference between the smell of a cooking meal and a dangerous fire. Likewise, we must avoid the sickly sweet sent of idolatry. Sin may “smell” safe and and sweet, but anything that takes us away from God hinders both our spiritual progress and our ability to minister effectively to others. As minsters of the Lord God we must avoid hypocrisy and stay with the sweet smells of the Lord’s offerings (Book of Remembrance 13:16-18).
Speak Forth God’s Praise
The fourth thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the mouth. Have patience; let the tongue not speak words out of anger.”
—Book of Remembrance 13:20-21
We are reminded to watch what leaves our mouths. Raphael teaches us to keep our oaths and covenants, not to take the name of the Lord in vain. As disciples and ministers of Christ we have taken His name upon us. When we act as hypocrites we take His name in vain. More than this, he teaches us to let the Holy Spirit be our bridal. We should remember the Sabbath Hebrew for rest. We learn patience when werest our tongues. While unclean things may pollute us, Jesus taught that it is what leaves our mouths that defile us (Matthew 15:11). Rather than letting anger contaminate and control us, we must speak God’s Word, and praise (Book of Remembrance 13:19-24).
Bear up Thine Head
The fifth thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the throat. Do not swallow any abominations, but maketh to eat unleavened bread, which is to say, only in righteousness and moderation.” —Book of Remembrance 13:26-27
Raphael teaches us to watch what comes from our mouths in the fourth thread, he teaches us to watch what we “swallow” in the fifth thread. The Torah teaches us to eat no “unclean” animals. In Kabbalah we understand animals to represent our more fully developed desires. The head should stay upright by balance, and this is what Raphael teaches us. We are told to bear up our heads and to do all things in righteousness and moderation. If we are to stand upright before the Lord, we must stand firm in Him (Book of Remembrance 13:25-27).
Wield the Sword of Justice
The sixth thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the hands. Do not lay the hand in sin and do not steal, but take hold of the Word of God.” —Book of Remembrance 13:29-30
Raphael teaches us in preparation to receive our Endowments how to use the signs and tokens we will be given. Rather than grasping towards sin, the illusions of this world that we cannot hold on to, we are told to take hold of the Word of God. The signs and tokens made by the hands help empower us with God’s Endowment from upon High, giving us the strength to minister using the Sword of Justice. Paul explains that sword is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Only with God’s justice and mercy can we wield it (Book of Remembrance 13:28-31).
Be Fruitful and Multiply
The seventh thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the loins. Do not commit adultery, but to thy house be true.” —Book of Remembrance 13:33-34
We are told to be fruitful and multiply, but what does this mean? In the Book of Remembrance all those converted to the Gospel are known as the
children of Adam and Eve (Book of Remembrance 18:5). Those seekers and disciples the Lord sends to us are our posterity. Missionary work is key to God’s work. It is our duty to “raise” them in righteousness. We should have joy in those converted to the Lord, worshiping together as one (Book of Remembrance 13:32-37).
Be Swift in the Paths of Righteousness and Truth
And the eighth thread of the Garments of the Priesthood harmonizes with the feet. Thus, do not walk about after strange gods and thou shalt not stumble and fall.” —Book of Remembrance 13:39-40
Raphael teaches us to walk in the footsteps of YHVH, as we saw Jesus walk in the footsteps of the Father (John 5:19). There are many paths in this world, but only one that leads to God (Psalms 5:8; 1 Nephi 2:44-69 RAV, 8:5-24 OPV, 4:38-40 RAV, 15:23-24 OPV; Avahr 3). As we hold to the iron rod in Lehi’s dream we can extend our hands to seekers, disciples, and fellow ministers helping them, through the voice of the Spirit, to stay on the path. Always remember that walking in Christ’s footsteps is to stand on holy ground, wherever we may be (Book of Remembrance 13:38-42).
The Body of Christ
Greet the Church that is in their house.” —Romans 16:5a
As ministers of Christ we represent Him here upon the Earth. This makes us not only his servants, but the servants of the Church. Who or what is the Church? The Church is the Body of Christ upon the earth. We are the Bride, Christ is the Groom. The word “church” comes from the Greek “ekklesia,” meaning “assembly.” The Church is not a building, a denomination, or a set of ideologies, but a people. We serve the head of this body, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23). As ministers of Christ we must keep these eight threads of the Garments of the Priesthood in our hearts always. To love God is to love our neighbors in service to both God and the Church (See Book of Remembrance 13:43-48).
The Garments and the New Name
After receiving one’s Washing and Anointing, the individual is ready for service to Christ in the Fellowship. They are taken back to the altar, facing eastward, and given the Garments of the Holy Priesthood, as described in the Book of Remembrance Chapter 12. They are shown how to wear them on.
After gaining their garments, the individual is asked to be seated once again, and they are given a new name as a part of their blessing, as the garment is activated. This name is given them by revelation. The revelation may come from the individual; they may prayerfully choose someone to receive this revelation for them, or it may be given at the time of their blessing as moved by the Spirit. How it is received should be settled beforehand and approved by revelation from their Bishopric and Patriarch/Matriarch, unless it is given at the time of the blessing. This new name is to be recorded in the Fellowship records.
To begin, the sisters and brethren previously asked to join in the blessing are invited to the circle. Gathering around them and placing their hands upon their head, the officiator (Elder/High Priest or High Priestess) then blesses them:
(Brother/Sister) (state their full name), having authority on behalf of Jesus Christ, I place this garment upon you, which you are to wear in service to the Lord throughout your life. It represents the garment given to Adam and Eve when they were found naked in the garden of Eden and is called the Garment of the Holy Priesthood. Inasmuch as you do not defile it, but are true and faithful to your covenants, it will be a shield and a protection to you against the power of the destroyer until you have finished your work here upon the earth.
“With this garment, I give you a new name, which you should always remember, and which you must keep sacred hereafter.
“The name is _______.”
(A general blessing may follow, as moved by the Holy Spirit of prophecy.)
We leave this blessing with you, in the Spirit of prophecy, and in the name of our Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ; So Mote It Be, Amen.”
At this point the individual is clean, anointed, and clothed just as Adam and Eve were. If desired, and so moved by the Spirit, those present may be led in the Hosanna Shout. The individual may then be Endowed. Their Endowment may be immediate, or they may wait up to seven days. If they wait more than seven days, the individual may not perform the duties of their call in the ministry.
Note: The Gartel and and Talit may be worn with the Garments. If the individual desires, these may be given at the altar with the Garments as a set.