Latter-day Saint clothing changes for women in hot climate – Deseret News

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is testing redesigned options for the sacred garment worn by women in hot and humid climates, according to a spokesman.

According to the church's online store, sleeveless tops, skirt bottoms and one-piece tops are available in some parts of the world, such as Africa and the Philippines.

“Latter-day Saint believers appreciate the privilege of wearing the temple garment,” church spokesman Doug Andersen said in a statement shared with the Deseret News on Thursday. “Some of these members live in hot and humid areas. The First Presidency approved changes to the garment to bless members and others who might benefit from the changes. Furthermore, the Church does not comment on temple matters, which are considered sacred.”

The open-sleeved top, lower skirt, and one-piece underdress, which resembles a slip dress, are useful in areas where moisture and heat cause discomfort with heavier clothing and where women generally wear dresses.

Garments are worn by Latter-day Saint women and men who have made covenants with God in sacred temples in a ceremony called an endowment.

Temple covenants are a central tenet of the Latter-day Saint faith. They bind members and their families together and to God for eternity. President Russell M. Nelson has led the Church over the past six years during the most intensive period of temple building in its history to help members make and keep these covenants.

“The temple is the gateway to the greatest blessings God has for each of us,” President Nelson said during the Church’s April general conference.

He said priesthood authority for temple covenants sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart and “enables every covenant-keeping man and woman to enjoy incredible personal spiritual privileges.”

Members commit to wearing the garment as a physical reminder of their commitments and of God's promises to them.

“The vestment of the holy priesthood is a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ and a reminder of our covenant relationship with Him and our Heavenly Father,” the First Presidency wrote in an April letter to general and local church leaders.

Temple worship is open to worthy Church members who have received a temple recommend. Leaders ask members to confirm their willingness to enter a temple during a temple referral meeting. In April, the Church updated one of the temple recommend questions by splitting it into two parts. The two questions are:

• “Are you keeping the covenants you made in the temple?”
• “Are you honoring your sacred privilege of wearing the garment as required by the initiation regulations?”

President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote about wearing the garment in the Church's September 2024 Liahona magazine.

Church members should strive to wear the garment day and night, he said.

“When we put on the garment, as the First Presidency has taught, we are putting on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ,” President Holland wrote. “In this case, why would we ever look for an excuse to take down this symbol? … On the contrary, whenever we must temporarily take off the garment, we should strive to put it back on as quickly as possible, remembering both the promises and the dangers that give meaning to our covenants. Above all, we remember the cross and the empty tomb of Christ.”

Other symbols in the church are periodic, he said.

“We are baptized once in our lives,” President Holland wrote. “We take communion once a week. We visit the temple when circumstances permit.

“But the garment of the holy priesthood is different: this symbol we honor day and night.”

The Church's General Handbook, available online, instructs gifted members to “wear the garment day and night throughout their lives.”

Additionally, members are instructed to restore the garment as quickly as possible if they remove the garment for activities that cannot reasonably be performed while wearing the garment.

Other church leaders spoke about the garment during April general conference.

“We are instructed to wear temple clothing at all times, with the only exception that is obviously necessary,” said President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency. “Because covenants do not take a day off, taking off one’s clothing can be understood as forgoing the responsibilities and blessings that come with it. In contrast, those who faithfully wear their garments and keep their temple covenants continually affirm their role as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sister J. Anette Dennis, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, said: “Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives. As we put on the garment of the holy priesthood each day, this beautiful symbol becomes a part of us.”

Sister Dennis added: “By keeping my covenants and commitments to God, including wearing the vestment of the holy priesthood, my life can become a personal symbol of my love and deep gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ and my desire to become Him always with me.”