Do Mormon Church Garments Shame Women?

Few practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are as misunderstood as the wearing of temple garments. In pop culture, the garment is reduced to a stereotype: weird religious underwear Mormons wear to enforce strict modesty rules—especially for women. But is that how Latter-day Saint women themselves see it? Do Mormon Church garments shame women?

A closer look at the doctrine and lived experiences of Latter-day Saints suggests a more nuanced perspective. While modesty is certainly connected to the garment, that isn’t its primary purpose. For many LDS women and men, the temple garment represents covenant, identity, equality before God, and spiritual protection. Far from shaming women, many Latter-day Saint women describe the garment as a source of strength and empowerment.

What Are Temple Garments?

Temple garments are simple underclothing worn by adult members of the LDS Church who have chosen to participate in the temple endowment ceremony. They resemble a basic, white undershirt and shorts, and are worn day and night throughout a member’s life. This practice dates back to the early days of the Church under the leadership of Joseph Smith in the 1840s.

Today, endowed members across the world wear the garment as a daily reminder of the covenants they’ve made to live God-centered lives. The Church’s global headquarters in Salt Lake City oversees the production and distribution of garments in a variety of fabrics and styles suitable for different climates and life situations.

The Covenant Context

To understand why Mormons wear garments, it’s important to understand how covenants work in Latter-day Saint belief. In temples, members commit to living lives of faith, integrity, sacrifice, and discipleship. The garment becomes a physical symbol of those covenants. 

Much like a wedding ring symbolizes commitment to a spouse, the garment symbolizes commitment to God. Because it’s worn under everyday clothing, the garment is integrated into everyday life rather than being reserved for Sunday worship.

The Modesty Misconception

Critics often make the assumption that the garment’s main purpose is enforcing modesty—particularly female modesty. The garment does influence clothing choices, as revealing necklines and short shorts or skirts generally don’t align with garment wear.

From the outside, this can look like a system designed to micromanage women’s bodies. However, this perception overlooks two key facts.

1. Modesty Standards Apply Equally to Men

Latter-day Saint men wear garments with coverage expectations very similar to the Mormon garments female members wear. The modesty standard is not gender-specific, as a man who wears garments will not typically wear revealing tops or short shorts either.

In a world where dress codes often disproportionately target women, the symmetry here is notable. Men and women alike voluntarily accept the same general coverage pattern because both have made the same temple covenants.

2. Modesty Is a Byproduct, Not the Core Purpose

While garments certainly influence clothing choices, modesty isn’t their theological purpose. The primary focus is covenant remembrance. Modesty is a natural outcome of wearing this sacred clothing, not the sole reason for it. The garment’s meaning is far more expansive: it helps the wearer carry their religious commitments with them into the secular world.

Agency and Choice

Another common criticism is that garments limit women’s self-expression. But this argument assumes LDS women lack free will, and are forced to wear the garment. This is not the case.

In Latter-day Saint theology, agency is seen as a God-given gift, and is a foundational principle. Adult members choose whether to participate in the endowment, and are interviewed by their local leaders to ensure they understand the commitment they’ll be entering. After being instructed on how and when the garment is meant to be worn, a member’s consistency and habits when wearing the garment are between the individual and God. No one is forced to wear it, and there’s no “garment police.”

Women’s Lived Experiences

If the Mormon garments women wear in the Church really do regulate members through shame culture, one might expect widespread resentment among LDS women. However, many Latter-day Saint women speak about the garment in positive, even tender terms.

Some describe it as a shield during difficult times, a grounding presence during anxiety or grief, or a daily symbol of their worth and identity.

This doesn’t mean every woman has the same experience. Individual feelings vary, as they do in any religious practice. But the narrative that garments universally shame women does not align with the testimonies of many who wear them faithfully.

Historical Sensitivity to Women’s Concerns

It is also worth noting that Church leaders have made adjustments to the garment over time to improve comfort and functionality. Fabric options, sizing, and styles have evolved. Leaders have openly acknowledged women’s feedback and worked to address concerns related to climate, maternity, and health.

Women also have significant influence in Church leadership through organizations such as the Relief Society, one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the world. 

Cultural Pressure vs. Doctrine

Some critics point to instances where individuals have felt judged for not wearing temple garments, or dressing ways that don’t accommodate them. In these cases, it’s important to distinguish between official doctrine and cultural behavior.

The Church teaches that garment wearing is a personal and sacred matter between the individual and the Lord. Leaders counsel members not to judge others’ faithfulness based on outward appearance. Where judgment occurs, it reflects human weakness, not the doctrinal purpose of the garment itself.

The Garment is About Identity, Not Shame

Shame implies humiliation, degradation, or a message that the body is bad. Latter-day Saint theology, however, affirms that the body is a sacred gift from God. Within that framework, the garment is not meant to hide something evil or shameful. It teaches that the body—and the individual—matters enough to be treated with reverence.

Empowerment Through Covenant

In broader society, empowerment is often equated with unrestricted self-expression. But in religious contexts, empowerment more commonly comes through commitment and discipline.

For many Latter-day Saint women, choosing to wear garments is an act of spiritual autonomy. It reflects a conscious decision to prioritize holiness over temporary trends. That choice can foster confidence and a bigger-picture perspective. It streamlines priorities, creating continuity between temple worship and grocery shopping, between sacred space and ordinary life.

A Matter of Faith

The question “Do Mormon Church garments shame women?” reflects a broader cultural tension between religious devotion and modern assumptions about autonomy. Ultimately, the answer depends on perspective. From a secular lens that prioritizes maximal bodily autonomy, religious clothing may seem restrictive. But from a religious lens, sacred clothing can represent devotion and identity.

Understanding the practice of wearing temple garments requires looking beyond surface assumptions and listening to the voices of those who wear the garment themselves. And the lived experience of many Latter-day Saint women suggests that garments function less as instruments of control and more as symbols of belonging, both to God and to a community of shared belief.

About Mormonism Explained

Mormonism Explained is a resource that was designed to provide objective and factual information about Mormonism, its history, doctrines, and policies. Our team of researchers consults experts and primary sources to present factual information on a variety of topics relevant to the Mormon Church.

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