The History of Mormon Burial Clothes

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, death is understood not as an ending, but as a temporary separation of body and spirit in anticipation of resurrection. This belief shapes many aspects of Latter-day Saint funeral practices, including the unique ceremonial clothing worn by many members at burial. While Mormon burial clothes can seem unfamiliar or even mysterious to some, their history and meaning are rooted in broader Christian ideas of sacred rituals, covenants, and hope for eternal life.

Sacred Clothing in Religious Traditions

Across cultures and religions, special clothing has long played a role in marking sacred moments. The habits of Catholic nuns, the vestments of priests, Jewish prayer shawls, and the robes of Buddhist monks are all meant express religious responsibility, identity, and belonging. Sometimes such clothing is reserved for specific places or rites rather than daily life.

Latter-day Saints understand their own sacred clothing within this same global tradition. Ceremonial temple robes are not meant to be public identifiers or everyday religious dress. Instead, they are used in specific contexts tied to worship, covenant-making, and remembrance. For believing members, this clothing is a deeply personal symbol of their relationship with God.

Temple Clothing and the Endowment

Faithful adult Latter-day Saints may choose to participate in a temple ceremony known as the endowment. During this ceremony, participants make sacred promises (covenants) with God and are taught about the purpose of life. While taking part in the endowment, members wear both Mormon garments—modest underclothing worn beneath everyday attire after the endowment—and ceremonial temple robes.

These LDS endowment garments, more formally referred to as “the robes of the holy priesthood,” include items such as a robe, sash, apron, cap (for men), and veil (for women). This clothing is primarily white, and that color carries symbolic meaning: purity, equality before God, and unity among believers. Both the most senior Church leaders and new members wear the same clothing, visually representing the belief that all are alike before God regardless of status.

Latter-day Saints do not wear this ceremonial clothing in regular Sunday worship services or public religious settings. To preserve their sanctity and purpose, temple robes may only be worn in two contexts: by participants in temple rites and as Mormon burial clothes.

From Temple Worship to Burial

The practice of dressing deceased endowed Latter-day Saints in temple clothing reflects a continuity between sacred worship in life and hope in resurrection after death. Modern Church guidelines instruct that, when possible, endowed members who die should be buried or cremated in temple clothing. If circumstances make this impractical due to factors like cultural customs, legal requirements, or family considerations, the clothing may instead be folded and placed next to the body.

What Temple Burial Clothing Includes Today

Current Church guidelines describe burial clothing in clear, standardized terms, which helps reduce confusion and ensures consistency across cultures.

For men, the body is dressed in Mormon sacred garments (the temple garment) along with white clothing that includes a long-sleeve shirt, pants, socks, shoes or slippers, and a necktie or bow tie. For women, the body is dressed in temple garments and a white long-sleeve or three-quarter-sleeve dress (or skirt and blouse), along with hosiery and shoes or slippers. Ceremonial temple clothing is then placed on the body over the white clothes, in the same manner as during the endowment. 

To observers, these details may appear highly specific. For Latter-day Saints, however, the familiarity and specificity of the clothing can be comforting. It reflects promises made to God during life and expresses faith in an afterlife and a resurrection.

A Modern, Streamlined Practice

Historically, Latter-day Saint burial practices were more varied and often shaped by local customs and lay participation. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, women in the Church’s Relief Society organization sometimes prepared bodies for burial on their own as well as dressing them in ceremonial clothing. Over time, as professional funeral services became more common and the Church expanded globally, practices became more standardized.

Today’s approach to Mormon burial clothes emphasizes simplicity, dignity, and adaptability. Official guidelines help families and funeral directors understand expectations, but they also allow for flexibility. Usually, after a deceased member is professionally embalmed, an endowed family member of the same gender as the deceased will dress them in temple robes. If a family member is not available, an endowed person of the same gender from the member’s local congregation’s leadership will do it. In places where the law only permits professionals to handle the deceased, the endowed member will instruct the mortician or funeral director on how to correctly dress the person in LDS endowment garments.

Addressing Misunderstandings

Because temple clothing is not publicly worn and is discussed with reverent discretion by members, it has sometimes been misunderstood or mischaracterized as very strange or even as a magic talisman. In reality, Latter-day Saints do not view temple clothing or everyday temple garments as possessing supernatural power. Rather, their significance lies in what they represent: commitment, remembrance, and devotion to God.

The same is true of burial clothing. It is not believed to affect salvation or resurrection in a mechanical way. Instead, it serves as a final expression of faith and a reminder of the wearer’s hope in an afterlife, similar to how some Christians choose specific hymns or scriptures for their funerals. 

The Meaning of Mormon Burial Clothes

For Latter-day Saints, Mormon burial clothes symbolize continuity. Just as sacred covenants shape how members live, those covenants are remembered at death. The clothing serves as a quiet testimony of belief in Christ, confidence in resurrection, and trust in God’s promises beyond mortal life.

For those unfamiliar with LDS beliefs, understanding this practice can offer insight into how deeply theology and daily life are intertwined in the faith. Temple burial clothing is not about secrecy or exclusion, but about marking life’s final transition with Mormon garment symbols that point believers toward hope, renewal, and eternal life.

In this way, the history of Mormon burial clothes is less about formal ritual, and more about faith carried from life, through death, and into the vast world Latter-day Saints believe lies ahead.

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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