Will We Wear Garments in the Celestial Kingdom?

Question

Dear Gramps,

Will we wear garments in the Celestial kingdom?

Sue

Answer

Dear Sue,

Yes we will wear garments in the Kingdom of God.  The question whether they will be as the temple garments we wear today is not known.  We read in Alma 5:  “24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with ^aAbraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white? “  Here Alma tells us that in order to sit down in the kingdom of God, we need to have our garments cleansed through the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, our own repentance and righteousness.

When the angel Moroni visited the Prophet Joseph Smith, the prophet described his appearance and what he was wearing.  This is found in Joseph Smith–History, verse 31: “He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the wrist; so, also, were his feet naked, as were his legs, a little above the ankles. His head and neck were also bare. I could discover that he had no other clothing on but this robe, as it was open, so that I could see into his bosom.”  It is apparent that Moroni was not wearing garments as we know them, but often robes and garments are synonymous.  Another scriptural reference is D & C 20:6  ” But after ^arepenting, and humbling himself sincerely, through faith, God ministered unto him by an holy ^bangel, whose ^ccountenance was as lightning, and whose garments were pure and white above all other whiteness.”

Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve wrote an excellent article entitled, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings.”  It appeared in the July 2001 Liahona.  In it he states:   “Wearing the temple garment has deep symbolic significance. It represents a continuing commitment.  Just as the Savior exemplified the need to endure to the end, we wear the garment faithfully as part of the enduring armor of God.   Thus we demonstrate our faith in Him and in His eternal covenants with us.”   The Temple garment  serves three important purposes: it is a reminder of the sacred covenants made with the Lord in His holy house, a protective covering for the body, and a symbol of the modesty of dress and living that should characterize the lives of all the humble followers of Christ.  I am sure that we will continue to wear some type of garment that will identify us with the Lord and the covenants we have made and will make with Him.

Gramps