The garment of the holy priesthood

The Garment of the Holy Priesthood

Given this separation and loneliness in a cold, dreary world, how comforting it must have been for Adam and Eve to remember one thing: that promises had been made—something sacred and eternal called covenants. They had promised they would obey Father all the days of their life, and He had promised to provide a Savior, who would relieve their pain and sorrow, atone for their mistakes, and bring them safely back into His presence.

But how would these mortals remember what they had promised? How would they remain aware of their perilous situation—aware all the time, day and night?!

For such a reminder He gave them “coats of skins.” What a gift this was and how timely.

It’s not hard to imagine how Adam and Eve felt, because we too face troubles in this fallen world. We too have been separated from the presence of God, and we further distance ourselves every time we transgress. Like Adam and Eve, we have been given that same Savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Alpha and Omega, the Son of the living God. Like Adam and Eve, we have made covenants with God. And, as part of the temple endowment, we have been given a sacred physical reminder of those covenants—a symbol of the Savior Himself. In our dispensation it is called the garment of the holy priesthood.

In remembering those covenants, those two-way promises, we wear the garment throughout our lives. This practice reflects our desire for the Savior to be a constant influence in our lives. Other beloved symbols are periodic. We are baptized once in our lives. We partake of the sacrament once a week. We attend the temple as circumstances permit. But the garment of the holy priesthood is different: this symbol we honor every day and night.

And that’s the way covenants are—not set aside out of convenience or carelessness and not modified to fit the styles and fashions of society. In the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, the ways of the world must be modified to align with our covenants, not the other way around.

When we put on the garment, we are, as the First Presidency has taught, putting on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ. That being the case, why would we ever look for an excuse to take that symbol off? Why would we deprive ourselves of the promise of power, protection, and mercy the garment represents? On the contrary, whenever we do have to temporarily remove the garment, we should be eager to put it back on, as soon as possible

Please don’t misunderstand. As you reach out for divine guidance, the Spirit will not inspire you to do less than follow the instruction received in the temple and the prophetic counsel shared by the First Presidency in their recent statement. A loving Father will not help you rationalize doing less than you can to align with His standards of devotion and modesty that will bless you now and forever. But does He understand your questions, and will He help you receive the blessings of respecting the garment and keeping your covenants? Yes! Should you also consult with competent medical and health professionals when needed? Of course! Should you disregard common sense or look beyond the mark? I pray that you won’t.