In the Book of Mormon clothing and appearance are frequently used to describe both the rebellious and the striving disciple. The contrast is proximate and stark in Alma chapter 1.
At the beginning of the chapter we read of the antichrist Nehor, who was so successful in delivering his deceitful message (see Alma 1:3-4) that his followers gave him money. As a result “...he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel” (Alma 1:6). In contrast, toward the end of this same chapter, the humble faithful are described with these words:
...they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and comely (Alma 1:27).
The word comely is not commonly used today. It is defined as “pleasant to look at; attractive.” At the heart of this proximate contrast regarding clothing are two dimensions:
- The cost of the apparel
- The purpose of the apparel
In the case of Nehor, his preaching was a means of getting money for himself which was used to acquire costly apparel, which was a manifestation of his pride. In the case of the faithful, they were generous with the poor, needy, sick and afflicted. Unlike Nehor, they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were pleasant to look at and attractive (comely).
Other examples of references to clothing include Lehi’s dream. While Lehi was describing the occupants of the great and spacious building, he noted:
...it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit (1 Nephi 8:27).
It is reasonable to link the exceedingly fine dress with the attitude of mocking others - particularly mocking those who don’t give heed to those with the exceedingly fine dress (1 Nephi 8:33). The proud hate to not be noticed. The symbolism seems to associate prideful mocking of others with excess in appearance. This could reasonably include anyone who uses clothing to distinguish themselves in a wide variety of ways. In Lehi’s dream there is no mention of the attire of those who were on the path or at the tree partaking of the fruit. Could it be that the “neat and comely” appearance of those on the path or at the tree was simply not noteworthy because they were focused on more important things?
There are other examples in the Book of Mormon in which clothing and appearance are used to describe the rebellious. One of the more detailed descriptions is in Nephi’s account of the “great and abominable church” (see http://www.themostcorrectbook.org/2017/09/the-great-and-abominable-church.html for insight regarding the great and abomniable church). While being shown this church in vision, Nephi explains:
And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots. And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church. And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity (1 Ne. 13:5-8).
A key part of Nephi’s description is that the gold, silver, silks, scarlets, fine-twined linen, precious clothing, and “harlots” (or those who sell themselves for whatever purpose), are “the desires of this great and abominable church.” Their focus was on appearance, pleasure, and praise, which they felt justified their seeking to “destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.” There is an ominous message to the latter-day saints of God in the description “for the praise of the world do they (those belonging to the great and abominable church) destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.” The word “captivity” can be interpreted in a variety of ways - not just physical bondage as in the days of ancient Rome. There are a wide variety of ways by which people are held captive today. For example, many today are held captive politically, intellectually, socially, or economically. In fact, fashion can be a means of captivating another. When we allow others to limit our choices we are allowing ourselves to become captive.
Another example regarding apparel. As Jacob addressed the people at the temple to confront them regarding their sins. He observed:
the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they (Jacob 2:13).
There it is again, the role of apparel as a descriptor of the rebellious and proud who look down on others. Notice the association Jacob makes, prosperity results in abundance, which results in pride. This pride is manifest in “the costliness of your apparel.” This leads to “persecution” of others. Why? Because we think we are better than another because of how we appear? I deliberately use the pronoun we, lest we think we are immune from such feelings and behavior. This prideful disdain for others can result in the impoverished being refused access to places of “worship”, as with the case of the Zoramites, “because of the coarseness of their apparel” (Alma 32:2). The faithful must guard against any such exclusions - whether explicit or implicit.
Lest we think this is a problem in the past, Moroni, after having experienced the destruction of his people, writes:
Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted (Mormon 8:35-37).
The love of money, substance, fine apparel, adorning of “churches” (which are not necessarily religious structures or organizations) is more important than the love of the poor, needy, sick, and afflicted. Does that describe us? An important question to ask ourselves, and answer, regularly.
When Alma decided to relinquish his judgeship and devote himself to the ministry, he wrote that the people of the church:
...began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel” (Alma 4:6).
Not only can our apparel manifest our pride, it can also feed our pride.
Obviously, there is nothing inherently evil in cloth. As with everything in this world, most substances can be used for good or evil. Unfortunately, the substance cloth can be used by an individual to appear superior to another. We should remember that among the things God hates “a proud look” is first on the list (Proverbs 6:16-19).
In contrast, there is a consistent description of how the faithful disciples regard the role of clothing:
While describing the efforts of his people to provide for themselves, King Zeniff instructed his people to make “cloth of every kind, that [they] might clothe [their] nakedness” (Mosiah 10:5)
During a period of particular righteousness, almost identical language of that describing Zeniff’s people is used to describe the Nephites - they “did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness” (Hel. 6:13).
The Jaredites also described the making of apparel with similar language, “And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness” (Ether 10:24).
These accounts connote interest in simply covering their bodies rather than trying to appear superior to another. This seems very much in the spirit of what the Apostle Paul taught his young Timothy, that he encourage “that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array” (1 Timothy 2:9). Today, the same would apply to men as well.
But why all the concern over appearance? The Apostle Peter provides a wonderful answer:
...let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price (1 Peter 3:3-4).
“A meek and quiet spirit” should be interpreted as “a gentle, mild, forgiving spirit.” This does not describe those in the great and spacious building who wore exceeding fine dress and were mocking those on the path or partaking of the fruit. Remember the Lord’s instruction to Samuel when he was searching for who the Lord had called to be King of Israel? “The Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Shouldn’t that be our nature as well, to look upon the heart and not the appearance? Are we like the Zoramites and exclude people from our lives and love because of their appearance?
What is the precept to be derived from all this? It seems that a focus on appearance, particularly costly clothing, is a reliable sign of pride and can also feed our pride. It appears to be a predictable characteristic of those who pridefully look down on others and can lead us to abuse and and captivate others. Contrariwise, the gospel message is to focus on “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” The issue is not so much what is worn, but why it is worn. Disciples are to be neat and comely - “pleasant to look at; attractive.” Therefore, it is not likely a disciple will win any fashion shows. Rather, their clothing’s primary purpose is to “cover their nakedness”, not to draw attention to themselves or appear superior to others. Their personality is not defined or shaped by what they wear. Rather, their ornamentation is inside - a gentle, mild, forgiving spirit instead of a boastful or mocking spirit. While their modesty may elicit mocking and laughter from the proud, it draws praise from He who matters most, and those striving to be like Him.
My experience is that when I focus too much on appearance, if I am honest with myself, I too often look down on others. When I focus on being gentle, mild, and forgiving I learn from others - often from those who are looked down on by society. When I simply try to be “neat and comely,” to simply appear appropriate in a way that is unremarkable, I am more likely to view others as equal, to serve with and learn from them. More importantly, I seem to spend time and energy on more important issues that are central to becoming a disciple. A quote that seems to capture the essence of the issue is “I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes” (Henry David Thoreau - https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/henrydavid103696.html). It has long been instructive to me that in the temples of the Lord, there is a wonderful democracy of dress in which fads and fashions are not to be found, thereby reducing the risk of prideful comparing and turning the focus on the Lord. So it should be in our daily walk of life, and not just in the holy temples.
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