[Music] one of the many unusual practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Mormons involves the wearing of special temple garments which many Outsiders have affectionately dubbed magic underwear dating back to the 19th century this special undergarment comes in both one piece and two-piece varieties and has been modernized from the original pattern from the 1840s the sacred garment has sleeves that stop Midway to the Elbow leggings that stop just below the knee and bear several distinctive symbols on the left breast is the compass which represents an undeviating course leading to eternal life on the right breast is the square which represents the exactness justice and fairness of our heavenly father the mark on the navl represents strength in the navl and Marrow in the bones suggesting the need for constant nourishment in body and spirit and the right knee has a symbolic split in the stitching of the fabric representing that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ Mormons are very secretive about this magic underwear but according to church tradition the Garment reminds each Mormon of his covenants made in the temple it also serves to to protect against Temptation and evil the Mormon church is filled with stories about how temple garments were instrumental in the survival of car wrecks fires and natural disasters pretty impressive for a thin layer of unbleached [Music] cotton there's some disagreement about whether this underwear offers actual physical protection but it's difficult to get to the bottom of the issue because Mormons are strongly discouraged from speaking about their hidden suit of armor in fact you're required to prove membership in the Mormon church to even purchase temple garments from an authorized Church store or agent you wear it day and night beneath your street clothes removing it only for brief activities where clothing is an impediment showering swimming sex and so forth only adult Mormons wear the magic underwear and only after they've completed a top secret endowment ceremony in a Mormon temple ironically we've observed that this is one of the few times religious people use the words underwear and Endowment in the same sentence some good news if you serve in the military the church has approved sand colored garments for protection in the field or soldiers can submit regulation military t-shirts of any color to have the symbolic markings added after all who needs Kevlar when you're putting on the literal Armor of God and join us again next time for another exciting and informative chapter of you got to be [Music] me for