ClothingandtheSavior

AnapocryphalallegorytitledTheHymnofthePearl,chroniclesthestoryofaprince
whoseparentssendhimonamissiontoobtainagreatpearl.Asheleaves,hisparentspromise
himabeautifulrobeandheirshipwithhisolderbrotherwhenhereturns.However,uponarriving
inthisnewland,hewandersamongstrangers,forgetswhoheis,andwrites,Iputonarobelike
theirs.Hesoonadoptsthecustomsofthisnewplace,forgettinghismissionaltogether.When
hisparentsremindhimofhismissioninanurgentletter,heremembershisidentityandfinishes
hisquestbydefeatinganevilserpentandobtainingthepearl.Hestripsoffthefilthyrobesofhis
formerlifeandreturnshometohisfamily.
Clothingisdeeplymetaphoricalthroughoutthescriptures,andisespeciallyrelevantin
thisparable.Therobetheyoungmanwearsinmortalityrepresentshisforgetfulnessofhis
trueidentityasachildofroyalparents,andhisnaturalinclinationtoassimilateandtakeonthe
qualitiesofthosearoundhim.Therobeshewillwearuponhisreturnrepresentthecompletionof
hismissionandtheworkhehasdonetoearnhisheirship.Inmortality,thewaywedressmayat
timesrepresentdifferentattitudeswehavetowardssituationsandpeople.Thisparticularparable
usesclothingasarepresentationofspiritualprogressorthelackthereof.
InthebookofGenesis,afterAdamandEvepartakeofthefruitandmustbecastoutof
thegardenofEden,Christmakescoatsofskinsforthem,asacovering.Thisgiftofclothingis
particularlyinterestinginlightofthefactthatAdamandEvehavemadeclothingforthemselves
onlyafewversesbefore,upondiscoveringthattheywerenaked.Comingtothispointinthe
creation,Ithinkalotofuswantanexplanation.WhatexactlywaswrongwithAdamandEvein
theirnaturalstate?Whatwasthepointoftheirbeingclothed?
InMosiah3:19,weread,ForthenaturalmanisanenemytoGod,andhasbeenfrom
thefallofAdam,andwillbe,foreverandever,unlessheyieldstotheenticingsoftheHolySpirit,
andputtethoffthenaturalmanandbecomethasaintthroughtheatonementofChristtheLord..
Inthescriptures,nakednessisarepresentationofmaninhisnaturalstate.Whatswrongwith
ournaturalstate?Essentially,itisvoidofprogress.Thisbringsnewmeaningtoscriptures
describingthejudgementday,saying,Wherefore,weshallhaveaperfectknowledgeofour
nakedness.Wewillbeintenselyawareofourlackofprogress,ofthewayswehavefallenshort,
ofthemomentswechosetosettlebackintoold,human,naturalhabits.
AfterAdamandEvespeakwiththeLordandmustbecastoutofthegardenofEden,the
Lordhimselfmakescoatsofskinsforthem.AdamandEvearealreadyostensiblynotnaked,
havingmadefigleafapronsforthemselvesafewversesbefore.Butsomehow,theclothingthat
Christhastoofferisimportant.Maybe(andprobably)itsmuchbettermade.Itwillprotectthem
physically.Andmostimportantly,itrepresentshisloveforthem,andwillserveasaphysical
reminderofHimwhiletheytravailintheworld,separatedfromHimandfromtheirHeavenly
Parents.ThisclothingrepresentsHisAtonement.
TheverseonnakednessIquotedbeforeendsonadifferentnote,saying,andthe
righteousshallhaveaperfectknowledgeoftheirenjoyment,andtheirrighteousness,being
clothedwithpurity,yea,evenwiththerobeofrighteousness.Thatrobeofrighteousnessisthe
clothingthatChristhastoofferus.Itsaclothingofprogress,aclothingthatallowsustochange
andbecomebetterthanournaturalselves.Sure,wecanprogress,toadegree,onourown.We
canwalkaroundwearingfairlyprimitivefigleafaprons.Orwecanprogresstowardsthestature
ofChristandweartheclothingheoffers.Wecanbecomesomethinggreaterthanourselves.
Tobringthisconversationuptospeed,whatrelevancedotheseaccountshavein
relationtothewaywedresstoday?
TheSaviorsaid,Andwhytakeyethoughtforraiment?Considertheliliesofthefield,
howtheygrowtheytoilnot,neitherdotheyspin:AndyetIsayuntoyou,ThatevenSolomonin
allhisglorywasnotarrayedlikeoneofthese.Wherefore,ifGodsoclothethegrassofthefield,
whichtodayis,andtomorrowiscastintotheoven,shallhenotmuchmoreclotheyou,Oyeof
littlefaith?TheseversesrelaytheideathatourFatherwilltakecareofusspirituallyand
physically,ifwewillrelyonHimcompletely.AsamateriallylimitlessGod,Heiscapableofthis
mercy.Intheseverses,Godistellingustellingushellclotheusbetterthanthelilies,whichare
clothedbetterthanthelikesofKingSolomon.Heisntofferingtodressusinburlapsackshere.
Hesofferingthebesthesgot.
WhatdoessuchanassertionsayaboutthewayGodwantsustodress?Whatwould
clothesthatcomefromGodlooklike?Feellike?Aretheybeautiful?Aretheysimple?Whatdo
theysayaboutus?
TheLordassertsthatZionmustariseandputonherbeautifulgarments.Thevirtuous
womandescribedinProverbsmakethherselfcoveringsoftapestryherclothingissilkand
purple.IntheDoctrineandCovenants,theLordcounselsustoletourbeauty[be]thebeautyof
theworkof[our]ownhands.ProsperousperiodsintheBookofMormonarealmostalways
characterizedbythespinningoffinelinenforclothing.
Still,expensiveclothingusedasastatussymboliscondemnedinthescriptures.The
wickedaredescribedasbeing
a
liftedupintheprideof[their]hearts,and[wearing]stiffnecks
andhighheadsbecauseofthecostlinessof[their]apparel.Theywearrichcolors,jewelry,
variablesuitsofclothing.Theydesiretoattractattentionandareprobably
appearanceobsessed.Andyet,theLordsclothingissometimesdescribedasglorious.What
doesHisclothingthatsayaboutHim?AndinMatthewGodpromisedtoclotheusbetterthan
KingSolomon.WhatdoHispromisessayaboutus?
TheimportantthingtorememberhereisthatwhenwereceiveblessingsfromtheLord,
wemustcontinuetoremembertheLord.IdoubtthattheLordwouldpreferitifwewereto
(somewhatmasochistically)dressinitchyragsfortherestofourlives.Suchasceticism(or
rejectionoftheenjoymentoflife)isntpleasingtoGod!Hewantsustofeelhappy.Idevensayhe
wantsustofeelbeautiful,attractive,comfortableinourskin,awareofourdivineheritage.
HowdoesthewaywedressrevealhowwefeelabouttheSavior?Itshowsthatweknow
whoweare,andweknowourrelationshiptoHim,thatwithhim,weareheirsofaheavenly
kingdom.Thewaywedressanexpressionofourdivinenatureandourlove.Ithinkmore
importantthananydisplayornondisplayofourphysicalbodiesisthedisplayofobedience,the
physicalrepresentationofwhereourheartsstandinrelationtotheLord.WhileIdontprofessto
understandallthereasonsbehindtheimportanceofclothingchoice,IthinkitsdoubtfulthatGod
institutedclothingasameanstoshameus,ormakeusquestionourworth.
AharrowingsceneintheclassicnovelJaneEyredefinespreciselytheattitudewe
shouldavoidwithregardstoourclothingortheclothingofothers.Inthisscene,thewicked
schoolmaster,Mr.Brocklehurst,surveyshisstudentsandnoticesthevibrantredcurlyhairofan
orphannamedJulia.AlthoughherteacherquietlyassertsthatJuliashairisnaturallyredand
curly,Mr.Brocklehurstordersthatherhairbecutoffandsomehowdresseddifferently.Hethen
ordersallthestudentstolineupagainstthewall,sothathecanascertaintheirplainness,which
hetermsmodesty.
Hescrutinisedthereverseoftheselivingmedalssomefiveminutes,thenpronounced
sentence.Thesewordsfellliketheknellofdoom
"Allthosetopknotsmustbecutoff."
MissTempleseemedtoremonstrate.
"Madam,"hepursued,"IhaveaMastertoservewhosekingdomisnotofthisworld:my
missionistomortifyinthesegirlsthelustsofthefleshtoteachthemtoclothethemselveswith
shamefacednessandsobriety,notwithbraidedhairandcostlyapparelandeachoftheyoung
personsbeforeushasastringofhairtwistedinplaitswhichvanityitselfmighthavewoven
these,Irepeat,mustbecutoffthinkofthetimewasted,of"
Mr.Brocklehurstwashereinterrupted:threeothervisitors,ladies,nowenteredtheroom.
Theyoughttohavecomealittlesoonertohaveheardhislectureondress,fortheywere
splendidlyattiredinvelvet,silk,andfurs.Thetwoyoungerofthetrio(finegirlsofsixteenand
seventeen)hadgreybeaverhats,theninfashion,shadedwithostrichplumes,andfromunder
thebrimofthisgracefulheaddressfellaprofusionoflighttresses,elaboratelycurledtheelder
ladywasenvelopedinacostlyvelvetshawl,trimmedwithermine,andsheworeafalsefrontof
Frenchcurls.
ThispassageshowsthatMr.BrocklehurststruemotivationisnotoneofdevotiontoGod,
butofcondescensionandtheinflictionofshame.Heholdsotherstoastandardtowhichhe
doesnotholdhimself,oreventhosewhocomefromahighersocialstandingthanhe.With
regardstomodesty,wemustrememberthatthewayotherschoosetodressisapersonal
decision.Ratherthanseektoholdotherstoourpersonalstandards,weshouldseektoinspire
thetestimonyofChrist,whichistheonlytruemotivationforanycommandmentkeeping.Tovery
liberallyparaphraseaverseinMark2:27,Andhesaiduntothem,[clothing]wasmadeforman
[andwomen]andnotmanfor[clothing].
AverseinJoelreads,Andrendyourheart,andnotyourgarments,andturnuntothe
LordyourGod:forheisgraciousandmerciful,slowtoanger,andofgreatkindness,and
repentethhimoftheevil.MoreimportanttotheLordthanthestateofourclothingisthestateof
ourheartsinrelationtohim.Whenwechoosetodressoractordoanythingoutoftrueloveand
respectfortheLord,wewillalwaysmaketherightchoice.
Thecrowningandperhapstheonlymomentwhenourclothingwilltrulyreflectour
feelingsfortheSaviorwillcomeatthejudgementday,whenChristwilldescendinrobesofred,
andsay,Ihavetroddenthewinepressalone,andhavebroughtjudgmentuponallpeopleand
nonewerewithme...theirbloodhaveIsprinkleduponmygarments,andstainedallmy
raiment...Andnowtheyearofmyredeemediscomeandtheyshallmentionthelovingkindness
oftheirLord,andallthathehasbestoweduponthemaccordingtohisgoodness,andaccording
tohislovingkindness,foreverandever.
Ourrobes,ifwearefaithful,willbewhite,cleansedthroughtheAtonementofChrist,our
respectiveclothingabeautifulmetaphorofhismercifulexchangeonourbehalf.Speakingto
JohntheRevelator,anelderasks,Whatarethesewhicharearrayedinwhiterobes?and
whencecamethey?SaysJohn,Sir,thouknowest.Andhesaidtome,Thesearetheywhich
cameoutofgreattribulation,andhavewashedtheirrobes,andmadethemwhiteinthebloodof
theLamb.
(beartestimonyetc.)