Beautiful Garments

Why do we dress up for special occasions? Formal attire can send a message of respect for the event or the person we are celebrating. Dressing in a similar style with other participants can create a sense of unity and solidarity. Most importantly, the way we dress affects our disposition and our demeanor.

When Isaiah wanted his people to look forward with joyful anticipation, he spoke of clothing:

Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Isaiah 52:1

In the Book of Mormon, Jacob quotes this passage to his people before encouraging them to “rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children” (2 Nephi 9:3; see 2 Nephi 8:24).

Jesus quotes it during His post-mortal ministry in the Americas, connecting Isaiah’s joyful admonition with the gathering of Israel. (See 3 Nephi 20:36.)

And at the end of the entire book, Moroni quotes it for a third time, combining it with another prophecy of Isaiah as he invites us, individually and collectively, to draw near to the Savior and receive His grace:

I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.

Moroni 10:30-31

This combination of “beautiful garments” with an ever-expanding tent contrasts with the Book of Mormon condemnation of “costly apparel,” which is intended to divide and exclude. (See, for example, Alma 1:6, 27, 32; Alma 31:28; 4 Nephi 1:24-25.) Beautiful garments, in contrast, do not separate us, but represent communal expressions of joy and gratitude.

The Lord, in fact, combined these two prophecies of Isaiah again in a revelation about the importance of caring for one another as members of His church:

For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:14

President Russell M. Nelson referenced this verse when he said, “The future is bright for God’s covenant-keeping people” (“What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” General Conference, April 2021). He saw it as an expression of confidence and hope.

Sister Carol F. McConkie connected it to temple worship. “If we are to be a holy people prepared to receive the Savior at His coming,” she said, “we must arise and put on our beautiful garments” (“The Beauty of Holiness,” General Conference, April 2017).

Elder David A. Bednar quoted it in conjunction with the Parable of the Wedding Feast (see Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:15-24). He portrayed “beautiful garments” as a symbol of our willingness to do things the Lord’s way and to strengthen our covenant relationship with Him (see “Put On Thy Strength, O Zion,” General Conference, October 2022).

Today, I will “put on [my] beautiful garments.” I will strive to act in a way that is consistent with my reverence for God and my covenants with Him. I will look forward to the Savior’s return with joyful confidence. And I will be inclusive, encouraging others to find the same hope and confidence, so that we can rejoice together.