How to Properly Dispose of LDS Temple Garments: Official Handbook Guidelines

One of the most common questions Latter-day Saints have—yet rarely ask out loud—concerns the practical matter of what to do with temple garments that have worn out. It's a topic that feels too sacred to discuss casually, too personal to bring up in Sunday School, and too mundane to seem worthy of serious theological consideration. Yet this question affects every endowed member eventually, and the answer matters more than many realize.

The confusion is understandable. Unlike most aspects of temple worship, garment disposal isn't something typically covered in temple preparation classes. New temple-goers receive instruction about wearing the garment but rarely about what to do years later when those garments are no longer serviceable. The result is that many faithful, well-intentioned members handle worn garments inappropriately—not out of disrespect for sacred things, but simply because no one ever taught them the proper procedure.

Visit any LDS household and you might find worn garments being handled in various ways: some thrown whole into regular trash, others donated to thrift stores alongside regular clothing, still others repurposed as cleaning rags without any modification, and some carefully destroyed according to proper guidelines. The variation exists not because members disagree about the garment's sacred nature but because clear information about proper disposal hasn't reached everyone who needs it.

The consequences of this information gap are more significant than they might initially appear. Whole garments discarded in trash could be found and photographed for mockery online. Donated garments might end up in the hands of those who would deliberately desecrate them. Sacred symbols treated casually teach the next generation that temple covenants aren't particularly important. The physical handling of sacred clothing matters because it reflects and reinforces our regard for the spiritual realities those physical items represent.

Fortunately, the Church provides clear, specific guidance on this topic in the General Handbook. The instructions aren't complicated or burdensome—they're straightforward steps any member can follow. However, many members simply don't know these instructions exist or haven't read the relevant handbook section. This article aims to make that guidance accessible, explain why it matters, address common questions, and provide practical implementation advice.

The goal isn't to shame anyone who has been handling garments differently. If you've been throwing away garments whole or donating them to thrift stores, you weren't being irreverent—you were working with whatever information or assumptions you had. The goal is education: providing the official Church guidance so that going forward, members can handle sacred clothing in ways that properly honor the covenants it represents.

Understanding proper garment disposal involves more than just learning a technique. It requires understanding why sacred items merit special treatment, how physical actions reinforce spiritual commitments, what the garment actually represents, and how we teach reverence for sacred things through our practical daily choices. The disposal procedure is simple, but its implications reach into core questions about covenant discipleship and sacred living.

SECTION 1: What the Church Handbook Actually Says

The official Church guidance on garment disposal is found in the General Handbook, Section 38.5.7. The complete instruction reads:

"To dispose of worn-out temple garments, members should cut out and destroy the marks. Members then cut up the remaining fabric so it cannot be identified as a garment. The remaining cloth can be discarded."

This three-sentence instruction provides complete guidance on the disposal process. Breaking it down into components reveals the simplicity and clarity of the procedure.

Step One: Cut Out and Destroy the Marks

The first and most important step is cutting out and destroying the marks (the symbolic elements sewn or woven into the garment). This step is non-negotiable and must be completed for proper disposal. The marks represent sacred symbolism taught in the temple and must not be discarded whole or left intact on fabric that will be thrown away or repurposed.

The handbook specifies that these marks must be "destroyed," not just removed. Cutting them out and throwing them separately in the trash is insufficient—they must be destroyed so they no longer exist as recognizable symbols. Methods of destruction include cutting them into very small pieces, burning them (where safe and legal to do so), or otherwise rendering them completely unrecognizable. The destruction ensures the sacred symbols cannot be found, mocked, photographed, or otherwise treated disrespectfully.

Step Two: Cut Up the Remaining Fabric So It Cannot Be Identified as a Garment

After the marks are removed and destroyed, the remaining fabric must be cut up so that it cannot be identified as a temple garment. This doesn't require reducing the fabric to microscopic pieces, but rather cutting it sufficiently that someone encountering it wouldn't recognize it as temple clothing. The shape, structure, and identifying features of the garment should be eliminated through cutting.

This step serves practical purpose: it prevents sacred clothing from being identifiable in trash or elsewhere. Someone sorting through donations or encountering fabric in trash shouldn't be able to identify it as temple garment. The cutting renders it simply fabric pieces without sacred identity.

Step Three: The Remaining Cloth Can Be Discarded

Once steps one and two are completed—marks destroyed and fabric cut so it's not identifiable—the remaining cloth can be discarded. The handbook's language "can be discarded" is permissive rather than prescriptive. It doesn't mandate any particular disposal method, which means members have flexibility in what they do with the now-unsacred fabric pieces.

"Discarded" could mean:

• Thrown in regular trash

• Added to textile recycling

• Repurposed as cleaning rags

• Used for craft projects or quilting

• Any other use appropriate for plain fabric

The key is that once marks are destroyed and the fabric is cut so it's not identifiable as a garment, it has been properly de-sacralized and can be treated as regular fabric. Some members prefer to dispose of all the fabric in trash as a demonstration of additional reverence, and that choice is completely appropriate. Others repurpose the unmarked, unidentifiable fabric pieces, and that choice is also fully acceptable according to handbook guidance.

What the Handbook Doesn't Say

Understanding what the handbook doesn't say is also important. It doesn't say:

• That the entire garment must be burned

• That special ceremonies are required for disposal

• That only certain disposal methods are acceptable

• That fabric must be buried or handled with elaborate ritual

• That members should feel anxious about disposal procedures

The guidance is practical, straightforward, and designed to be easily implemented by any member. The reverence comes through following the specific steps outlined, not through adding extra requirements the handbook doesn't impose.

Accessibility of This Guidance

The General Handbook is available online to all members at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Section 38 covers temple ordinances and blessings, and subsection 38.5.7 specifically addresses garment disposal. Any member can access this guidance at any time, though many haven't thought to look for it or weren't aware it existed. Making this information more widely known helps members follow official Church guidance rather than relying on assumptions, cultural traditions, or incomplete information.

SECTION 2: Why Proper Disposal Matters

The question might arise: why does the disposal method for worn-out clothing matter? Once a garment is too damaged or worn to use, why not simply discard it like any other worn-out underwear? Understanding why proper disposal matters requires understanding what the garment represents and how physical actions relate to spiritual commitments.

The Garment Represents Sacred Covenants

Temple garments aren't ordinary clothing, even though they serve the ordinary function of undergarments. They are physical reminders of sacred covenants made in the temple. Every time an endowed member dresses, the garment reminds them of their covenant relationship with God and the specific commitments they made in the temple. This constant physical reminder serves important spiritual purpose throughout daily life.

Because the garment represents sacred covenants, how members treat the garment reflects how they regard those covenants. Casual, careless treatment of the garment suggests casual regard for the covenants it represents. Careful, reverent treatment—even in mundane matters like disposal—reinforces the sacred nature of covenant commitments. The physical action of properly disposing of worn garments is itself an act of covenant reverence, a concrete way of demonstrating that one takes seriously the spiritual realities the physical garment symbolizes.

This doesn't mean the fabric itself is magical or possesses inherent power. Rather, it means that physical items can serve as sacred symbols, and treating those symbols with respect honors what they represent. Just as one wouldn't casually discard a flag representing one's country or carelessly handle a wedding ring symbolizing marriage commitment, members shouldn't treat garments casually because of what they represent spiritually.

Protection of Sacred Symbols

The marks on the garment carry particular sacred significance. These symbols are taught about in the temple in sacred contexts and represent specific spiritual realities. Allowing these symbols to be discarded whole creates several risks:

First, there's risk of deliberate desecration. Anti-Mormon websites and social media accounts actively seek temple garments to photograph and mock. Whole garments found in trash or donated to thrift stores have ended up being photographed and posted online with derisive commentary. Members who properly destroy marks before disposal protect sacred symbols from this kind of deliberate disrespect.

Second, there's risk of inadvertent disrespect. Even without malicious intent, sacred symbols treated as trash or found in donation bins are being handled in ways inappropriate to their sacred nature. The inadvertent disrespect—symbols ending up in landfills, used as rags by non-members who don't understand their significance, or otherwise treated as common items—violates the principle of maintaining distinction between sacred and common.

Third, there's educational concern. When children or new converts see garments with intact marks being thrown in trash or donated, it teaches them that these symbols aren't particularly important. If they were truly sacred, wouldn't we treat them differently than regular clothing? The casual treatment contradicts the verbal teaching about sacredness, and actions teach more powerfully than words. Proper disposal demonstrates through concrete action that sacred symbols merit special treatment.

Teaching Reverence for Sacred Things

One of the challenges of modern secular society is the erosion of the concept of "sacred." In world where nothing is treated as particularly special or set apart, where every boundary gets transgressed and every formerly sacred thing becomes subject to mockery or casual treatment, maintaining category of "sacred" requires deliberate effort.

Proper garment disposal is one of countless small practices through which Latter-day Saints maintain the sacred/secular distinction. Taking time to cut out and destroy marks, to render the garment unidentifiable, and to dispose of it properly isn't burdensome ritual—it's concrete practice of treating sacred things differently than common things. These small repeated practices of honoring sacred items, maintaining sacred spaces, keeping sacred commitments, and treating sacred symbols with reverence collectively maintain a worldview where "sacred" means something real.

Children and youth learn what "sacred" means not primarily through formal lessons but through observing how adults in their lives treat sacred things. When parents carefully destroy garment marks before disposal, when families maintain reverence in the temple, when members guard sacred experiences rather than sharing them casually, the next generation learns through example that some things in this world genuinely merit special treatment. The practical actions teach the theology more effectively than abstract instruction ever could.

Maintaining Personal Reverence

Beyond teaching others, proper disposal practices also serve the individual member's spiritual development. The act of carefully destroying marks and cutting up fabric creates moment of conscious reflection about covenant commitments. It's brief reminder—occurring whenever garment disposal is needed—that one wears these garments because of sacred covenants, that those covenants matter enough to warrant special treatment of even their worn-out symbols, and that covenant living involves both grand spiritual commitments and mundane practical choices about how to handle physical items.

This conscious reflection counters the tendency toward spiritual autopilot where sacred practices become routine rather than meaningful. When someone must actively engage in proper disposal procedure rather than just tossing worn garments in trash, it creates moment of consciousness about the sacred. That moment, repeated over lifetime as garments wear out and need replacement, contributes to sustained awareness of covenant identity.

Prevention of Stumbling Blocks

Improper disposal of garments can create "stumbling blocks" for others—situations that make it harder for people to respect sacred things or maintain faith. When ex-members or critics find whole garments in trash or thrift stores and post mocking photos online, it can be stumbling block for investigators, new members, or those with questions. "If garments are so sacred, why are members throwing them away whole?" becomes legitimate question undermining the sacredness claim.

Proper disposal prevents this particular stumbling block. When all members consistently destroy marks and render garments unidentifiable before disposal, there are no intact garments ending up in places where they can be photographed, mocked, or treated disrespectfully. The protection of sacred symbols through proper disposal practice is itself form of missionary work—preventing situations that would create barriers to faith for others.

SECTION 3: Step-by-Step Disposal Process

Understanding the handbook guidance and the reasons it matters provides foundation for implementing the actual disposal process. Here's detailed practical walkthrough of how to properly dispose of worn garments according to Church handbook instructions.

When to Dispose of Garments

First, determine when garment actually needs disposal. Garments should be disposed of when they:

• Have holes, tears, or damage that compromises modesty

• Are stained beyond cleaning in ways that make them unsuitable for sacred clothing

• Have become so thin or worn that they're no longer appropriate

• No longer fit properly and cannot be used

• Are damaged in ways that prevent them from serving their purpose

The standard isn't perfection—small wear is acceptable and normal. However, when garment no longer maintains modesty standards or has deteriorated significantly, it's time for disposal. Some members err on side of keeping garments too long past when they should be replaced; others replace too quickly. Reasonable standard is: if you wouldn't be comfortable wearing it in temple or if it no longer provides modest coverage, it's time for disposal.

Step One: Cutting Out the Marks

The first and most critical step is removing the symbolic marks from the garment. You'll need sharp scissors for this process.

Locate all marked sections on the garment—typically there are marks on the breast area and on the knee area, though different garment styles may vary slightly. Using scissors, carefully cut around each mark to remove it from the garment. Cut a generous margin around each mark to ensure you've completely removed it—cutting out a few extra inches of fabric around the mark is perfectly fine and ensures nothing is missed.

Once all marks are cut out, you should have several small fabric pieces, each containing one of the sacred symbols. These pieces must now be destroyed. Destruction methods include:

Method 1: Cutting into very small pieces - Use scissors to cut each marked section into pieces so small that the symbol is no longer recognizable. Cut and cut until what remains are tiny fragments that don't constitute a coherent symbol.

Method 2: Burning - Where safe and legal to do so (and where you have appropriate place to burn safely), the marked sections can be burned completely. This ensures total destruction. Only do this if you have proper safe burning location—fireplace, fire pit, or other controlled burning situation. Never create fire hazard in attempt to dispose of marks.

Method 3: Other destruction - Any method that renders the symbols completely unrecognizable is acceptable. Some members bury the destroyed pieces if they have appropriate place to do so. The key is complete destruction so the symbol no longer exists in recognizable form.

Step Two: Cutting Up the Remaining Fabric

With marks removed and destroyed, the remaining garment fabric must be cut so it cannot be identified as a temple garment. This step doesn't require cutting fabric into tiny pieces—just cutting enough that the garment's shape, structure, and identifying features are eliminated.

Practical cutting approach:

• Cut off sleeves and separate them

• Cut the body into several pieces

• Cut necklines and any distinctive structural elements

• Make cuts that eliminate the recognizable garment shape

The goal is that someone encountering these fabric pieces wouldn't identify them as having been a temple garment. They should look like fabric pieces or scrap fabric, not like recognizable sacred clothing. Use your judgment—if you look at the cut pieces and think "someone could tell this was a garment," cut them smaller or into different shapes until they're clearly just fabric pieces.

Step Three: Disposing of the Remaining Fabric

Once marks are destroyed and remaining fabric is cut into unidentifiable pieces, you have several acceptable options:

Option 1: Discard in regular trash - This is perfectly acceptable per handbook guidance. The fabric pieces can go in regular household trash. Since marks are destroyed and fabric is unidentifiable, there's no concern about sacred items ending up in landfill—these are now just fabric pieces.

Option 2: Textile recycling - If your community has textile recycling, the unidentifiable fabric pieces can be included. They're no longer sacred items after proper mark removal and cutting.

Option 3: Repurpose as cleaning rags - Many members keep the unmarked, unidentifiable fabric pieces to use as cleaning cloths or rags. Since the marks are destroyed and fabric is no longer identifiable as garment, this is acceptable. Some members prefer not to do this as additional demonstration of reverence, but handbook guidance permits it.

Option 4: Use in quilts or craft projects - The fabric pieces can be incorporated into quilts, used for stuffing, or utilized in other craft projects. Again, since marks are destroyed and fabric is unidentifiable, it's no longer sacred item requiring special treatment.

The key is: once you've completed steps one (destroy marks) and two (cut so it's not identifiable), the handbook says the cloth "can be discarded." This language gives you freedom in how you handle it. Different members will make different choices based on their own sense of reverence and practical needs, and various choices are all acceptable within handbook guidance.

How Long Does This Process Take?

For a single garment, the entire process takes approximately 5-10 minutes:

• 2-3 minutes to cut out marks

• 2-3 minutes to destroy marks thoroughly

• 2-4 minutes to cut up remaining fabric

It's not time-consuming or burdensome. When you have multiple garments to dispose of at once, you can batch the process—cut out all marks first, destroy them all, then cut up all remaining fabric. This is more efficient than doing one complete garment at a time.

Frequency

How often you'll need to do this depends on how quickly you wear out garments. Some members need to dispose of garments every 6-12 months, others less frequently. Having the process clear and simple makes it easy to implement whenever needed.

SECTION 4: Common Questions and Answers

Many members have specific questions about garment disposal beyond the basic handbook instructions. Addressing these common questions helps clarify application of the principles to various situations.

Question 1: Can I use old garment fabric as cleaning rags if I remove the marks?

Yes, this is explicitly permitted by handbook guidance. Once you've cut out and destroyed the marks and cut the remaining fabric so it's not identifiable as a garment, the handbook says "the remaining cloth can be discarded." The word "discarded" in handbook context allows for various disposal methods including repurposing.

Many members do use the unmarked, unidentifiable fabric pieces as cleaning cloths or rags. The fabric is typically durable and absorbent, making it practical for this purpose. Since the sacred marks have been destroyed and the fabric has been cut so it's no longer identifiable as a temple garment, there's no violation of sacredness in this use.

However, some members prefer not to repurpose garment fabric, choosing instead to dispose of all of it in trash as additional demonstration of reverence for what the garment represents. This choice is also entirely appropriate. The handbook gives freedom for either approach—repurposing unmarked, unidentifiable fabric or disposing of all of it. Members should follow their own sense of what shows proper reverence.

Question 2: What if my garments are only slightly worn—do I really need to destroy them?

The disposal process should be followed when garments are "worn out" or no longer appropriate for their sacred purpose. This is judgment call each member makes. Slight wear doesn't necessarily mean garment needs disposal if it still maintains modesty and appropriateness.

However, if garments have any holes, tears, or thin spots that compromise modesty—even if they seem "slight"—they should be removed from use and properly disposed of. Sacred clothing that no longer maintains modesty standards isn't appropriate to continue wearing, even if the damage seems minor. Better to err on side of maintaining higher standards for sacred clothing than to continue wearing garments that are no longer appropriate.

Some indicators it's time for disposal:

• Any holes visible when wearing the garment

• Fabric so thin it's becoming transparent

• Elastic so worn the garment no longer fits properly

• Stains that won't come out and make garment look dingy

• Fabric deterioration from repeated washing

When in doubt, consider: would you be comfortable wearing this garment to the temple? If not, it's probably time for proper disposal.

Question 3: Can I give slightly worn garments to family members?

No. Garments are personal sacred clothing, not hand-me-downs. Each person receives their own garments when they go through the temple, and garments are meant to be personal items not shared among family members.

This applies even to garments that are barely worn. If someone has garments that no longer fit due to weight changes but are otherwise in good condition, the appropriate action is to properly dispose of them (following the mark destruction and cutting process) and purchase new garments in the correct size. They shouldn't be given to siblings, children, parents, or other family members.

The personal nature of garments is important aspect of what they represent—each person's individual covenant relationship with God. Treating them as shareable items undermines this personal sacred nature.

Question 4: What about temple ceremonial clothing—robes, sashes, caps, etc.?

The same principle of respectful disposal applies to all temple ceremonial clothing. While the General Handbook section 38.5.7 specifically addresses garments, the underlying principle extends to other temple clothing.

Temple robes, sashes, caps, and other ceremonial items should not be:

• Donated to thrift stores

• Given to others

• Discarded carelessly in trash

• Treated as common clothing

When these items are worn out or no longer needed, they should be disposed of respectfully. Reasonable approach based on the garment disposal principles would be:

• Destroy or remove any particularly sacred elements

• Cut the items so they're not identifiable as temple ceremonial clothing

• Then discard appropriately

Many members who have temple ceremonial clothing that's no longer needed (due to size changes, wear, or other reasons) choose to cut them into pieces to render them unidentifiable before disposal, applying the same care used for garments.

Question 5: Do I need to do anything special with the bags and packaging garments come in?

No. The plastic bags, boxes, and other packaging that garments come in are not sacred items. They can be recycled or discarded like any other packaging. The sacred nature attaches to the garment itself, not to its packaging.

This is similar to how packaging for sacrament bread or temple recommend holders isn't sacred—the packaging is just functional wrapping for the actual sacred item or symbol.

Question 6: What if I realize I've been disposing of garments incorrectly for years?

First, don't panic or feel excessive guilt. If you've been throwing away garments whole or donating them because you didn't know the proper procedure, you weren't being intentionally disrespectful—you were working with whatever information you had.

Now that you know the handbook guidance, simply implement it going forward. There's no need for anxiety about past disposal that was done in ignorance. Just follow proper procedure from this point on.

If this realization troubles you, you might offer simple prayer acknowledging you didn't know the proper procedure but commit to following it now that you do. God understands human ignorance and good-faith efforts. The point isn't to create anxiety about past mistakes but to follow proper guidance once it's known.

Question 7: Can I burn entire garments instead of cutting them up?

While burning is acceptable method for destroying the marks specifically, burning entire garments may not be practical or legal in many situations:

• Many people don't have safe appropriate place to burn clothing

• Open burning may be illegal in many jurisdictions

• Burning entire garments creates more smoke and smell than burning small mark pieces

• It's not necessary according to handbook guidance

The handbook specifies cutting out and destroying marks, then cutting up fabric so it's not identifiable. This can all be done with scissors in a few minutes without needing to burn anything (though burning the small mark pieces is acceptable if you have safe way to do so).

Some members may choose to burn entire garments if they have appropriate safe burning location and prefer this method, but it's not required or necessarily recommended given practical constraints most people face.

Question 8: What counts as "destroying" the marks?

The marks must be rendered unrecognizable as the sacred symbols. This means:

Sufficient destruction:

• Cutting marks into very small pieces so the symbol is no longer intact or recognizable

• Burning marks completely

• Any other method that renders the symbol completely unrecognizable

Insufficient destruction:

• Just cutting out the marks and throwing them away whole

• Cutting marks into large pieces where symbol is still recognizable

• Removing marks but leaving them intact

The standard is: someone encountering these destroyed marks shouldn't be able to recognize them as the sacred temple symbols. If they could still identify what symbol it was, it needs further destruction.

Question 9: I've heard different things from different members about disposal. Who's right?

When cultural practices or member advice conflicts with official handbook guidance, follow the handbook. The General Handbook represents the official Church position and should be the authoritative source for questions like this.

Over the years, various cultural practices and traditions have developed around garment disposal that may or may not align with current handbook guidance. Some members may describe more elaborate procedures, others more casual approaches. When in doubt, return to what the handbook actually says: cut out and destroy marks, cut up remaining fabric so it's not identifiable, then the cloth can be discarded.

Question 10: Should I feel anxious or scrupulous about getting every detail perfect?

No. The handbook provides straightforward guidance that's meant to be easily implemented. The process isn't meant to create anxiety or scrupulosity. It's simple: destroy the marks, cut up the fabric so it's not identifiable, then you have freedom in how you dispose of it.

Some members may develop excessive anxiety about whether they've cut enough or destroyed adequately. Use reasonable judgment. If you've cut the marks into small pieces where the symbols aren't recognizable anymore, that's sufficient. If you've cut the garment into pieces where someone wouldn't identify it as temple clothing, that's sufficient. The goal is respectful disposal that protects sacred symbols, not achieving some impossible standard of perfection.

SECTION 5: Teaching Proper Disposal to the Next Generation

One important aspect of garment disposal is teaching the proper procedure to children, youth, and new members. Many members who handle disposal incorrectly do so simply because they were never taught. Breaking this cycle requires intentional education.

Teaching Youth Before Their Temple Attendance

Young people preparing to receive their endowment should learn proper garment care, including eventual disposal, as part of their temple preparation. This education prevents them from developing incorrect habits that must later be corrected.

Temple preparation classes or conversations should include:

• Explanation of what the garment represents

• Instruction on proper wearing and care

• Specific information about proper disposal when garments wear out

• The handbook reference (General Handbook 38.5.7) so they know where to find official guidance

This teaching need not be elaborate or take significant time. A simple clear explanation: "When garments wear out, you cut out and destroy the marks, cut up the remaining fabric so it's not identifiable, and then you can dispose of it. This protects the sacred symbols and shows respect for what the garment represents." This basic teaching, delivered before first temple attendance, prevents years of improper disposal.

Modeling Proper Disposal for Children

Children in endowed households observe how parents handle temple clothing. When parents carefully destroy marks and cut up fabric before disposal, children learn through observation that sacred items receive special treatment. This modeling teaches reverence for sacred things more effectively than verbal instruction alone.

Parents can make this teaching explicit when appropriate. When a child old enough to understand asks what parent is doing while cutting up old garment, simple age-appropriate explanation teaches the principle: "These are special clothes that represent promises I made in the temple. The symbols on them are sacred, so when the clothes wear out, I carefully destroy the symbols and cut up the clothes before throwing them away. This shows respect for sacred things."

This teaching doesn't require sharing sacred temple information inappropriate for children. It simply explains that sacred items receive special respectful treatment, which is valuable principle for children to learn.

Educating New Converts and Adult Members

Adult converts receiving their endowment or members who went through temple years ago without receiving clear instruction on disposal need access to this information. Bishoprics, Relief Society and elders quorum presidencies, and temple preparation instructors can all play roles in ensuring this education happens.

Simple approaches include:

• Including garment care information (including disposal) in temple preparation instruction

• Periodically sharing handbook guidance in Relief Society or elders quorum

• Making information available in written form for members to reference

• Encouraging members to actually read General Handbook section 38.5

The goal isn't to shame anyone for past improper disposal but rather to ensure everyone knows the proper procedure going forward.

Creating Culture of Openness

One barrier to proper education is cultural awkwardness around discussing garments. Because garments are sacred and personal, there's tendency to avoid discussing them even in appropriate educational contexts. This awkwardness creates information vacuum filled by assumptions, incomplete information, and cultural traditions rather than handbook guidance.

Creating culture where proper garment care can be discussed openly in appropriate settings (temple preparation classes, private conversations, Relief Society or elders quorum when relevant) ensures accurate information reaches those who need it. The discussion can be respectful and appropriate while still being clear and educational.

The Broader Teaching About Sacred Things

Teaching proper garment disposal is part of broader teaching about how Latter-day Saints treat sacred things differently from common things. Children and new members need to learn:

• Some things are set apart as sacred and merit special treatment

• Sacred items aren't magical but they symbolize sacred realities

• Physical reverence for sacred items reinforces spiritual reverence for sacred truths

• The distinction between sacred and secular matters in daily life

Garment disposal becomes concrete example of these broader principles. When someone carefully destroys marks before disposal, they're practicing the principle that sacred symbols deserve protection and respect. This practice, multiplied across many contexts (reverence in temple, careful discussion of sacred experiences, protection of sacred spaces, etc.), develops in individuals and families an entire orientation toward maintaining the category of "sacred" in world that increasingly treats nothing as particularly special.

SECTION 6: Addressing Cultural Variations and Misconceptions

Over the decades, various cultural practices and beliefs have developed around garment disposal that may or may not align with current handbook guidance. Addressing these variations helps members distinguish between official instruction and cultural additions.

Misconception 1: Garments Must Be Burned

Some members believe the only acceptable disposal method is burning entire garments. This belief likely developed from earlier practices or from extrapolating that because burning is acceptable for destroying marks, entire garments must be burned.

The current handbook doesn't require burning entire garments. It requires destroying marks (which can be done through burning or other methods) and cutting up fabric so it's not identifiable, after which the cloth can be discarded in various ways. Burning is one option for destroying marks, but it's not mandatory, and burning entire garments isn't required.

This misconception can create practical problems for members who don't have safe appropriate place to burn. Following actual handbook guidance—cutting and destroying marks, cutting up fabric—is simpler and fully acceptable.

Misconception 2: Elaborate Ceremony or Prayer Is Required

Some members have developed practices of saying special prayers or conducting small ceremonies when disposing of garments. While personal prayer or reflection during disposal is certainly appropriate if it feels meaningful to individual, no special ceremony or prayer is required by Church instruction.

The handbook provides straightforward practical procedure without mentioning any ceremonial elements. The reverence comes through following the procedure itself—carefully destroying marks and cutting up fabric—not through adding elaborate ritual. Members who find personal meaning in offering quiet prayer during the process should feel free to do so, but others shouldn't feel their disposal is somehow inadequate if they simply follow the handbook steps without ceremony.

Misconception 3: Garment Fabric Can Never Be Repurposed

Some members believe that once fabric has been part of garment, it can never be used for any other purpose and must be entirely discarded. This misconception conflicts with handbook language that says once marks are destroyed and fabric is cut to be unidentifiable, "the remaining cloth can be discarded."

The use of "can be discarded" rather than "must be destroyed" or "must be thrown away" indicates flexibility. Repurposing unmarked, unidentifiable fabric pieces for cleaning rags or other uses is acceptable within handbook guidance, though members who prefer to discard all fabric are also making appropriate choice.

Misconception 4: Only Certain People Can Handle Garment Disposal

Some members believe that garments must be handled only by the person who wore them or only by endowed members. While it's certainly appropriate for individuals to handle their own garment disposal, there's no prohibition on assistance from others when needed.

For example:

• Elderly members who struggle with scissors might ask adult children to help with cutting

• Family members dealing with deceased loved one's belongings may need to handle disposal of the deceased's garments

• Care facilities may need to handle disposal for members unable to do so themselves

In such situations, the same procedure applies—marks should be destroyed and fabric cut to be unidentifiable. Having someone assist with or complete this process is acceptable when individual can't reasonably do it themselves.

Misconception 5: Garments Buried With Deceased Should Be New

Some cultural traditions suggest that garments buried with deceased person must be brand new, never worn. The Church provides garments for temple clothing rental that are then used for burial, and these are not necessarily "new" in sense of never having been worn.

What matters is that burial garments are clean and appropriate, not that they've never been previously worn. Some families prefer to purchase new garments for burial, which is fine, but it's not required. Using clean, appropriate garments from the deceased's own wardrobe or obtaining burial garments through normal channels is equally acceptable.

Misconception 6: Different Disposal Rules for Different Garment Styles

As garment styles have evolved over the decades, some members wonder if disposal procedures differ for different styles. The handbook guidance applies equally to all temple garments regardless of style, fabric, or era. Whether garments are older full-length style, modern brief style, cotton, synthetic, or any other variation, the same disposal procedure applies: destroy marks, cut fabric so it's not identifiable, then cloth can be discarded.

Cultural Practices From Other Countries

Latter-day Saints worldwide come from diverse cultural backgrounds with different traditions about sacred items. Some cultures have practices of burying sacred items, others of burning, others of water disposal, etc. While these cultural backgrounds are valuable and meaningful, the official Church guidance in the General Handbook should be the standard followed regardless of personal cultural traditions.

Members from cultures with different sacred item traditions can feel comfortable that the handbook procedure respects the sacred nature of garments while providing clear standard that all members can follow.

When Cultural Practice Conflicts With Handbook

When anyone encounters advice, tradition, or cultural practice regarding garment disposal that conflicts with General Handbook 38.5.7, the handbook should be considered authoritative. Well-meaning members may share practices they learned from parents or others, but those practices may not align with current official guidance.

Polite response to conflicting advice: "I appreciate you sharing that. I've read the handbook guidance in section 38.5.7, and I'm going to follow what it says there. But thank you for wanting to help."

CONCLUSION

Proper disposal of temple garments is straightforward process that every endowed member should understand and implement. The General Handbook provides clear guidance: cut out and destroy the marks, cut up remaining fabric so it cannot be identified as a garment, and then the remaining cloth can be discarded. This three-step process takes only a few minutes, requires no special tools beyond scissors, and can be easily implemented whenever garments wear out.

Understanding why this procedure matters helps motivate its implementation. Garments represent sacred covenants, and how members treat the physical garment reflects how they regard the spiritual covenants it symbolizes. Proper disposal protects sacred symbols from potential desecration, teaches the next generation about reverence for sacred things, maintains the important distinction between sacred and common items, and creates moments of conscious reflection about covenant commitments. The procedure isn't burdensome ritual but simple practice of treating sacred items appropriately.

The most common reason members handle disposal incorrectly is lack of education. Many simply don't know what the handbook says about proper procedure. Sharing this information—in temple preparation classes, in ward councils, in personal conversations, and through resources like this article—helps ensure all members have access to official guidance. The goal isn't to create anxiety or shame about past improper disposal done in ignorance, but rather to provide clear information for proper disposal going forward.

Common questions and misconceptions can be addressed by returning to what the handbook actually says. When cultural practices, family traditions, or member advice conflicts with handbook guidance, the handbook should be the authoritative source. The procedure is simpler than some cultural elaborations suggest—no burning of entire garments is required, no special ceremonies are mandated, repurposing unmarked unidentifiable fabric is acceptable, and no anxiety about perfect execution is necessary. Simply follow the handbook steps with reasonable care and good faith.

Teaching proper disposal to children, youth, and new converts ensures the next generation handles sacred clothing appropriately from the beginning. Modeling respectful disposal, providing clear instruction in temple preparation contexts, and creating culture where appropriate discussion of garment care can happen all contribute to better education about this topic.

The five minutes it takes to properly dispose of worn garments is small investment that demonstrates respect for sacred covenants, protects sacred symbols, teaches reverence for sacred things, and maintains consciousness about covenant identity. Every endowed member will eventually need to dispose of worn garments. Having clear understanding of proper procedure ensures that when that time comes, members can handle it appropriately, honoring both the sacred covenants they've made and the physical symbols that represent those covenants in daily life.

For official guidance, members can reference General Handbook, Section 38.5.7, available online at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.