Two symbolic clothing items that frequently co-occur in scripture are the mantle and the girdle. A mantle is an outer covering. A girdle is a belt.
The mantle is a symbol of the power that comes from similitude to God.2 God’s power comes through the assimilation of his character. When you take upon yourself the character of Christ, you become more like him in character and in the power you wield.
The girdle is a tool to bind and constrict, symbolizing how one who serves God circumscribes their desires and actions to match those of the Lord. It is precisely through girding yourself with the righteousness of God3 that you receive his mantle of power.4
As you gird yourself with each of God’s qualities, you receive a mantle in the form of that character quality and its associated power and blessings.5 The composite of God’s attributes is love. When you practice charity by living for the benefit of others without preference for self, you receive the blessing of truly becoming as God is.6
Footnotes
- 1. And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be added to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be taken, even that which ye have received. (D&C 43:9-10) ↩
- 2. And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2:14) ↩
- 3. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. (Isaiah 11:1-5) ↩
- 4. And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. (Isaiah 22:21) ↩
- 5. And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same. (D&C 88:34) ↩
- 6. And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace. (D&C 88:125) ↩