Reply #11: LDS that's Morman.

[RandomThoughts]

I think they are 'works' orientated. Many of them do have some strong biases on some issues. And like many groups many traditions.

Traditions can help a person focus there thoughts on topics. The magic underwear for instance, if you have something tangible to associate a thought with, it becomes easier for some people to associate something like protection through such a thing.

So having a tangible material item in the tradition lets a focus to the spiritual concept of armor of light be more easily thought of. It is the use of a material tradition to support a spiritual thought.

Basically every time they think about the wardrobe item, they have a supporting thought for the faith of spiritual armor. Most religions have material items that have that kind of function. It can be a crutch, but whatever works for them.

It also matches how some masons use symbols to focus spiritual thought.

Although it also is how some groups most religions think of as bad used talisments. However that depends how the person thinks of it. If they think some item actually contains power, that is more like a talisman.

Catholics also often have saints medallions along that same thought process.

It is a concept of some material item having a value in the spiritual, because it is thought to have that value. The only time such traditions cause problems is when people think the item itself is imbued with power, or if they don't think of the spiritual aspects and think the material itself has some value and forget the spiritual aspects.

Traditions like that are much the same in many beliefs.

Sometimes traditions can be a way to draw people away from the concept of better spiritual source, that happens in some situations with traditions, where people think some ritual or tradition itself is the value, instead of the feeling and thought of the traditions.

It is an interesting topic.