The Sign of Apparel

 

In the Book of Mormon, the wearing of costly apparel is the one of the first signs that the Pride Cycle has started anew. It is meant to be seen for what it is--a marker of wealth and even superiority. This placing of oneself above others suggests a love of hierarchy, which is antithetical to the creation of a Zion society.

Of course, costly apparel abounds today. But a recent article has me asking, what does it mean when a society creates costly and utterly ridiculous clothing? An image from a news article today is representative:

Gee, even the model looks embarrassed. This Louis Vuitton original will set you back over $7000. What kind of civilization creates such imbecility and calls it worth that much money?

It's hard not to see this as another sign that our society is in a state of terminal decay. I suppose the only hopeful sign is that the sweater was roundly mocked by all who saw it.

Sometimes it becomes understandable why God feels They must resort to the two-by-fours of famine, pestilence, and war. Bringing the children of God back to basic bodily realities is, I suppose, sometimes the only way to stop the decay that threatens to overtake them.

I've been thinking a lot about why the Pride Cycle seems so inevitable, and how God can send children to earth knowing of that cycle's inevitability. How can peace and prosperity even be considered blessings if they so unfailingly lead to pride and spiritual rot? And if peace and prosperity aren't actually blessings in the end, why does God persist in giving them to those who are righteous?

'Tis a puzzlement. I'm still mulling the whole thing over. Do you have any ideas?

Here's another closeup to kick-start your reflections . . .