Mormon Underwear

"God is unchanging and could not have permitted this deviation from the established custom," explained one Paul Feil, Mormon, arraigned in Salt Lake City municipal court last week for disturbing the peace.

His appearance in court was the result of his roaring into a meeting of 10,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints (Mormons), waving banners & flags, and shouting: "A message for Israel!"

The purport of that message was that all Mormons should return to the underwear prescribed by first Mormon Joseph Smith (1805-1844) which left exposed only the head, hands and feet of pious Mormons and was fastened with strings. Winter & summer for three-quarters of a century, Mormons have worn such underclothes.

Two years ago, however, the Church elders decided that modern, advertised "athletic" underwear, short and buttoned, violated no tenet. But their decision vexed many an oldtime believer, among them Mr. Feil, aged 50.

The judge suspended sentence against Mr. Feil's disturbance.