During the church's October general conference, two conference attendees were incited to violence after street preachers donned the undergarments, deemed sacred religious clothing by members of the LDS Church. The two men were cited for assault and theft after ripping the clothing off the preachers.

Some members of the LDS Church are placing "empty bids" to keep the undergarments in what they call the right hands. Trent Hill of Torrance, Calif., said he recently bid $12,000 in one of the auctions but was outbid by another user.

"The bids are from members that will not pay the amount that are trying to prevent these items from being ridiculed by non-Mormons," Hill said.

Eagle Mountain resident Harry Bakken is one of these "empty" bidders. Bakken said he got involved in undergarment auctions in an attempt to make eBay aware of the fact that the auction items were in violation of eBay rules.

High bids with significant jumps in prices get the attention of eBay management, Bakken said.

"There are plenty of other ways devious individuals can get a hold of temple garments, and it is to their detriment," Bakken said. "They spend so much time tearing down what is sacred to some instead of promoting their own good."

LDS Church officials declined to comment about the auctions. This isn't the first controversial sale of an item LDS members hold sacred. In July 1999, eBay yanked an auction touting an LDS temple recommend. And a UVSC student briefly listed the sacred clothing used in LDS temples as well as LDS temple recommends before pulling both auctions Tuesday afternoon.

Chris Waldron said he closed the auctions after receiving multiple malicious threats and hate mail.

"I personally don't see a problem with the auctions," Waldron said. "I am a returned missionary and an active LDS member and believe in free agency."

The temple recommends — item #2226446301 — were listed with the description, "Ever wanted to go in a Mormon temple but never had the ticket needed to enter? I have authentic MORMON Temple recommends and these are a must have for anyone who has (a) family member getting married in a Mormon temple."

Waldron told the Deseret Morning News the recommends are expired. "I have told all (who inquire) that they are expired and are more for collectors, but that the old men who check them (at the temple) are usually asleep or too blind to read the fine print."

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com