... and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly ... (D&C 121:45)
Over time, sometimes in decades, certainly in centuries, words often change in their senses, meanings and sometimes even their basic definitions.
Also, because many words have a number of senses or definitions, it is not unusual for one definition to become more commonly used than others. Sometimes the earlier definitions are forgotten or lost altogether from common usage.
"Garnish" is just such a word.
Today, garnish is most often thought of as the parsley on the plate of food in a restaurant. Indeed, the Oxford English Dictionary tells us garnish, among other things, means things placed around or added to a dish to improve its appearance.
Garnish also means to outfit or dress — an embellishment or decoration. In a broader sense, the dictionary tells us that to garnish is to "fit out with anything that adorns or beautifies."
These definitions help us understand an important aspect of the use of the word garnish in Section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, an understanding of other senses and definitions, especially those more in use in the 17th to early 19th centuries, can deepen our understanding of this verse.
The earliest root of the word garnish comes from the idea "to cover." In the book "The Roots of English," we learn that "In the (Germanic) sense 'cover,' (in addition to adorn), came to mean 'protect."' For example, a "garage" protects vehicles and a "garrison" protects military conquests.
Another Germanic sense is to equip. For example, "garment," in addition to covering, also equips and protects us.
Later, in English, garnish had the sense of fortifying, defending, preparing, warning, becoming aware, taking precaution, preparing and guarding oneself.
It turns out that in past centuries, virtue and garnish were often used together. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes William Caxton (1422-91), the first English printer, describing someone "By the right great virtue whereof he was garnished." The dictionary also quotes Hugh Latimer (1485-1555), an English Protestant martyr, warning of problems, "When the Devil cometh, and findeth the heart of man not weaponed nor garnished with the word of God."
With that background, when we read garnish in the context of Section 121, it has a richer sense than simply adornment. We can read garnish also to mean "let virtue, be a fortress to defend, warn and guard our thoughts unceasingly."