Sackcloth and ashes were “symbols that ancient Semitic cultures associated with penitence and mourning. Sackcloth translates Hebrew saq (cf. Akkadian saqqu), dark fabric woven of thread spun from goat hair or camel hair. Haircloth was used for coarse items—tents, rugs, and sacks. … Unrefined and inexpensive, its use as clothing denoted abasement or abjection. … Even the color of sackcloth bespoke deprivation. … Stripping off accustomed clothing, girding the loins with sackcloth, and soiling oneself with ashes or dust are also symbols of worthlessness and a ritual demonstration of utter humiliation and desire for mercy or reconciliation (2 Ne. 13:24; Mosiah 11:25)” (Largey, Book of Mormon Reference Companion, 692).