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October 15, 2007 | 7:01 am

Mormon hunks calendar created by Sin City missionary

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg


The Las Vegas Sun picked up Saturday on that story about the 12 months of undressed Mormon missionaries, and talks to creator of the calendar, Chad Hardy, who hopes photos of the suit pants and shirts beefcakes sell like hot cakes.

A 31-year-old returned missionary aiming at some holy combination of seduction and surprise. Mormons stripped down to show us, with their unapologetic camera coyness, that they’re not “these awkward, naive religion peddlers. Kind of dorky. A little backwards, or cult members.”

Hardy has sold more than 1,000 calendars since September. Come Christmas, he’ll have them in 500 stores throughout the country. Meanwhile, some church members have called for his excommunication.

The calendar has been disparaged on LDS Web sites, where anonymous writers have suggested Hardy is no longer worthy of his church. One commenter asked, “Did you each get 30 pieces of silver for your betrayal?” - a reference to Judas’ payment for betraying Jesus. And not every writer has been so delicate in his phrasing.

The Mormon faith embraces modesty and sees sexuality as something best expressed in the marriage bed. So for many Mormons, photographing an icon of chaste spirituality doing his best to affect sexiness is utterly horrifying.

(skip)

Hardy says the Mormons he knows - with the exception of an aunt in Arizona - think the calendar will help dispel the myth of the milquetoast missionary. Moreover, they think it’s hilarious. They see a calendar beef-caked to a degree that borders on parody. This view has also been expressed in Internet debates over the calendar, though seldom without swift return fire from the dissenting camp.

“This is not just a calendar ; it’s a movement,” Hardy says. “We want them to laugh at us. We don’t care. We are comfortable enough in our faith.”

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No, this is really sad to me. I grew up in a “Christian” home being sexually abused by “church going” brother and step-father.
Men with two conflicting faces.

Our home was full of images very similar to these. It is not the shirtless abs that repulse me. It is the look in the eyes. Seductive beasts.

I was a young girl when I first met the Mormon Missionaries. For the first time in my life it was not my body, but my soul someone cared about. I felt safe.

This is very disturbing and these young men I hope will realize one day what they have done is very wrong.

I too an a return missionary, my mission is sacred to me. I took serious that I was an ambassador of our Lord Jesus Christ. Striving to have His image in my very countenance.

Would you think it “great”, “wow”, “hot”, if these guys faces were the image of what we believe Christ to look like? Would you feel “Hot” if it were Christ with a waxed down chest and his face staring at you with those wanting eyes from you office wall?

Our bodies ARE beautiful. BUT I hardly think this is how He intended us to worship or honor them, …despite our religious preference.

Comment by ts on 7/11/08 at 10:07 pm

? mormons arnt jews by the way and what is that pictture supposee to be saying ??? x x

Comment by hannah on 10/25/08 at 12:49 am

oh and a nother thing ‘‘Kind of dorky. A little backwards, or cult members.”
you cant call our religon if your not in it because YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT YET you obviously dont know our religon with the things that your saying on this ‘website’ do you really thiink if a little girl say age 4 who has just joined the church is looking a t this i wonder what she’ll think of a crued explanition like that ? (PATHETIC !)

Comment by hannah on 10/25/08 at 12:56 am

If anyone wants to know ANYTHING about YOUR religion all they have to do is look it up on google. You aren’t living in some conclave where only you have access to information, facts, history, legend and lore about your own religion. Everyone can know it and study it even if they don’t agree with its ideologies. Please know this and understand that Jesus was forgiving and DID NOT JUDGE those stepped outside the box. Where in your bible does it state that posing in such a manner is immoral, sexually or otherwise? Right, you won’t find a place unless you create one. A year late, but still right on time. A little girl shouldn’t be looking at this if she just joined the church and is 4, maybe? Can a question get any worse…

Comment by Knowledge on 3/31/09 at 9:35 am

I believe this is wrong because missionaries are supposed to be representatives of Christ, also there are supposed to be morals and values that missionaries uphold. I do not think that posing in such a way, AND MAKING A PROFIT OFF IT is what you are supposed to be doing. We are suppose to be in the world, but not of the world. Who cares what that people think we are kind of dorky, A little backwards, or cult members. Obviously they aren’t even willing to find out what our true name is. You know, The Church of JESUS CHRIST of latter-day saints.

Comment by Sariah on 4/06/09 at 3:18 pm

This is not right and i would know because i’m mormon. and mormons don’t do this kind of stuff its a sin. this is some stupid thing that some stupid idoit made up so don’t believe it!!!!!!!!

Comment by Shelby on 4/11/09 at 6:53 pm

filhos da put@ voces nao tem vergonha da cara de voces seus malditos you go hell!!!!

Comment by ricardo on 4/23/09 at 5:23 am

Gee…I’m almost 60 and I sure didn’t mind looking at those little stud muffins.  It just made me wish I was 40 years younger.  Next time one of those missionaries shows up at my door, I think I’ll ask him to take his shirt off and flex his muscles.  A cheap thrill at my age is good for the heart.

Comment by Zebra on 6/11/09 at 2:42 am

What are the things that the mormon church tried to spread. If they tried to spread evil things and exposing their bodies like that - then that is not true. I’m not a mormon but I know what mormons do and I do admire and respect the way tney taught. About that… it only putting something that convincing people and getting rewards money etc.. but remember don’t say something bad about others belief…it is a matter of sin and remember there is a punishment from God when you say something which is not true about others belief… !!!IT’S WORKS!!! - Your days start to count, the clock click…

Comment by Eddy on 6/12/09 at 9:55 pm

Whats the difference between calenders and all the businesses the mormon church has. They own shopping malls,restaurants,real estate,sewage plants.

Comment by joe on 7/08/09 at 10:26 am

Mormonism is a religion that is based upon people fleeing for their own right to practice a form of sexuality that the rest of the country thought was perverse and sick (polygamy, sex in front of children, etc).  This seems a natural extension of that to me.

Comment by Willie on 7/14/09 at 8:14 am

Did you each get 30 pieces of silver for your betrayal..? a reference to Judas’ payment for betraying Jesus. And not every writer has been so delicate in his phrasing..zojrushi Breadmakers

Comment by zojrushi Breadmakers on 8/28/09 at 5:38 am

Whatever happened to “NOT JUDGING THE PEOPLE” If I remember correctly the bible states that there is only ONE JUDGE & His name is Jesus, son of God… true CHRISTians know this… and the others, should think about this & let things happen the way God has intended! Keep the peace, love your brothers & sisters & be blessed (to all)

Comment by Judge on 1/31/10 at 10:02 pm

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