Mormons exposed by 'Men on a Mission'

[one...two...tree 2,762]

For Matt Webster, 23, a graduate of Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, the 'Men on a Mission' calendar means further opportunity to help disabled children in Okinawa, Japan, where he served his mission.

Kerry Lengel

The Arizona Republic

Don't call 'em six-pack abs, unless you're talking about Sprite. And while these 12 male models are smokin' hot, they better not get caught smoking in the boys room.

Yes, it's the 2008 "Men on a Mission" calendar, featuring a dozen returned Mormon missionaries, minus the signature white shirt.

The project started with an idea by Chad Hardy, 31, a former missionary who grew up in California and Utah and now lives in Las Vegas. Available online at menonamissioncalendar.com, the calendar is creating a buzz in the blogosphere that has already percolated up to national media outlets like MSNBC.

It began as a joke, and Hardy admits the gimmick is designed to stir some controversy. But while the racy pinups might cross the modesty line for many Mormons, that's not the main point, he says.

"This is very tame," he says. "I could have taken this project to the extreme and really offended some people, but that was not my intent."

Aside from the humor of it, Hardy says the point is to celebrate the service of young men who have made contributions around the world and to spread a message of tolerance.

"This is a group of beautiful men of faith that are stepping outside the stereotypes of being a Mormon," he says.

"Our messaging goes out to all religions to be tolerant of each other and, within the church, not to judge people for doing things that are out of the box. There's a large group of Mormons out there that don't fit that mold that everybody likes to live under."

Some of the money from sales will go to charities chosen by the models, in the areas they served. For Matt Webster, a graduate of Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, that means helping disabled children in Okinawa, Japan.

"I know it will be controversial," says Webster, 23, who is currently attending college in Salt Lake City.

"Utah Mormons have this rap for being a little more severe. It's got this big social aspect where people have to prove they're more righteous than everybody else."

While he has at least one friend who does like the idea, he says his family thought it was "kind of cute." As for his fiancée, he says, "She's been a model for years, she's done runway, so she thinks it's pretty cool. She thinks it was really tasteful, really well done."

Hardy says he gets e-mails on a daily basis about the project, and they're not all negative. A lot of Mormons are buying the calendar, even if as a gag gift. But that's not the only audience.

"I think the gay community is going to be big," he says. "We sell a lot of calendars to men."

[Jasman0717 9]

What does all this mean

[Krikit 1,166]

Don't call 'em six-pack abs, unless you're talking about Sprite. And while these 12 male models are smokin' hot, they better not get caught smoking in the boys room.

"I think the gay community is going to be big," he says. "We sell a lot of calendars to men."

"Hot" he is not. But, then, I'm not a gay man so what do I know.

Edited September 16, 2007 by Krikit

[Mags 112]

We had two Mormons knock at our door last night. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't have wanted to see either of them without their shirts...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We had two Mormons knock at our door last night. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't have wanted to see either of them without their shirts...

[Queen Jenn 0]

Um, I won't be buying one.

[Peikko 1,575]

Should Mormons be knowingly selling a calender that appeals to the gay community? That seems rather enlightened to me

[MissStacey 1]

I don't let any Mormon's in unless I see them naked first.

Then I offer them a cocktail and a smoke.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I don't let any Mormon's in unless I see them naked first.

Then I offer them a cocktail and a smoke.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

I don't let any Mormon's in unless I see them naked first.

Then I offer them a cocktail and a smoke.

LOL! I do the same thing Standing real close to them gettin in their space! Well sir we gotta be goin now.

Edited October 7, 2007 by CarolsMarc

[Geist 0]

coughphotoshopcough

[Ladylethal 12]

When I was 16 I was in an exchange program in AZ that was supposed to have lasted 1 year. I was sent to live with mormons. Let's just say I called it quits and flew back home after 6 months, and I only lasted that long 'cus I've always been so polite and try to adjust to situations as best as I can.

In the end my views (I am agnostic, the type that simply doesn't care if) and their views were just too different and I had to go. The breaking point was one day sitting in the living room with the missionaires and the foster mom and they asking me if I was gonna follow their beliefs of not drinking, and they asked me straight to my face if I was gonna marry a virgin 'cus it's wrong not do so, and I told them "no way". After that the foster mom kept giving me dirty looks and after learning from my area representative that if I switched families it'd be to another mormon family, I called it quits.

What bothered me the most about this family was the fact that they were considered exemplary by their temple, as a happy, united family, and the truth was that it was chaotic inside that house, a young couple with 6 spoiled children (I will state that one of the daughters was as delightful, open minded girl, with whom I got along very well) the oldest to a point where he'd call his mother a fat pig, scream at her, and do whatever he wanted, and she'd simply lock herself in her room and call her husband who'd drive home from work in the middle of the day to have a talk with his son so the mom could leave the room and cook dinner. Every single day there was screaming in that house. I kept thinking they were so respected as a happy family and their lives was that chaos, when my agnostic/atheist family had so much more love and respect for each other than them.

[almaty 19]

when i was in Zuni, we had a Mormon on our advisor board..a fine decent person..i ahve no issue...except..i do not like anybody..beating on my doo

re handing out a ticket for God..

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Should Mormons be knowingly selling a calender that appeals to the gay community? That seems rather enlightened to me

Caro

[JohnK 0]

and they asked me straight to my face if I was gonna marry a virgin 'cus it's wrong not do so

What a load of #######.