Topless Mormon Missionary Calendar

Chad Hardy made news last year when he came out with his "Men on a Mission" calendar that took the ubiquitous buttoned-up, clean cut missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (colloquially referred to as the Mormons) and, well, un-buttoned them.

Mr. Hardy made news again a couple of days ago for getting tossed out of the church. Hardy's saying it was for making the calendar, and the Church is saying nothing because they never do about such stuff--trying to protect the privacy of those involved, I suppose. The general reaction from the news media seems to be that of shock, surprise and a bit of snickering. What's the big deal about guys with their shirts off? I mean, they're not even naked, right?

I'm LDS. I'm also female. Sure the guys in the calendar are hot. But here's the thing, while I can't speak for the church leaders, I'm pretty sure Mr. Hardy didn't get ex'ed for making a calendar with hot shirtless guys in it. I'm guessing it was because he published pictures of LDS missionaries (actually returned missionaries) in poses and situations that are not allowed for LDS missionaries and make a mockery of our values.

In a culture where the average 19-21 year-old male juggles education and/or a menial job and is probably shirtless a good proportion of the time, a kid who decides to trade all that in to go and preach religion for two years to people who, if they're really really nice, will only slam the door in his face is certainly an oddity. The truth is that our missionaries sacrifice a lot more than Guitar Hero afternoons to go and get rejected in 108 different languages. Both the boys and the girls (yes, we do have female missionaries) must pay for their missions themselves, an especially difficult task considering they don't work for pay while on their mission. They postpone athletic careers and scholarships. They learn a different language and culture. They have to wear suits and ties (or professional skirts and hose for the girls) even in 110 degree heat. They're not allowed to even go swimming or to the gym much less take off their shirts publicly. They also don't date or have sex.

That isn't easy. They are human, after all. The last thing they need is to be greeted at the door by some woman asking in a sultry voice if they are "Mr. July." Our missionaries aren't sex symbols; they're representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They make these considerable sacrifices because they care that much about the message they are teaching.

What they do after their mission is up to them. it isn't that LDS men can't be sexy or even have professional modeling careers -- just not while serving a full-time mission. And in my opinion that's where Mr. Hardy went wrong.

Comments

[mredder4]

The lifestyle that results from being a Mormon is the result of a choice. I don't know if you believe that missionaries are better people because of what they do or not, but from this article, it kind of seems like you do.

"That isn't easy. They are human, after all."

And most humans don't choose to act the way Mormons do, which is why they're in the minority. And their "sacrifice" isn't noble; it's masochistic.

[kingshmoopy]

We used to live in West Africa and I encountered missionaries frequently. While they were, by and large, very nice and decent people I found what they did offensive. And more than a few times I heard missionaries talk about how "backwards" the Guinean people were, how their poverty was their own fault--the fault of the people for their lack of ingenuity or because they were lazy (both completely untrue, it takes so much work to even just survive in a country like Guinea that people have to work from sunrise to sundown), not the corrupt government. They showed such a monumental lack of knowledge of the history of the country, and the politics of the country, it was appalling and racist.

Most of the missionaries I met were Christian so I can't speak for how the LDS do their missions but I think it is wrong to start social programs and then, in the midst of all the helping out, say "oh, by the way, have you learned about Jesus Christ?" I found it especially offensive because Guinea is well over 90% Muslim and there was defintely the sentiment that they were trying to save the heathen Muslims.

Trying to ingratiate oneself into a community by helping to make their lives better in order to try to convert people is wrong. People who claim to be working for Jesus should find it fulfilling enough to help people who so desperately need it without trying to convert them.

[JoeBlows]

Missionaries are perfect nuisances and leave every place worse than they found it."
--Charles Dickens

[Netta2]

JoeBlows: it is easy to quote out of context. Perhaps you should look more closely at ALL of Charles Dickens' writings to portray his real feelings about Mormon missionaries instead of quoting out of context.

[SanityClaus]

Perhaps you should go live in a compound and obey the commands of your prophet.

What's the difference between a cult and a religion?

100 years.

[SanityClaus]

Cultist.