Difference between revisions of "Mormon Calendar"

Revision as of 13:41, 16 July 2010

The so-called Mormon Calendar was created by Chad Hardy of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In an effort to show how cool and normal Mormons are, and to shake up stereotypes of Mormons, Hardy used photographs of shirtless returned missionaries to complement each calendar month.

""Men on a Mission," which has sold nearly 10,000 copies at $14.99 each, included pictures of 12 returned missionaries wearing black slacks, but not their trademark white shirts, in modest poses. The men also were photographed in traditional missionary garb and share their religious beliefs in biographical sketches." [1]

Hardy had not been active in the Church for six years when he began producing the calendars in 2008, although he had served a mission. He was excommunicated from the Church, but not necessarily for producing the calendars. Excommunication from the Mormon Church is a first step of repentance for serious transgressions. An excommunicated person is removed from official church rolls, but is still welcome at church services. Excommunicated members are prohibited from receiving the sacrament and can't perform church callings such as teaching or preaching during meetings. They also cannot enter church temples. The goal for excommunicated members is to repent and be rebaptized, restored into full fellowship. Local leaders expect to help excommunicated members towards this goal.

Church spokeswoman Kim Farah declined to comment on Hardy's specific situation, but said that "any church discipline is the result of actions not beliefs." Decisions are made at the local level and are based on individual circumstances and merits, she said.

"Because the fundamental purpose of church discipline has always been to help members, rather than simply punish, disciplinary councils are considered a necessary step in repentance on the way back to full harmony and fellowship in the church," she said. [2]

The calendars created a conversation pro and con on social networking sites. Some felt the images degraded the Church by displaying Mormon missionaries as sex symbols rather than emmissaries of God. Others felt the images helped dispel the idea that Mormons are "stuffy." None of the models have faced disciplinary action.