Topless Mormons Calendar Creates a Stir

A calendar featuring Mormon missionaries in their standard white shirts, ties and black plastic name badges would not raise too many eyebrows. But when the same men are captured in more modest poses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not amused.

Chad Hardy, based out of Las Vegas and member of the Mormon community is the man behind the calendar that gives a new image to Mormons by displaying several of them shirtless. As a consequence of this project, he is facing a disciplinary hearing and possible excommunication on grounds of "conduct unbecoming of a member of the church".

Hardy insists the objective of his project is just to shake up Mormon stereotypes and give them a more progressive image. Interestingly, he had successfully released a similar calendar in 2008 which went on to sell 10,000 copies. The current furore erupted days prior to the launch of the 2009 version.