Mormons Exposed - Men on a Mission Calendar

In the effort of promoting religious tolerance and better understanding, twelve missionaries are posing bared chested in the effort to promote better time management. This is something I never really expected to see, but I guess nothing really surprises these days.  I really don't even know what to think of it.  I just want to know where is the sisters' missionary calendar? From the their myspace page:

Q: What makes the Men on a Mission calendar so unique?

A: Behind the eye-candy, this calendar has a deeper story – one that can reshape perceptions, heighten awareness, and perhaps encourage and inspire a broadened acceptance of human and religious diversity. The fact that twelve young returned missionaries are posing shirtless will certainly raise eyebrows, but may also help to sort out some common misconceptions about Mormons. The shock value of what these traditionally conservative young men have helped to create has the power to build a dialogue that encourages people across every belief system and walk of life to defy stereotypes and embrace tolerance.

Q: What was the impetus for the development of the Men on a Mission Calendar? What do you hope to achieve through the calendar release?

A: The Men on a Mission calendar is intended to be a light-hearted and fun spin on a social taboo. Far too much fear, hatred, anger and violence is committed in the name of religion. By showing these missionaries as regular people, we hope to build a common thread that can break down some of the barriers that have been built up. Driven by the desire to serve as an advocate for change, Mormons Exposed created a national product that consumers everywhere can find humorous and enjoyable. The calendar project and surrounding buzz serves as a platform to encourage many different groups of people to look beyond the stereotypes of race, religion or political affiliation to achieve a greater understanding of one another.

Who would of thought that the key to religious tolerance is bared chested young men? It just seems so obvious now.

Comments

[Steve M..]

Reminds me of the Biblical Erotic Calendar (URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,392005,00.html), published by a Lutheran youth group in Germany (don't worry, the link is just an article about the calendar).

[Steve M..]

Here's that URL again:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,392005,00.html

[Matt W.]

yikes. The best is that this shows these are "real people" yeah, right, whatever...

[Emme K.]

I actually found out about this calendar from a friend who sent me the YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOm-BMRVdA

Dallas R. asked where we might find the sister missionary calendar. I wondered, almost out loud, if any sister missionaries would still have their membership after producing a calender so riddled with sex. Oh, please understand, I am not caught up with sex--gay or straight--the church is. This calendar and YouTube production does nothing to promote looking "beyond the stereotypes of race, religion or political affiliation to achieve a greater understanding of one another." What part of a calendar full of white men being dressed and waxed by women promotes a better understanding of stereotypes found in race, religion and politics? This promotes one idea, a group of men going along for a ride to promote themselves and their beliefs--yes, their beliefs. Check out YouTube and then the site: mormonsexposed.com--even the name is a little sexy for a returned missionary man(from the song on YouTube). Dallas, your question about sister missionaries, is it your way of including women in the church, or do you think it is only fair that women get the same 'opportunity' to produce a sexy calendar.
The few comments on this page so far seem to indicate that boys will be boys. I wonder if they, the boys, will be called out for their actions like the girl on the Real World a few years ago that was not permitted to return to BYU because she lived in a house with other men--shame, shame.

[Dallas Robbins]

my comment about the sisters was tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be taken seriously.

[Michael]

I saw this video about the calendar here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HavwkKdWa-c

[Michael]

I saw this video about the calendar here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HavwkKdWa-c

[Michael]

I saw this video about the calendar here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HavwkKdWa-c

[Sara]

I loved the original video, the one with the Annie Lennox "Missionary men" song, but it has been deleted from everywhere :-((((.
I showed it to two single friend of mine that have never been to one of our services and... yesterday we had a couple more investigators in our area :-))))...
They might not have come for the message, but hey it worked! they said they'll be back next week because they loved the "fast and testimony" meeting..

I think this calendar is a brilliant idea, and it works on ohhh so many levels!!!

[Brenna B.]

i realize what the point of this is. But i also see that it's a little demoralising some of our values which we find important. I dont wish to sound baised or anything but this seems sortof degrading towards modesty correct me if im wrong but i seriously thought that we were to be modest as both male and female. Well, i see the point of this so i guess its alright i just felt i should point out my opinon

[Pastor Doug Dwyer]

What is that calendar about? I came across it quite by accident (I was looking up a small group men's Bible study curriculum with a similiar name) and came across this beefed up Mormon missionary guy-I thought some of the things us evangelicals did was off the wall-looks like we have company! I'm just grateful my church staff didn't see that picture-let's just say it wouldn't have looked good!!!

[Brother Matsaw]

Words of bishops and church leaders fill my mind with thoughts of putting off the natural man, you know being in and not of the world. I would to say that, being a lamanite in our church I find my faith to be at a point where my ambition and tolerence must not be at the same level as the natural nephite RM. I'm sadly dissapointed.

[annegb]

I am so going to order this and leave it lying around somewhere in the church.

[annegb]

Or not. I watched the video. Yeah, it's just wrong. For many, many reasons.

Also, none of them have hair on their chests.

[name witheld]

Please---this is the beginning of pornography without a doubt---and then to have it done by our own return missionaries who have made covenants to dress a certain way---c'mon we can have fun without demoralizing our bodies in the name of a "calendar" so sad to see how satan creeps into every situation. I wonder if Pres.Hincley would buy one? I think NOT!

[not a prude]

Maybe the next calendar can be poses of shirtless general authorities if your point is to prove we can have fun. Huh? Point made!

[Bob Dole]

Wow. There's a lot of people with a lot of misguided opinions here. So, these guys posed shirtless for a calendar. As a member of the LDS church, it discourages me to see other members that are so quick to judge 12 of their own for posing for a calendar that, ultimately, does not conflict with church doctrine. You'd see more skin at a ward pool-party.

[Jared]

Are these RM "stripling" warriors? I think they should display their faith by not exposing their skin.

[WC]

This is certainly a sad day. They made covenants and now have broken some of them. Imagine what the people they taught on their mission are thinking. It is hard enough for the church to be accepted. Every missionary in the field will be drilled with questions about this. Sad, Sad, Sad.

[Heidi Marshall]

What a sad and disappointing display from return missionaries, no less. These men have served two years of their lives teaching the gospel and holding themselves to a higher standard. To have such disregard for the promises they made (and they know exactly what they are) and be part of such a foolish display for a most ridiculous reason (religous tolerance? What a joke!). What have you done, Elders? How can you possibly justify this? The damage that will come from this type of ridiculous behavior will totally negate any type of good you have done on your mission and what you could accomplish now. Perhaps you could join the reorganized church since you like to write your own rules. We don't need members like you making the rest of us who strive to do what's right, look like fools.

[Sister C]

This is something that will cause great damage not only to a respected and sacred standard that has been set for all LDS but to each of you individually. I cannot understand how you could remove your temple clothing and rationalize it to doing charity? Your two years were truly wasted.

[caldeen benedict]

My first comment is modesty is very hot! I would much rather see these hunky young men covered up.
It is also very wrong to have the calendar showing missionaries with name badges and then Return Missionaries bare chested. I have a missionary in the field and one living within the next 6 months. The calendar is very wrong.

[mjohnson]

The creator of this calendar was on MSN. He said something along the lines of, 'these men represented the church when they were on their missions, but now they are represting themselves'. That statement alone goes against our belief which is, 'we will stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places'. Sad.

[caldeen benedict]

sorry, can not spell, "one will be leaving within the next 6 months"

[dd]

making evil look good, and then to say your using it for charity, would that be to cover up your conciences? to make your doings okay? clearly you are provoking pornography, leading the mind to unclean toughts. What are the intentions of this calendar? is that even relevant? This "kids" are out for fun... we'll see...