LAS VEGAS - CHM Entertainment, parent company of MormonsExposed.com, is in production for its 2009 "Men on a Mission" wall calendar.
The calendar, which is in its second year, is already creating another uproar, according to producer Chad Hardy.
"This project is about opening dialogue to hopefully tear down walls that separate humanity based on religion, and it has done just that," he told AVN Media Network. "Even though the project is humorous, the message runs deep and it gets people talking. The reaction has hailed from polar ends of the spectrum. The project has unleashed so many different emotions in people: humor, fear, disgust, liberation, love, et cetera. We often get letters from fans that say, ‘It's about time!'"
Hardy said "Men on a Mission" started as a "novel idea" that has grown into a movement. Hardy, who comes from a sixth-generation Mormon family and lived in Utah for eight years, said he witnessed prejudice on both sides of the Mormon faith.
"I have been screamed at that I am going to hell because of my religion," he explained. "On the flip side, I have had the same treatment from [Latter-day Saints] people when they perceived me as being not of the fold.
"I wanted to make a statement to the world to shine light on the issue of acceptance and tolerance both within and outside the church. It does not matter what religion you are. We are all human, no matter what belief system you choose for yourself. And to prove it, we are going to take off our shirts!"
Hardy said the young men featured in "Men on a Mission" are real missionaries who have helped the poor, fed the hungry, built schools and homes, and provided services to many people in need.
"The ‘Men on a Mission' calendar celebrates the good looks, beautiful bodies and amazing stories of service of these deeply spiritual young men," he said. "These handsome men of faith are ‘baring their testimony' in an entirely different way: casting off their inhibitions and heating up the pages of a steamy calendar."
Although the church hasn't made an official statement, Hardy said that because the calendar is a private endeavor, the models have done nothing that violates church policy.
"They simply modeled like they would have modeled for any other paid job," he said. "Certain church leaders may have their own opinions of the matter like everyone else. No one has received any flak from church headquarters. In fact, one of the 2008 models got married in the [Latter-day Saints] temple recently, which can only happen if you are a church member in good standing."
Hardy said half of the "devout dozen" has been selected for the 2009 edition of "Men on a Mission."
"Six have already been in the studio for the first shoot, and we are wrapping up casting of the final six," he said. "We are still accepting applications. We have received over 100 applications already, but are still searching for the perfect 12 to help us celebrate 2009."
In addition to a wall calendar, CHM Entertainment also offers apparel for fans of Mormon boys.
The 2009 "Men on a Mission" calendar is schedule to be released this summer.
