Shirtless Mormons....for a short time only.

Lifetime member of the church of LDS Chad Hardy had an idea that many have had before him: put hot dudes in no shirts into a calendar. Sell, make money. But his calendar wound up leaving him with a looming excommunication hearing, because releasing "Men on a Mission" was deemd unacceptable conduct by the church elders.

Already having sold 10,000 copies, "Men on a Mission" features recently returned Mormon missionaries, sans their white shirts and ties. They were all posed in fairly modest positions.

"You see more in a JCPenney catalog," said Hardy, 31, who has his own entertainment company. "I just feel like my right to free speech is being violated."

Hardy released the calendar to shake up Mormon stereotypes. In addition to the semi-nude shots, there are also photos of hte men in standard missionary outgits, and bios that explain each man's beliefs.

"It has created an interfaith dialogue," Hardy said. "People of all faiths have logged on and shared what they believe. They're talking about what's really important, not how bad it is that you took your shirt off."

Some of the missionaries in the calendar, many of whom were recruited by Hardy's friends at church events, have been asked by their church leaders about the project, but none has faced disciplinary action.
The 2009 calendar will be released in September.