This is REALLY no surprise, and when Dej brought it to my attention, my first thought was “I wonder what took so long.”

See, I saw this half-naked missionary man calendar a while back. Men on a mission. Ha. Funny. The Web site name itself is “Mormonsexposed.com.” Uh, yeah, I pretty much knew that was no active TBM who put THAT whole endeavor together.

Anyone who thought it was has been puffing at the old crack pipe a little too long. Do people even smoke crack anymore? Or is meth the drug of choice? I digress.

This story pretty much confirms my suspicions.

SALT LAKE CITY - A Las Vegas man who devised a calendar that features shirtless Mormon missionaries is facing a disciplinary hearing and possible excommunication because of the project.

A lifetime member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Chad Hardy was summoned by letter to a Sunday meeting with a council of elders to discuss his “conduct unbecoming a member of the church.”

Later in the story, Hardy confirms that he is NOT an active member of the Church.

A returned missionary himself, Hardy acknowledged he has not been an active member of the church since 2002. He said he’s never been contacted by anyone from the church encouraging his return to the fold and he suspects the current inquiry was driven by the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters.

Down at the bottom of the story, we get this:

An excommunicated person would be removed from official church rolls, although he or she would still be 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.

All I have to say is, DAMMIT, why didn’t I think of this?

I just got this email.

BrodeeEmail: brodee.monica@xxx.xxx

Message: Its really sad that you would push this anti-mormon, anti-religion, ignorant propaganda that is full of deceit and lies. I\’m sorry you have so much hate for people who are trying to live the best way that they can.

Um, what? What in the holy hell are you talking about? What deceit? What lies? What propaganda? For the love of GOD, what hate?

Email can be so perplexing…..

Sunday was my father’s seventy-fourth birthday, and it caused me to ruminate a bit.

See, when I was growing up, my science teacher dad told us all how they get rid of tapeworms. You have not heard of this? Let me enlighten you. They put you in the hospital and starve you. When you are really, really hungry, they cook up a big steak and set it in front of you, and when the RAVENOUS tapeworm comes out through your nostrils, they grab hold of it and YANK until they have the whole thing out.

What, you did not know this?

Many people do not. Why, when I retold this up into my late teens and possibly early twenties, people scoffed. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that my father had MADE THIS SHIT UP. What sort of man TELLS his children this? Surely a man who expected they would not be gullible enough to believe it. I lived in mortal fear of tapeworms for most of my young life, because tapeworm removal sounded pretty damn nasty, painful and just plain icky.

As you consider this story, perhaps you will understand why I eventually took that other stuff–the religion stuff–my father told me with a grain of salt I should have saved to put on the steak they were going to lure the tapeworm out with.

Tell me this. Is it really any wonder I took that whole “Golden-plates-reformed-Egyptian-headless-Nephite-running-around” story and threw IT out the window, too?

Dad? You have only yourself to blame. But Happy Birthday anyway.

This one comes from the other side, and features a familiar name: Emily Pearson. I immediately cued in to the fact that she might be the daughter of Carol Lynn Pearson, and indeed, she is. Fascinating story, Emily has. But pay particular attention to her blog. It is well worth reading and absolutely worth considering. And thanks to Isabella for the comment. Seattle is COOOOOOLD, but I do like it. With warm clothes. Blankets. And maybe an electric blanket. Did I mention it’s COOOOOLD?

Name: Isabella | E-mail: isabella@xxx.org

Natalie,

My husband and I are former mormons and often enjoy reading your blog.I admire you and your daughter for choosing to be levelheaded and balanced with a sprinkle of humour, in the way you choose to view your experiences in Utah and Life. It is incredibly sad to see and experience the amount of fear that cloaks many within the Mormon Church. A fear so thick that one can cut it with a knife and it acts as a barrier between them (mormons) and those that they view as outsiders (toxic to them). As you well know, mormons believe that the ADVERSARY can/will work to lead them astray and the ADVERSARY especially likes to work through “OUTSIDERS” like all of us. Of course this includes the “HOMOSEXUAL’ community.

Yet another example of the TOXIC BRAINWASHING: In Mormon Chapels throughout California, church leaders read a letter from the First Presidency of the LDS Church (29th June 2008).The letter advocates that Mormons in California need to vote against the legalization of GAY MARRIAGE….and of course for the PROTECTION OF THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN.

Please read the letter as posted on a friends webblog.
www.dancingwithcrazy.blogspot.com This blog is by Emily Pearson (who is also an ex-mormon).

The way that the Mormon Church has become openly Political is sickening to me!!!!!!
The Mormon church used to tell their members to vote their conscience…….
NOT ANYMORE!!!!!!!

I take my hat off to all of the former mormons and non-mormons that choose to live in Utah. I’m glad it’s not me.The energy there can be stiffling. I lived their for several years and now live in the Seattle area. The energy here is so open in comparison that I feel like I can breathe deeply without effort. I invite you, Natalie, and anyone else who reads this entry to come up and breathe for a holiday……anytime!!!

Name: Lola Myers | E-mail: lola@xxxx.com |

I hope to hell my boys never met you. What a waste!

Dear Lola,

I not only met your boys, but we had wild monkey sex for three days and then we got drunk and dropped acid and THEN we lit the Book of Mormon on fire. The fire was an accident. Mostly. Did you know vodka works well as an accelerant? Me either.

Sorry,
Love Natalie