"It was the calendar" -Chad Hardy

[_Mahonri]

"Just how many friends do you have that are bishops who all happen to do "figure photography"?"
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I know five (count 'em. one, two, three, four, five) who fill the bill. All are or have been Bishops in the LDS Church. All do fine art figure work. All are good photographers with two of them being excellent in creativity, composition, technique and printing quality. I know a number of other members, not currently or formerly Bishops though some have been members of a Bishopric, some in Stake Presidencies and High Councilmen, one a Boy Scout leader, and all with the normal callings of Ward or Stake activity.

The last two are artists, not lusting fools trying to bed a model. The first three aren't artists but competent photographers working with one of the most difficult subjects around, the human body. Trying to progress from taking photos of "nekkid people" to fine art nudes is not that easy. Many never make it.

Some teach art and photography at University level and are active in their church callings while still doing figure work.

Not everyone is as uptight as you seem to think they ought to be. I would much rather have my kids photographing nudes in art studies than shooting Iraqi citizens to further the paranoid warmongering of a George Bush.

[_Jason Bourne]

Jason,

Your not focusing on the proper quotation there:

No, we do not accept the fact that conditions that prevent people from attaining their eternal destiny were born into them without any ability to control. That is contrary to the Plan of Salvation, and it is contrary to the justice and mercy of God. It’s contrary to the whole teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which expresses the truth that by or through the power and mercy of Jesus Christ we will have the strength to do all things. That includes resisting temptation. That includes dealing with things that we’re born with, including disfigurements, or mental or physical incapacities. None of these stand in the way of our attaining our eternal destiny. The same may be said of a susceptibility or inclination to one behavior or another which if yielded to would prevent us from achieving our eternal destiny.

that's the part to focus on.

Still the leaders take no position in Nature or nurture. Essentially they are saying if they are born this way this is their test, and cross to bear and God will make it right.

Oh and I see nothing about blood atonement. I see at least love and compassion towards those they think may be sinning.