Comic’s Photo In Sacred Mormon Undergarment Sparks Backlash

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — Offended Mormons and others are calling on the University of Utah to cancel a show Wednesday by standup comedian David Cross, who is facing an onslaught of criticism, including charges of religious bigotry, after he tweeted a picture of himself wearing sacred temple garments known popularly as “Mormon underwear.”

Though perhaps peculiar outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the temple garments differ only from other symbols of devotion to God — a nun’s habit, a Jewish prayer shawl or a Muslim’s skull cap — in that they are not outwardly visible. Tradition holds that the garment is not to be discussed or displayed to anyone who would not understand its religious significance.

In the tweet, Cross promised the audience will “learn the real truth.”

In Utah, the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the joke fell flat. Cross is scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. local time Wednesday at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City.

Kelsi Moore noted on Twitter that she is a “big fan,” but said Cross went too far.

“This is unacceptable. It’s not funny. It’s not cool,” Moore tweeted. “We (LDS people) hold garments very sacred. You wouldn’t make fun of a woman in a burqa or hijab right? Same thing here.”

“This isn’t funny,” Twitter user Bentley Mitchell wrote. ‘Y’all really should cancel this. There’s no place for religious bigotry here.”

Twitter user BHodges, claiming to be a “Mormon who enjoys some good humor about my faith,” wrote: “But this isn’t good humor. Not that you care, but you lost another fan tonight.”

And Twitter user Shannon Linford tweeted that the joke was too easy: “Yeah, temple garments are sacred, and yeah, this is offensive to most Mormons, but what’s more offensive to me as a Mormon is how lazy this joke is.”

Twitter user Todd Arave was among those calling on the University of Utah to cancel the show and said Cross “should not profit from a message of hate and disrespect.”

“This is not a joke,” he wrote. “Just offensive and disrespectful. This does not promote values of belonging, acceptance and tolerance for others. The U of U can do better.”

Some defended Cross.

“No need to cancel the show,” Twitter user Tommy Pickles LLC tweeted. “Freedom of speech is an American right. I’m a devout Latter-day Saint that won’t go to the show because this particular humor doesn’t sound funny to me, but as much as it’s my right not to go to show, it’s his right to post this.”

Riverhorse sent out an inaugural tweet after reading about the dustup: “I’ve never tweeted before, but I wanted to say I’m a big fan, I’m also a devout Mormon, I hold the higher priesthood, and I thought the picture was hilarious. Good luck with the show Wednesday.”

Still others pointed out that complaints of intolerance and bigotry ring hollow given the church’s theological opposition to same-sex marriage.

“I find it funny to see all the ... moaning about ‘bigotry’ and ‘intolerance’ coming from people who give money to a corporation that spent millions on trying to stop equal marriage rights (Prop. 8),” Twitter user Father Thyme wrote. “Sit down, respect is a two-way street.”

2007 file photo of David Cross in “Alvin and the Chipmunks": Moviestore Collection/Shutterstock