Taylorsville, USA - T-shirts of a Mormon angel with coffee flowing into his trumpet are selling well at a coffee shop in this central Salt Lake Valley city. But they do not have the blessing of religious leaders.
The shirts have upset the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The angel Moroni is a revered figure (Mormons believe he appeared to church founder Joseph Smith); many Mormon temples are topped with a statue of the angel.
Also, Mormons are discouraged from drinking coffee.
The T-shirts show the angel Moroni, a male figure in a robe who is blowing a trumpet. The trumpet is turned up at an angle as coffee is poured in.
“They’ve been the best-selling T-shirts we’ve ever done,” said Ed Beazer, an owner of the coffee shop, which is called Just Add Coffee.
Scott Trotter, a church spokesman, said the angel’s image was a trademark of the church.
“If they provide proof, we’re going to comply,” Mr. Beazer said. “We don’t want to break any laws or anything.”
Just Add Coffee put the image on greeting cards about a year ago and started selling the shirts before Christmas. The coffee shop also used Moroni in advertisements that caught the church’s attention.
“It was a spoof,” Mr. Beazer said. “It was meant to be fun.”