Mark Hacking, 28, also repeatedly strayed from his church's teachings and hid his secret life from his wife, this week's People magazine reports. His friends told the magazine the burly Mormon also drank alcohol, which is forbidden by the religion, and smoked cigarettes, another taboo.
The magazine reports that Hacking was sent to Canada on a mission several years ago but was sent home because of the sexual relationship. "That's definitely against the rules," said Scott Simpson, a fellow missionary.
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A clerk at Maverick told People that Mark stopped by the store several times a week to buy cigarettes.
In another video shot four hours later, Mark Hacking returns to the store alone and is seen examining his hands, CBS News reported.
But Hacking's lawyer, Gil Athay, told CBS, "If you pump gasoline, you sniff your hands. There's nothing unusual about that videotape." Source
If the man couldn't abide by the teachings of his religion, he should have opted out and drank, smoked and seduced to his heart's content. by lying to his wife, his family and puttting up this charade, he led himself to this crime. I have no pity for him.
I have no doubt that Hacking was a problem missionary, but I think it is unlikely that he was sent home for having a sexaual relationship. If that was the reason, it would NOT have been an honourable release and he would have faced a church court when he got home to determine if he should be disfellowshiped from the church or not. Nor does the church keep a rap sheet of a member's past sins, so there is no 'report' to come out.
When a missionary is sent home for disobedience, it usually sparks a lot of gossip and speculation. He could have been sent home for not staying together with his companion elder, but that doesn't make an exciting story. Unless there is an eyewitness coming forward on this matter, this should be counted as nothing but gossip.