"As it has been throughout its history, the church is against gambling in any form," LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley said earlier this month in the priesthood session of the church's general conference. "The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The church has been and is now opposed to this practice."

Ultimately, the LDS Church has no directive on visiting places like Las Vegas. That's left to personal choice.

There is a precedent for Mormons in Las Vegas. LDS Church members established the first settlement in Las Vegas in 1855, after Spanish explorers had discovered the area decades earlier. Many church members live there today.

Boulder City — another city with considerable LDS member influence, tucked away about 24 miles southeast of Las Vegas — is the only town in Nevada where gambling is illegal.

Other faiths have made their mark in Sin City, too. Roman Catholics have a "guardian angel" just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The Guardian Angel Cathedral sits a few hundred feet off the Strip, across from the Stardust Casino. The cathedral of the Diocese of Las Vegas has been there for more than four decades, offers eight Masses each weekend and regularly serves 1,100 resident households. On weekends, the cathedral attracts an average of 7,000 Catholics, about 75 percent of whom are tourists.

The location was chosen for its convenience to casino and downtown workers. Catholic leaders wanted to show that God should still be a prominent part of life amid all the gaming and entertainment. The cathedral is more visible than ever in recent years, with some casinos rebuilding and opening up a better view of the church from the Strip.

The Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer, another Catholic Church built in 1993, is located near the south end of the Strip, behind the Luxor Casino.

What Salt Lake religious leaders think about visiting Las Vegas

LDS

President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"As it has been throughout its history, the church is against gambling in any form."

Baptist

The Rev. Mike Gray

Senior pastor of Southeast Baptist Church

"I think (Las Vegas visitors) need to protect their spiritual life."