Deseret News | MormonTImes.com: Watching the LDS Church grow in Las Vegas

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MormonTImes.com: Watching the LDS Church grow in Las Vegas

awesomeron | 5:39 a.m. July 14, 2008

I lived in Las Vegas for 4 years. Mormonism was always exciting there. Those where my very Best Years. The Church grew by leaps and bounds and many of the Chapels are on the main Streets and people would walk in and in time become Members. One of my 2 Stake Missions, and Temple Work where the High Lights of my Time in Las Vegas. Good well located Book Stores and plus Quorums the Size that they are supposed to be. Softball, and Pot Lucks and lots of fun as well as lots of Service. Great Home and Visiting Teachers. The members where of Great Help to us from day 1. They helped me unload my U-Haul, and Visa Versa. Good Friends, and Good Fellowship. Great Missionaries. We Loved to Feed the Missionaries. My Stake had to Shrink a Ward because of Property Turn Over and the New Owners did not tend to be Members of the Church or the Houses where bought up for Rentals. Sometimes the Member Owners not being able to get the desired price, Rented their former homes. However everywhere else was growing like a weed. We had a great time and have fond memories.

Sadly ... | 7:04 a.m. July 14, 2008

many members in Vegas are drawn to the casino culture - they work in it, they seek to justify it, they finance it, they profit by it, they embrace it. Very unfortunate.

Sadly, your right | 8:36 a.m. July 14, 2008

but I think 'many members' is misleading and gives the impression that 'most' members fall into the catagories you mentioned. Before I was a member I lived in Vegas for 5 years...it certainly is dubbed correctly as sin city. I've always thought that it was strange that members would work in the casino industry even though they may or may not gamble themselves. We could analyze it to death. I think it comes down to free agency......each is responsible for their own choices and thus will reap the consequences, good or bad.

Comments continue below

Sin City mischaracterized | 9:12 a.m. July 14, 2008

When most people think of Las Vegas, they think of the strip. If you leave 'downtown' there are a lot of very nice communities. North Las Vegas, for example, has an exploding LDS population.

just wondering | 10:15 a.m. July 14, 2008

Are members expected to donate 10% of their slot club points to the church?

Re: Sadly | 11:18 a.m. July 14, 2008

Being a 3rd generation native of Las Vegas, it is frankly ignorant to say that large numbers of members support the casino industry. Just because members of the church aren't in Utah doesn't mean they don't live the gospel any better or worse than those that live somewhere where the majority of the people you meet are members of the church.

kenny | 11:34 a.m. July 14, 2008

We have three casinos in the city close by me. We also have lds branches that are mostly afican american that are growing into wards in that same city.So the church is growing quite fast here and we have the reputation of being one of the worst cities in America.Regardless of what goes on outside of the church, the Lord is working to bring soals unto him even in these inner cities. And its not just them and us anymore.Our stake is united regardless of what color you are.

Consider this | 11:32 a.m. July 14, 2008

If we support by subscribing to cable, sattelite or by watching programs on broadcast media, all of which now is repleat with violence and pornography, does that question on our moral values? This, to me, is no different than members of the Church who find in necessary to derive their living by working at casinos. In this world, morality has become a constant personal choice because of the preponderance of immorality at every turn no matter where we work or live.

Tai H. | 12:34 p.m. July 14, 2008

Utah has one of the highest state taxes in the nation, sent Bill Orton to Congress three times, and hosts a univesity (BYU) that picketed Dick Cheney's commencement speech. If we assume that the Vegas Mormons support gambling, it's only fair to say that Utah Mormons support communism.

John Pack Lambert | 1:42 p.m. July 14, 2008

I like Kenny live close to Detroit.
I served my mission in Las Vegas. I will not say everthing and everyone was wonderful. However from Bishop Nesbitt to Brother Fullmer there were good people all over the place. There were the Afos whose nephew came and moved in withthem and they did everything to help him learn the gospel. He was baptised so soon only because his step brother translated what we said in the discussions into Samoan.
There was Viewpoint Ward where two sisters in one week got endowed, both had been baptised at that time a year before.
There was one guy we baptised who was just amazing. It also helped that the ward was full of Amazing people. The Winchester Ward was a ward where a large number of the residents were renters and at times we wondered how long it would be until all the members in its boundaries belonged to the Spanish-speaking Los Feliz brnach. However when couples like the Gallegos and the Rodriguezes decided to come to that ward we knew it had recieved a new lease on life.

John Lambert | 1:47 p.m. July 14, 2008

To Tai,
Your analogy makes no sense. Orton was no communists. Some people wondered if he really counted as a Democrat.
I wil tell you what I do know about Las Vegas. I knew people who had left the church because they felt that church members were too judgemental towards those who made their living in the casino industry.
Some of the best people I knew worked for the casinos in some way or other. I was in one stake where a member of the high council worked on the floor at a casion. I was in another ward where there was a guy in the ward who was in a position at one of the casionos so he was closely connected with building their new ball room.
However, what are you going to gripe at. People who were chefs in a casino, cheauffers, wait staff at the restraunts, cleaned hotel room or trained animals used in shows?
I think we need to be less willing to pass judgement. Anyway, so many church members in Las Vegas are in education or construction that their direct link to casinos is way overstated.

Idaho Mormon | 4:21 p.m. July 14, 2008

Idaho Mormons sell their barley to Budweiser. I don't think any less of them than I do someone working in a Casino to support their family. Let's not judge. It isn't our job and it makes fools of us all.

Why? | 5:19 p.m. July 14, 2008

Why do Church members need to judge and condemn each other? Back off and live your religion and let others live theirs in the way they see fit.

suzyk | 5:52 p.m. July 14, 2008

To "just wondering". The Church does not accept money gained through gambling and will return it if they find out that is where it came from. Makes sense to me...money is not the only things that is important to our wonderful Church as we all know. Good question.

Sandra Tribe | 12:40 a.m. July 15, 2008

I was a dancer at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas in 1966 when I joined the Church. This was the best thing I did for myself during the 12 years I was there. After my baptism into the then, 17th Ward, I was welcomed with open arms. I met the kind of people I was comfortable with, along with wonderful families who took care of my daughter while I worked. After 10 months I re-married and moved to Arizona. I am still active, a Temple worker, and owe all that I am and have to the wonderful LDS people of Las Vegas!

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