Comments on: If only the Mormon pioneers could see Vegas now.

By: Jonathan Blake

Jonathan Blake — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:22:39 +0000

I’d say Vegas is honest about itself. Every other city is just as sinful. Vegas has the chutzpah to admit it and live with it.

I’m late to the discussion, but living in Vegas gives me an interest (and a bias).

By: Mike L.

Mike L. — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:20:37 +0000

I served my mission in Vegas. I have to say that there are a lot of good things going on there. The church is very strong.

But the slogan, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is offensive to me, and I would think it would be offensive to anyone with a moral compass. If I lived there, I’d be tempted to move just becuase of that slogan.

And yes, the contrast between the strip and the temple is striking, and intentional I believe, since the temple has a distant view of the lights of the strip. It’s reminiscent of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.

By: Phouchg

Phouchg — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 01:48:58 +0000

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Las Vegas is the ultimate expression of free agency. You can indulge in almost every vice there is. Or not. Nearly everything in Las Vegas is available in any large city in America. It just isn’t as upfront about it.

I was in town for the NAB convention a few years back. I had to pick up a gift so I went to the Deseret Book in Green Valley (there are I think 5 Deseret Book stores in Las Vegas). I got into a conversation with the clerk at the register. He worried about the things that are mentioned above, but he also said “I would never live anywhere else. My family has been here for nearly 100 years. We have our Zion in the midst of Babylon”. Interesting.

Drew Carey: “Las Vegas is everything that’s right with America. You can do whatever you want, 24 hours a day. They’ve effectively legalized everything there. You don’t have to gamble if you don’t want to. There’s tons of churches in Vegas, too: You’ll see a church right next to a casino. But a lot of people like gambling, so they make money off it. Nobody forces you to put money in a machine and pull the handle. But the fact is they allow it. Nevada’s one of the most conservative states in the Union, but you can do what you want in Vegas and nobody judges you.”

Amen, Brother Carey. Amen.

By: Mark Hansen

Mark Hansen — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:00:06 +0000

I’ve noticed the contrast between the Las Vegas Temple, and the worldly temples on the strip.

MRKH

By: Ola Senor

Ola Senor — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:59:31 +0000

Not all the good stuff is beneath the surface. World class restaurants, amazing shows.

But much of it is. Amazing chinese, mongolian, korean, thai, filipino and other ethnic food is available just off the strip (spring mtn and Valley view).

Next time – check out the springs preserve, an amazing desert demonstration garden, historical museum and interpretive site. Red rock, Hoover dam.

Of course you can always go see the remaining mormon colonies, or better yet, the destroyed colony of st. david, which was flooded by the building of hoover dam, but is now uncovered due to the drought.