...then you thought wrong. Check out this piece from the Deseret Morning News of Utah:
Source: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600124742,00.html
Virtue in Sin City 
Las Vegas can be good, clean fun if you keep your wits about you
By Lynn Arave
Deseret Morning News
Food, thrill rides, water parks, museums, exotic animals and huge shopping malls. What more could you want in a family vacation?
There are plenty of family-friendly places to visit in Las Vegas ? and a lot that are not so family-friendly. Jessica Berry, Deseret Morning News |
Welcome to Las Vegas. Does your clergyman know you're here?
He may be sitting next to you. Richard Wolf, an elder in the North Salt Lake congregation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, enjoys an occasional visit to the Strip. Wolf joins other Salt Lake Valley religious leaders in saying it's possible to stay true to one's principles in Sin City ? a good thing since it's no more than half a day's drive from anywhere in Utah.
The decision to visit Las Vegas is a matter of personal conscience, Wolf says. But, he cautions, "Don't put yourself in harm's way."
That seems to be the prevailing attitude of local clergy: It's OK to visit, but be careful.
Bishop George H. Niederauer of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City liked the family-friendly emphasis of a few years ago ? and he's noticed a sea change in the city's current marketing campaign.
"But, now I've seen the ads, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,' like it's a free zone for misbehavior," Bishop Niederauer said.
There is no free zone, religious leaders say, so don't expect to check in your principles at the city-limits sign. And be prepared to be vigilant.
"I think they need to protect their spiritual life," said the Rev. Mike Gray, senior pastor of Salt Lake's Southeast Baptist Church. "It does have a lot to draw you away from your convictions. . . . Gambling is addictive and the lights are bright."
It helps to know one's limits, even plan ahead.
Visitors to the Strip should not be compulsive about gambling and perhaps set a strict budget if they are going to gamble, said the Rev. Steve Goodier of Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake.
"Using $20 for entertainment is OK," he said.
The Rev. Art Ritter of Salt Lake's First Congregational Church said he has never been to Las Vegas. He said his faith teaches people to use their money wisely, so out-of-control gambling isn't smart. Those who have gambling addictions should definitely stay away, he said.
"We do see gambling as a social problem," the Rev. Goodier said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes a particularly hard line against gambling, condemning it even when used solely as entertainment.
"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."
Jehovah's Witnesses
Elder Richard Wolf
North Salt Lake congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses
"It is probably a matter of personal conscience."
Methodist
The Rev. Steve Goodier
Christ United Methodist Church
"We (Methodists) see gambling as a social problem."
Protestant
The Rev. Art Ritter
First Congregational Church
"Those who have gambling addictions should stay away."
Catholic
Bishop George H. Niederauer
Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
"Las Vegas is portrayed as 'a free zone for misbehavior.'"