Free resources about the Nevada Las Vegas Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: Nevada LDS Missions.
Nevada Las Vegas Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the Las Vegas Mission. We try to keep this information up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
Nevada Las Vegas Misson
9270 South Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89123
Phone Number: 1-702-794-0365
Mission President: President Richard G. Youngblood
Nevada Las Vegas Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the Nevada Las Vegas Mission (LDS). To access the official LDS.org map for the Las Vegas Mission:
Videos with Las Vegas RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the Nevada Las Vegas Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about Nevada
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about Nevada. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about Nevada, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
Las Vegas Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the Las Vegas Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
Nevada Las Vegas Mission Groups
Here are Las Vegas Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the Las Vegas Mission.
- Nevada Las Vegas Mission Facebook Group (984 members)
- Las Vegas Mission President Christensen Group (306 members)
- Las Vegas Mission- Pres. Michael A. Neider Group (286 members)
- You Know You Served in Las Vegas if.. Group (255 members)
- NLVM – Nevada Las Vegas Mission Group (93 members)
- Las Vegas Mission 30ish Year Reunion Group (79 members)
- Las Vegas Mission (1994-1996) Group (79 members)
- Nevada Las Vegas Mission – Patterson Group (19 members)
- Las Vegas Mission – President Tate Alumni Group (8 members)
- Las Vegas and Reno Mission Moms (LDS) Group (6 members)
Las Vegas Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the Nevada Las Vegas Mission!
Shirt designs include Las Vegas Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: Las Vegas missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse Las Vegas Mission gifts
Las Vegas Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the Las Vegas Mission.
- 2017-2020, Richard G. Youngblood
- 2014-2017, Dean Jackson Snow
- 2011-2014, Michael A. Neider
- 2008-2011, Peter K. Christensen
- 2005-2008, John Jared Wadsworth
- 2002-2005, Lorey Larson Draper
- 1999-2002, Warren G. Tate
- 1996-1999, Robert Harold McKee
- 1993-1996, Ross H. McEachran
- 1990-1993, George T. Taylor
- 1987-1990, Gerald L. Scott
- 1984-1987, Victor Loren Chapman
- 1981-1984, Gary Jardine
- 1978-1981, S. Reed Dayton
- 1975-1978, Ronald Patterson
Nevada LDS Statistics (2015)
- Church Membership: 182,072
- Missions: 3
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 330
- Family History Centers: 29
Helpful Articles about Nevada
Las Vegas Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from Nevada Las Vegas RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- April 2014-May 2016 (William)
- 2014-2016 (Michael)
- 2014-2016 (Jared)
- 2014-2015 (Emily)
- 2013-2015 (Brigham)
- August 19, 2013 to August 19, 2015 (Samuel)
- 2013-2014 (Kristin)
- 1999-2001 (Josh)
- 2011-2012 (Melody)
- 2007-2009 (Jessica)
- 2000-2002 (Matthew)
- 2008-2010 (Paul)
- 2005-2007 (Elizabeth)
- 2011-2012 (Tabitha)
- 2013-2014 (Kawehilani)
- 1978-1980 (Glen)
What areas did you serve in?
- Haven Warm Springs, Sierra Ranch, Gateway East, Tropical Breeze North, Civic Center North, Chapel Heights, Sunrise Mountain, South Valley Ranch, Carnegie. (William)
- Blythe, Paraíso, Nellis Manor, and Ensign. (Michael)
- Las Vegas, Henderson, Kingman AZ, Lake Havasu City, AZ. (Jared)
- Henderson, Lake Havasu, Paradise (next to the strip), North Vegas, East Vegas (next to the temple). (Emily)
- Las Vegas/Henderson. Boulder City. (Brigham)
- Paradise, Henderson (Green Valley) Kingman, East. (Kristin)
- Sunrise, Central, North, East, Near the temple. (Josh)
- Spring Creek, North Las Vegas, Needles, Kingman, and of course Vegas. (Jessica)
- Vegas, Mesquite. (Matthew)
- Logandale, North Las Vegas, Green Valley, Paradise. (Paul)
- Logandale, Moapa, Overton 💖. (Elizabeth)
- East Las Vegas, Elko, Green Valley, Paradise. (Tabitha)
- Boulder City, Green Valley, Anthem. (Kawehilani)
- Las Vegas, Kingman, Sparks, Susanville, Fallon. (Glen)
What were some favorite foods?
- Pasta, Mexican food, Polynesian food. (William)
- Street vendor tacos. Burritos from Chipotle. Almost everything I had for dinner in my first area (Blythe). (Michael)
- Sopes, burritos de carne asada, tacos de lengua. (Jared)
- I was fed lasagna and spaghetti for what felt like almost every night and almost every week, so I tired of that quickly, and loved when we got something light like salads or sandwiches. When we would eat something hot it was most likely hot outside, and didn’t exactly pump us up. I requested breakfast a lot because I love breakfast for dinner. Mmm. (Emily)
- (Elk) burgers pizza pasta Mexican food. (Brigham)
- Balut, Pan ube, Taro, good American pit-cooked beef. (Samuel)
- Navajo tacos, lettuce wraps, Cafe Rio. (Kristin)
- Street Corn (though risky), and two families in particular were very good cooks. One would make a beef pot pie and home made salsa that were to die for and would send us home with an extra pot pie after dinner. Another was a wealthy family up by the temple and the wife as an exceptional cook. However, what I found was that since there are a lot of members in Las Vegas sometimes eating with families got in the way of the work. While eating with members is a privilege and a blessing, don’t linger too long and let the members know you need to get back to work promptly after eating and sharing a brief message because there is a lot of work to do in Las Vegas. (Josh)
- Spaghetti and lashania. (Melody)
- Salmon. A family in Spring Creek made it! Amazing!!! (Jessica)
- Pancakes with banana and strawberry. We ate a lot of “make your own salad” at a place called Soup r’ Salad. We drank water constantly in the summer. (Matthew)
- Slurpees. (Paul)
- Tamales. (Elizabeth)
- Pupusas. Carne Asada. Horchata. (Tabitha)
- Cafe Rio, 5 Guys, bbq chicken, and LnL, steak sandwich at Capriotti’s. (Kawehilani)
What was a funny experience?
- When I was on exchanges with an Elder in his area, and some Hispanic lady told me I was a disgrace to the Hispanic culture, because I didn’t know how to speak the language. But she did not know I was a Polynesian Elder. (William)
- A member friend I had met earlier in my mission wanted to meet my son (trainee) by taking us out to lunch. The member and I had a blast! My companion was scared for his life. The member was homosexual and my companion was homophobic. Hehehe. (Micheal)
- One time, I was on exchanges and I almost got killed by this Mexican Ninja. (Jared)
- My companion and I were walking in a complex that we were always in to knock off the list of potential investigators. We had a young woman member with us who was preparing to go on a mission. As we were walking towards our car after having tried all our options I heard a muffled noise, and turned around to see the most muscled chihuahua I had ever seen! It was small, but it was angry, and all of the sudden I realized we needed to run, but I must have forgotten to communicate that to the others, haha. I started to run, and the chihahua had already bolted after us! When they saw me bolt we all scrambled, and screamed towards our car. They were smart enough to jump in the back bed of a truck that was parked next to our car….I could only think to ninja my way between our car and the truck like you would a wall and kind of doing the splits, hahaha. Of course as a sister it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do in a skirt. (Emily)
- I had asked a member family an embarrassing question about when they were first dating at a specific place. (Brigham)
- I had to climb on top of a two story apartment building to rescue a woman’s cat. It wouldn’t come to us though so we had to lure it out with a chihuahua. Eventually we caught the cat, and she told us to throw it down to her. So I threw the cat off the roof. 🙂 (Samuel)
- My companion made me laugh so hard at dinner I totally peed my pants. (Kristin)
- Funny experiences are usually kinda crazy in Las Vegas but one funny experience was when we street contacted a couple of fancy dressed ladies. I noticed one had stubble and knew right away they were not really female while my companion, who was very enthusiastic about the contact didn’t. I had to point it out to him later. We got the referral and sent it to some other missionaries without telling them about the “issue.” Another time we had a member who was a little bit “off” but who was a great missionary. One of the people she invited to church did not meet her in the morning. She was kinda mad so when she got to the lobby of the apartment building she grabbed the first lady she saw and said “you are going to church with me.” We baptized that lady and confirmed her a member of the Church about a week later. Another time my companion and I were tracting at the end of the night. It was dark and we went into a fenced yard. Suddenly a German Shepherd came out barking and sounding vicious. My companion freaked and ran and tried to jump a fence tearing his shirt and landing in a puddle. I had stopped and took a look at the dog, who at this point had a big dull toothed grin on it’s graying old face and was not threat at all. I was laughing too. My companion however did not see the humor in it. A bishop married a less active member to a lady who seemed interested in learning the gospel so he committed them to taking the discussions. We met them and they seemed very nice, but she had a colorful past as she had worked as a stripper. When we showed up to teach her, the member husband answered the door and invited us to come in and sit down. A minute or so later his wife walked into the room wearing a bikini and it was obvious she had been drinking. I immediately proclaimed “we don’t want to see you that way” and asked her to change. The husband said to her “I told you so.” It was funny to think that they had actually had a conversation about what our reaction would be, before we showed up. Unfortunately, since she was drunk there was not much we could do to teach her. One time I was on splits with a high priest and we stopped by the apartment of some stake missionaries. One of them had a sister who I think had been excommunicated who was visiting them. When we knocked on the door and this sister answered in a bikini. I immediately looked away and shocked said “put some clothes on!” She laughed and left the doorway. The high priest said to me “I am glad you said it. I didn’t know how to react.” One time we were tracting and knocked on a random door. A woman from behind the door said “who is it” and I answered “It’s the Elders.” I heard a man’s voice whisper to the woman “who is it?” and she told him “It’s the Elders” and then the man whispered loudly to her “tell them I’m not here.” She immediately shouted through the door “he’s not here” to which I responded “You don’t need to lie, we don’t even know who you are.” One time we were tracting and we knocked on a door and we heard a mother tell her young daughter to check who it was. The girl pushed a chair up to the door and looked through the peep hole while we patiently waited. The mother asked the daughter “who is it?” and the girl replied to her “I don’t know but they look important. I think we should let them in.” They invited us in and we taught them. I think they were baptized not long after I was transferred. (Josh)
- One transfer, something unexpected happened every single day, from migrating butterflies to a random bird dive bombing the car while going 60 mph. (We decided it was after a worm on the road and we got in the way) very cartoon like! It was awesome! (Jessica)
- Getting stuck in the mud trying to follow maps. (Elizabeth)
- Many of our elders enjoyed dancing the haka! They would perform it at missionary gatherings. (Tabitha)
- I have never seen a bidet in my life. I leaned down to see what it was and was playing with the stick, turned it a little and it shot my face with water!!!! I freaked out and was laughing at myself and realized what it was after that!!! (Kawehilani)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- A crazy experience was when me and my companion were going to our appointment, but instead he was prompted to go to some other house first, so we went and asked for Jose, and the family said he wasn’t there, but he was there. So we kept on asking about three times if we could share the gospel through music- they didn’t want to hear anything from the church. They told us to leave, but we were consistent, and asked the third time if we could sing her a song about Christ- she tried to close the door on us, but instead I put my foot at her door and told her with power that she is losing the blessings of what Heavenly Father has for them and their family. So she finally let us share the song “Nearer My God To Thee”, and she let us in, and we taught the first lesson. (William)
- I was on an exchange and we were biking to dinner when after crossing a busy intersection, I crashed into the curb, flew a over the handlebars and skidded a few feet in some gravel, then hobbled most of the rest of the two miles. Luckily, the eldest daughter of the family who hosted us was training to be a nurse. (Michael)
- We were almost done for the night and were in a complex we hadn’t seen before. We had a lead on one door and though it was dark we thought we would try to at least find it, and come back the next day if needed. Our car was parked back a ways and we had passed a group of men earlier that made us a bit uneasy. As we were walking I was carrying my keys when suddenly my pepper spray fell off the keychain and onto the ground. Now, I was towards the end of my mission and this pepper spray had been with me the ENTIRE time. It had not once just slipped off the keychain before. I thought that was strange but picked it up and began to attach it back on which caused me to slow my pace a bit. After I got it fastened back on I looked up to see where we had walked. There was a fully dark building in front of us that just by looking at it I suddenly felt my heart drop to my feet in the most terrifying way. I KNEW we needed to leave and immediately! My companion in that EXACT moment said “WE NEED TO GO!” Without another word we bolted to our car without looking back and drove away. This story isn’t about a particular person or thing that we encountered, but I don’t know if I want to know what it was. I just know I felt so terrified, and the Holy Ghost confirmed to both of us at the exact same instant that we were to flee, and I’m so glad we obeyed. (Emily)
- Biking through harsh weather in summer and winter. (Brigham)
- My company and I interrupted a lot of very minor drug deals. We regularly walked a gang street at night. The most dangerous was my companion and I were biking when we felt to turn left. We turned left and entered the apartment complex earlier. As we did, a car sped into the parking lot almost hitting us. If we hadn’t turned we would have been right in the car’s path and we would have been hit. (Samuel)
- We got stopped by a detective who was looking for the person we just got done teaching. They were wanted for crimes against children. And let’s be real, Sportsman Manor was always a crazy, dangerous experience. Haha. (Kristin)
- We met a mother and her half dozen or so children who were living in a bare apartment with no furniture, no refrigerator, and no clothing except what they had on. She and her children had just got the apartment after leaving a shelter for women and children where she was staying previously due to an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend. We hoped to teach them but we knew first they needed some temporal help, so with the generous help of a member we were able to get a truckload of necessities including a refrigerator, clothing, shoes, beds etc. Not long after that we showed up to teach her and found the woman frantically trying to load her children and as much stuff as she could carry into a friends car. We asked her what the matter was and she said her ex-boyfriend had found her and was threatening her. Shortly he showed up and the situation began to escalate. He was quite drunk and obviously ready to become violent at any second. That day I was with two other missionaries and two of us placed our selves between the man and the woman as her friend continued to help her load the car up, so that they could escape and move to a safe location. The man repeatedly tried to get near the woman and was very angry. I felt at any second that things might turn violent and that we might have to defend ourselves as we stayed between him and the woman. Then he started to act as if he had a gun tucked in his waistband and might draw it. I never saw the weapon for sure, but one of my two missionary companions stealthily circled around behind him preparing to grab the man if he drew a weapon. Luckily it never came to that and we were able to protect the woman from the man and keep the situation from becoming violent until she was able to leave. I think one reason he did not escalate the situation was because he was outnumbered three to one. The Lord definitely put us in the right place at the right time. We encouraged the sister to find missionaries when she got to her new location. I think that even though we were not able to teach her, she will always remember the missionaries and because of that hopefully received them later. Early in my mission it was preparation day (p-day) and I wanted to get a haircut. We were in our apartment preparing to leave. A short time earlier I noticed it had started to rain and was raining pretty hard. I had gone outside to look at the big drops of rain earlier, but thought nothing of it. Then the phone rang and on the other line was our zone leader telling us that we were to stay inside. I told him that I was planning on getting a haircut and he said I couldn’t do that. When I asked him why he said “look outside” and when I looked out the window I saw that our apartment was surrounded with three feet of water and we were in the middle of a flash flood. The flooding damaged many roads bridges and businesses in our area. One night I woke up to the whole room moving back and forth. I quickly woke my companion who in his dream thought I was sawing his bed. I told him we were having an earthquake and we quickly evacuated our apartment. Nothing was damaged but it was an interesting ride. (Josh)
- My companion and I knocked on one lady’s door and she welcomed us inside and she talked and complained about prophets and doesn’t believe that we have a living prophet. But our testimony was so strong to testify. The lady’s son jumped up and told us to leave before he grabbed his gun and used it on us. So we walked outside and left them alone. (Melody)
- Went on a hike and there was a rattle snake in the path. We shooed it away with a stick. A very long stick. (Jessica)
- I borrowed a bike one day and it got stolen. Without thinking, I walked into a Mexican gang bangers apartment and asked them if they took it. The guy lifted his shirt to show me a gun tucked into his pants. “I don’t know who took your bike homes, but I’ll find it for you”. (Matthew)
- Investigator was arrested by his parole officer in the middle of a lesson. (Paul)
- I saw the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life on a reservation. (Elizabeth)
- A couple of times, guys professed their undying love for some of my companions! One even wrote a poem and read it to her over the phone! (Tabitha)
What was a spiritual experience?
- A spiritual experience I had was when me and my companion were having trouble getting along, so we took the time to have companionship inventory, and we shared so much on how we can help each other to get along and at this time we weren’t getting many people to teach, but when we were at least a little unified we saw a family that was at church, they were not members, but it was a family of five that became new investigators, and later on my mission was baptized as a family. When we humble ourselves, we see the blessings. (William)
- Going to the temple with one of my first recent converts to see her receive her endowment. (Michael)
- Walking around the temple, with Jeffrey R Holland’s “Atonement” talk running through my head. Our investigator had just dropped us and I was not ready to experience such emotional pain. (Jared)
- So many and too many to count. Every time I taught and prepared myself to teach, I could feel the spirit. I’m grateful that I was able to do so as often as I did, and it’s something I miss. (Emily)
- I just testified of the truth to a part member family with our bishop of the ward at the time and she felt the Spirit. (Brigham)
- My companion and I felt to invite a member, Brother Manly, to come teach the Ornelas family with us. We went in planning to teach about the Plan of Salvation, and temple marriage. The whole family had been ready and wanted to be baptized, except Sister Ornelas wasn’t sure yet. As we taught her though about temple marriage and how are families can be forever, she said,” why didn’t you teach me his before?” She was so excited to learn how her family could be forever, and she then wanted to be baptized so she could have that for her family. (Samuel)
- We street contacted a woman in her late 20’s who had served a mission in a California but was no longer active in church. The words “I know Heavenly Father loves you” came out of my mouth with out even a thought, and she just started crying. Super powerful experience. (Kristin)
- My mission was filled with incredible spiritual experiences and yours will be too if you prepare and rely on the Lord. The most powerful spiritual experiences that I experienced were simply testifying of Christ, but I also experienced miracles as well. One time late at night a less active member came knocking on our door requesting we come give a blessing. I was fairly new in the area and we had just recently met this young couple who were friendly, but not active in the Church. That day the wife had been told she had cervical cancer, a very dangerous form of cancer, that takes the lives of many women. As we laid hands on her head and as I pronounced the blessing, I felt prompted to promise her that if she read The Book of Mormon every day, that she would be healed. Months later, in a mission conference, my companion from that area, stood up and read a letter he had received from the husband proclaiming that his wife had exercised her faith in that promise and read The Book of Mormon faithfully and that she no longer was diagnosed with cancer. After my mission he looked me up and wrote me an email telling me that while they had not immediately become active in the Church, his wife had been healed, and that over time, with the diligence of ward members and priesthood leaders who fellowshipped and encouraged them, that they had become active in the Church and been sealed in the Temple. One time we were teaching a family, when we heard a bump and a cry from another room. One of the children, a young boy, who was quite rambunctious had been jumping on his bunk bed. He had hit his head and had a large gash on top of his head that was bleeding quite badly. The mother, was trying to use a cloth to stop the bleeding, but was freaking out because the blood would not stop. We asked her if she wanted us to give him a blessing and she said yes. In the blessing I was prompted to command the bleeding to stop and it did. We rode with her and the child to the hospital where he received several staples to close the wound. On a subsequent visit she recounted her experience where upon seeing the doctor he, surprised stated “he’s not bleeding” to which she responded “I know, he had a blessing.” When we taught her about the priesthood and asked if she had any questions about priesthood authority she said that she no longer had questions or doubt about the priesthood after that experience. The family was later baptized. (Josh)
- A lot of spiritual experiences, but I’ll shared only one. So a lady named Grace took lessons with other missionaries for almost a year and still was not baptized. But she did call us and said she’s willing to take the lessons again. Everything went well and smoothly. She had her baptismal interview she passed and it was ok. Unfortunately, on Friday the day of her baptism she called us and said she’s not going to be baptized she doesn’t believe that Joseph Smith received that relation. Oh boy, early in the morning on Friday we went to her place called one of the members to help us. Thanks to our Heavenly Father who showed us the right member to help us and her. The introduction of the Book Of Mormon helps us and her answer her question and doubt, so before we left the house we left a commitment with her to read the introduction again and pray about it before 3 pm and she will get an answer of what she is looking for. We never received a phone called from her, but at 6 pm she came in all dressed up and she smile and said “I want to surprised you by just walking in here, didn’t want to called you but I knew my prayers were answered before 3 pm”. I was so happy and I couldn’t even explain to my companion how I felt. And that was the most amazing experience and spiritual one that I ever had. (Melody)
- Baptized a father of 3 and 3 weeks later he baptized his own kids. And 6 months later his wife. So cool!!! (Jessica)
- Too many to count. My companion on two occasions had such strong promptings to talk to a particular person in a crowd. One man had taken discussions from the missionaries before and agreed to meet with the Spanish-speaking Elders later that day. We attended his baptism that same weekend . On the other occasion, the young lady was already a member of the church, but she was less active. We talked and baptized her daughter and reactivated her mom. The man who had baptized the mom even came down from Utah to baptize the daughter. (Matthew)
- Falling in love with the people! (Elizabeth)
- I enjoyed attending temple sessions in Spanish. I was able to get new insights about the gospel that I wouldn’t have been able to receive while listening in English. (Tabitha)
- One time, I shared Mud Ads conversion story of how he smoked and drank and how he wanted to be with us kids more than that. He changed his life around and started coming back to church with my mom and us kids and how much more happy he was. I shared that with an investigator and she got offended by it thinking that I was telling her that she was a bad person for smoking but then she said it was exactly what she needed to hear. She didn’t quite stop smoking but she had a little change of heart. I love that lady no matter what her addiction was… I saw her as God saw her!!!! (Kawehilani)
What are some interesting facts about the Las Vegas Mission?
- 1. The members of Las Vegas are the strongest LDS members I have ever seen. 2. The rate of baptism a month is pretty good. 3. Member missionary work is the best. 4. Every area I served in was the best. (William)
- It’s the best. Missionaries are forbidden from going on the Strip or into casinos. Tracting (going door to door) works great in the “Out-Of-Valley” areas but not too well in Vegas. President hosts a Halloween Party for all the missionaries in the city (since missionaries are told to go home before sunset) which includes dinner, a movie, and a “beat skit” contest from all the zones. During Autumn, the Air Force pilots use the after burners on the jets so there will be a few moments where you can’t hear what the guy next to you is saying. (Micheal)
- It’s the most obedient mission out there as well as the most hard working. (Jared)
- You could move 20 miles or less to a different area in the mission and find yourself in a totally different atmosphere and environment. That’s something I loved- how diverse all my areas were, and how much I learned from each of them. (Emily)
- We are the hardest working mission out there and all the sisters get cars. We, the elders, have to ride bikes all the time and only a few elders had cars in their areas. (Brigham)
- We cover three states- Nevada, Arizona, and California. We cover The Strip in Las Vegas. The Hispanic population is very large. We have two Indian reservations in our mission where missionaries serve. The reservations and the missionaries’ area also covers the town of Havasupai, which is inside the Grand Canyon. (Samuel)
- In 1855, just 25 years after the Church was restored, Brigham Young called 30 men to establish a mission in the Las Vegas Valley. Their mission was to teach the Paiute Indians in the area and to establish a fort as a resting stop for pioneers traveling between the Salt Lake Valley and West Coast. The Old Mormon Fort is a small park that you can visit in Las Vegas and when I was there last the park rangers showed me some of the early baptismal records of some of the Paiute Indians who were baptized by those early missionaries. I had the opportunity to have a very small Paiute reservation in one of my areas while I was serving in Las Vegas. There had not been a baptism there for many years but most of the older generation were members, though less active. We were blessed to teach and baptize one girl from the reservation and when we did many members of her family showed up for the baptism. I felt compelled to testify of how important they were to the Lord in that He had sent missionaries to them so soon after the Restoration, even at a time when there were not many to be found. I recognize that though Las Vegas, has the nickname “Sin City,” it attracts people from around the globe to come there for opportunity and employment and that the purpose of Las Vegas, as established by the Lord with that first mission, was to open opportunities for his children to receive the Gospel. At the time that I was serving there, Las Vegas was one of the highest baptizing English-speaking missions in the United States. Another interesting fact is that when you are at the temple you can see the whole valley, but when you are on the strip you cannot see the temple. Symbolically this reminds us that when when our priorities are right and we are focused on the Lord, we can see clearly. (Josh)
- Able to share my testimony to anyone. (Melody)
- It may be sin city but there’s so many beautiful Godly people, and yes there is a temple. The mission was pretty vast until the Reno mission was created. I loved serving in needles. The people may be stubborn as mules, but they learn to like you if you’re just as stubborn;) (Jessica)
- We once baptized 14 people in one month. But none of them are active today. One month, we only had one baptism. And she is still active today . So, which was the better month? (Matthew)
- Wear sunglasses or you will get eye cancer. (Paul)
- Pomegranate season. 👌 (Elizabeth)
- Las Vegas is very culturally diverse! There is also a very strong membership there! I was very surprised by how many members are there! (Tabitha)
What was the weather like?
- The weather was a killer in the summer, but I loved it in the Winter. It literally hit 144 degrees, and it made me tired, but it felt good at times. (William)
- Hot. (Michael)
- Hot in the summer and cold, dry winds in the winter. (Jared)
- HOT most of the time. My first area was Henderson in the spring and that equals WINDY. There were times we would be walking right next to each other and the wind was so strong we couldn’t even hear each other. My second area was Lake Havasu in the summer = HOT. Being from Arizona you’d think I could handle the heat! No way. It was just hotter than hot in Havasu, and we rarely walked for long periods of time during the day. We walked mostly at night where it wasn’t cooled down, but at least the sun wouldn’t make you pass out. (Emily)
- Hot and dry (drink lots of water) I know. (Brigham)
- I saw it reach up to 115 and 120. In the monsoon season you’d get CRAZY flash floods with running water in the streets that would come up past your ankles and stall cars. (Samuel)
- Hot. Blazing hot. (Kristin)
- My first summer was very hot. You had to drink a lot of water and you prayed that people would invite you in so that you could cool off. The second summer was milder, by Las Vegas standards at least. (Josh)
- Good.. Heat wasn’t good but we did survive. (Melody)
- HOT. It’s 90+ for about 9 months, 2 days of tolerable weather then about 60- depending on the location and altitude For 3 months then it’s hot again. Welcome to the dessert. (Jessica)
- When we left the airport after landing in Las Vegas, I felt like I couldn’t even breathe because it was so hot. It was only April. In June, July and August, it was not uncommon for us to have to change at lunchtime because we were drenched with sweat. (Matthew)
- 9 months out of the year its blue skies and 65-80. The other 3 months its also blue skies, but its 120. It rains like.. twice a year. (Paul)
- Warm, although December felt cold after the warm weather. (Elizabeth)
- Very warm in summer. Windy and rainy in winter. (Tabitha)
- Dry heat, super hot and then cold in the winter. (Kawehilani)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- The thing I love about the place is that we have so many different people in our mission from all over the world. But the thing I loved about the people I served was that they were loving, and really cared about us missionaries. The people of Vegas really respected us serving in the hottest weather, and always offered water. (William)
- No matter where you go, there is always something to do and someone who’ll listen. (Michael)
- Everybody was at least willing to offer us water on the hot days. When it’s cold, people are also nice enough to let you in if you seem super frozen. (Jared)
- Everything! No matter what area I went to, there were amazing members who supported us, and helped us. No matter what area I went to, there were crazy people and scary people. It doesn’t matter where you go, because everyone needed what we had. (Emily)
- Open and they know how to speak their mind. (Brigham)
- Everyone was so nice! I loved getting to know complete strangers that ended up becoming good friends. They may have had crazy lives in the past, and even now, but they are Children of God. And I know that now. 🙂 (Samuel)
- It is sacred ground. To serve there you literally had to give everything to the Lord. Las Vegas was a melting pot full of so many wonderful people from all over the world. It truly is beautiful. (Kristin)
- It is a special blessing to be called to the Las Vegas, Nevada Mission. Do not take it for granted. You have been called there because the Lord trusts you to work hard, and exercise great faith. It truly is one of the greatest missions of the Church. There is no grey area, people are either going up or going down. For this reason, in many areas of the Valley, you will find humble people ready and willing to be taught. Las Vegas is also filled with faithful members- incredible people with rich histories. Las Vegas has some of the strongest wards and stakes in the Church, but it also has some very troubled wards and stakes as well, but in each you will find amazing members who are the strength of Zion. There are a lot of members in Las Vegas and because of that missionaries may be treated like rock stars at times. Beware, members will sometimes be too generous and try to spoil the missionaries too much, distracting them from the work or inviting them to participate in activities that missionaries best not participate in. It is easy to become distracted from the work. Members are well meaning, and the Lord trusts His missionaries whom He calls, just be vigilant and do The Work and avoid the temptations. The members can be a blessing to you if you are faithful in keeping the mission rules and doing the work. (Josh)
- I love them very much. They are amazing, loving and very friendly. (Melody)
- Always willing to help. I never really had issues getting member help. And informing them of the lesson ahead of time helped us too. Don’t forget most of them are RMs! (Jessica)
- My mission was the single most important thing that I ever did in my life. The people that I met there, both members and people that I had the privilege to teach, shaped my life in a way that could not have been done in any other way. I probably think of my mission in some way every single day of my life. And I’m not exaggerating. (Matthew)
- About 1 in 8 people there are members. (Paul)
- It was a small town, the people were so sincere! (Elizabeth)
- Many people are very friendly, especially the Spanish speaking people! They are very kind and helpful. (Tabitha)
- Everyone there is really chill and friendly. (Kawehilani)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Well for packing, don’t be a pack rat, take what you need because it’s really affordable in Vegas. (William)
- Elders: ties!!!!! You’ll find someone to trade some ties with and you’re bound to get stains on some. Also, short-sleeved dress shirts, three or more pairs of durable shoes, and some good work clothes you can get dirty in case you end up doing service projects (you will). Sisters: skirts with pockets do exist and were envied by all the sisters who didn’t have them. Bring several of them. (Michael)
- Tons of short sleeves, two pairs of long sleeves should get you through to the end if you take care of them. Bring chap stick and a real thirst. (Jared)
- I got sick of my clothes SO fast. I switched out my wardrobe pretty often to stay sane. Granted, I love fashion and care about that stuff. I would just advise to bring things that can be interchanged and mixed together, dressed up or dressed down, and go once a month and buy one new thing. It helps. Also, trading with companions is great! Going to Goodwill or D.I. is wonderful too. (Emily)
- Light clothes. (Brigham)
- Bring short sleeves! But keep three long sleeve shirts, because they keep the sun off your arms. 🙂 Keep a good side bag that can hold a good water bottle. (Samuel)
- Lightweight clothes and good shoes! (Kristin)
- The mission will provide you with a list of mission clothing. White shirts and pants and shoes are going to be the most important articles. You will likely need replacements through your mission, but don’t try and pack extra… just get what the mission list says and pick up some extras that your family can ship to you as needed, if possible. You will wear out your shoes because you will work hard running door to door in Las Vegas and you will wear out your pant knees because you will spend a lot of time on your knees praying. Also, take an old white shirt and cut the strip of button holes from it. Cut that strip into two hole sections. Take one of those two hole pieces and slip it through the loop on the back of your tie that holds the small part of the tie behind the large part. Then fasten one hole to a button above the loop and another hole to a button below the loop. This will hold your tie in place. This is a great little trick, especially for riding bikes, but good any time for holding your tie in place. For shoes I found Rockports to be the best combination of comfort and durability. Two pairs will last you a long time. They are comfortable enough to run a marathon and dressy enough to shine up for mission conference. (Josh)
- Pack all the cute and colorful clothes you have. People in Vegas love the sister to wear colorful dresses and proselyting clothes. They would love that. (Melody)
- You’ll need everything. And don’t be afraid to bring/buy a bike. The days may be hot but it helps the members to see you and know you are on the Lord’s errand. And if you pack lots of frozen bottles you will have plenty of cold water through out the day. (Jessica)
- We received a list of things to bring. Following that list was important. I did need more than two pairs of shoes though. I completely wore both of them out. (Matthew)
- Bring a Camelback. (Paul)
- Lightweight but some layers for winter. (Elizabeth)
- Pack clothes that you can layer. Make sure you have a good warm winter jacket. I was surprised by how cold the wind was! (Tabitha)
- Try not to layer in summer! Not tight skirts and have comfortable shoes. (Kawehilani)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I received blessings that can overflow my cup of water. The blessings I received were being more confident, loving, caring, humble. Also to know how to teach the gospel, and to always stay strong no matter how far we fall. The thing that keeps me up in the gospel is my testimony and how firm it is. (William)
- A good job as soon as I came home. I’m waiting for a few others. (Michael)
- Big work ethic, good planning skills, great understanding of the gospel and how the Atonement can work for you personally. Showed me what I don’t want my life to look like (aka when you preach to people in poor circumstances, you learn how to avoid it). Good companions, great fiancée, good relationship skills. Understanding of deeper doctrine. (Jared)
- When I got back from my mission I went and volunteered to clean the new Phoenix Temple that had been dedicated during my mission. While cleaning I met a man who was my age, and worked at the temple as head of maintenance and security. Turns out we grew fond of each other, and got married eight months later! I wouldn’t have been able to go inside the temple if I hadn’t gone on a mission, and I definitely wouldn’t have been blessed to meet my husband four days after I got home if I hadn’t served with all my might. (Emily)
- When we feel we have nothing left to give, we always have the small little bit of faith to move on. (Brigham)
- I feel that I have become a man. Ultimately I have gained a greater testimony and a personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know more than ever that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that I never want to leave it. 🙂 (Samuel)
- My dad came back to church! I came to know my Savior and while still being imperfect, I got to walk with Him. (Kristin)
- A mission is truly the fiery furnace of the Lord. If you are humble and obedient you will be torn down, built up, refined, and prepared in a way for life and service in the Gospel. This is a great blessing. The blessings I received from serving a mission were immense and innumerable. Because of my mission I was accepted to BYU-Idaho which otherwise I doubt I would have been considered a qualified applicant. I gained knowledge and experience that prepared me to serve in priesthood leadership and to be a successful business person and father. It established in me values and habits that continue to this day. My testimony was strengthened and the experiences I had continue to be a strength and blessing to me and those whom I share them with. A mission is a humbling experience. If ever you felt like a child trusting in the Lord it will be on your mission, but He will build you into a confident servant and you will emerge mature and strong, if you let the Lord lead you. (Josh)
- A lot if blessing, first I graduated from University and was able to receive a 10 year visa for USA. So I can travel where ever I want to go. (Melody)
- A paid for mission. My folks were able to pay for my mission but about half way through my bishop told them to stop paying, the ward was helping! What a blessing! ^_^ Oh and I’m such a daddy’s girl. And I never really missed him all that much. Except once but Heavenly Father hugged me and I was good. T_T. (Jessica)
- My testimony grew. I learned how to deal with rejection. I learned to work hard despite the odds being against me. I learned how to follow the Spirit. I learned how to say I love you. (Matthew)
- So many, people skills, my family, friends who came back to church and were sealed to their spouses. (Elizabeth)
- My testimony was strengthened and I made many friends. I was also better prepared for responsibilities I would later have. (Tabitha)
- Good friendships for life. Gaining an unbreakable testimony! Knowing the basics of the gospel to fall back on in hard times. Getting to know different areas in my mission so when I go back and visit I can take my family back and show them around! (Kawehilani)
What are some skills you gained?
- The skills I gained from my mission was being a awesome singer, that’s how I helped others to come to the gospel, was singing at firesides and everywhere and anywhere. Also learning the power of patience. (William)
- Speaking Spanish. How to use an iPad/cell phone (I didn’t have these before). How to properly take care of a car. (Michael)
- Compassion for others, preparing and teaching, I never was very good day studying, but boy do you learn how to do that on your mission. I learned how to apply myself, and work hard. (Emily)
- Patience, diligence and gratitude. (Brigham)
- How to speak clearly. How to be bold, testify and love purely as Christ would. 🙂 (Samuel)
- Goal setting, and achieving those goals. (Kristin)
- Leadership skills. There is no better training ground for leadership. No business school will give you more powerful skills than those you will learn in the mission. They will help you in all aspects of your life, if you use them. Problem-solving skills. Again, there is no better training ground for problem-solving. You will be challenged to overcome challenges and to rely on the Lord for His help in discovering solutions. You will also learn the value of setting goals and working hard. Hard work will be the foundation of your success. Work hard, exercise faith, be obedient and let the Lord do the rest. (Josh)
- Skills, I learned how to be independent and to save up. (Melody)
- How to have a sensitive tense discussion without arguing or getting out of control. (Jessica)
- Resolving concerns is something that I still use today at work, church, and as being a parent and a husband. (Matthew)
- I can talk to/ befriend most people. (Elizabeth)
- I learned to speak, read, and interpret Spanish. I also learned about compassion and service. (Tabitha)
- I feel like I can talk to anyone and everyone with confidence and having a mind set of just go and do and the Lord will provide is something that I gained and use in my everyday life whether it’s talking to someone or if I’m doing an interview. (Kawehilani)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I wish that I knew the teachings before I taught the actual lessons to people. (William)
- More church history facts and more accurate knowledge of the scriptures. (Michael)
- Don’t worry about who is a leader in the mission and who isn’t. The real reason to be working is the people. Don’t ever forget that. (Jared)
- That you better give it your all from the get go, otherwise you regret it. I wish I wouldn’t have paid attention to time. It’s funny how at the beginning of your mission you cross every day off the calendar, but by the end of the mission you are wondering what month it is and where the time went. (Emily)
- The Mission President was on the last stretch of his labor and we got a new one. (Brigham)
- Always speak boldly, or as I call it, with bold sauce! Listen to the Spirit, and He will tell you what to do in ALL things. Never be scared- be still, and call on Christ. Call on him constantly, not just when you feel like breaking. YOU DON’T CONVERT PEOPLE, the Spirit does and make sure your investigators know that, and they know how they can get the Spirit so they can be strong when you leave. (Samuel)
- How to love my companions. (Kristin)
- I came to my mission prepared. But I did not know what to expect. The only advice I have here is for those missionaries who do not come prepared. Read The Book of Mormon. Be obedient. Work hard. It will not be easy, but it will be incredible. (Josh)
- Wish I knew how to ride a bike and wish I was well prepared. (Melody)
- Studied Preach My Gospel better. I never took a mission prep class. And I did after the mission and learned so much that would have been helpful. Oh well there’s always next time 😉 (Jessica)
- I wish I had been more humble. I learned that the few semesters of institute that I took before leaving for my mission were quite valuable. It would’ve been better to have been exposed to the anti-Mormon doctrine that I would be exposed to on my mission before hand, and to have learned about the lies and twists that the enemies of the church will use. (Matthew)
- First love your companion. (Elizabeth)
- I wish I would have studied Preach My Gospel more and weaned myself off of social media better before going to the Mission Training Center. I would also have been more understanding when it came to the shortcomings of others in my district because people aren’t perfect. (Tabitha)
- I wish I brought better shoes with me on my mission instead of buying them on my mission:) but it was great either way. (Kawehilani)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to Las Vegas?
- Go out with the missionaries, and help them teach the gospel. Get the pre-missionary feeling, and be a member missionary so you can gain a strong witness that what you are doing is a blessing. Read PMG and the Book of Mormon cover to cover. Write in your journal about those experiences. (William)
- Read the Book of Mormon and pray EVERY DAY (before, during, and after your mission)!!!!!!!!!! Trust me, it makes a difference! (Michael)
- I loved the mission I had the privilege to serve. I feel almost as if I didn’t deserve the blessing to have served. (Jared)
- Know that you are called where you are called for a reason. I struggled with my call because I am from Arizona and have family in Henderson, so I’ve busted there numerous times. I was disappointed that I didn’t go somewhere far, or green or exotic. I know now that if I had I would have been a total tourist and not focused on my purpose. It’s for a reason. (Emily)
- That you can’t go wrong. We will turn this so called city of sin to the city of blessings and people are ready over there for the gospel. Do a mini mission back home to help you get the experience. (Brigham)
- Pray every day to love the people. Decide to always love the people. Always stay positive. You will learn to love the heat. It’s going to be the best experience of your life, until you get married. 🙂 Work every day and give everything you’ve got so you know you did everything you could for the Lord. And you will feel His approval, and you will know you did absolutely everything you could, and that you served well. (Samuel)
- The Lord will always provide if you are but willing to do what He asks. (Kristin)
- You have been called to one of the greatest English-speaking missions on earth. The Lord trusts you. He has a purpose in calling you to the Las Vegas, Nevada Mission. Great blessings and opportunities lay ahead but also great challenges. Stay faithful, stay prayerful, work hard, and most of all be obedient. “Behold, obedience is greater than sacrifice.” Prepare yourself. Read the Book of Mormon. Testify of Christ, testify of the Restoration and of the First Vision. Open The Book of Mormon and teach from it. The Church is true. Testify of it. Rely on the Spirit. Work hard. Avoid temptation. Repent when you stumble. The Lord qualifies whom He calls. You have been saved up for this day. Now is the time. Make the most of it. (Josh)
- Do your best, never fail to smile. Show the love to the people you will serve for. Act normal. (Melody)
- Don’t ever quit. There will be plenty of days where you will want to pack your bags and depart from the midst. And all you really need to do is pack your doubts and send them out of town. You were called for a purpose. I know without a doubt that I was sent to the mission and areas for specific people who would have otherwise rejected or never been touched by someone else. You are essential to His plan and if you leave you’re messing it up for more people than you realize. There are children who I taught and baptized that now have children of their own that are being raised in the gospel because I stuck it out to the end. It’s worth it, every moment is worth it! (Jessica)
- When I was leaving to go home, no one had baptized more people than I had. One of the new missionaries asked me what my secret was. And it was really quite simple. I went to work at 9:30 a.m. every day and worked all day until 9:30 p.m. (Matthew)
- Learn to love by serving. And remember that companionship inventory is a great way to solve problems! Keep communication open with your companion, even if it’s awkward. (Tabitha)
- Be confident in all that you do but at the same time be humble and the Lord will provide you with the things to say and do:) I always have the mentality of if I never ask, I’ll never know and they’ll never know of the truth and happiness of what I know!!! Just go out there and make people happy with the message that you know to be true and if you don’t know, then challenge yourself in knowing if the gospel is true. The Lord knows each and everyone of us personally and he wants the best for us in all aspects of our lives!!! The atonement is so real and it will change anyone’s life. (Kawehilani)
What was a funny language mistake?
- My companion was giving a talk about being strong in the faith. What he tried to say was we need to be like “the armies of the Nephites.” He switched “gerras” with “guerras” so what he really said was that we need to be like “the white girls (also slang for stupid girls) of the Nephites.” (Michael)
- Nunca mente, santa vaca, etc. (Jared)
- I was called English-speaking, but I picked up a lot of Spanish, Samoan, and Tagalog. I was trying to pray in Samoan and all I could say was that I was grateful for bananas. I was also learning colors and races and I said my socks were black in ethnicity. (Samuel)
- Too inappropriate to share. (Matthew)
- Well my companion and I committed a Spanish speaking investigator to pray to Joseph Smith instead of about Joseph Smith, thankfully he couldn’t do it and it was all cleared up in our next lesson. He got baptized. (Elizabeth)