Bright Lights in the Desert

Fred E. Woods earned his PhD in Middle East Studies: Hebrew Bible from the University of Utah and has been a professor of religious education at Brigham Young University since 1998. He held a prestigious BYU Richard L. Evans professorship of Religious Understanding from 2005-2010. Woods is a prolific author and has produced several documentaries highlighting the LDS influence on peoples of various faiths and cultures. Not being raised in the LDS tradition, Woods, now a Latter-day Saint, concentrates on community bridge building.

Contents
Foreword by Michael S. Green
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. The Latter-day Saint Corridor and the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort
Chapter 2. Post–Old Mormon Fort Early Settlement to Las Vegas Stakes (1857–1960)
Chapter 3. Ignorance, Education, and Cultural Refinement
Chapter 4. Business and Entertainment
Chapter 5. Latter-day Saints in Elected Office and Community Service
Chapter 6. Ecclesiastical Community Service to a Local Congregation in Need
Chapter 7. The Story of the Las Vegas Temple
Appendix A. Nevada Mothers of the Year
Appendix B. Clark County Schools Named After Latter-day Saints
Appendix C. Select List of Elected or Appointed Officials in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area
Appendix D. Las Vegas Temple Dedicatory Prayer, Given December 16, 1989
Appendix E. Latter-day Saint Las Vegas Regional Timeline
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author