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Ward members lament loss of Mormon chapel in Logandale

Cause of blaze not determined, but foul play not suspected













LOGANDALE -- Ila Winsor remembers 60 years ago when local Latter-day Saints made bricks by hand for the town's first Mormon chapel.

She was there for the church's dedication in 1951, and she worshipped there every Sunday since.


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  • The first person baptized in the church was her daughter. And at 90, Winsor was recently dubbed its oldest living member.

    But from her hilltop home on Wednesday, she witnessed a scene she hoped would never happen.

    "I can't believe that building is burned," Winsor said, dropping her shoulders and gazing at the charred site a mile downhill.

    The chapel, regarded as the "centerpiece of life" for many of its 1,400 members, was destroyed by an early morning blaze that broke out in a back room and spread to the nearby sanctuary.

    Ace Robison, stake president for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Moapa Valley, arrived on scene within 15 minutes of receiving the call. The 65-year-old Logandale native was greeted by flames erupting from the roof as the blaze moved through the attic.

    "It was devastating," he said of the sight.

    Robison worshipped at the church 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas for most of his life. He now oversees the 13 wards spread among five chapels in the historically Mormon farming communities of Logandale, Moapa and Overton.

    The region is home to 7,200 people, most of them members of the Mormon church.

    "It's a terrible loss for the community," said Bryant Robison, the stake president's older brother and a lifelong Logandale resident. "It meant a lot to the community. It meant a lot to me."

    When he was in high school, Bryant Robison helped mix concrete and make bricks for the church.

    "Every Saturday," he said.

    Susan Whipple was a toddler when the chapel was dedicated 58 years ago, and the building played a big role in her life.

    On Wednesday afternoon, she sat on a folding chair across the street as her son, Scott, helped break apart the smoking remains of a structure her father helped build.

    Whipple rushed to the church around 6 a.m., about two hours after firefighters were called out.

    She stayed for much of the day.

    Other church members also were drawn to the scene, some pushing strollers and clutching cameras to snap a few final photos.

    "It's not just a building," Whipple said.

    Her father, Don Whitney, now 82, paid his tithing to the church by laying brick during the chapel's construction.

    Whipple had her wedding reception in a back meeting room, and she later played piano at the church and led a Boy Scout troop that met there. Many of her children and grandchildren were blessed or baptized in the chapel.

    "I'm just heartbroken," she said. "We lost a landmark and a place to worship."

    The church was empty at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. A side office building containing the bishops' offices and church records was not seriously damaged.

    As church members salvaged what they could from areas untouched by flames, Bishop Kent Barlow stopped to survey the charred debris.

    "It really was a beautiful building," he said.

    Barlow, who has been a bishop for four years, received the grim news at 4:15 a.m. He said he could see flames from his home about a mile away.

    "I bawled the entire way here," he said.

    The smoke and fire were so thick, firefighters could only battle the blaze from outside the building, Clark County fire spokesman Scott Allison said.

    Parts of the structure were still smoldering around 9 a.m.

    No official cause has been announced, but Ace Robison said fans left on overnight to dry recently shampooed carpeting could be to blame.

    Allison said foul play is not suspected.

    About 60 firefighters from volunteer units in Moapa Valley and Mesquite worked alongside county crews to battle the blaze. The fire crew included a number of church members, but Clark County firefighter Kurt Leavitt said they kept their focus.

    "They knew they had a job to do," said Leavitt, who does not attend the church. "I'm sure later when they get a chance to rest, more emotions will kick in."

    Church officials said they plan to rebuild.

    Until then, other chapels will hold extra services to accommodate the three wards from the Logandale church.

    Winsor called Wednesday a "very sad day" but said she'll keep the faith.

    "Wherever they tell us to go, we'll go," she said.

    Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279. Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350.

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    4mom wrote on February 11, 2009 04:29 PM: What amazes me the most is that people can go to missionaries and other UNPAID church members such as teachers, preisthood leaders, Bishops and Stake Presidents who can answer there questions about the religion but they seem to listen to non members or paid clergy (there is no paid clergy in the Mormon church) about the religion....You can try Mormon.org find out for yourself! Why not do your own research and read the Book of Mormon, take the lessons...just find out from the source. you wouldn't buy a car from a vacumme dealer! We welcome all. We are always there to lend a helping hand and even if you don't believe, your welcome anytime! We are not a perfect people but we believe that everyone can have the blessing that come from our Savior Jesus Christ and his attonment for us! :)


    4mom wrote on February 11, 2009 04:27 PM: What amazes me the most is that people can go to missionaries and other UNPAID church members such as teachers, preisthood leaders, Bishops and Stake Presidents who can answer there questions about the religion but they seem to listen to non members or paid clergy (there is no paid clergy in the Mormon church) about the religion....You can try Mormon.org find out for yourself! Why not do your own research and read the Book of Mormon, take the lessons...just find out from the source. you wouldn't buy a car from a vacumme dealer! We welcome all. We are always there to lend a helping hand and even if you don't believe, your welcome!We are not a perfect people but we believe that everyone can have the blessing that come from our Savior Jesus Christ and his attonment for us! :)


    Buzz Daly wrote on February 10, 2009 08:05 PM: My, my. Folks really take their imaginary friends seriously, in Logandale, don't they?

    Why do you folks keep giving so much space to folks and their free choice to believe in the Supernatural?

    I don't know either.


    Las Vegan wrote on February 09, 2009 07:54 AM: Wow talk about sensorship....you guys at the RJ are sure good at it! Liberals ugh.


    here are the facts wrote on February 07, 2009 08:08 PM:
    read and see for yourself

    http://1857massacre.com/MMM/untold_story.htm


    you cannot hide from the facts wrote on February 07, 2009 08:04 PM: joseph smith was in jail for glass looking
    he was a fraud and told lies which landed him in jail.

    the end

    http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon430.htm

    http://1857massacre.com/MMM/danites_index.htm


    john d wrote on February 07, 2009 04:51 PM: i've seen and heard a lot of stupidity in my life, but the genre of the comments generated by the buring of this buiding has to be in the top 100. people are generally stupid, ignorant, and hateful to say incorrect and lying statements about the mormons whether in moapa or madrid or moscow.


    me wrote on February 07, 2009 02:39 PM: it makes me laugh to read a Mormon telling the non-brainwashed to "get a life and leave us alone" which is exactly what Mormons have not done while sticking their noses into the personal lives of gay people in California.

    I'm still laughing at the hypocrisy of the brain dead.


    JJ wrote on February 07, 2009 09:10 AM: Before 'you' (whoever that may be) spread false information about anyone's religion, it would be good to check. The LDS Church very often is paying taxes on certain properties that you may be unaware of. I wonder if the anti- feelings might be because the church has had the foresight to "be prepared". They have their own insurance company to cover things just like this. They accept no government assistance of any kind. In fact, the Bishop's store house donations to people in need saves the government untold amounts of money in welfare. Their chapels are open to those needing shelter and assistance. They teach their people to be kind to everyone. I'm saddened if any of you in Logandale are being treated any differently. That is not right and hopefully will be corrected. The Church tries to be of service to all in need through the Bishop' storehouse and Deseret Industries regardless of their religious preference. Yes, we do want everyone to hear the Gospel, but the greatest teaching the Lord gave us is that of agency. That we respect above all else. Members are probably no "richer" than people anywhere else, but they may be more careful with their money. The church itself carefully uses the tithing monies that are donated. Pres. Hinckley was very particular about using those funds righteously, as is Pres. Monson.

    Unfortunately, we members are not perfect but are constantly working to overcome imperfections. We thank you for your input and hope that you will feel able to accept information and look upon us as friend and neighbors who care about those around us.

    Thanks to the fire and police for all service.


    One pissed off mormon wrote on February 06, 2009 08:09 PM: I live in Moapa Valley and I am a mormon. I would like you set you people straight about us. Yes, our church caught on fire, but so has other religions churches too. We have nothing to do with Warren Jeffs, that is a totally different religion. We do not believe in more than one wife and we do not discreminate against non mormons. I will tell you we are the first to help someone out mormon or not. Yes we do have alot of money but we also help out alot of people and countries. We helped out with 911 and the hurricanes. As for are volunteer fire fighters thats what they do VOLUNTEER. They have to leave their jobs to come fight any fire. My dad was a volunteer fire fighter for years. He didn't get paid to fight fires around here like the cities fighters do. The problem is that everyone gets the wrong idea about us. Just because we are a small community and mostly mormon doesn't make us bad. This valley has your back if you live here. They will come together to help you if your house was on fire and when our church is the one on fire all you have to do is bag on us. I think you people need to GET A LIFE and LEAVE US ALONE!


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