Story Behind The Mesquite Stake Seminary Building

By CHERYL JENSEN

The Progress

An unassuming building located just across the street to the north of Virgin Valley High School in Mesquite has an interesting history. Youth members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have walked across the street to attend seminary classes in this building since the 1990s. But there is a fascinating story behind the construction of that building which involves appeals to Church leadership, disagreements on architectural terminology and even an epic battle fought against purveyors of pornography in Mesquite.

When the new Virgin Valley High School was built on Bulldog Hill, a place was needed for kids to attend seminary, a daily scripture study class offered to youth of the Church.

Before that time, kids had gone to early morning seminary before school in the chapel on Mesquite Blvd. and then walked the short distance to the old high school location. But with the new VVHS facility completed, the arrangement became much less convenient.

Mesquite Nevada Stake President David J. Anderson, who at that time had just been assigned as the local seminary teacher, was in the process of planning his move to Mesquite. He was building a home across the street from the high school.

In the absence of seminary facilities near the new high school, Anderson approached Church Education System (CES) officials asking about the option of renovating the garage of his home to make it large enough for a classroom, restrooms and a small office.

That was done. So when the new high school was complete, students met for class in Anderson’s “garage.” This worked well for a time. But the garage wasn’t big enough for long. Seminary enrollment increased to a total of more than 175 students, with 80 students in one of the classes. At that point it was clear that more room was needed.

Anderson went back to CES and requested that a seminary building to be built near the school. The Church already owned the property right across the street from the school.
But this request was denied on the grounds that it was Church policy to no longer build separate seminary buildings other than to serve the very large student populations existing in Utah.

CES suggested that Anderson ask the City of Mesquite if a double-wide trailer could be placed on the property for seminary meetings. Anderson did this. But because such a structure was not in keeping with the surrounding neighborhood, the request was declined.

It was around this time that a strange event occurred. An adult book store opened in Mesquite. The store was located off of Mesa Blvd. in the area that is now east of the Eureka Resort.

The store caused an uproar among many of the citizens of Mesquite. Many people, especially members of the Church, were concerned about the effects this business might have on local families and youth.

Through community efforts, a picket line was organized on the street outside of this business. Citizens volunteered to walk the sidewalk day and night, in hot summers or cold windy winters. Sign-up sheets were circulated to fill the hours and people made signs to carry on the “picket line” in protest of the store.

As the year wore on it became difficult to sustain this 24 hour, 7 days a week protest. It was at this point that people in St. George, Utah became involved. They understood that many of the customers of this business were coming there from their towns an neighborhoods. And fearing that this would affect the moral standard in their nearby community, they came to help on the picket line.
A protest organization was formed called Help Our Moral Environment, or H.O.M.E. It was dedicated to educating people about the secondary effects of pornography.
The efforts made the national news. Reports of these Mesquite parents standing strong published by newspaper organizations all across the country

After 31 months of round the clock demonstrations, the protesters finally won a victory. With their efforts continuously hindering the business, the store was finally forced to close its doors permanently.

What does this digression have to do with the seminary building across from VVHS? Well around that time, then Stake President Elwin Whipple was still seeking a seminary building on the parcel. He suggested that Anderson write to the leadership of the Church and take the request directly to them.
The request ultimately reached the desk of the Church President at the time: President Gordon B. Hinckley.

By this time, Hinckley had heard about the people in Mesquite and surrounding areas who had picketed against pornography in their community for 24 hours per day, seven days a week for 31 months through summer heat and cold winter wind. Hinckley reportedly concluded that any community of parents that concerned about their children and family values, need seminary building. So he approved the plan for a building just for seminary and had an architect start working on the project.

Anderson looked at seminary buildings in the St. George area, chose the design he liked and working with the architect. The initial plans were submitted. But there was still a small hitch.

The plans detailed that the building would be in the “French Provincial” style. But these plans were rejected by the Church Building Department with the explanation that the Church did not build French Provincial buildings.

Anderson went back and spoke to the architect and they agreed to change the plans simply to read “Southwest-style” architecture. The plans were approved.

The seminary building was completed and dedicated by Elder Ben B. Banks, a member of the Quorum of Seventy making it accessible for the high school students to cross the street and attend classes each day of the school year.

At the Mesquite Stake seminary graduation this year, Pres. Anderson told the students that it was their parents and grandparents who sacrificed their time to provide a better local environment for raising kids in Mesquite.
“There are some things worth sacrificing for and someday you will be asked to stand for truth and righteousness,” Anderson told the graduates. “Will you be willing to pay the price to defend Jesus Christ and his message and His atoning sacrifice?”

By the way, a plaque dedicated to the citizens of Virgin Valley and St. George who won the fight against pornography can still be found in the sidewalk where the longest running non-union picket line continued for 31 months.

The plaque reads, “At this site, a resolute stand was made for decency and innocence, for family integrity and community safety. Here six thousand determined neighbors of all faiths, citizens from communities in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, walked the picket line twenty-four hours a day for thirty-one consecutive months against the perverse and corrupting business of pornography. Here young mothers and grandmothers, students and retired seniors, farmers, contractors, doctors and school teachers walked shoulder to shoulder. They walked through the desert summers and the winter chill, unwilling to surrender this community to peddlers of filth. Here they walked and won.”