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The Nature of Union

Segullah - I met my husband when we were both freshmen at the University of Utah. He was only eighteen years old at the time, and I was even younger–sixteen. We fell for each other pretty hard, but it was four years until we got married. (His idea. He wanted us to graduate first.) For the first ten years of our marriage, I never even noticed he wasn’t perfect. The next ten years were spent resigning myself to the fact that he wasn’t perfect. The following ten taught me to accept the fact that he wasn’t perfect. And today (eight years into the...

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SVU student center to be named for Elder J. Golden Kimball

Deseret News - Southern Virginia University announced that when its recently remodeled student center is dedicated during homecoming weekend on Oct. 9, it will be named the Kimball Student Center, in honor of J. Golden Kimball, a beloved general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The decision to name the student center after Elder Kimball comes at the request of a donor, who contributed nearly $1 million to the year-long renovation project carried out in 2008–09. "Many people remember Elder Kimball for his quick wit and legendary story-telling," Southern Virginia University President Rodney K. Smith said June 17. "Fewer people...

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YW Lesson 2-25, "The Law of Sacrifice"

Beginnings New - With this lesson, we continue our discussion of doing hard things for the right reasons. In our ward, I heard a terrific talk on this subject recently. Ostensibly it was a talk about patience, "waiting upon the Lord" and trusting in Him, and the speaker talked about the scripture in Luke 21:19 "in patience possess ye your souls." Ironically, or counterintuitively, we "possess" our souls only by giving them entirely to the Lord. I think sacrifice contains a similar paradox, that when you truly sacrifice in the right spirit and with the right intent, it doesn't feel like giving anything up,...

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Ask Dr. Elia: Defining your dating objectives

Deseret News - Last month I had an opportunity to participate in a workshop at a multistake Single Adult conference in California. I was asked to present and discuss the do's and don'ts of dating. Now it's true that my single days ended two decades ago, but I coach several people who are single and are looking to find their eternal companions. The most important advice I can give is that a lot of heartache can be avoided if we keep our eternal perspective with us at all times. With that in mind, here are a few specific "do's" and "don'ts." 1. The first...

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Tolstoy's Book of Mormon a gift from Brigham Young's daughter

Deseret News - Virginia Woolf once called Russian literary leviathan Leo Tolstoy "the greatest of all novelists," a man best known for penning the lengthy "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina." Through both his writing and his life, Tolstoy became known as a troubled man who devoted himself to the search for life's meaning. Frederick and Nataliya Felt were attending the Laurel Ward of the Silver Springs Stake in Washington, D.C., when a Russian member told them that Tolstoy's library contained a copy of the Book of Mormon. Their initial intrigue turned into a quest to discover its origin story. "I was surprised to...

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Leaders Are Made

Dave Ramsey - Dear Dave, Do you feel that some people are born leaders, or do you have to read and study to become one? Michael Dear Michael, I don't believe anyone is born a leader. I've watched all three of my kids being born, and not once did the doctor say, "Congratulations, Dave! You have a little eight-pound, six-ounce leader!" No, I believe people make choices. I'm 49 years old, and I've been studying leadership ever since I opened my company almost 20 years ago. I was really awful when I first started. I made so many bad, dumb mistakes! But I'm a...

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Five Things to Consider Before You Refinance

Michael G. Peterson - Are you thinking about refinancing your home? Interest rates are dropping and people across the country are looking for ways to make the most of their money. While refinancing can help put a little extra cash in your pocket and give you a little more wiggle room in your monthly budget, it's not a cure-all for every financial issue. Refinancing your home is a big decision. How do you know if it's right for you? The truth is, there's no perfect set of guidelines or one-size-fits-all rulebook when it comes to refinancing your home. But if you really want to make...

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Should I Still Budget Blow Money?

Dave Ramsey - Dear Dave, I'm following your plan and trying to get out of debt. Should you have a "blow money" category in your budget before your debt is paid off? Luke Dear Luke, You bet! The key is to make that category very, very small. You shouldn't run around spending money on all kinds of fun stuff when you're trying to get out of debt. I want you to be really focused - gazelle intense - when it comes to getting out of debt. If you reach this level of intensity, there's naturally going to be less wiggle room in your budget,...

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Soul-soothing Sweets

Angie Sullivan - On our journey to preparedness, we've discussed several different types of foods to store. We've learned about dehydrated , freeze-dried , and Meals Ready to Eat . All of these are wonderful options, and a good combination of all of them is ideal. But each of these foods also shares something that I'm sure will tickle your fancy. Within each of these foods storage categories there are some items I would like you to consider . . . desserts! If you are like me, it won't take much to convince you that having a few " comfort foods " stored is...

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Why Should I Adjust It?

Dave Ramsey - Dear Dave, We got a big income tax refund earlier this year, but I heard you tell someone to adjust their tax withholding so they don't get a refund. Why should you do this? Justin Dear Justin, Let's say you get a $3,000 refund. Do you know why you got that refund? It's because you had $250 too much taken out of your paycheck every single month during the past year. Basically, you loaned the government $3,000 of your own money interest-free for 12 months. A refund isn't free money, Justin. It's your own cash that you get back because you...