The unemployment rate has just fallen one-tenth of a percent, from 9 percent to 8.9 percent. Of course, it is indeed progress, and it is being celebrated in the White House as such. But the celebrations bring to mind what a wit once said: An “acceptable” level of unemployment means that the government economist to whom it is acceptable still has a job. Today, as we move into the third year of the Obama administration, we do not have anything resembling even such an “acceptable” level of unemployment. Far from it. As of this month, 14 million Americans can’t find work.

All month long we’ll be talking about easy ways to get into emergency preparedness, simple strategies for maintenance, and how to master the bare essentials.

In this month's lesson, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf says:

There's something so special about October general conference. It's the beginning of fall, our favorite season, and it holds so many sweet memories for our family. Most of the traditions we shared over these weekends growing up have carried on into our own families, and some we still make sure we do together.

These husbands care about their wives, but don’t know what to do when their wife constantly berates herself or feels low self-worth. These women constantly compare themselves to other women and just don’t measure up. We refer to it as “Comparison Sickness.”

Steve Young, famed LDS quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, is a well-known sports figure, even outside the LDS sphere--but apparently, Brian Regan "didn't know" what he was getting into when he met the football legend backstage at a show in Saratoga, California on August 24th.

Ninety years ago, Ella Hoskins turned 12 years old and joined the Young Women. She would have been a Beehive, but that designation would not exist for another 25 years. There was also no Personal Progress program or Young Women Medallion.

Patti Adams found herself living every mother’s worst fear when she learned her unborn daughter was not going to survive long after birth. “On July 22, 1988, I found myself being quickly ushered into my OB-GYN's office after what I thought was a routine ultrasound during my seventh month of pregnancy,” Adams said. “I still remember well many of the thoughts that ran through my mind when the doctor shared with us the new developments in the most recent ultrasound: our unborn daughter had serious birth defects that were most likely not compatible with life. “Two weeks later we were dealing with the shock well enough to begin planning our painful future. Because I didn't want to have to make funeral arrangements after she was gone, my husband and I visited the local mortuary to find the answers to so many questions we had. A few short minutes after being seated, we were presented with our choice for a casket. It amounted to nothing more than a cardboard box. I was heartsick.

Veteran’s day is almost here, once again on November 11th, flags will fly and patriotic programs will prompt our remembrance of the service of our veterans. This year, Veteran’s Day coincides with the 100th anniversary of the close of the Great War, World War I. Touted to be the war to end all wars, World War I was one of the most terrible conflicts in history. At least nine million soldiers and nearly as many civilians died from war-related causes. This number does not include those who perished in consequence of the worldwide influenza pandemic near the end of the war.

Would you pay over a million dollars or even a half of a million for a Mormon book? Well, many book collectors around the world are willing to pay that price for these rare finds. But we know, no matter their price tag, the true value of these books comes from the truths written within.