Columnists

Utah

After Friday, will 'Superman' still be the best Superman movie?
"Man of Steel" opens today to challenge 1978's "Superman" as the best movie version made so far about the first comic-book superhero. Read more»
Thursday, June 13 2013 1:00 p.m. MDT
'Man of Steel' misses opportunities to be a truly great film
Can you have too much of a good thing? The answer is yes, and “Man of Steel” proves it. While replete with incredible moments, “Man of Steel” misses wonderful Read more»
Friday, June 14 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Science proves the Beatles are better than 'Crimson and Clover' and Blink-182
Ever feel bad you don't know any of the latest and coolest singers? Don't. A scientific test has proven the old music is still the best. Read more»
Friday, June 14 2013 4:44 p.m. MDT
Utah man's new running shoe could be golden
The running shoe is all wrong for the human foot, so Orem's Golden Harper came up with a solution — a radically different shoe called Altra that is expected to do $20 million Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 6:05 a.m. MDT
Thanks to Mount Jordan Junior High teacher, Mr. Densley
For 27 years, Vere Densley taught type at Mount Jordan Junior High School. Two students whose lives were impacted greatly by his class looked up the 87-year-old educator last week to Read more»
Monday, June 10 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT

Sports

North Las Vegas runner refuses to let debilitating disease stop him
A North Las Vegas runner continues to run despite a debilitating disease because it helps him hold on to the best parts of who he is. He will run 19.1 miles in the Wasatch Back Relay Read more»
Sunday, June 2 2013 8:40 p.m. MDT
Taking American soccer to heart
Big crowds for USA World Cup Qualifying again raise the question of top foreign leagues adding a team in the Colonies. Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 11:00 p.m. MDT
Bronco Mendenhall and Cecil O. Samuelson have been working together for a long time
Both BYU's administration and football coach Bronco Mendenhall seem interested in extending the coach's contract beyond this year. One possible reason it hasn't happened yet is that Read more»
Monday, June 17 2013 6:45 p.m. MDT

Moneywise

Don't put family relationships at risk because of money
Dave Ramsey gives advice about family loans and negotiating with debt collectors. Read more»
Tuesday, June 11 2013 10:05 a.m. MDT
Who is in control of your work-life balance?
A "casual reader" of my column sent me an email last week because he wanted to make a point: "I am in charge of my personal happiness. I am in charge of my career path. I have a say Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 10:20 a.m. MDT

Opinion

NSA not helping Obama's war on terror narrative
Thirty-five years ago in United States v. Choate, the courts ruled that the Postal Service may record "mail cover," i.e., what's written on the outside of an envelope — the addresses Read more»
Sunday, June 16 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
U.S. health care system still has much to admire
With all of the criticisms leveled at our health care system in the United States, I think it is important to remember that there is also much to admire. Read more»
Thursday, June 13 2013 8:48 a.m. MDT
Should Utahns be worried about NSA monitoring?
Although summer doesn't arrive until June 21, we are certainly experiencing a heat wave — both in the temperature outside and also in the machinations and consternations of political Read more»
Sunday, June 16 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Congress' war on behavior hurts the Constitution
In May 1918, with America embroiled in the First World War, Iowa's Gov. William Lloyd Harding's Babel Proclamation — that was its title; you cannot make this stuff up — Read more»
Sunday, June 16 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
On Memorial Day, look beyond the fog of war
The fog of war often clouds our senses. Read more»
Thursday, May 23 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Religion plays significant role in producing the ideal dad
Past generations would have found it hard to believe the challenges boys face today — socially, academically and vocationally Read more»
Sunday, June 16 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Show leadership on immigration
"Leaders have a significant role in creating the state of mind that is the society. They can serve as symbols of the moral unity of the society. They can express the values that hold Read more»
Saturday, June 15 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
In this age, whatever you do will be known by the data stalkers
In these post-Snowden days, the notion of anonymity is ludicrous. But so it has been for some time, though recent disclosures bring pause even to the habitually inured. It is one thing Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Don't let great technology make you thoughtless
Many photos were taken right after Argentine cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was selected Pope. But the one that speaks volumes to me about the world in which we live was a distant shot that Read more»
Tuesday, June 11 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Quantifiable coolness of being a dad
My wife giving birth? Majesty. Placing that tiny baby girl in my arms? Life changing. The coolest thing I've ever done? Fatherhood. Read more»
Friday, June 14 2013 9:56 a.m. MDT
Airlines should do more for passengers, or else
Summer is the season for many Americans to take to the skies. Millions of vacationers will travel by air over the next couple of months. Many of them, particularly the vast majority Read more»
Wednesday, June 19 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Sticking to facts is effective criticism
In the depths of the Great Recession, when jobs were being lost and economic activity was badly down, Utah officials rejoiced when the National Security Agency (NSA) picked Utah as Read more»
Monday, June 17 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT
Graduation advice for my daughter
Graduation advice for my daughter: Bless people. Don’t worry about impressing them. And when God blesses you, enjoy the blessing and be thankful. Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 1:26 p.m. MDT

Faith

He never pays for anything on our dates
Am I being too picky if I'd like a guy to pay for at least some of our dates — instead of me paying for everything? Read more»
Saturday, June 15 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
What about those who have never heard?
Thoughtful Western Christians, living in an ever-smaller world, are challenged by the existence of hundreds of millions of good, sincere non-Christians. What will be their fate? And Read more»
Thursday, June 13 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
20 things to embrace this summer besides a summer romance
You remember the summer romance, don’t you? Your neighbor invited a cousin to spend the summer from Savannah. A friend brought their BFF from Fresno to band camp. You met a foreign-exchange Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
Movies, miracles and the Mormon Trail
Over the weekend, my wife and I caught “Ephraim’s Rescue,” T.C. Christensen’s latest film about miracles on the Mormon Trail. It’s the story of Ephraim Read more»
Wednesday, June 12 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
Adversity can bring us blessings
Elder Neal A. Maxwell describes the concept of adversity as "wintry doctrine," yet necessary in mortality to learn, progress and grow. The lives of the violinist Augustin Hadelich and Read more»
Sunday, June 16 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
Grandpa was a railroad engineer
My Grandpa Blair was the epitome of a railroad engineer, complete with coveralls, hat and scarf. But his descendants also remember him for his kindness, gentleness and love. Read more»
Wednesday, June 19 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
Technology helps Sunday School teachers prepare students for spiritual warfare
Technology is changing war in the world and Sunday School as well. The new "Come Follow Me" curriculum in Sunday School encourages teachers to use technology to prepare students for Read more»
Thursday, May 30 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
The everyday glory of beauty is part of the image of heaven
The wonder of spring reminds us of the spiritual nature of beauty. We have a need for beauty. It enhances our spiritual natures and feeds our souls and increases our joy. Read more»
Monday, June 3 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT
When kids close the door
My oldest son is a pre-teen, and I realize this is where it begins, this slow separation, the way kids break away in small ways to test their independence. Read more»
Wednesday, June 19 2013 5:00 a.m. MDT

Family

Family bonds can form in an instant
Nothing teaches more about the bonds of family than the birth of a newborn. Read more»
Tuesday, June 11 2013 3:11 p.m. MDT
Weight loss never promised peace: Why I exercise without expectations
Exercise doesn't have to be a hopeful weight-loss cause. Body acceptance starts when we begin to see our bodies as something to thank instead of change. Read more»
Tuesday, June 11 2013 12:45 p.m. MDT
The present is so overwhelming we need a good nap
The present is so overwhelming that like Rip Van Winkle, sometimes we need a good nap. Read more»
Monday, June 10 2013 4:07 p.m. MDT
Good education leads to strong marriage
The National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia comes to one rather surprising but very strong and well-supported conclusion. Read more»
Tuesday, June 18 2013 5:10 p.m. MDT
Rubber ducky, anyone? A good bath can cure all
Seems like people are usually in one category or the other: those who bathe and those who take showers. Some people enjoy the occasional bath but then shower after, which seems like Read more»
Wednesday, June 5 2013 5:11 p.m. MDT