Mormon bloggers: LDS women share testimonies with readers

A group of 32 Mormon bloggers is creating packets for interested readers explaining what the bloggers believe and why they choose to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mariel Wangsgard, oneshetwoshe.com

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With The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the national spotlight, people across the country are asking questions — and a group of Mormon bloggers is happy to give answers.

With vintage-style photographs, picture-perfect desserts, fashion tips and family-life anecdotes, Mormon bloggers have attracted the attention of readers far outside the LDS blogosphere.

Last year, Emily Matchar wrote an article on salon.com attempting to explain her fascination with these blogs.

"Their lives are nothing like mine — I'm your standard-issue late-20-something childless over-educated atheist feminist, Yet I'm completely obsessed with their blogs," she wrote. "On an average day, I'll skim through a half-dozen Mormon blogs, looking at Polaroids of dogs in raincoats or kids in bow ties, reading gratitude lists, admiring sewing projects."

Mariel Wangsgard, creator of the Or So She Says... blog, is taking advantage of such interest to answer questions through the "Why Are Your Favorite Bloggers Mormon?" project she launched last week.

The project sends readers a packet of testimonies from 32 LDS bloggers and a free Book of Mormon as a way for readers to better understand Mormons and what they believe. The packets are sent only to interested readers and kept offline to encourage civil discussion, according to Wangsgard.

"I just got to the point where I saw all these people wondering and not getting good answers," Wangsgard said. "I just think people want to know, so we don't have to be so afraid. ... Most of us aren't afraid to say that we're LDS, but it usually stops there. We wanted to stop holding out on our readers."

Three months ago, she began emailing every Mormon blogger she knew, asking if they would be willing to submit a page or two for the packet. Bloggers would then send suggestions of other bloggers she should contact. The number of participants grew from there.

Shawni Pothier, author of the blog 71 Toes, was one of the bloggers recruited to submit a page explaining her experience of being Mormon. For her, the project offered the opportunity to clarify Latter-day Saint beliefs.

"I just feel like there are a lot of misconceptions with our church, so I was just happy that someone was taking a stand," she said. "As mothers, bloggers and Mormons, we have a lot of power to influence what's out there. ... There are some crazy things that people hear, and I just want people to know how much it can bless people's lives."

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562644/Why-your-favorite-bloggers-are-Mormon-LDS-women-share-testimonies-with-readers.html
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Lawmakers make attempt at prohibiting smoking in cars with children

This is a Monday Aug. 25, 1997 file photo of a Chinese man smoking a cigarette while reading to his daughter, under an overpass in Beijing. Second-hand smoke kills more than 600,000 people worldwide every year, according to a new study. In the first analysis of the global impact of second-hand smoking, researchers analyzed data from 2004 for 192 countries. They found 40 percent of children and more than 30 percent of non-smoking men and women regularly breathe in second-hand smoke.

Associated Press

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SALT LAKE CITY — Tyler Adams knows what it is like to nearly suffocate from not being able to breathe.

He and two of his siblings suffer from severe asthma that was exacerbated every time their grandparents, who were heavy smokers, would light up around them.

"That's not a fun thing to go through," the Hunter High School student told the Health and Human Services Interim Committee on Wednesday.

He encouraged lawmakers to support legislation that would prohibit adults from smoking in a vehicle when a child under age 15 is present.

"We are essentially forcing a child to smoke when it is actually illegal for a child to smoke," said Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake City, who is sponsoring the draft bill for a second time. HB89 failed to reach a final vote during the 2011 Legislature.

Lawmakers have attempted to pass similar legislation three times in the past, only to be turned away by those who favor parental rights.

Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, said he opposes the proposed bill because it "interferes with people's lives" and individual choice.

"Smoking is still a legal activity," Daw said. "It's a filthy habit, and I don't want to be around anyone who smokes, and I certainly don't want them near my children, but it's their right."

Car seats faced the same type of opposition when state leaders first attempted to make using them a law, said Dr. Tom Metcalf, a retired pediatrician and former Utah lawmaker.

"The health of children trumped ideology," Metcalf said, adding that when the law finally passed in 1982, it established only minimal penalties for misuse.

"What the law really did was educate people," he said.

Only a small portion of kids are affected by secondhand smoke in vehicles, Metcalf said, "but they are affected."

Sen. Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake City, supported the proposed legislation and said she hopes that with the new secondhand smoke rule, parents will think twice about smoking at all.

Children are especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke, said Dr. Kevin Nelson, a University Hospital pediatrician who founded Pediatricians Against Secondhand Smoke after treating many children with asthma whose parents smoke.

There are more than 250 toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke that lingers in the air — and more than 50 of those are proven to cause cancer, Nelson said.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562762/Lawmakers-making-another-attempt-at-prohibiting-smoking-in-cars-with-children.html
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Parents set poor driving example for teens, with sometimes-dire results

Kellie Wright of West Jordan talks with her daughter, Sara Weymouth, 15, about how to drive an automobile safely.

Tom Smart, Deseret News

Parents are often poor role models when it comes to driving. They text, talk on the phone, speed and even drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol. That's especially bad news because parents are the biggest influence on how kids drive — and crashes are the No. 1 cause of teen death.

A survey of 1,700 high school seniors and juniors nationwide, conducted last year for Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Destructive Decisions, found high correlation between what teens do behind the wheel and what they've watched their parents do.

Two-thirds of teen drivers said their parents "live by different rules" than they tell their teens they expect them to obey. That disconnect can be hazardous, experts said.

"I don't think there's any doubt, whether it's driving or social life in general. They develop bad habits from the parents, with whom they spend 98 percent of the time they're in a car," said Lynn Moncur, the athletic director at Brighton High School who has been teaching driver's education for 26 years. "I'll ask questions. Do your parents look right when they turn right? No."

By the time teens turn 16 and get a license, "Mom and dad are tired of driving them around. They hand over the keys with a 'Be careful, be careful. Do what you're supposed to do,'" Moncur said.

Often, he said, they instead do what they've seen.

A barrage of examples

Kellie Wright is acutely conscious of that as her daughter, Sara Weymouth, watches her more closely even than before. Sara, 15, will get her license this year. And she's soaking up what she sees as she rides with others.

"I try not to talk on the phone when she's in the car," said Wright, of West Jordan.

Sending kids confusing signals about the dos and don't of driving puts them at risk, experts caution. Worldwide, nearly 1.5 million people are killed each year in vehicle crashes. Nationally, 33,808 people died in traffic fatalities in 2009, the last year for which a complete count is available. In Utah, 233 people died in crashes last year. Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death not only for teens, but for children 4 and older.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765605427/Parents-set-poor-driving-example-for-teens-with-sometimes-dire-results.html
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Top list: NFL players with Utah ties that made the 53-man roster

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 19 2012 11:26 p.m. MDT

Josh Ferrin, Deseret News

Teams in the NFL were forced to cut their rosters to 53 recently. What Utah players made the cut? Here's a list of all the athletes who played football at a Utah college or high school. The list is in no particular order.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/top/953/0/NFL-Steve-Smith-Austin-Collie-and-other-players-with-Utah-ties-that-made-the-53-man-rosters.html
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Utah Utes football: QB Jon Hays to get redemption shot against ASU

Utah Utes quarterback Jon Hays is stripped of the ball as he is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Oliver Aaron as the University of Utah faces Arizona State in NCAA football in Salt Lake City, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011. Utah recovered the fumble.

Ravell Call, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — His first major college start, against Arizona State last year, was not a memorable one for Jon Hays, at least not in a positive way.

Hays, as everyone knows by now, was just a few months removed from not having anywhere to play college ball and had only been part of the Ute team for a matter of weeks when starter Jordan Wynn went down with a season-ending injury. Hays was basically all the Utes had at the quarterback spot.

He started off decently enough, staking the Utes to a 14-10 lead. However five Utah turnovers, including three interceptions from Hays, handed the game to the Sun Devils, who scored 25 unanswered points.

"I was really disappointed with my performance last year against Arizona State — I had three picks," Hays said earlier this week.

Eleven and a half months later, Hays gets another shot at Arizona State, this time in Tempe (Saturday, 8 p.m. MDT), and he says he'll be much more prepared this time around and ready for redemption. "I'm ready to get back down there and play a good Arizona State team."

For Hays, the guy who was headed to Division II Nebraska-Omaha before that school suddenly dropped football, it has been a roller-coaster ride over the past 16 months.

He was picked up by the Utes as an emergency backup in mid-May, found himself thrust into the starting role in the middle of the team's initial Pac-12 season, lost some games and won some games before capping the year with a brilliant come-from-behind victory over Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

Yet despite all that, he was basically relegated to fourth string during spring ball as the Utes welcomed Wynn back from an injury and tried to get a close look at highly touted incoming freshmen Travis Wilson and Chase Hansen.

While it was a tough time for Hays, he just kept working hard, trying to keep his head up.

"It's not what happens but how you respond to it," he said. "That's the philosophy I've taken, and it's really helped me out."

Hays said the Ute coaches were always up front about everything and that helped him deal with the situation.

"They've been true to their word," he said. "Any time I've had a question and wanted to know how I stood on this team, they've been brutally honest with me, and I really appreciate that."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765605387/Utah-Utes-football-QB-Jon-Hays-to-get-redemption-shot-against-ASU.html
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BYU football: Cougars looking for bounce-back victory over Boise State

Utah State kicker Jaron Bentrude (38) warms up prior to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

BOISE — With dreams of an undefeated season dashed last Saturday night at Utah, BYU is now looking to avoid a two-game losing streak.

The Cougars invade Bronco Stadium on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN) to battle No. 24 Boise State.

Can BYU shake off the disappointment of falling to its arch-rival, and right the ship against the Broncos?

"We don't have a choice, we have to bounce back because as bad as that loss felt, you don't want to experience it again," said linebacker Spencer Hadley. "So you can sit there and mope about it and complain and basically flush your season down the toilet, or you can bounce back and attack this next week like you ought to and turn things around."

A victory against Boise State certainly would be a huge step in the right direction.

"It would be a good confidence-builder. They're a great team," Hadley said. "It would really help us set the tone again, and remind us that we have a lot of football left to play, a lot of great teams on the schedule. Right now, it's Boise State. A win against Boise, I think, would be exactly what we need right now."

For the Cougars to reach their goal of playing in a BCS game, they need to go unbeaten. A perfect season is now off the table, but quarterback Riley Nelson said his team will continue to fight every week.

"It is a magical thing to go undefeated in college football. Very few teams get to do it. Even last year's national champions lost a game. The way college football is playing out, I'd be surprised if there's an undefeated team this year. We'll keep battling. Not all is lost — 12 and 1 is a pretty darn good record and we still got a chance at that. And that's what we're striving for."

What makes Thursday's challenge even tougher is the quick turnaround — BYU has had only two days to prepare for Boise State. Will the Cougars be ready physically and emotionally?

"Physically, I bet eventually we'll get there for Thursday," Nelson said. "You know they are a big, physical team. Utah was a big, physical team. Your bumps and bruises probably won't quite be healed, but the adrenaline kicks in and you do fine. You'd like to be fresh, but it's psychological. It's the fourth week of the season and very few people are fresh now … For (Boise State), it's a short week, too. They're dealing with the same thing we are. Hopefully we can play some good football on Thursday."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765605393/BYU-football-Cougars-looking-for-bounce-back-victory-over-Boise-State.html
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Paving for I-15 CORE Project causing major delays in Utah County

Lane restrictions on southbound I-15 in Utah County are causing major delays. Crews have narrowed the lanes down to just three, so they can finish pouring concrete, in Pleasant Grove, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2012.

Steve Landeen, Deseret News

OREM — It could be one of the last major disruptions to traffic in Utah County, as crews work to finish the  I-15 CORE Project by the end of the year.

But until then, drivers can expect to see delays.

For the next two weeks, southbound I-15 from 200 South in Lindon to University Parkway in Orem is down to three lanes, while crews finish pouring concrete.

The problem is traffic is bottle-necking and backing up throughout most of the day, especially during the evening commute.

"It's pretty hectic, and there's a lot of detours," said contractor Julian Castillo. "I have to be to a job site on time and with all the detours, it's a headache."

And as for commuters, most of them know exactly where they'll have to slow down due to traffic.

"Every time you are coming through the American Fork area, you get that every time," said Kyle Haskell. "And I'm tired of waiting an hour and a half every day to get from Salt Lake back down to Utah County. I understand it is needed, but I'm tired of it."

The Utah Department of Transportation is aware that the lane closures are adding several minutes to southbound traffic. "We just ask that people plan for some extra travel time, particularly during those morning and evening commute hours," said UDOT spokeswoman Muriel Xochimitl.

She recommends drivers use Geneva Road and State Street as alternate routes.

A few freeway exits opening up soon should help minimize some traffic delays. Half of the 1600 North interchange will be open by the end of the week, and the interchanges at 800 North and Center Street won't require any more major closures. For the latest on the project, go to I15core.utah.gov.

The I-15 CORE Project by Provo River Constructors is now the fastest billion-dollar highway project in U.S. history, according to UDOT. It covers a 24-mile stretch of I-15, from Lehi to Spanish Fork. Crews have added two lanes in each direction. The state originally expected to pay $1.725 billion for the project. Now the final tab is pegged at $1.495 billion.

UDOT officials attribute the cost savings to careful quality-control procedures that assured the lowest possible price on every line item. They also said the project has had a low number of contract change orders.

UDOT promises wide open, gridlock-free traffic will be a reality in as little as two months from now. That's a month earlier than the expected completion date of December. UDOT officials said the contractor is working hard to meet the challenge issued by Gov. Gary Herbert that the construction be completed by Thanksgiving.

"We are 90 percent done now," said Xochimitl, "but we still have a ways to go before the end of the year."

E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562758/Paving-for-I-15-CORE-Project-causing-major-delays-in-Utah-County.html
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More 80 mph speed limits may be coming to Utah's freeways

Motorists drive along an 80 mph section of I-15 south of Nephi on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The speed limit could zoom up to 80 mph on more sections of Utah freeways under a proposal that's expected to be introduced in the 2013 Legislature.

The plan gained speed after traffic data showed no dramatic increases in speeding or crashes in the 80 mph zones in place in central and southern Utah.

Members of the Legislature's Transportation Interim Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to support expanding the number of freeway sections to give drivers a quicker trip through the state.

The vote came after the committee was told the Utah Department of Transportation may make the higher speed limit permanent on two sections of I-15, between Mills Junction and Scipio, and between Fillmore and Cove Fort.

The department will continue to study the impact of the higher limit on two other sections of I-15 south of the I-70 junction through 2014.

State law limits vehicle speed to 75 mph, or 65 mph in urban areas. But Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, sponsored legislation in 2008 initiating a study of the impact of higher speed limits along a limited portion of I-15.

Dunnigan said he's drafting a bill for next session that allows UDOT to test the 80 mph limit on portions of I-15 to Wendover, as well as sections of both I-15 and I-84 in northern Utah and even parts of I-80.

He told the committee that when he first proposed boosting the speed limit, concerns were raised that drivers would "think they were flying back to the future" and accelerate to up to 100 mph.

"That didn't happen," Dunnigan said. "More people became compliant."

UDOT deputy director Carlos Braceras cited the results of three years of data collection that found driver speed climbed from an average of 83 mph to 85 mph without any speed-related fatalities.

The department's data also shows that the number of nonfatal crashes has dropped along the two sections of I-15 where a permanent speed limit of 80 mph is recommended. 

Only a single serious injury crash was reported from 2009 to 2011 between Fillmore and Cove Fort, but it was not related to speed, according to UDOT. There was one speed-related serious injury crash along I-15 between Mills Junction and Scipio. 

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562731/More-80-mph-speed-limits-may-be-coming-to-Utahs-freeways.html
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Lawmakers continue push for ownership as public lands war gains traction

The state's Public Lands Coordinating Office is working in consultation with a number of experts on the establishment of a public lands commission, which would provide guidance and answers as the state moves forward its demands to have the government cede authority to Utah over the control of federal lands under management of agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management.

Stuart Johnson, Deseret News

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's public lands fight against the federal government is beginning to gather steam on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were briefed Wednesday about efforts to establish a commission to help navigate policymakers through the fray.

"It's kind of like eating an elephant," said Kathleen Clarke, director of the Public Lands Coordinating Office. "Where do you start?"

Clarke said her office is working in consultation with a number of experts on the establishment of the commission, which would provide guidance and answers as the state moves forward its demands to have the government cede authority to Utah over the control of federal lands.

"It has become very clear to us that this is not just a Utah battle," she told members of the Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee.

"It's not just a Republican issue," Clarke added, pointing to the charge led by then-Utah  Gov. Scott Matheson, a Democrat who was among the key players in an American West battle to influence more local control over environmental policies in the 1970s and '80s.

"I think (Matheson) was way ahead of his time," remarked Rep. Ken Ivory, R-West Jordan, sponsor of last session's HB148, which is setting the stage for this newest fight.

Utah's public policy makers are chafing against the federal government's continued control over an estimated two-thirds of the land in Utah. They assert that ownership locks up millions of dollars in potential revenue because of environmental regulations that hamstring the oil and gas industry, livestock grazing or even timber harvesting.

Federal land ownership in states west of Colorado far eclipses counterparts in the East, for example, because land promised at statehood was not granted, according to the movement.

Ivory's measure to gain those lands is making traction in other Western states because of the pushback over federal ownership. It sets aside money for Utah to sue the federal government if certain lands aren't relinquished, but exempts certain areas such as national parks or congressionally designated wilderness areas.

Clarke, former national director of the Bureau of Land Management, added that concerns over a predicted costly legal battle to come shouldn't act as a deterrent to lawmakers as they move forward.

"Those costs shouldn't be a consideration whether should do this or not," she said. "They balance out."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865562741/Utah-lawmakers-continue-push-for-ownership-as-public-lands-war-gains-traction.html
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Ten $100,000 jobs that people don't think about

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Following is a list of ten unassuming jobs that could earn at least $100,000 each year.

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://www.deseretnews.com***url%20here***
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