I always enjoy this time of year when we get to see images and hear statistics about all of the individuals graduating from our local colleges and universities. With their traditional mortarboards and gowns with all the pomp and circumstance, these women and men deserve to be able to celebrate ...

Sometimes when I'm feeling a little gloomy about things, I take a moment to listen to the Louis Armstrong classic song, "What a Wonderful World." In his distinctive voice, he sings about all the little things that we should appreciate, from the flowers to the trees to the sky to clouds and ...

When I met with Provo Mayor Marcia Judkins earlier in the week, there was something she said that stuck with me. She talked about how she wanted all of the residents in her city to be involved and vote, even if they didn’t vote for her. I also had a chance this week to understand a little ...

I've been thinking about how this time of year brings together a confluence of religious observances. Most of us here in our area are probably focused on the Christian holiday of Easter, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but there are plenty of other observances that are important ...

Right now as I write this, it is a Friday in March and outside the sun is shining bright, the trees are blossoming and stepping outside envelopes you in the warmth of late spring. I hope you've taken a few moments to enjoy it. No, it's not normally like this. Rain, wind and snow are often ...

Representative government is a fascinating concept to me. While this form has plenty of drawbacks, it has so many benefits over traditional aristocracies and military power structures. "Democracy is the worst form of government there is — except for all of the others!" Dr. Mary Albright ...

Let's talk about driving in Utah. Everyone has their opinion about just how bad overall drivers in Utah are, with many who say Utahns are among the worst. But national groups who study the topic are remarkably conflicted on the topic. Take LendingTree, for example, which used "tens of ...

The common proverb that "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence" is a sentiment that has been expressed for millennia. Many sources cite as an early example the Roman poet Ovid, who said in his “Art of Love” (1 BC) that “the harvest is always richer in another man’s ...

I've had a number of reasons recently — both personal and public — to sit back and think about the value of a life. What makes a life valuable? Is it financial success? Public accolades? Political impact? Promotion of personal values? I think it can be any of those things, although I'd ...

Let's take a minute to do a little thought exercise. For the next couple of minutes, try to step back from the emotions and fears and political views and focus on the people. Imagine being an agent for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (commonly referred to as ICE) today. I'll ...