PROVO, Utah — Mikaela Merrill was in the middle of her fall semester at Brigham Young University when she abruptly altered her college plans and signed up for a Mormon mission.

Maybe it’s just the haze of nostalgia, but it seems that 40-plus years ago when I was trick-or-treating age, we could put the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, civil unrest and the drug culture out of our minds long enough for some good old-fashioned fun.

“Voter fraud in Florida, how could this happen? Sounds like the laws were aimed in the wrong direction, at honest people. Does anybody really think that hundreds of millions in campaign funds would draw the finest people?”

In her Sept. 5 (Spiritual Side) column (“‘Coming out’ for marriage equality — a letter of thanks”) Diane Meehl proclaimed her support for legal and church marriages between persons other than one man and one woman. Meehl urged Christian churches to follow suit, saying “does the church want to continue to be associated with a divisive issue about which we likely will never achieve consensus?” There are many “divisive issues” — including the divinity of Christ and the message of salvation — on which the church must take an unwavering position on principle, not on the nose count of a supposed “consensus.”

The way Adam Chodorow sees it, there's a big gap in federal estate and income tax laws: They don't deal with zombies.

Claiming a pattern of discrimination, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the polygamous communities of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah.

Conservatives really wanted a fight about religious freedom. It appeared to be an easy win: turn an ObamaCare mandate that insurers cover birth control into a war on religion. The GOP, void of any ideas Obama hasn’t contaminated by agreeing with, finds itself in an election year frantically looking for a bold battle cry. That sweet hot button issue that can excite their party and (hopefully) win them the White House (or maybe the Senate).

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- When Honduran-born Antonella Cecilia Packard converted to the Mormon Faith 20 years ago, she said it was like "coming home."

It is getting personal in the Mormon Church.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - On June 11, 2008, top cops from Arizona, Nevada and Utah walked out of a meeting in Las Vegas excited about the prospect of banding together with federal authorities for a multistate effort to fight crimes related to polygamy.

SALT LAKE CITY - With two Mormons in the presidential campaign and a hit Broadway show about the church's missionaries, a group of loyalists felt the time was ripe to begin scrutinizing media reports for inaccuracies about the Utah-based faith.

Although “Friday Night Lights” has portrayed high school football life on television for five years, Matt Lewis could not tell you whether any of his McClintock players are fans of the show.

David Yount, guest commentary

Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation designed to shield people from being disciplined professionally because of their religious views, at least in part over the issue of polygamy.

LOS ANGELES - The Duggars have 19 children and counting. Kate Gosselin has eight kids. Kody Brown has four - wives, that is.

Now that Proposition 8 has been struck down, will gay marriage become the law of the land?

The Arizona Attorney General's office alleges in a newly filed lawsuit that leaders in a polygamous community violated a disabled man's civil rights by denying him power and water service because he does not belong to the faith.

FLAGSTAFF — A Mohave County judge has dismissed all Arizona charges against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

SALT LAKE CITY — Government agencies in twin polygamous communities along the Utah-Arizona border were served Tuesday with search warrants seeking evidence on suspected misuse of public funds, authorities said.