As a Miami resident off and on for almost 19 years, I can definitely confirm this survey: Miami has the rudest drivers in the country.

Every time I think about this issue, I consider a comment made on M* not too long ago in which a driver was upset about an old guy driving too slow on the Interstate in Utah. The driver was about to pass by the slow old guy and perhaps even give him the finger, and when he got alongside the other car he realized it was Pres. Faust. Oops. That will stop you in your tracks.

My first question: what is the best Gospel-worthy way to deal with road rage? My solution has always been to simply either ignore it and/or apologize when somebody gets upset. Is there a better way?

My second question: SLC is not listed on this survey. Where do we think it would rate in terms of road rage? Are the Saints any better than people in Portland or Denver, for example?

This poll is fascinating: at the beginning of the poll, people oppose overturning Roe v. Wade 55 percent to 34 percent. Then, the pollsters ask a series of questions delving into the specifics of abortion. At the end, the pollsters ask again how many people support overturning Roe v. Wade, and by then a lot of people have changed their minds. The numbers then are 48 percent to 43 percent (the majority is still opposed to overturning the law).

A few quick thoughts.

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There is something inherently spiritual and sacred about saying farewell to someone before they die. Tender feelings are expressed through flowing tears, tender touches and verbal expressions of love often taken for granted are shared freely and meaningfully.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched my mother-in law and her brother say goodbye to their ailing and aged mother. My heart ached as my wife’s uncle gently cradled his mother’s head and told her that he loved her. Few words were spoken those of us in the room, but the unspoken feeling was that the end is near.

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Today marks the 165th anniversary of the first endowments being given in the latter days. At that time, the Nauvoo temple was still far from completion. Baptisms for the dead were conducted in the cellar font, but there was not yet a place for the endowment. The upper room of the Red Brick Store in Nauvoo would have to suffice. “Although on one occasion Joseph Smith stated that in the days of poverty the Saints could obtain their endowments on a mountain, there were no mountains in the vicinity of Nauvoo. Moreover, the surrounding prairie offered insufficient privacy for the administration of temple ordinances…. Apparently the one place where he felt he had enough control of access to insure the required privacy was in his own store.” (1) On 4 May 1842, Joseph Smith gathered nine men (2) and gave them the endowment.

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With “September Dawn” — the movie that reportedly tries to make Brigham Young look like Osama bin Laden — about to come out, and criticism aimed at the Church coming seemingly from all sides, it’s nice to read something, well, nice about Mormons. And it is written by an evangelical too.

Next time I hear a comment about polygamy or how we are not Christian or are a cult, instead of feeling down I will choose to concentrate on these sentiments:

I know that I’m going to get in trouble in some quarters for the following statement, but I’m going to say it anyway. I love Mormons, and I deeply appreciate the role played by the LDS church in our nation and our culture.