Stories about love, lust and the undead may not seem like the best vehicle for teaching teens about faith and morality. But for Stephenie Meyer, who has been called “the Mormon Anne Rice,” her best-selling “Twilight” books and movie contain plenty of teachable moments.

On a recent Sunday evening, a couple of dozen people, most of them in their 20s, trickled into the Thirsty Parrot as a band blasted rock music from the nightclub's main stage.

Stocks in a tailspin every other day. Jobs in jeopardy. Home values slipping.Fear.You can hear it...

Jane McAlister Pope

Q: Natural gas companies in our area of Texas can drill in one spot and extract gas more than a mile away by using “horizontal” drilling. These companies offered to lease homeowners' mineral rights – about $4,000. What should we do?