Ernie J. Shannon
The Columbus Ohio Temple
Twenty-five years ago, temple-building by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had only recently taken on the urgency that is now the norm. This book describes the history of the Columbus Ohio Temple from the months leading up to the announcement by President Gordon B. Hinckley that it would be built until its dedication nearly two years later.
A Joyful Journey
I had to ask myself, "What am I doing here?" Dimon McFerson, the subject of this biography, was lying in a James Cancer Hospital room awaiting another round of chemotherapy treatment. With an hour or so on his hands, he had agreed to another interview session regarding his years at Nationwide Insurance, and it was my task to ignore the nurses, the IVs, the general atmosphere of a cancer facility, and probe his mind for details that would enliven his biographical work. Certainly, I had the easier of the tasks awaiting us. I would gather my information on tape and in my notebook and return to my daily chores. Dimon, on the other hand, would face another week of recovering from having his body filled with toxins designed to kill the tumors afflicting him. As I returned home that afternoon, I thought back to the previously august when we embarked on this project, never suspecting that Dimon would be fighting for his life during the writing of his life’s story. Many supposedly great people falter when set upon by adversity, and the faltering reveals a character devoid of the traits they exhibited when the sailing was smooth. Verifiable great people, though bowed and slowed by adversity, show forth even greater character when the waters become tossed and turned. And they need no false pedestals on which to stand and be admired – they are elevated through their service, their devotion to God, and their love of family and country. That, in a nutshell, is Dimon McFerson.
Ohio Turfgrass Foundation
After accepting the opportunity to write a history of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, I drove through several local suburbs to take a fresh look at some of the wonderful lawns and gardens which we take for granted in 21st century America. With a new perspective I saw in a different light what I had come to accept without thought: Our communities exhibit an incredible sea of green as neighborhood after neighborhood unfolds beautifully kept lawns, gardens, and park settings. It is a testimony to American ingenuity and hard work that across this broad continent and an array of climates, middle class families can grow a quality of grass only kings and queens could have engineered 200 years ago.
A Life of Learning: The Life History of Don Lee Tobler
This 293-page biography describes the life of Don Lee Tobler from his early years in Nevada to his service as president of the Columbus Ohio Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In between those bookends, Don served as a missionary in Austria and Switzerland for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and later graduated from Brigham Young University. During the next 30-plus years, Don’s career took him and his family around the country before settling in Akron, Ohio as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the BF Goodrich Company. After retirement, Don employed his experience and talents as a general authority for the Church which included responsibility for the Church in Europe and the Middle East for several years.