xDM

How can you setup Semarchy so that any user edits to golden records will "stick"? For example, if a user determines that a golden phone number is invalid and deletes the golden phone number, a future load will just put the phone number back

In the Survivorship Rule for that attribute, you need to set an 'Override Strategy' under Override Rule. The strategy is 'Override - until next user changes'. This means that values coming from the publishers consolidate according to the Consolidation Rule. But when an override is made, the value changed by a user always takes precedence and is maintained until a user enters a new value.