Is it (always) true that
$$\mathrm{Var}\left(\sum\limits_{i=1}^m{X_i}\right) = \sum\limits_{i=1}^m{\mathrm{Var}(X_i)} \>?$$
The answer to your question is "Sometimes, but not in general". 

To see this let $X_1, ..., X_n$ be random variables (with finite variances). Then, 

$$ {\rm var} \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right) = E \left( \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right]^2 \right) - \left[ E\left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right) \right]^2$$

Now note that $(\sum_{i=1}^{n} a_i)^2 = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} a_i a_j $, which is clear if you think about what you're doing when you calculate $(a_1+...+a_n) \cdot (a_1+...+a_n)$ by hand. Therefore,

$$ E \left( \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right]^2 \right) = E \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} X_i X_j \right) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} E(X_i X_j) $$

similarly, 

$$ \left[ E\left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right) \right]^2 = \left[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} E(X_i) \right]^2 = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} E(X_i) E(X_j)$$

so 

$$ {\rm var} \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} \big( E(X_i X_j)-E(X_i) E(X_j) \big) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} {\rm cov}(X_i, X_j)$$

by the definition of covariance. 

Now regarding Does the variance of a sum equal the sum of the variances?: 


If the variables are uncorrelated, yes: that is, ${\rm cov}(X_i,X_j)=0$ for $i\neq j$, then $$ {\rm var} \left( \sum_{i=1}^{n} X_i \right) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} \sum_{j=1}^{n} {\rm cov}(X_i, X_j) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} {\rm cov}(X_i, X_i) = \sum_{i=1}^{n} {\rm var}(X_i) $$ 
If the variables are correlated, no, not in general: For example,  suppose $X_1, X_2$ are two random variables each with variance $\sigma^2$ and ${\rm cov}(X_1,X_2)=\rho$ where $0 <  \rho <\sigma^2$. Then ${\rm var}(X_1 + X_2) = 2(\sigma^2 + \rho) \neq 2\sigma^2$, so the identity fails. 
but it is possible for certain examples: Suppose $X_1, X_2, X_3$ have covariance matrix $$ \left( \begin{array}{ccc} 1 & 0.4 &-0.6 \\
0.4 & 1 & 0.2 \\ 
-0.6 & 0.2 & 1 \\
\end{array} \right) $$ then ${\rm var}(X_1+X_2+X_3) = 3 = {\rm var}(X_1) + {\rm var}(X_2) + {\rm var}(X_3)$


Therefore if the variables are uncorrelated then the variance of the sum is the sum of the variances, but converse is not true in general. 
