Danielle B. Wagner

First Black man sealed in the Salt Lake Temple shares the moment he heard the 1978 priesthood revelation

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 09, 2023 05:00 AM MDT

In 1967, Isaac Thomas walked onto the Missouri Valley College campus on fraternity pledge night. As one of only 32 black students at the school, he stood out starkly, but, being an outgoing young man fresh from an all-black high school, Thomas didn’t think anything of it. He had never come face to face with the violence and hatred racism breeds—until that night.

26 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

A new take on the parable of the lost sheep may change how you see yourself in the Church

By Danielle B. Wagner

May 01, 2023 02:02 PM MDT

Oftentimes in our anxiety to live God’s commandments, we focus on everything we should avoid to remain righteous.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What JFK, Abraham Lincoln + 9 other US presidents had to say about Latter-day Saints

By Katie Lambert

February 17, 2023 07:00 AM MST

Latter-day Saints have left a profound mark on history, and their influence has been felt around the world.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The most-used word in the Book of Mormon: 4 powerful insights it taught me

By Danielle B. Wagner

April 11, 2022 09:30 AM MDT

Recently, I experimented with diving a little deeper into the Book of Mormon, reading, experiencing, and examining it in an entirely new way—through text analysis.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Bednars’ powerful marriage advice: You do not find a good marriage, you create it

By Danielle B. Wagner

February 23, 2022 11:20 AM MST

"I often emphasize the truth that you do not simply 'find' the marriage you hope to have. Rather, you create it," Elder David A. Bednar shared on Instagram.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

6 principles President Nelson once plead that we teach to our children

By Danielle B. Wagner

January 05, 2022 05:33 PM MST

“What are you going to teach your children?” President Nelson told Saints in Bolivia. “I would like to suggest you do what the Savior did.”

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

In 2016, Elder Christofferson gave a prayer in the U.S. Senate, remembering Pearl Harbor. Here’s what he said

By Danielle B. Wagner

December 07, 2021 10:00 AM MST

On December 7, 2016, Elder D. Todd Christofferson paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Missionaries helped restore the world’s last battleship, now on display at Pearl Harbor

By Danielle B. Wagner

December 07, 2021 07:00 AM MST

The USS Missouri served as the place of final surrender in WWII and took her final mission to Pearl Harbor on the 50th anniversary of the attack.

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How a WWII pilot saved 90 men by following an unexpected spiritual prompting

By Danielle B. Wagner

November 11, 2021 09:00 AM MST

During WWII, one American bomber pilot single-handedly saved the lives of 90 men by listening to the promptings of the Spirit. That pilot was my grandfather, Ronald S Beckstrom.

11 Min Read

Recommended by Us

Powerful stories of military service from the First Presidency

By Danielle B. Wagner

November 11, 2021 07:00 AM MST

Many of our prophets and apostles have served in their respective country's military, including each member of our First Presidency. Here are powerful spiritual lessons these prophets and apostles learned during their military service.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What the Church has actually said about Halloween

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 13, 2021 08:39 AM MDT

Halloween—that confusing mix of eeriness, morbidity, candy, trick-or-treating, and family fun. But the mixed reception of this holiday got us wondering, what has the Church officially said about Halloween?

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

11 powerful truths about our Heavenly Mother from prophets and apostles

By Danielle B. Wagner

February 22, 2021 02:00 PM MST

Prophets and apostles have confirmed our Heavenly Mother's divine existence and mentioned Her divine attributes on multiple occasions.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Elder Holland’s Valentine’s Day message that might change how you show love

By Danielle B. Wagner

February 14, 2021 07:57 AM MST

During the Valentine’s season, everyone’s thoughts turn toward romance and love. But Elder Holland explained how we should love others, not just one day, but through every trial, struggle, and joyous moment in our lives.

1 Min Read

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Latter-day Saint Life

3 compliments that hurt women more than help them

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 13, 2020 11:00 AM MDT

It’s tempting to think that any compliment to a woman is a good one. But many compliments carry undertones or emotional baggage that we may not even be aware of.

8 Min Read

Fun

14 Latter-day Saints stirring things up in the culinary world

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 03, 2020 09:00 AM MDT

“One of the reasons that food is so interesting to me intellectually is [that] you see people prioritizing their values when you see the way people prepare food and the way they eat,” says Kate Holbrook, managing historian of women’s history in the Church History Department and researcher of Latter-day Saint food traditions.

16 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How we misinterpret “black” and “curse” in the scriptures: Insights from an African American convert

By Danielle B. Wagner

February 03, 2020 05:59 PM MST

This story was originally published by LDS Living in May 2018.

15 Min Read

How a Christ-Centered Gift Is Bringing Together a Community Torn Apart by Fire

By Daedan Olander

August 31, 2019 08:00 AM MDT

The wildfire that burned through Paradise, California, in 2018 was the most violent in the state's history. With the containment taking nearly two weeks, the blaze destroyed nearly 15,000 homes and took 86 lives.

8 Min Read

How This Latter-day Saint Became a Knight—and Why It Took Him Totally by Surprise

By Danielle B. Wagner

August 10, 2019 12:00 PM MDT

When world-renowned vocalist Sissel, best known for her stunning vocals in Titanic, stepped on the Conference Center stage for the 2019 Pioneer Day concert, her ethereal performance with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square could be linked back to the efforts of one man: Erlend D. Peterson.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

"USA Today": A Hellish Fire Consumed a Church, but a Painting of Jesus Survived the Flames

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 30, 2018 12:12 PM MDT

The Boston Globe, USA Today, and other news media outlets across the nation have reported on a picture of Jesus Christ that miraculously survived a fire that consumed the First Baptist Church in Boston, leaving nothing behind but a charred frame and ash. The fire began after lightning struck the historic church, built in 1872.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Josh Groban Raves About Tabernacle Choir: "They Produce a Sound That Transcends," "Reaches Your Soul, Your Bones"

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 24, 2018 03:33 PM MDT

It's no secret Latter-day Saints love Josh Groban. Last year, when LDS Living created a poll to see which celebrity Latter-day Saints would most want to see perform with the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, Josh Groban swept the competition,landing 14 percent above any other artist.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The 6 Most Touching Moments from This General Conference

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 08, 2018 03:36 PM MDT

While announcements about new temples, Church, and home-centered gospel study are exciting, the most thrilling part of this past general conference weekend for me was listening to the men and women Heavenly Father has chosen to lead His Church today. It was painstakingly clear to me that each person who stood at the pulpit relied on revelation and their Savior to be able to say the words we needed to hear at this time we need them more than ever.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Why Millennials Were Built for Religion (+ Why We Need It More Than We Realize)

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 03, 2018 12:55 PM MDT

"Religion just isn’t cool anymore," Greg Trimble writes for the Deseret News. It's our modern-day irony—so many Millennials see religion as stifling or judgmental andfeel misunderstood at church, while the one thing that couldhelp them fulfill their high ideals and feel a deeper connection with others, the world, and the divine is, in fact, religion.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

10 Ways President Nelson Has Shown He Is Our Prophet Since Last Conference

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 03, 2018 09:34 AM MDT

After last general conference, there was no doubt in my mind that President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God and the man meant to lead the Church today. Every single day since that historic conference, that reassurance has deepened into an unshakeable conviction. Here are just a few ways President Nelson has shown he is the Lord's prophet on the earth today.

6 Min Read

Fun

6 Moments No One Saw Coming Last Conference

By Danielle B. Wagner

October 01, 2018 08:45 AM MDT

The April 2018 general conference was unforgettable. Not only did the stars align so that Easter, conference, and April Fools all landed on the same day, we participated in a solemn assembly, sustained a new prophet and two new apostles, and received a few jaw-dropping surprises.

3 Min Read