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

Screen Shot 2022-06-29 at 9.31.55 AM.png

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

Advice from a temple sealer that changed my experience in the temple

By Danielle B. Wagner

July 11, 2019 11:31 AM MDT

“One evening while performing proxy sealings in the temple, the sealer interrupted the flow of names and ordinances in beautifully unexpected ways.”

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How this man with ALS made history and deepened his faith crossing the Atlantic

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 29, 2019 02:54 PM MDT

More than 2,000 miles from his destination, a seasick Alan Alderman steered a 28-foot-long boat crammed with five men. While Alderman had initially compared his epic journey across an ocean to those of scriptural giants like Nephi, Noah, and the Jaredites, at that moment Alderman felt more like Laman or Lemuel.

16 Min Read

Fun

Quiz: How Well Do You Know the Miracles of Jesus?

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 18, 2019 09:22 AM MDT

The following content previously ran on LDS Living in 2017.

1 Min Read

What to Say to Church Members in Awkward or Difficult Situations (+ What to Avoid)

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 15, 2019 09:00 AM MDT

Note: I am not a mental health professional, I am not a PhD in anything, and I do not pretend to be an expert in the fields of communication or psychology. All I am is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has the privilege of hearing many of your insights, voices, and stories. I am grateful to all of those who have opened up to me through the years and confided their insights. It is these experiences I draw on for this article.

8 Min Read

Fun

Incredible Miracles Behind the Mormon Miracle Pageant as It Comes to a Close After 52 Years

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 14, 2019 09:00 AM MDT

The following story originally ran on LDS Living in June 2016 but has been updated to celebrate the last year of the Mormon Miracle Pageant.

6 Min Read

Fun

24 "Napoleon Dynamite" GIFs Every Latter-day Saint Can Relate To

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 11, 2019 01:08 PM MDT

It's been 15 years since Napoleon Dynamite hit the big screen on June 11, 2004. While the moon-boot wearing, tater-tot loving Napoleon became a national sensation, he has a special place in the hearts of many Latter-day Saints. As BYU Magazine relates, Napoleon Dynamite's production team was "made up almost entirely of BYU students and alumni." The movie was only made possible by an "angel investor" who put up $400,000 for the indie film that "sold to Fox Searchlight Studios for $4.75 million and grossed more than $46 million in the first year it was released. It remains one of the most profitable low-budget films of all time and a leader among Fox’s all-time bestselling home-video titles."

1 Min Read