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

7 Habits to Help You Become a Better Mormon

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 12, 2017 08:56 AM MDT

Habits. We all have them. Some of them endear us to others, and some drive us crazy, but all of them somehow work their way into our subconscious and make us who we are. Latter-day Saint Stephen R. Covey understood the power of creating good habits and wrote a book about some of the best habits we can cultivate. This list of habits to help Latter-day Saints become closer to the Savior is based off of that model.

11 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

On "Forbes," Legendary Producer David Foster Raves About Mormon Tabernacle Choir

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 07, 2017 03:53 PM MDT

"I don't know the process where they find these people and how there could be so many great singers that are not professional in one room because their pitch and their tone, everything is so amazing and their musicality is so incredible. It's impressive," David Foster said in an interview with Forbes.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Watch: Vocal Point Tenor Creates Unbelievably Romantic Proposal Video That Will Make You Cry in the Best of Way

By Danielle B. Wagner

June 07, 2017 02:22 PM MDT

BYU Vocal Point member David Ross had been dating his girlfriend, Amber Perez, for 10 months, four of which he spent creating and perfecting a song about their story together. He titled the song, "Marry Me."

1 Min Read

Famous Latter-day Saints

Why Latter-day Saints Are Dominating Billboard's Classical Music Charts, and People Are Taking Note

By Maddie Tolk

June 05, 2017 04:00 PM MDT

Latter-day Saints are dominating the classical music scene, and people have begun taking note.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

One Person I Know I’ll See in Heaven—Even Though She Never Joined the Church

By Danielle B. Wagner

May 13, 2017 02:06 PM MDT

When my Aunt Lily called my mom this week to tell her she had terminal cancer and just two weeks left to live, she explained the prognosis as though she feels like someone just came to her house, knocked on her door, and told her she had a unicorn in her back yard. Whatever happened and whatever treatments she chose, the unicorn was staying.

2 Min Read

Famous Latter-day Saints

What 16 Famous People Have Said About the Tabernacle Choir

By Danielle B. Wagner

May 12, 2017 09:05 AM MDT

As one of the largest, most remarkable volunteer choirs in the world, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has garnered its fair share of praise—from members of the Church as well as those outside it. Here is a taste of some of the inspiring thoughts famous figures have shared when asked about the Tabernacle Choir. Listen to some of these famous performers alongside the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on the brand-new album Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends, available at Deseret Book stores and on deseretbook.com.

7 Min Read