MINISTERING OF ANGELS
When I was 18 years old my father bought a new Mercury
Cougar automobile. In 1967 Ford rolled
out the Cougar with hopes to parallel the amazing success of the Ford
Mustang. The dealership needed a few
days to receive delivery and prep the new car but took in my father’s previous
car as trade and provided him with a used car in the interim. The used car was
not much to look at but was fast.
Late one night while driving home along a deserted, straight
country road with a dry canal running parallel along the right road shoulder, I
decided to ‘see what the used car could do.’
When I reached 120 mph and climbing, a voice in my mind, so literal it
was like a spoken word, said to me, “Slow down.” I was losing my nerve anyway so I did what I
was told. The next morning as I went out
to do morning chores on the ranch, I saw something hanging on the right front
tire. The retread (a new rubber tread that
with heat and glue is bonded to an old tire) was partially peeled off. I was horrified and remembered the voice and
the canal and have often wondered what if I had not slowed down.
There is no question in my mind that I was warned by the
spirit and/or guardian angels that night.
I have, also, over the past several years frequently woken up from sleep
with a start clearly remembering and realizing that I was protected in various other
close calls during my life. It is
strange because I had essentially completely forgotten about those memories. My motto now is safety first, safety
always. I believe we are all watched
over and somehow influenced among to safety and other things by the Lord
through the Holy Ghost and maybe sometimes through the influence of angels.
The Bible Dictionary teaches that angels are messengers of the
Lord who serve God in heaven and who do God’s will and minister to men on the
earth. Angels are spirits who are yet to
receive bodies of flesh and bones, spirits who have once had bodies and await
the resurrection, or resurrected persons.
Jesus frequently spoke of angels and they attended on our Lord
throughout his life on earth. Angels are
heavenly messengers sent forth to minister to the inhabitants of the
earth. We are also warned not to worship
angels and those spirits who followed Satan are the devil’s angels.
The Prophet Moroni stated ministering of angels is common on
earth, ministering of angels is a gift of the spirit and their main function is
to call men to repentance:
“29 … have miracles ceased?
Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to
minister unto the children of men.
30 For
behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his
command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every
form of godliness.
31 And
the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfill and
to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the
children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the
word of Christ unto the chosen vessels
of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him. (Moroni 10: 27-31)
8 … deny not the gifts of
God, for they are many; and they come from the same God… and they are given by
the manifestations of the Spirit of
God unto men, to profit them…
14 …to another [is given], the
beholding of angels and ministering spirits;” (Moroni 10: 8-14)
President Kimball observed a truth about the nature of life
as it relates to God’s handling of his children on earth. Also, Joseph Smith confirmed angels who
perform God’s work on earth are or were persons on earth.
“God does notice us, and he watches
over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.”
(Pres. Kimball, Small Acts of Service, Ensign, Dec. 1974)
“5 … there are no angels who minister to
this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.” (DC 130:5)
Thus, a big part of God’s work comes through His children in
this world as humans serving one another.
Since angels have not ceased to minister unto man, it appears logical that
angels are also His children through whom God may meet our needs. For example, we normally do not see God
personally come on earth to take care of business himself. He apparently sends messengers, angels
belonging to this earth, who call men to repentance and to do the work of the
covenants of the Father or other assignments angels may have.
Angels do not affect our free agency just as Satan’s helpers
cannot. Also, we know that faithful
elders when they depart from mortal life also continue their labors in the
preaching of the gospel among those who are in the great world of the spirits
of the dead. (DC 138: 57)
The scriptures relate frequent occurrences of ministering
angels. To name just a few: Christ told his apostles, “Thinkest thou that
I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more
than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53) Joshua saw the captain of the host of the
Lord with a drawn sword prior to the battle of Jericho. (Joshua 5:13-14) King Herod killed James the brother of John
with a sword and imprisoned Peter to do the same to him. Peter was rescued from prison by an angel.
(Acts 12:7) When facing seemingly
overwhelming opposition, Elisha prayed to open the eyes of a young man to see
the horses and chariots of the angels proving, “they be with us are more than
they that be with them.”
Ministering of angels has much to do with you here now
serving as a missionary.
1 - Angels sometimes refers to living human messengers. (JST
Gen 19) In that sense, you are
symbolically an earthly angel serving the people here declaring the word of
Christ.
2 - You can receive ministrations from angels yourself. Contained in DC 13 is the ordination of the
restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.
McConkie stated: “It holds ‘the
keys of the ministering of angels,’ meaning that those who hold it and are
faithful have the key whereby they can open the door to the receipt of visitations
from heavenly messengers… whenever men have had sufficient faith, angels have
ministered unto them.” (Mormon Doctrine, p.11) Wilford Woodruff stated: “I had the administration of angels while
holding the office of a priest. I had
visions and revelations.” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 298)
“25 How
oft have I called upon you
by the mouth of my servants,
and by the ministering of
angels, and by mine own voice…and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation,
but ye would not!” (DC 43:25)
The Lord also said the Book of Mormon, “…was given by
inspiration, and is confirmed to others by
the ministering of angels, and is declared unto
the world by them.” (DC 20:10) This obviously refers to the 3 witnesses but
might also refer to the task of angels declaring to investigators. It might refer to yourself as you read the
Book and angels declare its truth to you. It might also refer to you as the earthly
angel declaring the truth of the Book to the world.
President Robinson
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