H EAVENLY M ESSENGERS D&C 129

A B EAUTIFUL M ESSENGER APPEARS … What type of being is it? D&C 129:1-3

The word angel is used in various ways. A person who is a divine messenger is called an angel (Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, etc). The scriptures also speak of another class of persons who, because of failure to obey the gospel, will not be exalted and will become angels in eternity. Angels also has reference to the heavenly messengers sent forth to minister to the inhabitants of the earth. Angels

J OSEPH S MITH “Enveloped in flaming fire, they [in the spirit world] are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and are often pained therewith.” History of the Church, 6:52

J OSEPH F. S MITH “When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants... “Our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, to bring messages of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.” (Gospel Principles, p. 435)

A B EAUTIFUL M ESSENGER APPEARS … What should you do… D&C 129:4-9

REVIEW D&C 128:20 “Satan attempts to deceive by counterfeiting... The Prophet Joseph Smith once said, ‘Wicked spirits have their bounds, limits, and laws by which they are governed … and it is very evident that they possess a power that none but those who have the priesthood can control’” (in History of the Church, 4:576, Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, 2nd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2001], 321).

T HREE C ROSS - REFERENCES

M ORONI 7:36 Have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men?...Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain. Moroni 7:36

A LMA 32:22-23 And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned… (Alma 32:22-23)

D&C 84:88 “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

P RESIDENT E YRING We have heavenly hosts and angels who are watching over us. Some of us know how literally that is true. Some of us have an absolute assurance that those whom we have known are now part of that heavenly host are deeply aware of what we are doing and sometimes deeply concerned for the quality of our service. Making Covenants with God, BYU Devotional

“May I suggest to you that one of the things we need to teach our [children], and one of the things which will become more important in their lives the longer they live, is the reality of angels, their work, and their ministry. Those personal ministering angels are with us and around us, empowered to help us, and who do exactly that. E LDER H OLLAND

“Perhaps more of us… could literally, or at least figuratively, behold the angels around us if we would but awaken from our stupor and hear the voice of the Spirit as those angels try to speak…. “I believe we need to speak of and believe in and bear testimony to the ministry of angels more than we sometimes do. They constitute one of God's great methods of witnessing through the veil…” CES Symposium on the Book of Mormon 9 August 1994 E LDER H OLLAND

“Angels will coach you.” (Boyd K. Packer, Cleansing the Inner Vessel, October 2010).

E LDER E NZIO B USCHE At a Christmas social once, I was sitting next to a woman from a recently opened country in Eastern Europe. She was in the west for the first time and was helping with the translation work. She was a convert of a little over a year. She told me about her branch and the poor circumstances they were all living in and how difficult it was for the members to get to their Sunday meetings… These new members could not say enough about the love and the gracious care of the Lord. Then she said, “Once in awhile, we have holy angels visit and comfort and strengthen us.” She added with a smile, “Can you imagine? I have found people in Salt Lake City who have never see an angel.” She laughed as if that were the strangest thing she had ever heard. Yearning for the Living God, p. 234

“When They speak to you— and They will— it will be with the tongue of angels.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

What questions do you have about the role of Angels?

Who is the angel that most commonly speaks to us?

H EAVENLY M ESSENGERS D&C 129