Angels Round About- By Lauren Bush

Angels are real. I have never seen one, or met anyone else who has, but we can read the accounts of others and learn a great deal about angels. In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Mormon speaks to his son Moroni saying, "Has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? 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" (1). If one takes Mormon's testimony at full value, we can conlude that angels do indeed exist and are sent to earth for the benefit of mankind. Angels are sent from the Lord to deliver messages, to minister, and to save in perilous circumstances, among other duties. There is also the human variety of angel of which I have seen with my own eyes! It is important to realize the existence of angels, what their role is, and that they are just as real today as they were in days of old.

When the Lord has an important message to give, he sends an angel to deliver it. In the Old Testament, in the chapter of Luke, the angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and promised that his wife Elizabeth would bear him a son. Gabriel's role was that of a messenger. In latter days, another message would be delivered. "An angel from on high, the long, long silence broke; Descending from the sky, these gracious words he spoke: Lo! in Cumorah's lonely hill a sacred record lies concealed. Lo! in Cumorah's lonely hill a sacred recored lies concealed" (2). The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith to introduce the Book of Mormon and set the wheels in motion for the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith gave a description of the angel Moroni, "Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning" (3). Angels were real long ago, are real today, and we even know what they look like! The heavens are open and the Lord is sending messages our way through angels. There are still other roles that angels play in the life of mankind.

Angels are not only sent to deliver messages, but to guard and protect. Daniel experienced this firsthand. "My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt" (4). Daniel was not eaten by lions because of the protection he received from an angel! Even though I have not seen an angel, I can say that I have felt protected by them. In August 2005, at age fifteen, I was in a terrible automobile accident. My church youth leaders were driving several young men and young women to a location for a Saturday morning hike. The car I was in had two leaders up front and three girls in the back. As our car turned to go onto the freeway onramp, a large truck being driven by a drunk driver ran a red light and slammed into the little car in front of us. The truck then sped around and slammed into the car I was in. Our car was totaled, but all the passengers managed to emerge with only cuts, bruises, and whiplash. The driver of the small car was killed instantly. After the accident the youth leader driving the car I was in explained that before we were hit it felt like her car was being steered to the right. She did not have control of it. We discussed this at length and felt strongly that our prayer for safekeeping, which was said before we departed, was heard and that angels were sent to protect us. Our car was pushed away and our lives were spared.

My favorite role an angel can play is that of ministering. It is a comforting thought to think of a ministering angel. My favorite scripture story, that goes along with my favorite angelic role description, is found in The Book of Mormon. "And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes toward heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them" (5). One cannot help but wonder who these angels were specifically and how it was they were chosen to minister. In the New Testament we learn that Jesus Christ was ministered to by angels after he was tempted by Satan. "Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him" (6). There are also earthly angels who minister to us. Elder Holland once said, "When we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk and talk with - here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me" (7). In my case, my earthly-ministering angel is my mom. My sweet mom has always been by my side getting me through the tough knocks of life. She has guided me, counseled me, comforted me, loved me, and been my friend. She has been a source of light when things seem dark and dreary. She is my angel. Ministering angels, be they from heaven, or from amongst us, are a great blessing.

Through studying the scriptures and personal experience, I know that angels are real.  A character in the children's movie, Angels In The Outfield, said this about angels: "The footprints of an angel are love, and where there is love, miraculous things can happen" (8). I love this quote. Angels are all about bringing the love of God to the earth. They bring messages and glad tidings, guard and protect, minister and love, and do all things as directed by the Lord. "And whoso
receiveth you, there I will be also, for 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" (9). It is nice to know there is a wiser power out there that conquers all, and that because the Lord loves us, he sends his angels.


Works Cited
1. Moroni 7:35-37
2. Hymns #13
3. Joseph Smith-History 1:32
4. Daniel 6:22
5. 3 Nephi 17:24
6. Matthew 4:11
7. Holland, Jeffrey R. . "The Ministry of Angels ." 22 Oct 2008 .
8. Angels in the Outfield
9. D&C 84: 88