The Ministration of Angels in our day

           Angel.  It’s a word with a positive connotation.  If given the opportunity to see an angel of God, most people would accept and have great desires to do so.  The scriptures teach us however that such visitations are very rare.  Yet, in the Book of Mormon, the prophet named Mormon teaches that the ministering of angels is in full force.  “Have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men… And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father…”  (Moroni 7:29,31).  So if angels are still working like they did in ancient times, why do we hear so little about them? 

            The first reason is that the visitation of an angel is an extremely sacred experience normally given to those of a very high spiritual maturity.  President Boyd K. Packer once stated, “I have come to believe that it is not wise to continually talk of unusual spiritual experiences.  They are to be guarded with care and shared only when the Spirit itself prompts you to use them to the blessing of others.”  I strongly believe that angelic visitations still occur, though they are a very rare occurrence.  I also believe that the previously given quote is the very reason we don’t hear of these experiences often.

            The second reason that we don’t hear a lot about messages from angels is that most of the time we may not even notice it was an angel that gave us a message.  I believe that this is the larger reason.  The grand majority of angelic communication does not occur in face to face conversations.  This is explained in the Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi 32:3 “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost…”  That means that when we receive the still small impressions from the Holy Ghost, it may be an impression sent from an angel! What a fantastic concept, isn’t it?  We do not need to see angels, to receive their message.  As I have reflected on the times when the Holy Ghost has spoken to me, I cannot help but feel the influence of loved ones in some of those promptings. 

            I know that there is a great force of angels looking out for us and protecting us.  I feel that this is important to understand because in a world that is increasing in corruption each day, we must remember that we will never be alone.  When it seems that the opposition is too numerous we can recall the words of the prophet Elisha, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:16).