Reg Christensen lives in the Midwest with his wife, Carol. They have seven children and seventeen grandchildren. Reg has fulfilled a variety of callings in the Church and he and Carol have been blessed with many service opportunities as Pathway missionaries and service volunteers at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, to mention a few. While living in Jerusalem, they served in the Bethlehem branch, Carol as the Relief Society president and Reg as the branch president. His happy times come from being with family and friends, reading, writing, woodworking, leathercrafting, exploring nature, and blessing lives with his handyman skills. He has published several books, including Unlocking Isaiah: Lessons and Insights that Draw Us to the Savior.
Enter Reg…
During my teaching profession and while operating our part-time flooring business, I traveled to Salt Lake City one day after my classes to load two mega rolls of carpet for a house. The rolls were loaded with a forklift and set atop the heavy wooden toolbox at the front of my truck bed with the back of the rolls resting on the top of the closed tailgate. I had previously hauled hundreds of rolls in this same manner. While loaded, I drove about fifty miles stop-and-go on various roads, across bumpy railroad tracks, and in rush-hour freeway traffic. I then parked the load at home, intending to unload it the next afternoon on the driveway of the new house we were going to carpet.
The next morning, as I drove just a few blocks on a deserted street to my teaching location, with a sudden jolt, the tailgate slammed open and the two rolls of carpet flew backwards off the truck and landed in the road. As they could not be lifted without a forklift, I rolled them into the gutter, kept a prayer in my heart that it would not rain during the day, and went about my teaching. After classes, my son and I rolled the carpet out on the side of the road and measured and made the necessary cuts for the house and then loaded the carpet, now in smaller rolls, back onto the truck. As soon as possible, I employed a friend of mine to make a heavy-duty steel bar that spanned the back of the truck to support all future rolls.
Divine Intervention
As the severity of the matter settled in my mind, I was terrified at what might have been. Had those rolls fallen on the freeway, there is no doubt that there would have been major destruction and likely serious injuries to several people. Such an event would have been life-changing for me—citations, lawsuits, jail—who knew? Once the horror of the possibilities began to subside, I experienced some lighter moments of thought. Perhaps a caricature artist could be employed to paint my pickup truck loaded with the heavy rolls of carpet and an angel flying behind with robes and hair flowing in the wind and outstretched hands supporting the carpet rolls.
It was an idle thought—I had no indication or proof that an angel had helped me. But then, I also realized that I had no indication or proof that an angel had not helped me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we often are unaware of divine intervention in our lives. Oh, I doubt that an angel would have needed to fly along supporting my cargo—but I could have been helped in ways beyond my power of reason. And why not? I was basically a good boy trying to mind my business, provide a worthy service, and work for the support of my family. Why not receive the ministering of angels—both in physical, safety-related things and in spiritual matters? How much and what kind of divine intervention I may have experienced in this specific instance remains unknown, but I do believe that we are helped collectively and individually in our lives more than we can imagine. I look forward to the heavenly day when all things are made known, and we get to see the specifics of our lives and the ministering we received from beyond the veil. I believe we will be awestruck.
The prophet Mormon posed some thought-provoking questions for his people and for us:
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? Moroni 7:35-36
My own response to Mormon is, “Of course not! And how grateful we are for all our heavenly help.”
Unseen Ministering Angels
Consider your times of discouragement, danger, sorrow, and challenge during your lifetime. Have you been supported, buoyed-up, protected, and nourished? By whom? I am confident that you would answer, “By my family, friends, and community.” I would hope that you would also consider and come to know that unseen ministering angels are an ongoing part of your support team.
Perhaps you have even seen an angelic heavenly minister.
I have not but know of many who have. And just because I have not personally seen them does not diminish my belief.
Some people in their circumstances may warrant a visual appearance. The main thing is that we know that we have people on both sides of the veil who love us and minister to us. We are all one big family.
“Gods, angels and men are all of one species, one race, one great family, widely diffused among the planetary systems.”
Just as members of our family may go away from our central home for work, college, or travel, our heavenly family may be temporarily absent from us but are no less part of our hearts and lives. The Apostle Paul said,
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” Ephesians 3:14-15 .
This unseen angelic family of ours has had experiences that we are now having and lived where we are now living; thus they are familiar with ways and means of helping us. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught,
“There are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.” Doctrine and Covenants 130:5
I believe that our angel ministers are much more familiar to us than we are sometimes wont to believe.
We have concocted fantastic notions about them, such as adorning them in majestic, feathered wings. When Joseph Smith asked the Lord about a passage in the Revelation of John, “What are we to understand by the eyes and wings, which the beasts had?” the Lord replied that the wings are a “representation” or a figurative symbol of the power to fly or move. “Their eyes are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc.” (Doctrine and Covenants 77:4) The angels and we are brothers and sisters and are created in the image of our Heavenly Parents, so basically we look alike in bodily form but are just at differing stages of our life progress.
“The word ‘angel’ is used in the scriptures for any heavenly being bearing God’s message.”
There are several types of righteous, ministering angels in varying conditions according to their progress, status, and mission. Here are some brief descriptions and examples.
Premortal Spirits
A ministering angel appeared and conversed with Father Adam. And since Adam was the first man on earth, the angel was thus a premortal spirit—a faithful being who was yet to be born on earth into mortality.
And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Moses 5:6-8
Translated Beings
Some people have been taken to the heavenly realms without dying but have been changed or “translated” that they may be released from diseases, injuries, and sufferings of the physical body. They have the ability to perform further work on the earth beyond a normal lifetime. This condition lasts until the resurrection, at which time they will be “changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality.” (3 Nephi 28:8)
Enoch and his people are examples of translated beings.
And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them. And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever. Moses 7:18, 21
Translated beings may mingle and minister to mortals on earth without revealing their glorified condition. An example comes from the life of Joseph Smith who was walking near the Mississippi River with his bodyguard, Allen Stout. As a man walked toward them, Joseph walked over to converse with the man, while Allen was instructed to stay put and seemed distracted from the encounter. When Joseph returned, Allen was embarrassed that he had not been more diligent and alert in protecting the Prophet. Joseph told him,
“That man would not harm me. You saw John the Revelator.”
Recall that John received the promise from the Savior that he could tarry on the earth until the Second Coming. (See John 21:22 and Doctrine and Covenants 7:1-8.)
Translated beings are the exception to the majority of angelic souls and have been given specific missions to accomplish.
Just Men and Women Made Perfect
Righteous people who have died reside as spirit beings in the world of spirits awaiting their resurrection. The Lord has described them,
“These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels . . . just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.” Doctrine and Covenants 76:67, 69
These righteous angelic men and women often commune with mortals on earth to comfort, bless, and minister to them. Often they act as our guiding, guarding angels. Sometimes they are seen by and reveal their identity to those they are ministering to. We may never know, in mortality, that they have guided and helped us—except by our faith that they watch over us.
Resurrected Beings
Some angels, because of specific missions they are to perform, receive their resurrected bodies and return to earth as glorious, resurrected beings—“Angels, who are resurrected personages, having bodies of flesh and bones” (Doctrine and Covenants 129:1)—to complete their sacred missions. Moroni, for example, appeared in his glory as a resurrected being in the bringing forth of the sacred record we now have as the Book of Mormon.
One must be resurrected to restore priesthood power and the keys thereof, as was the case with the visits of Elijah, Elias, Moses, John the Baptist, Peter, and James. (Notice that I did not include John. He was there with Peter and James at the restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, but remember that he is a translated being—not yet resurrected as were his companions.)
The Greatest Messenger of All
Christ Himself is an Angel/Messenger. “Angel” is synonymous with “messenger.” Christ Himself is the greatest angel or messenger of all as He brings the invitation and gift of salvation to all of Father’s children. “Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation.” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:8)
From scripture we learn that the ministering of angels is in complete harmony with the words and desires of Jesus Christ to bring salvation to our lives:
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.
Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. 2 Nephi 32:3
Of ministering angels, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught,
“Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times.”
President Dallin H. Oaks said,
“Most angelic communications are felt or heard rather than seen.”
One of the most telling accounts of the link between our mortality and the mission and ministry of angels comes from the simple declaration of John the Baptist as he returned to earth in his resurrected glory and conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He proclaimed,
Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness. Doctrine and Covenants 13:1.
Aaronic Priesthood Keys
Imagine that—even the youngest holder of the Aaronic Priesthood has access to the “keys of the ministering of angels.”
President Russell M. Nelson gave the following description of how this blesses lives:
Now to young men who bear the Aaronic (or preparatory) Priesthood: If you honor it, and prepare for and are worthy of a call to be a missionary, I promise: You will then “speak in the name of God the Lord” and bring His light to searching souls. To them you will be as a ministering angel, remembered with love forever.
Those worthy of the keys of the ministering of angels also act in their stewardship by administering and providing the ordinance of the sacrament for all Church members. Elder Steven J. Lund told of his deacon-age son whose body was ravaged by cancer. Even so, this young man desired to pass the sacrament in fulfillment of his priesthood responsibility. After sharing about his son’s strength and courage, Elder Lund said,
“Every time a deacon holds a sacrament tray, we are reminded of the sacred story of the Last Supper, of Gethsemane, of Calvary, and of the garden tomb. When the Savior said to His Apostles, “This do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19)”
He was also speaking through the ages to each of us. He was speaking of the unending miracle that He would provide as future deacons, teachers, and priests would present His emblems and invite His children to accept His atoning gift.
Rescuing Angels
In the New Testament we have a fascinating account of the ministry of angels and how they are given power not just over spiritual things, but over physical. King Herod took Peter as a prisoner and assigned sixteen soldiers to guard him “and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him.” The church members prayed for his well-being as Peter spent the night “sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.” The captors likely felt there was no risk of Peter’s escape, but an angel came with different plans and first of all provided light—“a light shined in the prison.” The angel had power to unlock the locks on Peter, as “his chains fell off from his hands.”
The angel then instructed Peter to follow him as they walked undetected past the guards.
And he went out, and followed him . . . past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. Acts 12:4, 6-7, 9-10
Peter was now left to go about his mortal ministry. Wow—the angel had power to provide light, pick locks, loosen chains, and be invisible and undetectable as needed for escape. After doing for Peter what he could not do for himself, the angel left him to himself—that seems reasonable and sounds familiar.
Hopefully you will never be unjustly imprisoned and thus in need of rescue, but there are countless things in our lives with which we do need help.
The Reality of Angels
“One of the things that will become more important in our lives the longer we live is the reality of angels, their work and their ministry. I refer here not alone to the angel Moroni but also to those more personal ministering angels who are with us and around us, empowered to help us and who do exactly that.”
Our mortal parents, friends, siblings, and all who show us love and help us along life’s journey work in tandem for our well-being with our departed loved ones. On another occasion, Elder Holland said,
“I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face.”
I have concluded not to fret much about needing to know the full context of every divine intervention or enabling act of grace shown to me by mortals or immortals. I simply believe that we each belong to the extended family of God and have many worthy and caring souls on earth and in heaven who love us and care for us and that we have countless opportunities to do the same for others. The great reformer, John Wesley, seemed to understand this principle. He taught,
“The grand reason why God is pleased to assist men by men, rather than immediately by himself, is undoubtedly to endear us to each other by these mutual good offices, in order to increase our happiness both in time and eternity. And is it not for the same reason that God is pleased to give his angels charge over us? Namely, that he may endear us and them to each other.”
Dear Souls
My life was spared as a young boy in a farm accident and I was comforted as I drove through a blizzard to get to my daughter at the time of her husband’s accident and subsequent death. I believe that I was blessed on both occasions by the ministration of heavenly angels and look forward to someday meeting these dear souls to learn the details and to express my gratitude to them. I also want to know more about my two-rolls-of-carpet mishap and thank that angel and learn how he did it.
We each should strive to be aware of and be grateful for the ministry of angels—both mortal and immortal—in our life. And do not push our luck—try to think through all things as best we can to protect ourself and others from spiritual and physical harm. As our Heavenly Parents see us making a righteous effort, They will watch over us and guide us even more.
