The Privilege of Requesting and
Receiving Angelic Assistance
By Anne Hinton Pratt · November 21, 2019
There
are privileges afforded us as children of God that many aren’t even aware of.
One of these most powerful privileges is accessing the aid and intercession of
angels. I want to share four people’s inspiring experiences illustrating
this opportunity that we can all have.
Marvelous Peace and Healing Intervention.
Delores
Pack was scheduled to go into surgery in a couple of days. She was very
anxious and worried about it. As a way to calm her fears she went to the
temple and while there began fervently praying for divine help and
intervention. She had a set of marvelous experiences where angels were
sent to answer her prayers and minister to her. She writes:
“I was
going into surgery in a few days and was very nervous. I went to the Salt Lake
temple trying to help me calm down. I was sitting on the
back row. When the prayer began, I felt hands go on my head and I heard a
blessing just for me. I felt that the blessing was given by my deceased
grandfather and brother. After the blessing, I immediately became as calm as
can be and all my fear left me.”
The
surgery went well, but the first night after the surgery, Delores’ husband had
to leave, and she again became very anxious and unsettled about how she could
handle this night alone without him. Traditionally for that type of
surgery, the first night is an extremely difficult one for pain, and she
continued to pray intensely for help. Suddenly, in the darkened hospital
room, she became aware that two beings were helping her. She
continues:
“While
in the hospital, the first night after surgery, I would start to wake up in
pain when I could feel someone’s hand holding my hand, and someone put a cool
compress on my forehead. I knew that it was my mother and mother- in- law
who had died. Three or four times I felt them patting my head and heard them
say, ‘Just rest, you’re fine, we’re watching over you, go back to sleep.’ It
made me so happy to hear them. I have no doubt in my mind that it was
them who were with me and helping me.
“The
next morning, the nurse came in to see me and said, “I can’t believe you
slept through the whole night. NO one does that!”
But
Delores knew why it happened and felt extremely blessed to be a recipient of
angelic touch, tenderness and healing.
Dispensation of Angels
Since
the beginning of the Restoration, angels have played a pivotal role. This
time period is a special dispensation of angels. They came to bring the
gospel, revelation, and help to the world, but they also can be dispatched to
help individuals in their time of need. Elder Holland has taught us a lot
about angels and their ministry. He said:
“God
knew the challenges we would face, and he certainly knew how lonely and
troubled we would sometimes feel. So, He watches over His mortal family
constantly; hears our prayers always, and sends prophets and apostles to teach,
counsel, and guide us. But in times of special need, He sends angels,
divine messengers, to bless His children, reassure them that heaven is
always very close and that His help is always very near.”
(Jeffery
R. Holland, The Ministry of Angels, October Conference, 2008 Italics added)
Yes,
angels are very close and are so willing to help us as the following woman
discovered:
Light on her Path and Angels in her Home
Thelma
Carbajal was a woman with a job that required her to work the night
shift. She shared a heart wrenching night years ago where she had to
place her children in the unseen hands of angels.
“One
night I did not have anyone to watch my kids and went to work in tears. I
left them alone (9 and 5 years old) and I told this to the Lord, begging him to
please watch over them.
“It
was a night where it was raining very hard. As I was praying, crying and
driving to work, I saw a brilliant light in the skies, sort of like a bright
flashlight towards me. After I saw this, I suddenly knew that my kids were
going to be all right.
“As I
returned home in the morning, my young son said, ‘Mommy you came home early
last night! I said, ‘No I just arrived home.’ He explained that a lady
and other people were at our home the night before. I asked him to tell me
about this lady. He said. ‘I got up to go to the bathroom in the night,
and when I crossed by the stairs, a beautiful lady that looked like
you was standing by my room. She smiled at me and said, “Hi
Michael.”
“Michael also said that there were people downstairs dressed in
white that He was able see them through the bars of the stairs. ‘They were
talking and were happy.’ He said, ‘I thought that you were there mommy!’
“Tears
came down my face, because I knew that my kids were not alone that night … This
happened 25 years ago, and we’ve never forgotten this spiritual experience.”
(Thelma Carbajal story shared by permission)
These
angelic intercessions are initiated by our asking for help. We’re
connected to angels, although, in this realm we may not realize it. We
lived for eons in our pre-mortal life and had many associations there. Chances
are the angelic help we receive is from family and friends on the other side,
who are waiting to be “dispatched” for our good.
Angels in Armor
Many
years ago, Rose Schmutz, described a time when after her fervent prayer, she
received her desires through angels. At this time in her life, she had
specifically prayed every night that her home would be protected by the armies
of heaven. One night late, her six-year-old son asked her for a drink of
water. She wrote:
“I told
him he could turn on the light and get the water. He told me that he knew
that, but he didn’t want to because there was always a man
standing by the door that he didn’t know. I asked him what the man looked
like and he told me: ‘They didn’t all look the same, but they were all dressed
in armor, like old time.’
I had
prayed every night that the armies of heaven would watch over my home and
family and apparently angels from ancient armies did indeed guard the kitchen
door.” (Rose Schmutz, story used by permission)
The
scriptures are replete with the directive to “Ask, and ye shall receive” This
is a universal principal. Angels are simply a source that God uses to
give us answers, succor and aid, but He wants us to ask, because asking shows
an active desire to receive. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland counsels us to ask
for angelic help. He simply says: “Ask for angels to help you.” (Jeffry
R. Holland, “Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul,” Ensign, May
2010,45.)
Miraculous Intervention
On her
wonderful and popular blog, Mary Stallings writes about a miraculous experience
she had years ago.
“I had
my backpack packed and was headed out the door when my religion teacher at BYU
said two words: ‘Expect miracles.’ The phrase hit me so hard I went back to my
chair, got my notebook back out, and wrote it down at the top of the page.
Then, I promptly forgot about it.
“Later
that day, I was at the temple doing proxy baptisms for the dead. As I was
praying, I felt prompted to ask that the people who I was doing work
for would protect me that day. I have never felt prompted to do so
before or since, but that day, I asked.
“As
I rode my bike quickly to the library to print an essay before class, I
saw a car coming. But they had a stop sign, so I kept biking
without stopping. I realized too late they were turning right and were not
planning on stopping. I shut my eyes and braced for impact. Then,
suddenly, I was on the other side of the car.
“The
car pulled over and got out to talk, but I was in shock and just kept biking. I
got to the Provo library and was shaking. As I sat there, two
words came to my mind clearly: ‘Expect miracles.’ It’s hard to explain. I know
that someone could easily explain this miracle away— but I personally
know that angels were protecting me that day. “
(Mary
Stallings, https://www.facebook.com/comefollowmedaily
7 Nov, 2019).
When we
experience angelic intervention, there is an essence that we feel, that is
indescribable. It always leaves us breathless and feeling cherished, and
with that feeling, we can’t deny what we have experienced.
Ask Ask Ask!
Sister
Wendy Watson Nelson asks us all a very direct question in a now famous quote:
“So,
could you use a little more help in your life? If so, keep your covenants
with more exactness than you ever have before! And then ask for angels (a.k.a.
your ancestors and other loved ones) to help you… Or ask for them to
be dispatched to help those you love! (Wendy Watson Nelson, Covenant
Keepers P. 30)
Delores,
Thelma, Rose and Mary all discovered how close heaven is and that angels were
real and willing to help them in their time of need. Let’s also tie into
that great privilege and honor we have of asking for and receiving angelic
support, healing, and protection. Let’s ask!
