When Elder Holland Spoke of Angels Among
Us and the "Angel" Who Rescued a Lost Boy
As we begin gearing up for general conference, we will be
highlighting past conference talks to help us review, remember, and grow closer
to the Spirit so that we can better recognize the Lord's voice and direction
this coming October. This talk was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in October 2008. (Read the full talk here.) After discussing the
myriad ways heavenly angels minister to us in mortality, Elder Holland shared
this touching story:
I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless
us in time of need. But 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 with 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. Indeed heaven never seems closer than
when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people
so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind. . . . May
I share with you an account by my friend and BYU colleague, the late Clyn D.
Barrus. I do so with the permission of his wife, Marilyn, and their family.
Referring to his childhood on a large Idaho farm, Brother Barrus
spoke of his nightly assignment to round up the cows at milking time. Because
the cows pastured in a field bordered by the occasionally treacherous Teton
River, the strict rule in the Barrus household was that during the spring flood
season the children were never to go after any cows who ventured across the
river. They were always to return home and seek mature help.
One Saturday just after his seventh birthday, Brother Barrus’s
parents promised the family a night at the movies if the chores were done on
time. But when young Clyn arrived at the pasture, the cows he sought had
crossed the river, even though it was running at high flood stage. Knowing his
rare night at the movies was in jeopardy, he decided to go after the cows
himself, even though he had been warned many times never to do so.
As the seven-year-old urged his old horse, Banner, down into the
cold, swift stream, the horse’s head barely cleared the water. An adult sitting
on the horse would have been safe, but at Brother Barrus’s tender age, the
current completely covered him except when the horse lunged forward several
times, bringing Clyn’s head above water just enough to gasp for air.
Here I turn to Brother Barrus’s own words:
“When Banner finally climbed the other bank, I realized that my
life had been in grave danger and that I had done a terrible thing—I had
knowingly disobeyed my father. I felt that I could redeem myself only by
bringing the cows home safely. Maybe then my father would forgive me. But it
was already dusk, and I didn’t know for sure where I was. Despair overwhelmed
me. I was wet and cold, lost and afraid.
“I climbed down from old Banner, fell to the ground by his feet,
and began to cry. Between thick sobs, I tried to offer a prayer, repeating over
and over to my Father in Heaven, ‘I’m sorry. Forgive me! I’m sorry. Forgive
me!’
“I prayed for a long time. When I finally looked up, I saw through
my tears a figure dressed in white walking toward me. In the dark, I felt
certain it must be an angel sent in answer to my prayers. I did not move or
make a sound as the figure approached, so overwhelmed was I by what I saw. Would
the Lord really send an angel to me, who had been so disobedient?
“Then a familiar voice said, ‘Son, I’ve been looking for you.’ In
the darkness I recognized the voice of my father and ran to his outstretched
arms. He held me tightly, then said gently, ‘I was worried. I’m glad I found
you.’
“I tried to tell him how sorry I was, but only disjointed words
came out of my trembling lips—‘Thank you … darkness … afraid … river … alone.’
Later that night I learned that when I had not returned from the pasture, my
father had come looking for me. When neither I nor the cows were to be found,
he knew I had crossed the river and was in danger. Because it was dark and time
was of the essence, he removed his clothes down to his long white thermal
underwear, tied his shoes around his neck, and swam a treacherous river to
rescue a wayward son.”
http://www.ldsliving.com/When-Elder-Holland-Spoke-of-Angels-Among-Us-and-the-Angel-Who-Rescued-a-Lost-Boy/s/89228?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=email
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