A Mother's Prayer and Attending Angels By Tanya Neider

 

A Mother’s Prayer and Attending Angels

By Tanya Neider · May 11, 2021

 

Motherhood with all of its complexities can encompass a wide berth of experiences. How and when we relate events to our children can be enlightening to them and to us. Spiritual experiences that remind us who we really are, and what our missions are, are something we should never refrain from sharing. In fact, experiences which our children are the principal focus, should be recounted as a reminder of our Heavenly parents’ love for them.

Spring of 1994

The anticipation for the spring soccer season was now at an end. April was here, and I would play in my first game Saturday morning. When Saturday arrived as I was getting ready, I felt the presence of a spirit standing in front of me. This spirit asked me, “If your children needed you, would you stay home?” “Yes,” I replied, but immediately the thought, “they wouldn’t need me”, entered my mind. I knew they would be safely at home while I played.

Then suddenly, I felt the presence of another spirit. This spirit was clearly different from the first, negative in nature, and pounced on the thought with encouragement that my children didn’t need me. Why I heeded this negative spirit still troubles me at times. My desire to play soccer and feeling my children would be fine helped me justify why I didn’t follow the spirit that simply asked me a question, leaving me my agency and reasoning, with no prolonged badgering. What is even more alarming is that during my soccer years, I asked the Lord not just to protect me from injury, but to warn me of injury. When He did, I did not heed the counsel.

Well, I played for about 5 minutes that spring season. Touching the ball for the first time in the game, I sprinted down the left sideline of the field, cutting around the last defender toward the goal. As I turned to shoot, my knee buckled tearing my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I would not play soccer again for a year.

Summer of 1994

With my leg still in a brace in July, I took my three children to upstate New York, to vacation at Keuka Lake and to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra. My parents, a few other family members, and my best friend, Rita, would meet us at the lake house.

On a beautiful sunny day, Rita and I took my three children, Sam age 7, Jake 6, and Stephen 4; two nieces, Sara 11 and Becky 9, and my autistic, older brother Lance and his friend Claudia, to visit with Vera, a family friend.  Vera had a lakefront home with a dock, pedal boat, and floats. The children played in the chilly lake water staying close to shore. Being fairly incapacitated with my leg in a brace and unable to swim or move quickly, I watched from the deck.

Earlier that morning I had prayed for protection for my family as I often do, but it felt different. I could sense a calm feeling as I requested this blessing. I didn’t know quite what it meant, but I “marked it” in my memory.

After a little while, Lance pulled the pedal boat into the water. My niece, Sara, and Stephen clambered aboard as Lance and Claudia took the front seats. Immediately I yelled to Lance, “Stephen can’t swim! He needs a life jacket.” My voice faded into the void as Lance, filled with excitement, continued to pedal out. Rita grabbed a few life vests and ran to the dock calling to Lance. Awakening to her voice, Lance began peddling toward the dock being about 20 feet from it and shore.

As I watched, I could clearly see the small boat with my four-year old, Stephen, was sinking! Lance immediately went into action telling Sara to go to the front of the boat believing it would balance it out. I knew it would flip it and screamed, “NO!”  Rita saw it, too. She dove in the water although she was fully dressed including her sandals and glasses.

As Sara and Claudia leapt off, I could see Stephen falling down from the back of the vertically inclined boat, toward the water as it capsized, certain he would be trapped underneath. Once the boat was upside down, I lost view of Stephen and Lance.

I was praying Lance had Stephen on the other side as I hobbled as fast as I could toward the water. Lance emerged. His head was bloodied, and he didn’t have Stephen. I screamed, “Get Stephen!” Lance quickly dove down in the water, but I knew it was too late. Lance and Rita would never find him under the water. Yet, several seconds later, to my overwhelming joyous astonishment, Lance came from the blind side of the boat with Stephen in his arms.

Soon after, Rita, who had collected Stephen from Lance, brought him to shore. Incredibly, his hair wasn’t even wet. Lance told us he found Stephen clinging to the side of the boat. In an effort to calm Lance and Claudia who were both extremely upset, we just laughed off the incident even though I knew we could have easily had two deaths that day.

Later that evening as we recounted the events of the day to my parents, I described how Stephen had grabbed the side of the boat as he fell. Stephen, who is usually quite quiet, heard me, then corrected me. He said, “No Mommy, I couldn’t reach the boat. Sara pushed my feet so I could reach it.” I answered him by saying I could see Sara who was clearly on the other side of the boat and couldn’t have helped him. He then insisted that Sara had pushed his feet; so he could reach the boat. That is when I knew I had witnessed a miracle; Stephen had been rescued and preserved so he could continue his life’s mission.

I was overcome with gratitude as I had never felt previously. For the next few weeks my humility deepened. Every time I looked upon my children, I felt this penetrating gratitude. I also noticed my children were much calmer. I was much more at peace. Not only that, I could feel two angels around me constantly. They walked with me daily and stood as sentinels on either side of me. 

Then it happened. My precious four-year old did some small thing and I felt irritation. With some annoyance, but not raising my voice, I snipped, “Stephen, stop that.” I felt the angels gasp at my reaction to Stephen! I was surprised since this was not an act of strong discipline. It was then these angels left me.

I am sad to say after that I was left to my own devices; the deep humility I felt left me. Yet, I remember the feelings, and still desire to always have true humility and gratitude as my companions.

I share this tale with Stephen, who is now in his thirties, from time to time, reminding him of this saving miracle. Relating this spiritual event to him, and those I feel impressed to tell, can be a source of light, a reminder, or impact them in ways I cannot see. This spiritual experience not only reminded me of who we really are, but also helped me to see who I am.

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Temple Angels: Heavenly Help Through the Veil By Anne Hinton PRatt

 

Temple Angels: Heavenly Help Through the Veil

By Anne Hinton Pratt · May 5, 2021

 

There are incredible rewards for those who seek ancestors and do their temple work. As we sacrifice to assist them, we become their angels, and they become ours, and in that symbiotic process we help them and they are allowed to bless us in many ways…

One of the fascinating commonalities with people who do a lot of family history, is that they are UTTERLY DRIVEN by the passionate need to do this work. 

Sucked into the Vortex of Family Beyond the Veil

“The Spirit of Elijah” by Kenneth Turner, http://kennethturnerart.com/lds.html.

Ann Laemmlen Lewis feels like she is the only hope to a small village in southern Germany and is one of the few anywhere who can read their old German records, She writes,

 “When I’m in my Family History zone, ‘compelled’ is the word that keeps coming to mind. It’s one of absolute URGENCY that requires all my attention.  It’s like I’m behind a closed door, alone.  On the other side of the door are thousands of people pushing and shoving to get close to the door.  Then, I take a key and unlock the door, and crack it just a tiny bit, but the door’s been opened and everyone on the other side heaves and pushes with all their might to get through that door to where I am because they know the way has finally been opened!   Of course, I’m never happier than when I know absolutely that what I’m doing absolutely matters to them and the feeling is that there is No Other Thing more important for me to be doing than that.”[i]

Ann is an angel to her little German village, so far extracting 18,000 names from there. 

We most likely don’t have the same opportunities as Ann, but when we help with the work in any way, there are breathtaking rewards, and validations.  I’d like to share a few:

She Witnessed the Angels

Helen Condon had a spiritual experience that she knew was orchestrated because of her efforts to do a particular family name.   She said,

“While on a trip to my Alma Mater, Church College of New Zealand, I took my beloved Uncle Albert’s name to the Hamilton temple and asked for a male to do his work while I was there.

“As I sat behind a window watching his confirmation, I saw the two mortal witnesses and at the same time felt two spirit witnesses standing on either side of me.  Truly that day I knew that what we record on earth is recorded in Heaven.”[ii]

Helen’s ancestors are forever blessed by her labors and so is she.  

“Elder Richard G. Scott taught that family history is a “monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil, where help is given in both directions.”[iii]

Much effort at times to give, but oh so much to receive…

“Don’t Forget Me!”

Larry James shared a marvelous experience that motivated him to seek out a specific family member as he was helping with sealings in the Mount Timpanogos Temple.   He writes,

“I was sitting in one of the witness chairs when the sound in the room became very still. I heard a female voice speak to my mind. She said,

 “Don’t forget me.”

“It was the voice of my younger sister. This had never happened to me and I began to weep. My sister had been dead for over four years. She was baptized at the age of 8 as we all were, but she was never active in the church. She had been married 5 times and had 6 children by different men. I had written her off as having made her decision as to the gospel of Christ. Well, because of hearing her voice, my wife and I had her Temple Endowment completed in the Temple within a week.”[iv]

When loved ones are ready, we are their angels to help them get to the next level in their progression, and when we help them, we open ourselves to stunning spiritual experience.

Developing a Relationship with Father After His Death

Peter Emery never really bonded with his often-absent father, and always yearned that they could have been closer and could have spent more loving time together.  He had that desire fulfilled in the Salt Lake Temple as he did the endowment for his now-deceased father. Peter shares,

“This was a time both Jan (my wife of 7 years) and I would remember because there, that week at the temple, the veil was thin. In my case he was there with me as I passed through the veil of the temple in his behalf.

He was there waiting for me! We touched, spirit to spirit. It was inexplicable in every day terms yet it was so right!  It was the most powerful spiritual experience I had had until then.  

“It was almost the only time that my father and I truly genuinely communicated – normally it was receiving commands or answering demands… an authority – subordinate way of life.  It changed the way I thought about my father forever. I finally felt that we were family.”[v]

Forever Connections

Making eternal connections. This is what temple work is all about!

Sister Wendy Nelson admonishes us to,

”Make time to help those on the other side make covenants with God! As you do so, the power of  God will flow into your life in an unprecedented way.”[vi]

The power of God does flow into those doing research and temple work for others. There can even be unusually profound recompenses as in the following story.

“Temple Angels Can Give Us Specific Knowledge

 A few years ago, Timmi Lynn Webster had a marvelous angelic experience. Her daughter Kylie was attending college, but learning had always been difficult for her because Kylie was handicapped and had special needs. Timmi Lynn recounts:

“That morning Kylie called and asked that I pray for her (because she was going to have a very difficult math mid-term exam). I told her I was going to the temple right then and would do so.

As I was getting out of the car, I remember looking at the temple card. The name of the person I was doing was Matilda. I literally talked aloud and said, ‘Matilda, I am going to do your work. I need a favor too. Can you help my daughter on her math test? If you aren’t good at math, could you find someone who is?

“I have never had such a sacred experience in the temple or ever felt so close to the person I was doing work for.

“When I got home, I got a call from Kylie. I was surprised because she was finished so quickly. She told me she couldn’t believe how easily the answers came to her and that she felt like she had done very well (which she did). She told me she felt as though someone was sitting next to her and helping her. I told her it was Matilda, and that one day I would tell her about it.

“This was a turning point for me. It was the first time I believed that Kylie really could succeed in college because I literally understood then that she could access not only the quickening power of the Holy Ghost, but that she had angels beyond the veil who would aid her in ways I never imagined. I also learned that when we go to the temple it can be a two-way street. As we help those beyond the veil through temple work, there are those who can help us as well. I look so forward to one day meeting Matilda. I feel as though it will be like meeting an old friend.”[vii]

Like Timmi Lynn, many meet and reconnect with dear pre-mortal friends as well as family members through family history work.

We Are Their Angels and They Are Ours

As we help ancestors and friends from the other side open up to eternal connection, they are permitted to help us have spiritual experience and intercession in our lives.  It’s a two-way street that benefits people on both sides of the veil.

You Can CONTACT me at annehpratt@hotmail.com.

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[i] Ann Laemmlen Lewis, personal correspondence.  Used with permission.

[ii] Helen Condon, personal correspondence.  Used with permission.

[iii]Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” October Conference 2012.

[iv] Larry James, personal correspondence.  Used with permission. Also in https://unexpectedmiraclebook.com by Craig Jenkins.

[v] Peter Emery, personal correspondence.  Used with permission.

[vi] Wendy Watson Nelson, Covenant Keepers, p. 58.

[vii] Timmi Lynn Webster, personal correspondence.  Used with permission.

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We're Not Alone: How Angels Bring Us Support and Peace in Troubled Times By Anne Hinton Pratt

 

We’re Not Alone: How Angels Bring Us Support and Peace in Troubled Times

By Anne Hinton Pratt · March 23, 2021

 

Sometimes on our life’s journey we feel alone, forgotten, or unsupported.  Even though it may feel that way, it is not true. The truth is that whether we’re aware of it or not, when the need arises, God often sends His angels to be “round about” us to bear us up[i]…

No More Fear

All her life Lois Cottle had a fear of dying.  She told me about a poignant angelic experience that ended that fear.  She writes,

“I was in our garden one evening, in a hurry to get some kale leaves for a salad for dinner.  Somehow, I slipped and fell forward on a piece of rebar. The rebar entered in the front of my leg just above the ankle and went up 10 ½ inches to the back of the calf.  It stopped just before it broke the skin a few inches below the back of my knee.

“I tried to lift my leg off the rebar, but it was in too far and I couldn’t move.  I called for help, knowing that our neighbor was in the front yard and prayed she would hear my cries.  She finally did hear me then ran to get my husband. 

“While I was struggling to lift my leg off the rebar, I had the sweetest peaceful feeling come over me.  I knew there was someone from the other side with me and all fear left!  That sweet feeling stayed with me until my husband came to my aid and took me to the hospital.  Miraculously, it did not hit a bone or any nerves.

I have always had a fear of dying.  While that peaceful feeling was there, I was reassured that someone would be with me when that time comes also.  I am no longer afraid.” [ii]

Peace will always overcome fear when God dispatches His angels to help us in our extremities… 

Hillside Filled with Angels

Janet Johnson shared a marvelous experience where she was surrounded by many angels helping her in a time of urgent need.  She was at the Oregon Coast with her family and for fun they decided to dig huge side-by-side pits, and then dig a hole between them to touch hands. She writes,

“My husband did most of the digging, of the two five-foot deep pits.  He was in one pit and our 7-year-old daughter, Kristie was in the other one. They had just touched fingers and had drawn back and were laughing when my husband heard an odd sound. Whump! When he stood up in the second pit, there was no longer ANY sign of the first pit. The sand hole had collapsed on our daughter.  My husband dug furiously, and we sent for help.

“I gathered my three other children and said a prayer. I knew that no one can breathe under sand for 20 minutes and prayed that we could all accept the outcome.

“As I tried to figure out how to word my prayer, help came and they found Kristie’s fingers and followed her arm to her shoulder, and her head. The paramedics arrived on the scene soon after.  They told us she was close to dying. Her limbs were already gray. They released her from the grip of the sand which had been crushing her chest. The amazing news is that she lived and has no lingering effects.

“Later as I was reading about the angel appearing to Alma, and thinking of how he came because of the prayers of Alma’s father, I had a very strange vision of all of our family and the two brothers, digging for my daughter Kristie. In my mind, I was high above us, looking down. I saw me kneeling in prayer with my kids, and I saw the hole and the men digging for her, but I also saw the hillside of the sand dune, filled with angels, all surrounding us. There were probably 40-50 angels, all ministering to us.

“I don’t believe I could have survived that time without the help of angels. I didn’t see them at the time, but I feel strongly that I was given that insight to remind me that I am indeed surrounded by help when I need it.”[iii]

Armies of Heaven in Our Defense

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland echoes Janet’s experience when he reminds us of the angelic help we can depend on in times of trouble.  He said,

“In the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that… if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.”[iv]

What a privilege it is to be the object of protection and assistance from angels.

Familiar Gesture from Deceased Mother

Kristen Openshaw gives an account of her “angel” mother helping her. She writes,

“My mother got sick and died of breast cancer when I was a teenager, but I remember how she always patted and comforted us.

“During my 11-year-old daughter’s cancer surgery, I was overcome with fear. While waiting for a doctor to come to the waiting room to tell us the results, I felt a soft hand on my cheek, gently cupping and patting my face. I knew that my mother was there in the room, waiting with me.”[v]

No more fear indeed!  Angels can take away our fear as well as succor us in tremendously painful circumstances…

“Borne Up” from Anguish by an Angel  

A woman named Kathy shared this transcendent experience she had at a time of great emotional upheaval.

“In the summer of 2011, my husband confirmed to me that he had had an affair. After a temple sealing, 3 children and 21 years of happiness, you just don’t expect anything like this to happen. I was devastated and he was confused.  My first instinct was to bolt, so I jumped into the family van and drove a block and a half away up a hill to a nearby park.

 “As I parked on an outcropping overlooking the town, I contemplated what my next move should be. I had one of those deep-down cries that causes your whole body to shudder upon simply trying to take a breath.

“Pouring my heart out in prayer to my Heavenly Father, I began begging for him to help me to know what to do next, and to please bless my children. As I was fervently pleading, asking through my tears, “What do I do?” I felt so very alone! “Gradually, I began to feel a warmth that began in my chest and grew outward. I then felt tangible arms envelope me and give me the biggest, most comforting hug I had ever experienced. I felt pure love. I was sitting alone in the driver’s seat of my van, and I knew a steering wheel was in front of me, but I knew if I just opened my eyes, I would see who was there, holding me.

“I thrust my tightly squeezed eyes open. My physical eyes could see no one, but my body and my heart knew otherwise. I don’t know who Heavenly Father permitted to come and comfort me, but I felt a love so strongly that I knew a family member was before me, and I knew in that moment that I was not alone and that Heavenly Father was mindful of me. I distinctly heard, ‘Keep your family together,’ and I knew I could go on, come what may. I then began thanking my Heavenly Father…  I was strengthened with a resolve no one or no thing could break.

“I will be forever grateful to my Heavenly Father for sending me a personal comforter who helped me through the most difficult time of my life. We are never alone!” [vi]   

Angels Assigned to Care for Us

Elder John A. Widtsoe confirmed Kathy’s sentiments when he taught,

“Many other intelligent beings, superior to us, no doubt take part in helping man to do his work on earth. There are angels and spirits who, no doubt, have assigned to them the care of the men and women who walk upon earth. Man is not alone; he walks in the midst of such heavenly company, from whom he may expect help if he seeks it properly and strongly.”[vii]

Asking for Angels

Sister Wendy Nelson agrees that we can “properly and strongly” seek and expect angelic help.  She declares,

“Pray.. to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ for those on the other side to be ‘dispatched’ to assist us.  Perhaps a departed loved one could be sent to help you with whatever you need. 

“Can you imagine the effort it took those angels who pushed from the rear of handcarts as they helped the  pioneers over the steep, snowy, windy, freezing, jagged terrain of Rocky Ridge?  If angels can manage that, they can certainly help you and me over our present-day Rocky Ridges!”[viii]

I doubt there has been a time in the earth’s history where there is more need for angelic intercession.  We need to ask…

Never Alone

President Russell M. Nelson recently gave us a marvelous speech where he said this,

“When Joseph [Smith] was repeatedly betrayed by close associates or falsely accused or unjustly imprisoned, he was never alone. He trusted in the Lord and relied on familiar ‘divers angels’ he had come to know over many years. “You, too, can and will be guided by heaven in your work as you seek direction, guidance and inspiration from on high…In the same manner… you will never be left alone…The Prophet Joseph’s experience can also be your experience, as you seek for — and prepare yourself — to receive heaven’s help.  I promise you that this is true.”[ix] 

The more we seek heaven, the closer it will feel, and the less fear we will have. We are NOT alone! As we’ve seen in this article, we are frequently defended and buoyed up by beings who are marvelous extensions of God’s great love for us.  Are we seeking and preparing for heaven’s help?  It is there for the asking.

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