Angels That Bring Healing By Anne Hinton Pratt

Angels That Bring Healing

By Anne Hinton Pratt · April 23, 2020

During difficult times of distress, suffering, or anxiety, it’s inspiring to hear about times when angels are sent to heal and comfort the troubled minds and bodies of the faithful, and to realize that maybe our time is coming.

Falling Off A Balcony

Sherry Simister told me about a miraculous experience she had with angels in the hospital after falling from the two-story balcony of her home.

As she was falling, she had a silent seizure (where she couldn’t make any sound) and she began to plunge headfirst to the ground.  Her husband tried unsuccessfully to save her by grasping at her shoulder as she toppled over.  This changed her trajectory so that she landed flat on her back rather than her head, which probably spared her life, but left her broken and in tremendous pain.

As she lay in the hospital feeling helpless, and praying for help, her pain became unbearable.  She wondered if the future only held suffering for her.  At this moment of trauma she had a magnificent experience of angelic support.  She said:

“I was in such severe pain and was wondering if I would ever walk again or be pain free.  I looked at the side of my bed and suddenly became aware that I had family from generations past surrounding my bed.  During that six-week stay in the hospital I was encircled daily by these ancestors. Without their love and support, I don’t think I would have been able to deal with the excruciating pain.  The pain medication was high, but it wasn’t high enough.  My angels were just so very comforting and deeply needed.  They did not leave until I was ‘out of the woods.’ I was greatly blessed by them being there”^[1]

 A lot of love was manifested from those angels as they helped Sherry in the healing process.  Angels can show themselves in a variety of ways.  Notice how they manifest in the following experience:

Three Angel Doctors Save Small Child

Carolyn Doughty and her family had an excruciating circumstance, which involved her two-year-old son, Jeffrey.  He was a very active and adventuresome child who bolted off one Saturday morning.  He was soon missed, and family members went searching for him.  He was discovered face down and lifeless in a neighbor’s swimming pool by his 15-year-old brother, Chris, who fetched him out.

Chris did his best to resuscitate his brother until the paramedics came, but didn’t see that he was responding in any way.  At that moment of great alarm, he heard Jeffrey’s voice in his mind that said,

            “Keep going.  I want to live!”

When the paramedics arrived, they worked on Jeffrey for a little while, but felt that nothing was working, and they wanted to give up.  They told the family that the boy was dead.  Chris begged them to take Jeffrey to the hospital.  They reluctantly agreed and took him there even though Jeffrey’s heart had stopped beating, and his veins had stopped pumping.

Upon arrival at the hospital on a Saturday morning (where there typically was little going on), there “just happened” to be three top specialists there.  One was a heart specialist; one a lung specialist and one was a pediatrician (three crucial doctors for Jeffrey’s case). They quickly conferred about what to do, then worked on Jeffrey to reestablish a heartbeat and to get the blood moving again. After reviving him, they then sent him to another hospital for additional care.

These doctors spent their Saturday morning saving Jeffrey’s life, but the interesting thing was that the parents never received a bill from any of those doctors, and the nurse said that she had never seen or heard of them before.  Carolyn and her family all believed that the three doctors were angels, who gave their son a second chance at life.”^[2]

 “A Presence Beside me”

Dennis Bott shared a miraculous experience he and his wife had with angelic intervention during surgery.   He writes:

“My sweet wife Martha developed a condition known as hyper parathyroid disease (HPT), and she required surgery to remove at least three of the four pea-sized glands located in the neck near the thyroid.

“On the day of the surgery, as I waited for news in the hospital family surgery area, the doctor came with a disturbing announcement. He was unable to locate even one of the glands and was considering stopping the procedure because surgery had already been over two and a half hours (normal surgery time is about 30-minutes). I asked if he would try one more time to locate the diseased glands and he informed me that he would try, leaving me worrying in the family waiting area.

“I found an open janitor closet where I could offer a secret plea for divine assistance and offered up my petition to help the doctor be successful in locating the seemingly invisible pea-size glands that were making my sweet companion ill. The very moment I closed my prayerful plea a spirit of peace overcame me, and I knew that all would be well.

“Less than 20-minutes later the doctor met with me in the waiting room with tears in his eyes he told me, ‘I have never experienced anything like this before…just as I was about to give up and end the procedure it seemed as though the glands mysteriously began to glow…the nurses were not able to see what I saw but I knew there was a presence beside me guiding me.’

“My prayer for angelic assistance had been granted. The doctor had been able to see with divine help, and three glands were removed that indeed had tumor like growths.”^[3]

Jeffry R. Holland offered the very simple yet profound guidance to us all when he said,

            “Pray without ceasing. Ask for angels to help you.”^[4]

Dennis will testify that Elder Holland’s advice is true, and can affirm from personal experience that the combination of both prayer and asking for angelic help can orchestrate miracles, especially in times of great need.

Brigham Young also wrote about this very thing.  He said:

“According to…faith, ask the Lord Almighty to send an angel to heal the sick.  This is our privilege, when so situated that we cannot…help ourselves.”^[5]

Presence of Two Beings

Diane Chase remembers a time of great anxiety and helplessness when angels came to help her in her time of need. She writes:

“Back in 1998 my husband collapsed while far away on a business trip. I had 5 dependent children still at home, so I couldn’t go to him. After many days, the doctors said his life was in danger because he began to bleed internally, and they couldn’t stop it.  They decided they needed to do surgery that Friday night, and the operation was supposed to take 4 hours.  I told the doctor to call me and give me a report no matter what time it was.

“The surgery went on much longer than anticipated. I was in bed, but  was not able to sleep.  I felt powerless and scared. Finally, I prayed for an angel to comfort me. Immediately, I felt calm, and felt the presence of two beings standing by my bed. I was only then able to fall asleep until the doctor called.”^[6]

 Angels in Eye Surgery

The last story I want to tell about is a marvelous experience that Charlie Harper shared with me.  He had angels help him through an eye surgery.  He relates:

“Before having eye surgery on both of my eyes I had prayed that it would be successful, painless, and that I would be watched over and not worry about it.  A feeling of peace came over me and I didn’t worry any more.

“Before surgery I became aware of three glorious angels who were watching over me. I felt absolutely no pain, even as a needle was inserted.  The surgery was perfect, and I am recovering very well. The angels were with me as I went to bed at home before the operation, during surgery, and after surgery until the doctor checked on my eyes to see that I was healing correctly.” ^[7]

 “And Angels Came Down”

I love the scripture where Nephi speaks about angels supporting him in similar ways as those who helped Charlie and others in this article.  He said,

 “And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered to me.”^[8]

 As the experiences in this article illustrate, angels are allowed to respond to sincere and fervent prayer to heal or comfort the sick according to God’s will.  What is God’s will for you?  In this dispensation of angels, could it be your time to receive their healing and comfort? Maybe it’s time to ask.

I would love to hear about your own experiences with angels.  You Can CONTACT me at annehpratt@hotmail.com

---

^[1] Sherry Simister, Story used with permission.

^[2] Carolyn Doughty and Susan Richardson phone calls and emails. Story used with permission.

^[3] Dennis Bott, Story used with permission.

^[4] Jeffry R. Holland, “Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul,” April Conference 2010.

^[5] Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 4:25.  Italics added.

^[6] Diane Chase, Story used by permission.

^[7] Charlie Harper, Story used by permission.

^[8] 2 Nephi 4:24 Italics added.

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/angels-that-bring-healing/

Guardian Angels: By Anne Hinton Pratt

Guardian Angels: Loving Protection from Unseen Beings

By Anne Hinton Pratt · May 6, 2020

In this telestial sphere, there are so many ways we can injure our mortal bodies or die before our time. The solution God gives us is angels. How many stones have been taken off our paths to spare us nonessential suffering? How many times has our life been spared? We may never know, but I’d like to share five marvelous accounts where people did know!

Protected from a Fast-Moving Train

David Curneal has had angels bless his life on numerous occasions, but one time was quite extraordinary. Angels saved his family from certain death when a train was headed straight for their car. He writes:

“February 18, 1995 was a day that would never be forgotten. My wife and three children were in the car with me as we approached the freeway. We could see that the road was backed up, and suddenly we found ourselves on train tracks with no way to go forward, or backward. Seconds later the train arms came down trapping us on the tracks with a train coming fast!

“My wife could tell that impact with the train was unavoidable and started yelling that we needed to get out. Two of our children got out, but one was in a car seat. My wife was feverishly trying to get the seat belt open, but it was stuck! I hit the buckle with all of my strength and it finally broke, freeing my little one from the car but not from her car seat.

“I jumped back from the car just as the train hit. (The sound of the horn, crushing metal and screeching brakes, wake me up still in my dreams).

“As I was trying to get my senses back, I saw my daughter’s car seat flying through the air. Over and over it tumbled as it gained altitude, almost spinning! All of a sudden the very violent way it was traveling slowed to a level glide and it landed gently on the pavement. It was like someone caught the flipping babe and delivered her safely to the earth.”1

David and his family were recipients of miraculous help. It was not his daughter’s time to go, and she was incredibly snatched from death by guardian angels as was his entire family.

Dallin H. Oaks taught about the protection that guardian angels bring us. He said,

“All over the world, faithful Latter-day Saints are protected from the powers of the evil one and his servants until they have finished their missions in mortality. For some the mortal mission is brief….But for most of us the mortal journey is long, and we continue our course with the protection of guardian angels.” 2

Trapped Under a Boat

Cheryl Martin found herself in a life-threatening situation when she was in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic several weeks ago. She was getting out of a boat at the shore when a big wave came and pushed her back down into the water. Her head hit the side of the boat and she was sucked under.

Cheryl was trapped under the boat for a few seconds and couldn’t move. Another wave came and almost set her free to swim out, but just as she began to emerge, another big wave hit. This one rammed into her, hurting her left shoulder and arm, trapping her yet again.

In spite of everything going on, Cheryl felt a beautiful peace fill her soul, and suddenly knew what she must do. As the next wave slightly moved the boat off of her, she was able to change her position under the boat and edge over by feeling the underside of the boat guiding her to safety.

When Cheryl surfaced, someone extended an arm to help her. She grabbed the arm and stood up, but no one was there. She walked to the other side of the boat and ask a man in the area if he knew who had helped her. He told her that no one had helped her and that she had emerged from under the boat by herself. But she KNEW that she was somehow coached how to get out from under the boat and pulled to safety. The most important thing however was the peace she felt through the whole thing. She said,

“I feel so blessed to know that there are angels around to protect us. I was hurt badly but I survived. I am 65 years old but know I have more to attend to on this Earth. When this accident happened to me I was not frightened but had peace that all would be well. I’m forever grateful.” 3

Cheryl obviously was not finished with her life mission. Her guardian angels saved her from death although they didn’t save her from the pain. In some cases, however, as in the following story, angels do save from suffering.

Angels Lifted Car from the Middle Lane

Diane Blakely had an experience that defies explanation, unless you factor in guardian angels. She wrote:

“In 2005 I lived in Walnut Creek, California. My daughter & her family lived in American Canyon, about 25 miles north. I went to visit them one day and had to cross a bridge that was in construction mode. There were three lanes and I was driving in the center one. There was a car to my right about even with me, and a flat bed truck several feet ahead of it in the right-hand lane. I didn’t notice any traffic in the left lane, and there wasn’t time to check, when all of a sudden that car to my right started to pass me and began moving into my center lane with not enough space to do it.

“I grabbed the steering wheel as tight as I could and held it rigidly while applying the brakes. I wasn’t sure if anyone was close behind me. Suddenly, I felt my car being moved to the left about 1 to 2 feet, and after that car passed me and moved into the middle lane in front of me, my car was moved back safely behind it. The front of the car had overlapped my car by about 1 to 2 feet. If we had touched I would have spun out. Only angels could have made that happen.”4

Diane’s life was spared that day, and in the process, she was a witness of the goodness of God and His angels.

Saved from 15 Car Pileup

Helen Condon had a hair-raising experience where she knew angels protected her from being sandwiched between cars during a pileup. She writes:

“One day in the late 1990s, while driving on I-84 in a typical Portland, Oregon downpour, I found myself in the middle of a multi-car pile-up as first one, then another car, slid into each other. I was hit from behind and pushed into the car in front of me. Our little truck, ‘Bucko,’ was slammed backwards and forwards across the freeway, but I was completely calm. I amazingly felt as though I was in an armored tank and did not experience the slightest moment of my all-too frequent anxiety. ‘Bucko’ was towed home, then to the wrecking yard, crumpled almost beyond recognition and full of shattered glass. The only damage I sustained was a tiny cut in my brand-new skirt. There must have been a battalion of angels with us that day!”5

Helen was also not finished with her mission on earth, and angels went to a lot of trouble to leave her alive and without a scratch.

In my final story, there was unexplainable protection in the natural world that left one young man alive.

Saved from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

In 1969 when Eddie Jones was a young boy of fourteen, he had a miraculous experience where he knew his life was saved by angels. He was from an agricultural community in Northern Mexico that grew apples and peaches. They had a new co-op (Empacadora Paquime), where they packed and stored the fruit.

On this Saturday afternoon in June, his father drove into the parking lot and noticed that things were in a big mess. Bins of fruit were stacked all around the yard and in the cold room in a Helter-Skelter fashion. Eddie’s dad who prided himself on being neat and orderly became upset. He instructed Eddie to stay and run a forklift until everything was tidied up.

Eddie began by moving the bins of fruit from the outside yard into the refrigeration rooms. First he brought every bin inside, then he began arranging them into rows according to grower in the two rooms.

Time flew by and he was completely engrossed in his task of stacking the bins. He remembers looking at his watch and seeing that it was after midnight.

Around that time, he heard a voice telling him to stop immediately and get down and go outside. He recalls beginning to climb off the forklift, but after that, he lost consciousness. The next thing he can remember was feeling dizzy and disoriented as the night watchman was shaking his shoulder asking if he was ok. He found Eddie outside the heavy doors of the cold room slouched against the wall. Eddie explains:

“The doors to the cold room were huge and very heavy having to be swung outward to open. I remember having to exert almost all my strength every time I went in or out as a young boy, but when the watchman found me, the door was closed. How could I unconsciously have opened and closed those heavy doors on my own? Someone had to have been with me to perform that feat and get me out. No way did I do it on my own!

“The watchman called my Dad who came and got me. I was diagnosed with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and placed on Oxygen. They were very concerned I might not make it through the night. When I began working that evening no one thought of Carbon Monoxide levels in the cold room from the gasoline engine of the forklift.

“I later learned that when the Watchman entered the cold room, the Forklift was still running, and no one was in it. It had four bins of fruit raised to its maximum height, lined up perfectly to set on top.

I know I had angels help me and save my life that night.”6

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminds us of the angelic help we can depend on:

“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 [2 Kings 6:16-17]. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.” 7

How precious our lives are! We come here to this plane of existence to learn and grow, with an appointed time for us to die. Angels are agents of peace and protection to ensure that we stay on earth precisely as long as we are intended to be here, through our faithfulness. They have the power to take away obstacles and dangers from our path, and often get permission to do so.

Do you still have more mission to fulfill in this life? If so, you will be protected as David, Cheryl, Diane, Helen and Eddie were, by beings whose mission is to guard and protect you.

1 David Curneal, Story used by permission.
2Dallin H. Oaks, “Bible Stories and Personal Protection,” Ensign, Nov. 1992,p. 39. Italics added. 3 Cheryl Martin, Story used by permission.
4 Diane Blakely, Story used by permission.
5 Helen Condon, Story used by permission.
6 Eddie Jones, Story used by permission.
7 Jeffery R. Holland, BYU Devotional Address – March 1980

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/guardian-angels-loving-protection-from-unseen-beings/

Angels in the Choir By Greyson Gurley

Angels in the Choir: How One Woman Connected With Her Mother During Conference, a Decade After Her Passing

byGreyson Gurley  | Apr. 08, 2020

For many, the typical associations made with general conference include live music performed by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. However, as President Russell M. Nelson promised at the close of the October 2019 general conference, the April 2020 general conference would be anything but typical.

The bicentennial celebration held memorable changes and events including, for the first time in decades, the lack of a live choir. Like many Church members, Megan Limburg watched this April’s general conference with anticipation and excitement— knowing that it would be “memorable and unforgettable.” Because of global health concerns, Limburg knew there would be adjustments to the live music and that recordings were to be used. But while watching Saturday’s sessions, Limburg noticed that the music recordings dated not only in recent years but some as far back as a decade. As she watched the choir, Limburg wondered if she might see a familiar face—her deceased mother.

A Memorable and Unforgettable Conference

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, attendance at conference was limited to strictly those participating and even then, it was clear that those present practiced social distancing. Although the recognizable presence of the Tabernacle Choir was not in attendance, prerecorded hymns were broadcasted.

The Deseret News reported that President Nelson recognized nearly two months ago that the coronavirus outbreak might disrupt the upcoming conference. He requested that the choir begin to record the hymns planned for April’s conference in advance. The recordings were done a few at a time, until Utah’s state and local governments issued restrictions on assembling in groups. Thus, the music for the April 2020 general conference was a combination of recordings made before restrictions and some recordings from years past.

For many choir members, current or former, it was the chance to spot themselves and friends and relive special memories. But for Megan Limburg it was more than just a recognition—it was a gift from Heaven.

An Angelic Choir 

It wasn’t until the Sunday morning session that Limburg’s mother, a former member of the Tabernacle Choir, made an appearance. Limburg was watching the beginning of the session with her family when a 2009 recording of the song, “This is My Beloved Son,” was used.

“As soon as the song came on, my oldest son said, ‘Mom [the recording] is back from when Grandma was in the choir.’ Then, she popped up right at the very beginning and we just felt an overwhelming sense of love—there were tears,” Limburg said.

When asked what this experience meant for her, Limburg replied, “I was expecting conference to be memorable but I wasn’t expecting that angels would be singing with the choir...it was a testimony to us that angels were a part of this historic conference.”

Limburg explained that this was something her mom believed in even while she was on earth. While growing up, Limburg remembers her mom sharing her feeling that there were extra voices singing with the Tabernacle Choir—voices from heaven.

Sharing a “Treasured Gift” 

Limburg’s mother, a member of the Tabernacle Choir for 16 years, prided herself on being a musical missionary and sharing the gospel all over the world. It was the opportunity to share her testimony through music. She says her mom felt it was “a beautiful gift that she was given.”

Limburg said that singing in the Tabernacle Choir was everything for her mother. Limburg also spoke about some of the health challenges her mother faced. “She actually battled cancer multiple times and she had a tumor that wrapped around her vocal chords. Her biggest fear would be that should be alive and not be able to sing again,” she recalls.

Yet, Limburg’s mother continued to share her “treasured gift” with the world until the time of her passing a decade ago—almost to the day.

In a recent Facebook post, Limburg wrote about her experience: “How fitting that just a week away from 10 years after her passing she gets to sing again in a special general conference to share her unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ with her grand babies and many of you as well.”

Limburg concluded her post with the hashtag “#familiesareforever.”

https://www.ldsliving.com/Angels-in-the-Choir-How-One-Woman-Connected-With-Her-Mother-During-Conference-a-Decade-After-Her-Passing/s/92678?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=email

The Miraculous Assistance of "Temple" Angels By Anne Hinton Pratt

The Miraculous Assistance of “Temple” Angels

By Anne Hinton Pratt · January 29, 2020

Can attending the temple change your life? What actual blessings can you receive from doing family history and temple work? Those are powerful questions, and there are powerful answers. When we do this work of gathering on both sides of the veil, the heavens are unleashed for our good!

Physical Intervention of Angels

There is great organization and synchronicity beyond the veil.  If spirits want their work done, and find willing participants, they will bless the participants in varied and amazing ways.  Sometimes they even get physical in their help.

Robert Cowart recounts a time where he felt the physical force of an angel aiding him in finding an important book he needed to continue his family research.  He had been searching for years for any information on his father’s grandmother, Francis Allen, and discovered that there were two books in the Family History Library in Salt Lake that would give him the information he needed.

One day, he had a four-hour layover in Salt Lake City, while traveling for his work, and decided to take a cab to the library and see what he could find. He found the location of the books he thought might have the information, but there was nothing about Francis Allen. He writes:   

“I only had a few minutes left so randomly checking books was not possible.  When I walked back to the book area I sensed the presence of numerous spirits. As I sat there my right hand all on its own went to the shelf right in front of me and took a book off the shelf.  I opened the book to the index and there was a   Frances Allen! I went to the page and there was a wedding announcement for her and my Great grandfather, saying Frances Allen of Jefferson County! No one would have ever guessed that she was from there.”

Robert then called his wife and excitedly told her the news.  When he returned home, they made the trip to the Jefferson county courthouse and shortly discovered that Frances Allen had been orphaned when both parents were killed in an accident.  Because of the physical angelic intervention and in-depth synchronicity Robert was led to the book, where he could quickly trace her genealogy back to Ireland. (Robert Cowart, Story used by permission).        

M. Russell Ballard taught about the eligibility we all have for angelic assistance when we honor the covenants we make in the temple.  He said:                                                                                               

“All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those   covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the   ministering of angels, to commune with God, to receive the fulness of the gospel, and, ultimately, to become heirs alongside Jesus Christ of all our Father has.”(M. Russell Ballard, “Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” Ensign, September 2014 Italics added).

Angels Bless Women’s Sacrifice with Miraculous Orchestration of Events    

I love an experience conveyed to me by Patricia H Arnazzi. It illustrates the painstaking details that angels can orchestrate in order to help us, especially when they know we have sacrificed for them.  She writes about a series of miracles she experienced on an extraordinary Saturday morning when she attended the temple.

 “As every Saturday, I had gone to the LA temple to serve. Once there, I decided to do initiatory names. Later that day, I was taking a very important licensing examination at the university, but I thought I would have enough time to drive there (over an hour drive) and do all ten names I had received.

“All went according to plan, until the last three names. The LA temple was closing for renovation and that Saturday was packed with patrons and not enough workers. They came to pull workers to take them to help with the veil and invited those of us waiting for a booth available to return the unfinished work if we could not wait. I checked my watch and realized that if I waited, I would miss that very crucial licensing exam.

“I was about to return my unfinished work when I looked down to read those three names again. I read their information, including the dates when they had died and realized they had been waiting too long for those ordinances. My heart    melted. I could not do that to them and made my decision to patiently wait to do their names.  I prayed for Heavenly Father to help me later on the road and to change the laws of physics so that I could arrive on time for my test. “As soon as I thought this, I felt myself being embraced as if in a group hug. A wonderful sense of peace engulfed me. 

I waited for thirty minutes without complaint. In fact, when some of the other sisters waiting with me would complain that it was taking too long, I would only smile peacefully as if I had all the time in the world.                                                                       

“After I was finished, I rushed to my car and realized I had only thirty minutes to cover 75 miles, an impossible task any day in LA.  I knew I would be late for my exam and most likely denied entrance, but I decided to risk it.

“I was driving to the max speed when all of a sudden, I felt a strong impression to reduce the speed drastically. I questioned it for a second since the road was almost clear and I was making good time, which perhaps would help me in pleading leniency later for my test. But the impression was too strong, and I obeyed. I saw the speedometer go from 65 to 30 and then, heard a loud pop on the right. I saw a car driving on the last lane of the freeway lose control and start   spinning coming into the second lane and barely missing a car, going into the   lane next to me and finally crashing on the median wall right in front of my car. I hit the brakes and had no problem avoiding the collision since I had already reduced my speed before.”

The miracles did not end there for Patricia.  Upon reaching the university, almost an hour late, Patricia discovered with joy that technical difficulties had delayed the test and that it had not even begun.  She feels strongly that those “temple angels” protected her and helped her pass that exam.  (Patricia H Arnazzi, Story used with permission)

God’s profound promised blessings are reaffirmed by President Russell M. Nelson when he said:

 “…every time you worthily serve and worship in the temple, you leave armed  with God’s power and with His angels having “charge over” you. (Russell M.  Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures,” Oct. Conference 2019, Italics added) 

Departed Cousin Leading the Way to Find Many Family Names 

A few years ago, Rex Lowe was in the temple sitting in a session with his eyes closed talking to the Lord.  Suddenly he became aware that there was someone standing next to him.  Rex wrote:

“I opened my eyes and there was my cousin Ken. He said, ‘Rex why haven’t you done my work?’  I sat up stunned, asking myself the same question. (When he was alive, we were good friends and I had shared the Gospel with him, but shortly afterwards he had moved to Canada. We corresponded and I told him I would send the missionaries so he could be baptized.  He wrote back and said it was too late, he was rapidly dying of brain cancer. Then I got a letter from his wife saying he had passed away).

“When I arrived home after that vision with Ken, we decided not only to do his work ASAP, but to go thoroughly through our records again.  Because of this renewed effort, fresh and unexpected avenues opened up helping us to find a treasure trove of family names.” (Rex Lowe, Story used with permission)

So, Ken and many other souls benefited from Rex’s labors.

Russell M. Nelson quoted Brigham Young as saying,                                    

“All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people, and stimulating them to the salvation of the human family.”(Brigham Young, 309, 299, cited in Nelson, “Young Adults and the Temple,” Ensign, Feb. 2006, 15.)

Angel Priesthood holders Came to Bless

Grateful ancestors want to help us.  Charles Harper experienced family from beyond the veil during a crucial priesthood blessing.  He writes:                                                                         

“My parents were on their way to visit my father’s family when dad had a heart attack. They had driven cross-country from California, which was how they had traveled for years; dad had only two weeks to see his family. 

“We are converts to the church, and dad and I were the only ones in the family who were blessed with the priesthood. I received a phone call asking that I come and give dad a blessing.  I felt so alone in the hospital room as I laid my hands on his head to give the blessing, but as I did, I became aware that the room was filled with priesthood holders who were there to be part of the blessing.”

My mother’s efforts to find ancestors had resulted in the ordination of several departed family members who were there to help me anoint and bless dad. I didn’t see them, but I could feel them and knew they were there.” (Charles Harper experience used with permission)

Quentin L. Cook confirmed the powerful truth about angels when he said:

“Never underestimate the assistance provided in temples from the other side of the veil.” (Quentin L. Cook, “See Yourself in the Temple,” General Conference April, 2016)

Can Attending the Temple Change Your Life?

What blessings can doing family history and temple work bring? A critical book located; a difficult test passed; abundance of family names discovered; loving support given, and lives saved.  Who wouldn’t want those blessings? When we do this work of gathering on both sides of the veil, the heavens and their hosts are unleashed for our good.

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/the-miraculous-assistance-of-temple-angels/

Co-Workers with Angels By Anne Hinton Pratt

Co-workers with Angels: Angelic Involvement in the Lives of Missionaries

By Anne Hinton Pratt · February 13, 2020

Cover image: “Angel” by Brian Kershisnik.

This is the day of the great Gathering of Israel.  The time in earth’s history where more mortals are becoming aware that they can be co-workers with angels.  It’s a day of angelic presence, direction, and miracles.

We have an army of missionaries in the field, as well as those of us who pursue that great work.  Many have reported the manifestation of angels as they gather or are gathered to Israel.  I want to share four of such experiences.

Angels Told Him to Listen                                                                                 

Sister Susan Richardson served with her husband Brian, then Mission President of the Ecuador Quito North Mission, from 2013-2016.  She told of an impactful experience one the elders in her mission had.  She writes:

“Elder Burleson was walking with his companion one day when he saw a ragged homeless man.  Elder Burleson and his companion were surprised to hear this vagabond call out to them, especially when he called them by name. When they asked him how he knew their names, he responded that Angels in white had spoken with him and told him to listen to Elder Burleson and his companion and that they would teach him what he needed to do to be baptized like Jesus Christ.

“He did in fact listen to them, was baptized, no longer lives on the streets, and is active in the Church.” (Susan Richardson, Conversations and emails used with permission).

In a letter to the Elders of the Church, in 1835 Joseph Smith Taught:

“And now, I ask, how righteousness and truth are going to sweep the earth as with a flood? I will answer. Men and angels are to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work” (The Joseph Smith Papers p. 209, Italics added)

Angels do work hand in hand with missionaries to gather Israel in this dispensation. In fact, Wilford Woodruff said:

“The angels are watching over us. The eyes of all the heavenly hosts are over us. Those who have lived in other dispensations understand this       dispensation far better than we do, and they are watching over the labors of the Elders of Israel.” (Bateman, Prophets Have Spoken, 1:1046.)

Departed Catholic Priest Appears to Woman

Sometimes, beings can help missionaries further the work of teaching the Gospel in ways that we would never expect.  Carola A. Strauss relates an extraordinary experience of how the appearance of a Catholic priest aided her family in becoming members of the church.  She writes:  

“My grandmother, Anna Maria Theresia Lormess Fischer, had a conversion story that has stood as a deep, abiding, and unshakable testimony to me of the truthfulness of the Church, the gospel of Jesus   Christ, the Savior, the Book of Mormon, and the Plan of Salvation. It took place in Hernkaschuetz, Germany in the late 1890’s.                                          

“Anna Maria had always been extremely inquisitive about her church and its doctrine. She spent many hours talking to her priest in an attempt to understand and resolve in her own mind who God was, and what the purpose of life was, etc. She never felt satisfied with what she was told and always felt that something was missing. Anna Maria was especially concerned with what happens to us when we die.  In fact, that is what she and her priest discussed during her last visit with him. She and her family were devout Catholics.

“One morning, just prior to dawn, as Anna Maria was waking up, there appeared before her, her Catholic priest — he was holding a book. As he approached her, he held the book up and pointed to it. It was titled ‘Das Buch Mormon’ (the Book of Mormon). The priest said nothing to her; he simply continued to point to the book and then he disappeared.

“Confused, bewildered, and baffled by what had just taken place, she got out of bed, then set out to visit her priest so she could share with him her strange experience or dream.

“Upon reaching the church, she quickly learned of the untimely death of the priest. Good grief! He had suddenly passed away earlier that week. My grandmother was thoroughly confused, to say the least.  She was convinced that she needed to find this mysterious book . . . she just knew it would provide her with some important answers to this entire puzzle.

“Although her attempts to locate the book seemed an exercise in futility, Anna Maria remained determined — she never stopped searching or hoping to find ‘The Book.’ A number of years as well as World War One passed by and then one day she found it… she found the book in an outdoor garbage can! She also tracked down the missionaries herself. (They didn’t find her, she found them). As she read through the Book of Mormon’s pages, she learned about the plan of salvation, she learned about life after death; she learned about God and about the Savior.  She found the answers to so many of the questions that had for so long perplexed her. She also now understood why her priest had appeared to her. He must have discovered the truth himself and wanted to make sure that she found it too!” (Carola A. Strauss, emails used with permission). 

The departed priest’s newly acquired level of light and knowledge must have qualified him for that angelic errand. He wanted to share his new understandings with Anna Maria, because he knew how much she sought truth.

Angel Helps Sister Missionaries in Remote Sector of Ecuador

Missionaries are blessed in many ways on their missions.  Angels are attentive to their needs and support them in unimagined ways.  Gabi Israelson and her companion were aided in their quest to find their way home when they were lost.  She recounts from her journal:                                                                                       

“The other day we went far into our sector to teach a part member family. After we visited these people, we discovered that there were no more buses after 4 p.m.  It was 5:30, and at first we were walking back with no worries.  I was sure a taxi would pass. Well, then all of the sudden it was 7 p.m. and we were still walking in the middle of nowhere, but it was starting to get dark.

“We started to get a little bit worried since we were two gringas in the middle of nowhere in Ecuador with no way of getting home.  We figured that the walk would take at least a couple more hours and we had to be home by 9 p.m.

“We were praying and praying, when out of NOWHERE this taxi appears and pulls up next to us.  A North American gets out of the taxi. [Unimaginable in that area] He looks at us and calmly says:

‘Lost in Tangali?’

“We were like, Uh, yeah”           

“He calls this taxi number and tells us to just keep walking down and in about 20 minutes, a taxi will come by.                                      

“We were absolutely shocked! Like, what on earth is some young North American doing out here in the boonies driving a taxi?  We didn’t even get time to ask him more questions before he quickly got in his taxi and left. 

Sure enough just like he told us, a taxi came, and we made it out safely.”             

Gabi and her companion both felt that they had experienced angelic intervention that day in what they were certain was a miracle. (Gabi Israelson, Journal entry used with permission).

Elder Henry B. Eyring taught that angels are all around us to assist and support when we serve His cause.  He states:                                                                              

“You will also find that the Lord puts helpers by your side—on your right, on your left, and all around you. You do not go alone to serve others for Him.” (Henry B. Eyring, “Trust in That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good” April Conference 2016)

Senior Missionary Guarded and Given Peace in Dangerous Situation

Sister Kristi Wangsgard tells how she was sustained by an angel in the midst of peril on her Texas McAllen mission, 2019. She writes:

“I was practicing the piano in our portable chapel so that I could play this Sunday’s hymns with confidence and joy. In the middle of my practice time, I was interrupted by a man that suddenly burst into the portable chapel. This man was angry, irate, and violent! He and I were the only two people in the chapel and all of a sudden he started knocking down chairs, even tossing them while yelling, ranting, and raving.

“Miraculously, I was sustained to continue playing the piano without missing a beat. I totally ignored the violence and felt as calm as a ‘summer’s morning.’  I felt peaceful and mild-mannered even though there was chaos, contention, and turmoil all around me. I couldn’t believe it! Normally in this type of situation I would usually ‘run for the hills’ and hide, but this day, I was divinely supported.

“The violence was short-lived, and the man left as quickly as he had         arrived. After the whole episode died down, I offered a prayer of thanks and marveled at how calm I felt.  I was protected by what I perceived to be a guardian angel—both emotionally and physically! There was an angel from somewhere that was aware of me and my circumstance. I felt loved and cared for.  Since I’m a missionary–I had an angel to ‘bear me up’ when I needed desperate help!”(Kristi Wangsgard, email used with permission).

James E. Talmage echoes what Sister Wangsgard said, when he taught:

“This great Being of infinite power and goodness… is our Father…He has set heavenly beings to watch over us and to guard us from the attacks of evil powers while we live on earth. Do we realize that in our daily walk and work we are not alone, but that angels attend us wherever our duty causes us to go? (Collected Discourses, Vol.3, James E. Talmage, June 25, 1893, Italics added).

Co-working With Angels

Yes, this is the day of angelic presence, direction, and miracles.  Angels and mortals can be co-workers in this marvelous work of gathering.  We do our part and they do their part, and between us, great things will come to pass.     

https://latterdaysaintmag.com/co-workers-with-angels-angelic-involvement-in-the-lives-of-missionaries/