how often do you think about angels perhaps some of us don't think about them often enough but angels are real in the new testament we read that angels came and ministered unto christ nephi saw angels who would minister to his descendants and his brother jacob said that angels ministered to him shortly before christ's visit to the western hemisphere we learn of a prophet whose faith was so strong that angels did minister unto him daily mormon promised neither have angels cease to minister some people don't believe in angels when martin harris recounted the coming fourth of
the book of mormon to charles anthon professor anthem responded that there was no such thing now as the ministering of angels of course this is not true angels continue to minister in our day one of the most important angelic visitations in modern times was when john the baptist appeared to joseph smith and oliver caldery and ordained them to the aaronic priesthood on that occasion he said 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 other verses in the doctrine and
covenants tell us that the aaronic priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and that the power and authority of the aaronic priesthood is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels because the ministering of angels is often talked about in connection with the aaronic priesthood some people may mistakenly think that it only applies to those who hold the aaronic priesthood this is not true president dallin h oaks explained that the ministering of angels is not based on whether one holds the priesthood but rather on if we access the ordinances of the aaronic
priesthood he said how does the aaronic priesthood hold the key to the ministering of angels through the aaronic priesthood ordinances of baptism and the sacrament we are cleansed of our sins and promised that if we keep our covenants we will always have his spirit to be with us i believe that promise not only refers to the holy ghost but also to the ministering of angels for angels speak by the power of the holy ghost wherefore they speak the words of christ so it is that those who hold the aaronic priesthood open the door for all
church members to enjoy the companionship of the spirit of the lord and the ministering of angels sometimes the angels who minister to us will be our own ancestors one woman wrote of the pain she felt after her wayward son viciously criticized her as recounted by larry barkdall the woman was home alone and poured out her heart to the lord asking for someone to come be with her she recalled i began to feel a warmth creep across my body immediately to my right i sensed the presence of a grandfather to whom i had been particularly close
in my youth then to my left i sensed the presence of my husband's grandmother whom i had met only twice in our early marriage she was sympathetic to my plight she had lived her life without seeing any of her sons active in the church as these two family members stayed with me i felt surrounded by love peace and the knowledge that families are connected in this life and the next as you and i face serious challenges in our lives we can have confidence in this promise from jesus christ i will be on your right hand
and on your left and my spirit shall be in your hearts and mine angels round about you to bear you up of course as elder jeffrey r holland explained 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 perhaps as you and i pray each day asking to be an instrument in the lord's hands we can be among those earthly ministering angels as well angels are real [Music] [Music] you
