How I Survived My First Devotional - The Ministering of Angels

On our first night of class, there was a lot to take in. New people, new schedules, new ideas, new expectations. So much "new". We were given a schedule to look over and I found my name and what dates I would be presenting case studies. It was a few weeks out, so I could breathe a little easier while I got my feet wet in all of this.

Towards the end of the evening, Mark was reviewing the plans for the next week's class. He spoke of the devotional, saying that it was to be exactly 5 min. long, not 6 or 7 or 8. "If you're asked to give a message by a hospital and they want you to take 8 minutes, then you take 8 minutes. If you go over your time, you may never be asked again."

So the strictness in keeping to our allotted 5 min. is for us to practice sticking to that amount of time. Got it. Then he said, "Cristi, you'll be doing that next week." Um, what?? I hadn't seen that on the schedule. I'm a newbie here! There are lots of folks here who have been coming for a long time and I'm the one that will have to get up so soon??? Okay, I'll do it. Even under the "5 minutes and not a second longer" guidelines.

I tossed around several possibilities during the week.But then I came across this and it felt just right.

When I was in my first semester of college, we were required to do a term paper in my religion class. I had been fascinated by the subject of angels for a good part of my life. My mother told us the story of how her father, my grandfather, was once visited by an angel. Here's the quick version:

My mother's mother, Gertrude Leah Betts, had passed away from pneumonia within days of my mother's first birthday, leaving my grandfather with four children that were age 6 and under. Life was hard. Somewhere along the line, my grandpa starting making some choices that weren't in his or his family's best interest. And one night, after closing up the ice cream shop, he sat on the back steps. That is when Gertrude appeared to him, telling him that he needed to shape up. I'm certain she had great concerns for both him and the four children she had left behind and took a keen interest in what was happening in their lives.

I have thought of that story often throughout my life, realizing that those we love are not far away, and they know what's going on here on earth. The following quotes will truly remind us of how close they are and how many there are. It is very comforting.

I shared highlights from the following quotes. I also sent them all to my missionary daughter because I knew it would be of great comfort to her, too. I hope you find comfort and peace when you read these words.

“Now, this is the truth. We humble people; we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good‑for‑nothing; we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels‑‑invisible beings of power and might‑‑charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping . . .

“Those who otherwise might be thought to be contemptible and unworthy of notice, Jesus says be careful about offending them, for “their angels do always behold the face of my Father” (Matt. 18:10). We are in their charge. They watch over us, and are, to a certain extent, doubtless, responsible for the watchcare that they exercise over us, just as we are responsible for any duty that is assigned us (Collected Discourses, Vol.2, George Q. Cannon, November, 1890).

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“This great Being of infinite power and goodness, whom we cannot think of in His mighty attributes without sinking in our own sense of personal insignificance, He is our Father; and He has greater affection than we can comprehend by [a] father’s love for His children. As a result of that great love, 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? It is only when we stray into unholy places, only when we tread upon forbidden ground, that they leave us to ourselves; and then they watch us from the distance with sorrow and tears. Those holy beings think it not beneath their state to abide in the hovels of the poor . . . . But as long as we are where duty calls us we are in no way alone. Our eyes are so heavy, our ears so dull, that we see and hear only the things of earth. Could our vision be opened, we would see in this room at this very moment more worshippers than are occupying these seats; could our ears be unstopped we would hear more than our own feeble voices joining in the hymns of praise that we sing.

“When at times trouble comes upon us, and we feel almost given up to despair, and think we have been deserted by friends, let us think of the heavenly companions whom God has assigned to us; who, indeed, would reveal themselves to our eyes but for our lack of faith. Let us read again and ponder over the wonderful experience of the prophet of old, who, with but a single earthly companion‑‑the servant who was with him‑‑found himself surrounded by the army of a wicked king. (See 2 Kings 6:15‑17). In fear, seeing escape by human agency to be entirely impossible, Elisha’s servant cried out, “Alas, my master, how shall we do?” But the prophet answered, “Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And then Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the young man’s eyes, and the servant saw that the mountains were covered with horses and chariots and hosts of angels sent to protect the prophet of God, whose time had not yet come” (Collected Discourses, Vol.3, James E. Talmage, June 25, 1893).

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[T]he Lord has said that there are more for us than there can be against us. “Who are they,” says one? Righteous men who have been upon the earth. “But do you suppose that angels will pay friendly visits to those who do not live up to their privileges? Would you? . . . the God whom I serve . . . has millions of angels at His command. Do you suppose that there are any angels here to‑day? I would not wonder if there were ten times more angels here than people. We do not see them, but they are here watching us, and are anxious for our salvation” (Journal of Discourses, Vol.3, p.230, Heber C. Kimball, March 2, 1856).

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“Usually [angels] are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near” (Jeffrey R. Holland: Ensign, November 2008, 29).


As for my 5 minute limit? I rocked that. I guess I'll be staying.