Day 15: Angels

Angels Ministered Unto Them by Walter Rane

In my home hangs a painting by Walter Rane depicting the Savior with the Nephite children.  The Savior and the children seem still, watching, waiting as angels, in a flurry of movement descend. 

I have always loved this story of Christ blessing the children.  I have thought often of the significant command the Savior gave the people to bring their children to him.  I know he commands me to bring mine to him too.  Once the children were brought to him, he prayed for them and blessed them one by one.  One by one!  Each child had a personal experience with the Lord!  I can only imagine the joy of those children and the joy of those parents as they watched the Savior blessing their children.  It seems like that should have been enough, but it wasn't.  Angels descended and encircled those children and ministered to them.

I see the wisdom and the compassion of the Savior in this event.  I see how he met the needs of those little children by calling angels down to encircle and minister to them.  As great and marvelous as he was, he was one and those children were many.  He needed helpers to help him care for those little ones.

One of the many angels in my life, my dad.

As parents we are primarily responsible for bringing our children to Christ, but we are not alone in that task.  There are angels all around our children.  Angels who encircle them and minister to them.  I think of school and church teachers, coaches, friends and extended family.  They are often there at critical moments to teach, love and help my children.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said of these mortal angels, "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.  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."

I am grateful for these angels who aid me in the work of bringing my children to Christ. I am grateful for their encircling, ministering, angelic ways. They give me hope that I am not alone in the monumental task of pointing my children to Christ.