September Week 3

Growing up, I would occasionally have little crushes on boys. I considered the jaded and dejected feeling I had to be heartbreak--but most of those emotions could be dissolved through rational and logical thought. When I finally experienced my first end-of-relationship heartbreak, I was shocked.

My head and my heart were completely disconnected. I remember feeling as if my heart was just wayyy too full; it was swollen and painful and simply consumed me as a result. Thus, every thought I had was on myself, and my emotions. It was all about me, and no deduction that I was better off this way could convince me otherwise.

But I really wanted to change.

So I began praying for opportunities to recognize not only the need in myself, but in others. And mercifully, I was blessed so that I could. What started out as constant and consistent effort to look for opportunities to serve became second-nature. There was no more thought required, I wanted to serve others.

Despite my selfish thoughts and my young, swollen heart, I was blessed with comfort and peace.

I ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, be filled with faith, and remember the Lord has said He “would fight [our] battles, [our] children’s battles, and [the battles of our] children’s children.”10 And what do we do to merit such a defense? We are to “search diligently, pray always, and be believing[. Then] all things shall work together for [our] good, if [we] walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.”11 The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and remember our covenants.

I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. 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. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. 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.

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My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.”13 On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.

May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, … my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”14 In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.”15 Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God when someone, perhaps a Primary child, is crying, “Darkness … afraid … river … alone.” To this end I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

"The Ministry of Angels", Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Nov. 2008

Given above the testimony of an apostle, Lauren and I are embarking on week 4, which focus is:

Love to serve

This week, we will pray for opportunities and recognition, and hope that like the angels that bring us comfort and peace, we may be able to serve as well.