Doctrine and Covenants 13 is just one verse long. It says:
1 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I aconfer the bPriesthood of Aaron, which holds the ckeys of the ministering of dangels, and of the gospel of erepentance, and of fbaptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the gsons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in hrighteousness.
John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood (The Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood), by Del Parson (62013); GAK 407; GAB 93; Primary manual 3-11; Primary manual 5-15; Primary manual 6-52; Doctrine and Covenants 13; Joseph Smith—History 1:68–73
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/image/aaronic-priesthood-given-to-joseph-bb88c20?lang=engI'd like to focus today on "the key of the ministering of angels." In the gospel of Jesus Christ, we often talk about the Holy Ghost, and in fact, this was the theme of a recent post of mine, "This is the Spirit of Revelation." We talk a little less often about angels, so it was interesting for me to study this topic a little more deeply last week and see what the Holy Ghost and angels have in common. You can go to the Guide to the Scriptures for a more technical explanation of angels. What interests me is how angels work in our lives. Just like the Holy Ghost, angels can warn, guide, and comfort.
In his 2008 General Conference talk, "The Ministry of Angels," by Jeffrey R. Holland, he gives several example of angels in the scriptures, for example, an angels visited Adam and Eve many times, an angel told Mary that she would be the earthly mother of the Savior, and an angel guided Joseph of the "coat of many colors" fame.
Elder Holland said,
"... God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. ... the scriptures or our own latter-day history ... are filled with accounts of angels ministering to those on earth." He then describes that angels are usually not seen, but "they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times."
In a speech given at Brigham Young University in 1974, called "Jesus Christ - Gifts and Expectations," Ezra Taft Benson said,
"God loves us, he’s watching us, he wants us to succeed, and we’ll know someday that he has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew that there are heavenly hosts pulling for us—friends in heaven, whom we can’t remember now, who yearn for our victory. This is our day to show what we can do—what life and sacrifice we can daily, hourly, instantly bring to God. If we give our all, we will get his all from the greatest of all."
Let's go back to the scripture. It says the Priesthood of Aaron confers the "key of the ministering of angels." What does that mean for us? In a talk from 1982 about the Priesthood of Aaron, Gordon B. Hinckley said,
"Think of it, my dear young brethern. This priesthood which you hold carries with it the keys of the ministering of angels. That means, as I interpret it, that if you life worthy of the priesthood, you have the right to receive and enjoy the very power of heavenly beings to guide you, to protect you, to bless you."
This does NOT mean that women are exempt from receiving this same power of heavenly beings. M Russell Ballard is one of many that have clarified this. In August 2013, at a BYU devotional he gave a talk called, "Let Us Think Straight." Elder Ballard explained that women can also receive the same access to the Lord's power, including the ministering of angels. He said,
"Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in our own lives. 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.Elder John A. Widtsoe explained that the priesthood is for the benefit of all members of the Church. Men have no great claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood and accompany its possession. Woman does not hold the Priesthood, but she is a partaker of the blessings of the Priesthood. (Priesthood and Church Government - Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938, 83)."
What a miracle, what a blessing that we all have the ability to be blessed by the ministering of angels. (I say "all" because even if you are not a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ, the gospel is welcome to all. God loves everyone, we are all equal in his eyes, and the gospel is for everyone.)
Moroni 7:29 says
"... have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men."
One more quote, from Wendy Nelson, the prophet's wife, from when she spoke at a BYU Women's conference in May 2015. According to Church News staff writer Marianne Holman Prescott, she said,
"As we keep our covenants, we can ask for angels to help us. Literally. ... I'm not talking praying for fantasy angels with wings to magically fairy-dust our problems away. I'm not talking about praying to angels. I'm talking about praying to your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for those on the other side to be dispatched to assit you. Perhaps a loved one or two could be sent to help you with whatever you need."
What an awesome, special thing it is to know that through our deepest trials and our greatest despair, that God is watching over us, and that his angels are watching over us. One final note. I called my thoughts today "I Believe in Angels" because I firmly do believe in angels. Not the kind with big white wings and a shiny halo, but the kind that look like translated beings, some who we get to read about in the Bible from when they were here on this earth, like Peter, or in the Book of Mormon, like Moroni. I also believe that we have the power and ability to act like earthly angels, as Carlos A. Godoy discusses in his talk, "I Believe in Angels." I believe in angels and I'm grateful for the priesthood power that brought the keys of the ministering of angels back to our earth when the gospel of Jesus Christ was once again restored to the earth.
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