Thursday, October 13, 2016

Angels Watch Over You-1 Nephi 20:2

1 Nephi 20:2

Angels to watch over you
What
 2 Nevertheless, they call themselves of the aholy city, but they do bnot stay themselves upon the God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name.

Why
Jerusalem is the Holy city. They claim to be the Holy people but they do not rely upon God.

Pattern
Isa. 52:1
1  Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Ezek. 16:2
2  Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
Matt. 23:37
37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
D&C 130:
In answer to the question—Is not the reckoning of God’s atime, angel’s time, prophet’s time, and man’s time, according to the planet on which they reside?
 5 I answer, Yes. But there are no aangels who bminister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.
 6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;
 7 But athey reside in the bpresence of God, on a globe clike a dsea of glass andefire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

Christ
God of Israel, who is the Lord of Hosts; yea, the Lord of Hosts is His name.
[Meaning hosts of angels]
See guide to Scriptures under Angels.

Donald W. Parry (BYU Speeches 7/31/12

The Angels of the Lord of Hosts

How many angels are
 there? There are hosts of angels. The Old Testament expression “Lord of hosts” sometimes
 refers to the Lord of hosts of angels. The Bible Dictionary states: “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title
 of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies
 of heaven.”3Hebrew lexicons agree with this interpretation. One prominent Hebrew lexicon
 states that the term Lord of hosts sometimes refers to “the heavenly beings” of the
 Lord4 or “the heavenly entourage” of the Lord.5 Another Hebrew lexicon agrees
 with this definition, referring to a host as an “(organized body) of
 angels.”6

The title “Lord of hosts” is so important that it is found some 250
 times in the Old Testament; Isaiah alone used the term about fifty times. This title, then, is a
 frequent reminder that the Lord has hosts of angels. How many angels belong to the Lord of hosts of
 angels? The singular host, by definition, refers to “a large number of people or
 things.”7 The plural, hosts, multiplies this number. The Lord of hosts of angels
 refers to immense numbers.
Other passages of scripture also indicate that there are great
 numbers of the Lord’s angels. For example, Lehi envisioned “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded
 with numberless concourses of angels” (1 Nephi 1:8). Two passages of scripture—Hebrews 12:22 and
 Doctrine and Covenants 76:67—use the expression “an innumerable company of angels.” Furthermore,
 John the Revelator recorded:
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels
 round about the throne . . . : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and
 thousands of thousands. [Revelation 5:11]

Conference
Donald W. Parry BYU Speeches quotes conference addresses in his address
The title of my presentation is “Angels, Chariots,
 and the Lord of Hosts.”1 Please know that I have, through various means, sought for the
 Spirit of the Lord. Please know also that the Lord’s angels exist and are empowered by Jesus Christ
 through His infinite Atonement.

The Ministry of Angels

Since the days of Adam and Eve
 angels have had significant responsibilities in the Lord’s great plan of happiness. Angels figure
 prominently in ancient and modern scripture. Angels have ministered to or communicated with such
 notables as Adam, Hagar (see Genesis 16:7–11), Manoah’s wife (see Judges 13:3, 6, 19–21), Daniel,
 Mary the mother of Jesus (see Luke 1:26–38), Mary Magdalene, Salome, Joanna, Mary the mother of
 James, other women (see Mark 16:4–6; Luke 24:2–4; John 20:11–12), Peter, Paul, John the Revelator,
 and many others. Angels have also ministered to Book of Mormon characters, including Nephi (see
 1 Nephi 11:14; 2 Nephi 4:24), King Benjamin (see Mosiah 3:2), Alma the Younger (see Mosiah 27:10–11;
 Alma 8:14), Amulek (see Alma 10:7), Samuel the Lamanite (see Helaman 13:7), and
 others.
Furthermore, in our own dispensation prophets and apostles have testified of the
 eminence and considerable standing of angels. In fact, our dispensation has been a period of
 extraordinary angelic activity. Joseph Smith received dozens of communications from angels.
 Additional Church authorities and others have been recipients of angelic
 communications.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored, in part,
 when angels imparted revelations and truths to the Prophet Joseph Smith. A passage in the Doctrine
 and Covenants summarizes:
The voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel,
 and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring
 their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power
 of their priesthood. [D&C 128:21]
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reminded us that
 it is appropriate to speak about angels. He wrote, “I believe we need to speak of and believe in and
 bear testimony of the ministry of angels more than we sometimes do.”2
For a
 definition of angels, see the Bible Dictionary. In this presentation I will refer to the Lord’s
 angels unless otherwise stated.

The Angels of the Lord of Hosts

How many angels are
 there? There are hosts of angels. The Old Testament expression “Lord of hosts” sometimes
 refers to the Lord of hosts of angels. The Bible Dictionary states: “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title
 of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies
 of heaven.”3Hebrew lexicons agree with this interpretation. One prominent Hebrew lexicon
 states that the term Lord of hosts sometimes refers to “the heavenly beings” of the
 Lord4 or “the heavenly entourage” of the Lord.5 Another Hebrew lexicon agrees
 with this definition, referring to a host as an “(organized body) of
 angels.”6
The title “Lord of hosts” is so important that it is found some 250
 times in the Old Testament; Isaiah alone used the term about fifty times. This title, then, is a
 frequent reminder that the Lord has hosts of angels. How many angels belong to the Lord of hosts of
 angels? The singular host, by definition, refers to “a large number of people or
 things.”7 The plural, hosts, multiplies this number. The Lord of hosts of angels
 refers to immense numbers.
Other passages of scripture also indicate that there are great
 numbers of the Lord’s angels. For example, Lehi envisioned “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded
 with numberless concourses of angels” (1 Nephi 1:8). Two passages of scripture—Hebrews 12:22 and
 Doctrine and Covenants 76:67—use the expression “an innumerable company of angels.” Furthermore,
 John the Revelator recorded:
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels
 round about the throne . . . : and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and
 thousands of thousands. [Revelation 5:11]
Indeed, ten thousand times ten thousand
 angels, which equals 100 million, symbolizes a great number. To sum up, there are numberless
 concourses of angels, an innumerable company of angels, and hosts of angels—all of whom are in the
 service of our Lord and God.

Angels as Agents of Power

Angels are agents of power.
 Each of the Lord’s angels possesses extraordinary capabilities and powers, making them formidable
 beings. Their power ultimately exists because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Consider the
 following examples of the power of angels:
When Daniel was cast into the lions’ den, a
 stone was placed over the den’s opening to prevent Daniel’s escape. Then, to ensure that possible
 coconspirators with Daniel would not remove the stone without detection, the king and his officers
 used their signets to seal the stone (see Daniel 6:17). Had the seals been broken during the night,
 the king and his officers could have claimed deception or trickery on the part of Daniel. But
 neither the rock nor the seals prevented the angel from entering the den and stopping the lions’
 mouths. We note that the angel was not only empowered to save Daniel but that the angel himself was
 also immune from the lions’ destruction. Because of Daniel’s faith and righteousness, the angel
 saved him from a horrific death. Daniel would later testify, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath
 shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in
 me” (Daniel 6:22).
We live during a day of wars and rumors of wars. News organizations
 regularly report conflicts taking place in various parts of the world. However, we as Latter-day
 Saints should have a high degree of comfort in knowing the power of the Lord’s angels with regard to
 such conflicts. The Bible sets forth the following account of a powerful angel.
During the
 reign of King Hezekiah the Assyrian army was advancing toward Jerusalem with the intent of
 conquering it. With scores of thousands of enemy soldiers camped outside of Jerusalem’s gates,
 waiting to destroy the city’s inhabitants, Hezekiah petitioned the Lord through prayer in the
 temple. In response to Hezekiah’s humble prayer, the Lord sent his prophet Isaiah to the king,
 promising deliverance from the Assyrian army. Soon thereafter “the angel of the Lord went forth, and
 smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand” (Isaiah 37:36; see
 also Isaiah 37:33–35; 2 Chronicles 32:21). It is sometimes difficult to comprehend such
 extraordinary dominance: one angel versus some 185,000 disciplined soldiers—and the angel was
 victorious. Such an angelic operation is permitted only according to the Lord’s divine
 will.

Church authorities and others often liken this account to us.
 President Henry B. Eyring, for example, provided us with the following
 encouragement:
I know that the promise of angels to bear us up is real. You
 might want to bring to memory the assurance of Elisha to his frightened servant. That assurance is
 ours when we feel close to being overwhelmed in our service. Elisha faced real and terrible
 opposition. . . .
Like that servant of Elisha, there are more with you than those
 you can see opposed to you. Some who are with you will be invisible to your mortal
 eyes.9

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland related the account of Elisha and
 then applied this important story to each of us:
In the gospel of Jesus Christ
 we have help from both sides of the veil. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they
 will—we need to remember that if our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire
 as far as the eye can see, riding at great speed to come to our protection. They will always be
 there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.10
The
 account of Elisha reminds us also of when Elijah and Elisha were walking and talking near the Jordan
 River, and “there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and
 Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” When Elisha witnessed this scene, he cried out, “My
 father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof” (2 Kings 2:11–12). For multiple
 reasons this is a marvelous and incredible show of power: a chariot of fire, horses of fire, and
 Elijah ascending to heaven in a whirlwind create a magnificent scene.
On April 3, 1836,
 this same Elijah visited Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. Joseph wrote,
 “Another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven
 without tasting death, stood before us” (D&C 110:13).
The protective theme of horses
 and chariots of fire continues in our day. Some individuals who attended the dedication of the
 Kirtland Temple beheld angels, horses of fire, and chariots. The Prophet Joseph Smith recorded: “The
 heavens were opened unto Elder Sylvester Smith, and he, leaping up, exclaimed: ‘The horsemen of
 Israel and the chariots thereof.’”11
Additionally, Joseph Smith wrote that
Elder Roger Orton saw a mighty angel riding upon a horse of fire, with a flaming
 sword in his hand, followed by five others, encircle the house [temple], and protect the
 Saints, even the Lord’s anointed, from the power of Satan and a host of evil spirits, which were
 striving to disturb the Saints.12
This account makes it unmistakable
 that the angels who encircled the temple did so to protect the Saints from Satan’s host of evil
 spirits. This account also features angels with swords in their hands—a demonstration of angels’
 power to protect us from harm and danger.
Angels with swords are found in the Old
 Testament as well as in accounts during the Restoration. We are reminded, for instance, that Joseph
 Smith envisioned
Elder Brigham Young standing in a strange land, in the far south
 and west, in a desert place, upon a rock in the midst of about a dozen men . . . , who appeared
 hostile. He was preaching to them in their own tongue, and the angel of God standing above his head,
 with a drawn sword in his hand, protecting him, but he did not see it.13
President Packer provided the following significant
 statement:
Angels attend the rank and file of the Church. . .
 .
Who would dare to say that angels do not now attend the rank and file of the
 Church who—
answer the calls to the mission fields,
teach the
 classes,
pay their tithes and offerings,
seek for the records of
 their forebears,
work in the temples,
raise their children in
 faith,
and have brought this work through 150
 years? 14
This statement of President Packer’s clearly shows that
 angels attend the Church’s rank and file as they raise children in faith, pay tithing, conduct
 sacred temple work, teach classes, and more.
President Packer provided the following significant
 statement:
Angels attend the rank and file of the Church. . .
 .
Who would dare to say that angels do not now attend the rank and file of the
 Church who—
answer the calls to the mission fields,
teach the
 classes,
pay their tithes and offerings,
seek for the records of
 their forebears,
work in the temples,
raise their children in
 faith,
and have brought this work through 150
 years?14
This statement of President Packer’s clearly shows that
 angels attend the Church’s rank and file as they raise children in faith, pay tithing, conduct
 sacred temple work, teach classes, and more.
President Joseph F. Smith spoke of the love of heavenly messengers:
I believe we
 move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not
 separate from them. . . . I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous
 for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. . . . Their love for us and their desire
 for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for
 ourselves.19
I will now share two stories wherein angels
 communicated love to mortals. At one point in his life Parley P. Pratt remained captive for months
 in a Missouri dungeon. He was very discouraged. After fasting and praying for a number of days,
 Elder Pratt experienced a powerful answer to his prayer. He wrote:
A personage . . .
 stood before me with a smile of compassion in every look, and pity mingled with the tenderest love
 and sympathy in every expression of the countenance. . . . A well known voice saluted me, which I
 readily recognized as that of the wife of my youth, who had for near two years been sweetly sleeping
 where . . . the weary are at rest.20
This personage, as an angelic
 messenger, delivered her message to Elder Pratt and then departed.

Apply
President Packer provided the following significant
 statement:
Angels attend the rank and file of the Church. . .
 .
Who would dare to say that angels do not now attend the rank and file of the
 Church who—
answer the calls to the mission fields,
teach the
 classes,
pay their tithes and offerings,
seek for the records of
 their forebears,
work in the temples,
raise their children in
 faith,
and have brought this work through 150
 years?
President Packer gives the criteria for us to to follow so that we are worthy to be attended by angels.


I love this scripture.
 88 And whoso areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my c Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine dangels round about you, to bear you up. D&C 84:88

Hymns
328-An Angel From On High
203 Angels We Have Heard On High

Children
86-An Angel Came to Joseph Smith



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