Where are the Angels?

Alma 8

Alma goes into the city of Ammonihah only to be rejected by the people. He leaves but is sent back by an angel of the Lord. He meets Amulek who nourishes him after days of fasting. Alma is a blessing to Amulek's household, and they go out to preach to the people of Ammonihah.

I don't have anything real profound, but the thought came to mind as I was reading: If Alma was visited by an angel – the same angel who called him to repentance earlier in the Book of Mormon, could we assume all of us have an angel assigned to us? Maybe assume isn't the right word. Would it be reasonable to wonder though? Certainly Alma was called to greater things than being a trouble maker with his friends in his earlier days. Aren't all of us above such behavior? Sometimes we lose the vision and get off track. Where are the angels?

Well, this thought brings on the importance of Agency in the Lord's plan. We do have our agency to make whatever choices we want. With that agency, we have the power to ruin our shot here at earth life as well as destroy our chances for Eternal Life – living with our Heavenly Father and Savior throughout the eternities. That thought doesn't eliminate my original thought of “Where are the angels?” For me, my angels were earthly angels in the form of visiting teachers, home teachers and a very good bishop – actually a few bishops. Did I feel influence beyond the veil? Initially, I really did, thought I didn't see them. Something caused me to cry “uncle”, and fall down and pray for a better life. Was it the Spirit I had been blessed with at the age of eight when I was baptized? That's not unreasonable to me as I have certainly felt his influence throughout my life since in many different ways.

I could entertain thoughts like this all day. My conclusion, however, is that we are being cared for on both sides of the veil – all of us, whether we are making righteous choices or not. For some reason, Alma was foreordained for certain things that he was not on track to do, and the Lord allowed an angel to visit him. We would do well as servants of our Heavenly Father and as parents of wayward children, to pray for the angels to be able to accomplish their missions of influence on those who have strayed from their foreordained greatness.