Laurel Lawrence class 10/21 House of Israel, Abrahamic Covenant

Mnemonic for 12 Tribes of Israel – L.B. J’s DENIM RAGZ: Levi, Benjamin, Judah, Simeon, Dan, Ephraim, Naphtali, Issachar, Manasseh, , Reuben, Asher, Gad, Zebulun.

Laurel actually wrote it out on a piece of denim.

When Lawrence’s were in a mission in Siberia, Laurel was very lonely, so she always looked forward to the mission presidents’ seminars. One year President Nelson, who was then an apostle, was the visiting authority. He was VERY interested in the Eastern Europe area. Their son even served a mission in Moscow. However, he didn’t teach about missionary work – he taught about the House of Israel. That is his passion.

Jacob 5 is the longest book in the Book of Mormon and is all about the scattering and gathering of Israel. 

The first Patriarchs were sent to Russia after the Lawrences left. It is important that patriarchs be able to give the blessings in the people’s native language.  All patriarchal blessings are sent to Utah to be stored there. When the first 100 blessings were sent, they found that every tribe of Israel was represented in the blessings from Russia. Nelson said the lost tribes of Israel have been found in the lands of the north.

The Russian people are beautiful, literate, and educated. They have tiny apartments but all have a wealth of good books. They are very fit because they have to walk everywhere, they are not wealthy but they all own fur coats.

The older generation people are not very friendly because of growing up in communism, but the younger generations are very friendly.

6 years after their mission, Lawrences went back to Russia as general authority seventy. This time they were in Moscow instead of Siberia. The members and missionaries there were very interested in learning about the House of Israel.

All of the House of Israel is only 3% of the total population. They are known to have “believing blood”.

This is the breakdown in Russia when Lawrences were there.

When a patriarch gives a blessing, he assigns that person to one of the tribes of the House of Israel, according to inspiration. We are all inter-related, so it is common for people of the same family to be of different tribes, according to what God want your life mission focus to be. If someone is not of the House of Israel, the patriarch will say, “You will receive your blessings through Abraham.

Lehi was a descendent of Menasseh; Ishmael was a descendent of Ephriam, so when the patriarch gives a blessing to a descendent of Lehi, he will just say that they are descended from Joseph. Mulekites were of the house of Judah.

Why the gathering is so important? In the war in heaven, it was shown who the more valiant people were, and those were put in the House of Israel. The people of the House of Israel have been elected to fight on the most wicked planet.

Abraham wanted the Priesthood and asked Melchizedek for it. He wanted to be exalted and promised to be faithful. Because of his faithfulness, he was promised Posterity, Property, and Priesthood. These are the blessings of exaltation.

  

D&C 101 – we each have to have a test like Abraham. The test will be something “we don’t deserve” – that’s what makes it so hard. Abraham was called to be a witness of God. He was called to se3rve a mission en Egypt, Heron. The scriptures say that he took his converts with him when he went back home. (Genesis and P of GP) Abraham paid tithing and kept the commandments.

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, which means “Let God Prevail”, and “Soldier of God”.

The promise made to Abraham is called the Abrahamic Covenant, which is now called the new and Everlasting Covenant. Exaltation is done 2 by 2. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all exalted and made Gods.

Not all Jews are of the house of Judah. Many Jews are from Levi or Benjamin.

Prophet Joseph Smith called Elder Orson Hyde of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and George J. Adams on a mission to Russia “to introduce the fullness of the Gospel to the people of that vast empire, and [to this] is attached some of the most important things concerning the advancement and building up of the kingdom of God in the last days, which cannot be explained at this time.” History of the Church, 6:41

“All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth [life] was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?” (Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, 7–8; or Ensign, Jan. 1974, 5).

Join the Battalion, Help Gather Israel - President Russell M. Nelson
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/07/join-the-battalion-help-gather-israel?lang=eng

Read Born to Change the World.

Temples Laurel Lawrence’s class October 14 2021

The first recorded temple is Solomon’s, 1000 years before Christ. People were so excited to have a temple that they donated their jewels, etc which made it the most beautiful of all temples.

The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the 10 commandments. Only the 1 high priest could enter there.

When Jews prayed, they always faced the temple to remind them of their covenants. We are told to have a picture of a temple in our homes to remind us of our covenants.

SLC temple has a Holy of Holies, but other temples don’t. Only the prophet enters, but there are 2 chairs there.

600 years BC the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. When Jews returned 70 years later, they wanted to rebuild the temple. Herod remodeled and expanded it so it was called Herod’s temple. that’s where Jesus taught. He prophesied that the temple would be destroyed. Now all that remains is the ancient western wall. It  is considered sacred. When Jews visit it, they write prayers on little pieces of paper and insert them into small holes in the wall like our prayer roll, showing our prayer roll comes from ancient times.

Before the 2^nd coming, the Jews will rebuild their temple.

Nephi built a temple after the manner of Soloman, also Benjamin and Jesus at Bountiful record being on the temple steps.

The new commandment is to build temples all over the world. 83 of the new temples were announced by President Nelson (1/3rd)

The construction sites are holy. The workers have to not smoke, drink, swear, and no contention or arguing. One man named Stansbury worked on a temple site in Alabama (?) and was so impressed with the atmosphere while building that he investigated and joined the Church.

The first temple in the latter days was Kirtland. The blueprints or images of how it should be built were shown by vision in living glory. The rooms are 55’ by 65’. The 1^st floor was for Sunday meetings, the Thursday fast meeting. The 2^nd floor was for Priesthood meetings and the school of the prophets. The 3^rd floor had classrooms and ordinance rooms.  There were Many heavenly visitors to that temple.

  

  

The Hosanna Shout is in remembrance of when Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem and the people waved palm leaves and shouted hosanna.

Hosanna Shout - President Russell M. Nelson
  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/46nelson?lang=eng

There was no baptism for the dead and no endowment in the Kirtland temple, only initiatories.

In the Nauvoo temple God taught baptism for the dead. It had a font with 12 oxen representing the 12 tries of Israel. The Ox is the symbol of Ephesians. The early saints started doing the endowment in the upstairs of the red brick store so by the time the temple was built, there were about 80 who had been endowed and could serve as temple workers. Joseph Smith had to begin teaching the endowment in the red brick store upstairs because he would die before the Nauvoo temple was finished. Hundreds of saints went through the temple before they were driven out of Nauvoo. Those who went through were protected and none of them went inactive.

The first temple in Utah was St George. A guy was called to be a night watchman who had night blindness. He would have someone walk him to the temple, then when he entered, the whole building would be light enough that he could see. Then he would leave after his shift, and wouldn’t be able to see anything outside. Later he was a temple recorder. He was worried about his spelling and whether the names were pronounced correctly and during one session of baptisms for the dead he saw a spirit who was a 2^nd recorder, who corrected all spelling and pronunciation. D&C 128- what is recorded on earth is recorded in heaven, literally!

In 1997, the police were called and told the top of the temple was on fire. The fireman came, but there was no fire

In the San Diego temple it has 8 point stars repeated all through the building. The architect was inspired to put hundreds of 8-point stars. Later he spoke with Hugh Nibley and found out that was an ancient symbol of the Seal of Melchizedek.

Plans have already been revealed and are kept for the temple in Jerusalem. It has 24 circular and arch over center.??

One woman named Hilda King in Idaho Falls wanted to do something significant after her husband died, so she set a goal to do 20,000 endowments before she died. He got that goal and passed it. She did 105 endowments each month. She died at 94, 1 week after finishing.

Hilda Tovey Knighton King Temply Work
  https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/8010302/hilda-tovey-knighton-king-temply-work

Horace Cummings recorded: “Concerning the work for the dead, [Joseph] said that in the resurrection those who had been worked for would fall at the feet of those who had done their work, kiss their feet, embrace their knees and manifest the most exquisite gratitude.” The Prophet added, “We do not comprehend what a blessing to them these ordinances are.” See statement of Horace Cummings in Lundwall, comp., The Vision, p. 141.

The plans for the Fresno temple were given to President Hinckley while he was on a plane and he wrote them on a small piece of paper or napkin.

There is a feeling of urgency to have temple work done before the 2^nd coming because every spirit wants their work done so they can be resurrected in the first resurrection. Every week President Hinckley asked temple department “how many prisoners did we release this week?”

The Promised Land Class by Laurel Lawrence 10/7

In the days before Peleg (the great-grandson of Noah), the land was all one continent. The Garden of Eden was in what is now Jackson County Missouri. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, they went to Davies County to what is now called Adam Ondi Ahman which translated means land where Adam dwelt

The people spread over the land and Enoch ended farther south. When his city was taken up, it went up with the whole land, animals, and people. It left a hole which is now called the Gulf of Mexico.

Joseph Young Sr. notes that “Joseph Smith said . . . in the hearing of some of the saints still surviving, that the City of Enoch would again take its place in the identical spot from which it had been detached, now forming that chasm of the earth, filled with water, called the Gulf of Mexico” (12; see also Widtsoe 365). Widtsoe, John A. “Enoch.” Juvenile Instructor (June 1901) 36:365.

 

Noah built the ark in what is now the Carolinas. The Carolinas are famous for the finest furniture because the wood that grows there is better than anywhere else. Noah landed near Turkey in the mountains of Ararat. As the waters receded, the lands drifted apart.

 

God made the United States separate so it could be the Promised Land – a land apart from the world. Genesis 49:26 mentions the Americas – the Everlasting Hills. Genesis 49:26  “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills...."

Isaiah 2:2 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it."

Isaiah saw America and called it the mountain of the Lord’s house (which refers to where the temple is). Utah means top of mountains. The Church wanted to name Utah Deseret, but the government required it be named Utah, and fulfilled prophesy of Isaiah.

 

The Book of Mormon referred to all of the Americas as a choice land, where the gospel could be restored. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. The B of M teaches over and over that to keep this land free, people need to keep the commandments or they will be cut off from God’s presence.

 

This is a covenant land in that Jesus is the landlord; a land of sacred promise. Ether taught that this land would be free from captivity as long as we serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.

The Jaredites are an example of a people who would not keep the commandments and were completely wiped off the land.

 

Nephi taught that Columbus would be led here by the Lord. Christopher Columbus was of Jewish descent and a follower of Christ. Orson Hyde said that Moroni guided C Columbus he called Columbus the prince of America.

Moroni is the Angel of America - Orson Hyde
It was by the agency of that same angel of God that appeared unto Joseph Smith....This same angel presides over the destinies of America, and feels a lively interest in all our doings. He was in the camp of Washington; and, by an invisible hand, led on our fathers to conquest and victory; and all this to open and prepare the way for the Church and kingdom of God to be established on the western hemisphere, for the redemption of Israel and the salvation of the world. This same angel was with Columbus, and gave him deep impressions, by dreams and by visions, respecting this New World. Trammeled by poverty and by an unpopular cause, yet his persevering and unyielding heart would not allow an obstacle in his way too great for him to overcome; and the angel of God helped him--was with him on the stormy deep, calmed the troubled elements, and guided his frail vessel to the desired haven. Under the guardianship of this same angel, or Prince of America, have the United States grown, increased, and flourished, like the sturdy oak by the rivers of water. Orson Hyde, JD 6:368

On several occasions Columbus gave credit to the Almighty. In writing to the Spanish leaders, he said, “Our Lord unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Who heard of my enterprise, called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?” (Jacob Wassermann, Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas, trans. Eric Sutton, Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1930, p. 20.)

He was a man of faith. He didn’t allow swearing on the ships, and required that everyone worship on Sundays.

 

The house of Israel is 3% of the population worldwide.

 

Washington was also religious. He required his soldiers to fast once a month, no gambling, no drunkenness, no whoredoms, and not taking of God’s name in vain, so the Lord guided the American troops. The continental congress ordered 20,000 Bibles be given to all the soldiers. They were called the Bibles of the Revolution. He taught that if they read the Bible, they would be inspired.

 

God helped the American soldiers. They were untrained farmers. Bad weather was God’s greatest weapon. Many tines there was thick fog, hurricanes, and frozen roads that kept the opposition from advancing or fighting. America started out as a faithful nation.

 

George Washington was 6’3” and stood out in every crowd. He had strong hands and could crack a walnut with one hand. He had great dignity. He didn’t boast, and refused to argue with others. He was close to being a prophet to lead the people.

 

His father died when he was 11. Lucy taught him to pray be honest, and be gentle. He married a widow and adopted her children.

 

The Indians believed he was protected by the Great Spirit and called him bulletproof.

 

He saw an angel. He was called the Son of the Republic. He saw angels fighting with them and saw that they would win. He saw how America would expand sea to shining sea. He saw future greatness of this land.

 

After they won the war, the colonists wanted to crown hi King George II. He teared up and refused. He reminded them that was the reason they fought the war. He was a very prayerful man.

 

18 years after they ratified the Declaration of Independence, Joseph Smith was born.

 

The Constitution is an inspired document. See the movie: A More Perfect Union. When they were writing the Constitution, they could never agree on the wording or the purposes. Benjamin Franklin said God governs in the affairs of men and made a motion that every meeting begin with prayer. After that they were able to come to agreement and write it.

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, and the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. I have faith in America. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through." (Benjamin Franklin, Source: Ye Are the Light of the World 350-51 )

 

A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation
https://smile.amazon.com/More-Perfect-Union-America-Becomes/dp/B07V9K34DW/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=A+More+Perfect+Union%3A+America+Becomes+a+Nation&qid=1633760479&sr=8-3

 

Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution
By President Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/51oaks?lang=eng 

The founding fathers appeared to Wilford Woodruff asking to have their temple work done. George Washington was the spokesman. All the signers of the Declaration of Independence, every president of the United States, Christopher Columbus, and many other eminent men. There were scientists, statesmen, Robert Burns, explorers, and 70 women like Martha Washington and other wives of the founders, Jane Auston, Emily Barrett Browning, etc.

 

5 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were killed; 12 had their houses ransacked, 9 died in the war. When they appeared to W Woodruff, George Washington and 3 others were ready to be ordained high priests – John Wesley, Christopher Columbus, and Benjamin Franklin.

 

The dollar bill says In God We Trust – our nation is founded on it. In the schools, the children used to be taught their abc’s with Bible verses. We used to have prayer in school

 

In 1962 use of the Bible was removed and prayer in school outlawed. Since that, pregnancy of unwed mothers, abortion, alcohol consumption, all skyrocketed. ACT scores have declined. There is little religious training in most homes, so without any at school, it has caused more decline of society.

 

Read Does Constitution still matter? in Time Magazine 2011. 

The prophesy says that in the last days the constitution will hang by a brittle thread. That article sounds like it really does.

Quote about "the constitution hanging by a thread" in "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", reported by 3 different witnesses:

1.      James Burgess:  "Joseph Smith stated that the time would come when the Constitution and government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands, but this people, the Latter-day Saints, will step forth and save it."  (WJS pg. 279)

2.    . Brigham Young:  "As Joseph Smith said, 'The time will come when the destiny of the nation will hang upon a single thread.  At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction." (JD 7:15)

3.    . Eliza R. Snow:  "I heard the prophet Joseph say that the time would come when this nation would so far depart from its original purity, its glory and its love for freedom, and its protection of religious and civil rights, that the Constitution of our country would hang as it were by a thread.  He said, also, that this people, the sons of Zion, would rise up and save the Constitution and bear it off triumphantly." (Deseret News Weekly, 19 Jan 1870) 

6 members of congress now are members of our Church.

 

Read This Nation will Never Fail by Harold B Lee

 

President Hinckley gave a copy of the Book of Mormon to President Reagan. He used quotes from it in some of his speeches after that.

 

Read the Lincoln Hypothesis – it says Lincoln checked out the B of M from the Library of Congress and kept it 8 months. Soon after that he issued the Emancipation Proclamation andhis speeches changed. Abraham Lincoln, God's Humble Instrument
https://assets.ldscdn.org/81/e0/81e0b41de5add5aef00bca7d0908677f076185a2/insights_abraham_lincoln.mp3

The Lincoln Hypothesis: A Modern-day Abolitionist Investigates the Possible Connection between Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and Abraham Lincoln - by Timothy Ballard
https://smile.amazon.com/Lincoln-Hypothesis-Modern-day-Abolitionist-Investigates/dp/1629721794/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Lincoln+Hypothesis+by+Timothy+Ballard&qid=1633759779&sr=8-1

There is a video on the Church website called Insights of Lincoln’s Life.

 

 There is also a Washington Hypothesis The Washington Hypothesis: A Modern-Day Investigator Explores the Possible Connection Between the American Covenant, Latter-day Temples, and George Washington - by Timothy Ballard

https://smile.amazon.com/Washington-Hypothesis-Modern-Day-Investigator-Connection/dp/1629724521/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Lincoln+Hypothesis+by+Timothy+Ballard&qid=1633759842&sr=8-2

 

and a Pilgrim Hypothesis.

 

Laurel Lawrence Class 9/30 – ANGELS

The Church began putting angels on top of the temples with the building of the Nauvoo temple. At that time weather vanes were very popular, 

so William Weeks was commissioned to create a weather vane in the shape of a angel. It was made of tin, gilded with gold. It was 5’ long. The angel held a book in one hand and a trumpet in the other.

Wilford Woodruff commissioned Cyrus Dallin to create an angel for the SLC temple. He was only 21 yet had national awards for his sculptures. He refused at first saying he didn’t believe in angels. WW asked him to go ask his mother about it. Cyrus asked his mother, who whole-heartedly encouraged him to do the angel. She told him that of course he believed in angels because he always called her his angel-mother. So he did it and later said it was the most spiritual experience of his life.

 

Later he was commissioned to create a statue of a pioneer woman and used Dallin H Oaks’ mother as the model. That’s how Oaks got his first name!

 

To make the angel Moroni statue, Cyrus needed a model and searched all over. He finally found a young man who was very muscular. After he finished the body, he needed a model for the head because he didn’t want it to look like a young man, so he searched all over again and finally found a man. It turned out the man he found for the head model was the father of the young man he had used for the body model.

 

The original angel Moroni statue on the SLC temple was 12’. It also serves as a lightning rod for the temple. Now there are 6 statues that can be used to top temples.

 

20 years ago Elder Holland spoke to seminary and institute teachers and told them we need to talk more often about angels when we teach. In 2008 Elder Holland gave a talk saying that angels still minister to men.

 

Angel means messenger

 

The devil also has messengers. Revelations 12 talks about Satan and his angels were cast down. The were sent to this earth because this is the headquarters for Christ’s atonement.

The devil is responsible for all illness and pain. That’s why there will be no illness or pain in the millennium – because Satan will be bound.

The devil’s #1 target are the prophets.

 

Jesus has more angels than Satan does – story of Elisha – they that be with us are more than they that be with them

 

The angels are on our side. When we have problems, there is help from both sides of the veil.

 

Pres Nelson said that angels are always on call – always ready. WE can call on them always to come down. Their only limitation is that they cannot do for us what we can do for ourselves. They can only help after all we can do.

David O McKay – Men’s extremities is God’s opportunity

 

Heber C Kimball said there are possibly 10 times more angels here than people.

 

Pres Monson’s favorite scripture was D&C 84:88. 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 ^cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine ^dangels round about you, to bear you up.

 

He was speaking in Conference when something happened and he wasn’t able to speak for a minute. A woman watching had children with her and had given the smaller children crayons and told them to draw the speaker. Later she looked at the pictures, and the 5 year old Saylor had drawn 2 men next to Monson. She asked her daughter about it. She said, those were the two men standing by him. That night she asked her again and she said they had sparkles on them, meaning they glowed or were shining. 

Babies and children see angels, like the the movie the Cokeville Miracle.

 

When President Nelson was in Mozambique, some men attacked him and his wife and were going to take his wife. When they aimed a gun at Nelson, it didn’t fire, and they suddenly released Wendy and left. He said he knew angels were protecting them.

 

In Russia, they had many missionaries speak of kind people who spoke English talk to them to help them out. The Russians would never speak to a missionary to help them out and very few spoke perfect English. They felt they had a lot of help from Angels.

 

Angels not only protect and help, but they can call to repentance like Alma the younger and Laman and Lemuel.

 

There are 4 types of angels:

Spirits not yet born like who had to have helped Adam and Eve

 D&C 129

 Deceased spirits who are not yet resurrected like Gabriel (Noah) who appeared to Mary and Zacharias and like Joseph Smith who returned many times to help and give counsel. 

many times Angels can appear while someone is asleep

 

Translated beings – the 3 Nephites, John the Baptist, and maybe others (D&C 49)

Those translated beings will be changed in the twinkling of an eye in the 2^nd coming. Right now they can blend in with all of us. We may talk to them without knowing because they don’t have any glory yet.

 

Ressurrected beings – like Moroni, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist – had to have bodies to be able to confer authority.

 

Angels can minister to other planets but angels from other planets can’t come here.

 

Angels don’t have wings. they were originally described or depicted that way to represent motion.

 

Resurrected beings can appear with glory like Moroni to Joseph Smith, or can withhold their glory like the Lord on the road to Arameas. Ministering spirits can’t cover or withhold their glory/light.

There is order to all things, even angels. The head angel is Michael the Archangel (Adam). He makes assignments. He may have been the angel who comforted the Savior in Gethsemane.

 

Cherubim and seraphim are ranks of angels.

 

Most people probably don’t have an assigned guardian angel who is always with them. But the prophets do. Probably more than one angel. Joseph Smith always needed protection from angels. Even at the martyrdom, as he was shot, a voice yelled, “The Mormons are coming” so the crowd dispersed. They had planned to cut off JS head.

 

When David O McKay was a young missionary, someone was speaking to the missionaries and talking about guardian angels. He said that there was one right there next to that elder, motioning to David O McKay.

 

Joseph F Smith and his sister’s father was Hyrum who was killed. They crossed the plains with their mother. After they arrived, the mother died. JFS was 11 and the sister was 9. She saw her mother and father. They rode up on the horses they had before. The girl said they gave her much comfort and encouragement. The history is written in pencil and on display in SLC.

MARTHA ANN’S VISION: (YOUNGER SISTER OF JOSEPH F. SMITH) SHE WAS 11 YEARS OLD WHEN HER MOTHER DIED, MAKING HER AN ORPHAN.

(dictated to her older brother, Joseph, who wrote it out in pencil)

       “I saw my mother and father sitting on the white horse my father used to ride, dressed in white robes with veils over their faces.  The horse was also clothed in white.  Their hands were transparent.  There feet were covered with their robes.  The horse’s feet looked beautiful standing on a pavement of gold, smooth like glass.

        My father asked me if we were all well.  . . Then mother explained that she had worried about going and leaving her children when she died.  She had asked Hyrum: “How can I leave the children?”  He answered: “The children will be taken care of” - and that he would be with them, and watch over them.

        My father then told my mother she had done well by them and he was perfectly satisfied. . .  and that he would be with them from this time henceforth and forever.

       I asked my father if I had been faithful.  He said, “yes, thus far.”  They said I must stay and take care of Joseph and tell him to be a good boy and tell all the children to be good and they should soon be together again. 

       Mother asked me if Sister Grennels tried to get Joseph to read.  I said yes.  She said she was glad and she thought the world of her for that, and she would like him to go to school if it were possible. 

       I asked Mother why they wore veils.  She said if they should remove them I could not look upon them.  I kissed them both through their veils. Their breath smelled like sweet ointment.  Their voices sounded like sweet music.

She said she had seen her mother and that they had a joyful time, and they all dwelt in the same mansion.

  Mother said: “Be kind to Aunt Thompson. She will soon come to us.” (Mercy Thompson was Mary Fielding’s sister, and apparently it would soon be her time to go. ) She then told me to tell John to be kind to her horse, Fanny, that she would want her soon – but she was going to have one of her mother’s horses for the present.” 

 

Harold B Lee gave talk in BYU devotional about angels as heavenly messengers.

 

Moroni 10:14 says it is a gift of the Spirit to see angels.

 

Angels have special charges to watch over children. In Primary Children’s Hospital in SLC one little girl told her parents that each child in ICU had an angel with them.

 

3^rd Nephi the Savior says “Behold your little ones” then the eyes of the parents were opened so they could see the angels ministering to them.

 

1990 New Era – article about Miracle by Ted Brereton

 

Elder Hanson in New Zealand told of being so hungry. Their money hadn’t arrived lately and were so hungry. They were missing their wives’ homemade bread. They rode along on their horses and saw something in the road ahead. It was a loaf of fresh bread with a white cloth over it. The letters took a long time to get from home. He wrote home about what had happened and in a month he got a letter from his wife saying that day she had made bread. When she took it out of the oven, one pan was empty, and the white cloth was missing from the counter where she left it. She was sure nobody had been in the house. They still have the white cloth.

 

In Russia, Laurel wondered why the Russians were so cold. They would not talk or smile at strangers or ever help anyone they didn’t know. She wanted to study the history of Russia to see why the people were that way, and had searched the bookstores, but couldn’t find anything in English.

 

Larry had to go on a long trip and was going to be gone for a couple of weeks. She didn’t like being alone. They lived on the 7^th floor, and she had 3 deadbolts. After he left, she made sure all the deadbolts were locked before gong to bed. In the morning she found a beautiful new book in English about the history of Russia. She figured Larry had left it for her, but knew it wasn’t on the coffee table when she went to bed. She spent the whole time he was gone studying the book. Later he told her he knew nothing about it or where it came from. They knew angels had helped them!

 

Elder Hales spoke in conference regarding angels coming

 

Elder Oaks said that if we take the Sacrament worthily, we are eligible for angels to come to us.

 

The wife of the president of the Mesa AZ temple had gone to the temple, leaving her children home alone. When she got home she found wet clothes belonging to the 5 year old. She asked her about it. The girl said she had gone to the neighbor’s pool and fell in (or jumped?) and was drowning. She said a woman came and pulled her out and carried her home. The mom asked her who the woman was. She said the lady said her name was …… The mom recognized it as the name of the woman whose work she had just done in the temple.