Guardian Angels

I feel that it is too often that when we think of seeing an angel, we think of having experiences such as Alma the younger when an angel actually descended from heaven and visited him face-to-face. While it is not wrong to think of having such an experience, it is important to know and understand that God has more than just this method of reaching out to us. In the October 2008 General Conference, Elder Holland taught:

"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."

Elder Holland teaches us that we are literally surrounded by angels. I've listened to this talk many times, but it wasn't until recently that I gained an even more powerful testimony of what Elder Holland taught. It was a few weeks ago when I was driving up to school from Las Vegas. I don't have the best car, but man, that thing is a fighter, and I had no doubt that it would get me up here! It was starting up still, I got the oil changed, I made sure it had everything it needed, etc. I left Vegas, and that thing was running better than ever. 

And so it was a big surprise when I got to Beaver, Utah, and stopped to use the bathroom...and my car wouldn't start! I called my mom to let her know that I'd be getting to Ogden a little late, and I felt bad because I had told her that I'd give her a ride to work if I made it on time. My car had troubles before, and so I didn't panic; I just tried what had worked before in hopes that the thing would start. After a good 30 minutes or so of trying different things, nothing worked. I still had my mom on the phone, and I could tell she was starting to worry a little. And everything to that point was suggesting that I should do the same and start panicking. But I didn't--especially because my mom suggested I say a prayer--which I did--and I felt comforted and knew everything was going to be okay. 

I was go into every single detail on what happened next, but I will say that after another hour or so, I was leaving Beaver, Utah, after receiving help from a family-owned mechanic shop close to where my car was parked. They didn't charge me a dime, and my car didn't need any serious repairs. It was just a matter of a person more familiar with cars being able to take a look at it. 

I was giving my siblings the play-by-play via our group chat, and when they heard I was on the road again, thanks to this generous family in Beaver, my brother Matt texted back and said, "Thank goodness for guardian angels." It was then that the light bulb in my head went off, and my heart was filled with gratitude. It was thanks to those guardian angels in Beaver that I was able to continue my journey back to school. I didn't get to know these people super well, but I will never forget them; I will always be grateful for the love and kindness they showed me that day. :)