I had an experience almost two months ago that I’ve felt I needed to share but haven’t because, well, there’s always the question “Why didn’t that happen to so-and-so but it did to you?”
And I don’t know the answer.
The best explanation I’ve found is at the end of the movie “The Cokeville Miracle”. If you remember a whole elementary school was taken hostage back in 1986 in Cokeville, WY. A bomb went off injuring many of the children but not one child or teacher was killed. The only ones who died that day were the two hostage takers. As time went on many of the children told about seeing angels or feeling their presence protecting them. Why were they saved but those innocent lives at Sandy Hook Elementary were taken?
I can’t find our copy of the movie right now to get the exact quote but it went something like, “We don’t know why some children are saved and others are not. Not all who lived in Christ’s time were healed. We do know that we should acknowledge the miracles that occur in our lives and give praise to the Lord for them.”
So with that introduction I share my story. It is not grand but to me it is a miracle for which I am profoundly grateful.
It had been a very long day. I was physically and mentally exhausted. That is very rare for me. Even more rare is that I went to sleep that night immediately. My usual routine is to lie awake for almost an hour while my brain thinks about everything I did that day, what didn’t get done, and what needs to be done tomorrow. Right before I laid down I checked on baby Henry in his crib. He was lying on his back sleeping soundly. Yay! I knew he would probably sleep all night again. He is a really good sleeper!
As I slept (I really had only been asleep for about 10 minutes) I felt a nudge, someone pushing my shoulder and heard clearly a voice say, “Check on Henry.” I was so tired I could barely open my eyes. So I listened. I could hear his little breathing and thought, “He’s breathing. He’s fine.” And immediately fell back asleep. Some minutes later there was a much more forceful nudge push on my shoulder again followed by a voice saying, “Check on Henry now!” I opened my eyes, slowly got up and walked to Henry’s crib. He had somehow pulled the flannel blanket up over his face and he was lying perfectly still. I quickly yanked the blanket off and Henry gave three quick gasps. He hadn’t been breathing at all! I snatched him up and he began to cry. I did too.
That night I held my baby close as I offered up many prayers of gratitude for the heavenly help that had come to save little Henry.
I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. . . . Always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal. (Jeffrey R. Holland, The Ministry of Angels)
The children of Cokeville, WY had seen angels and identified them as family members, ancestors who had gone on before. I have no doubt that our ancestors are just as concerned and interested in us as we are or should be about them. While I do not know who it was that was sent to be Henry’s guardian angel that night I know because of how I feel that it was an ancestor or family member.**
In seminary a couple of weeks ago we studied the story of Elisha and his servant when they found they were surrounded by the Syrian army.
“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17)
Sister Wendy Watson Neslon, Pres. Nelson’s wife, spoke at the 2015 BYU Women’s Conference. As part of her talk she mentioned angels.
“It was during Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2010 general conference talk that I first learned this truth. He said, “Ask for angels to help you.” He said it with such clarity, and yet in a manner that implied this was something we all knew. But for me it was an entirely new principle. I wanted to call out, “Wait! Wait! What? You mean I could have been asking for angels to help me all this time?”
“Without intending to sound too dramatic, I can say with all candor that Elder Holland’s six words changed my life. “Ask for angels to help you.” That counsel changed my prayers, changed my understanding of the very real help from heaven that is always available to us as we keep our covenants. I started to ask for assistance from those on the other side of the veil from that moment on. Now I’m not talking about 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” (Elder Holland’s word) to assist you. Perhaps a loved one or two could be sent to help you with whatever you need.
“Can you imagine the effort it took those angels who pushed from the rear of handcarts as they helped the pioneers over the steep, snowy, windy, freezing, jagged terrain of Rocky Ridge? If angels can manage that, they can certainly help you and me over our present Rocky Ridges. We know the Lord gets His work done with the help of His angels. So could you use a little more help in your life? If so, keep your covenants with more exactness than ever before. And then ask for angels to help you with whatever you need. Or ask for them to be dispatched to help those you love.
“Does your child need help? Is your husband in trouble? Does your aunt need comfort? Does your best friend need direction? Ask for angels to be assigned to help them. As a covenant-keeping woman, you can do just that!”
In his phenomenal talk The Ministry of Angels Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, … my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” (D&C 84:88) In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and “the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.” (D&C 90:24) Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God when someone, perhaps a Primary child, is crying, “Darkness … afraid … river … alone.”
We read Elder Holland’s talk as part of our seminary lesson and one of the youth pointed out he really liked this part where we can be those angels sent by God to help someone else IF we prepare ourselves to listen and obey. We are surrounded by angels! Both earthly and heavenly who want to help us, who are sent by God to help us in our time of need. I truly believe that. With the experiences I have had I can never deny it.
** I have since had an experience too sacred to share here in this public space but we now know who that heavenly help was.
Wow, I have tears in my eye while typing this. What an amazing story, thank you for sharing. I had the most powerful experience at night once with my baby as he was struggling with feeling good, I could definitely feel angles near!
Beautiful!! Just beautiful. *hugs*
Thank-you for sharing this wonderful, sacred experience. I too, have a testimony of angels, and tho’ you use the example of Sandy Hook, we know not how those parents had been prepared to handle such an awful, awful tragedy, or even if they recognized it. I am so glad beautiful Henry is safe. I’ve had several experiences, one of which you know is when we met the man on 140. I KNOW who he was, and wondered many times we us? Until your sweet, sweet sister in law said “Why Not You”?
Incredible. Thank you so much for sharing. Your story is a quick reminder on where our focus should be. Thank you for that. So glad little Henry is ok.
Oh thank heavens for our Angels!!! What a great miracle and blessing.
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts! All of us have challenges but we can always turn to our Heavenly Father for much-needed help. Sydney
I really needed to read this exact message this morning. And you have been my angel in delivering it. ?
Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad you shared this story. I had a similar experience with our firstborn. My husband was deployed to Okinawa and I was living in my parents home while they were on a mission. Our daughter NEVER slept through the night. Then one night she slept a long time, and I suddenly awoke with an urgent prompting to check on her. I found her in her crib looking peaceful, but as I stroked her cheek I found she was cold to the touch, I shook her and shouted her name several times, she finally took a big gaspy breath and began to cry. Me too! I held her and promised that I wouldn’t ever get mad at her for not sleeping through the night. I don’t know who woke me up to check on her, but I’m so glad they did. This little girl was our only daughter and has grown up to be my best friend! I also don’t know why some babies live and others die. Those are things we won’t know until we graduate and go home. I do believe some children really do complete their missions quickly; while most of us take a much longer time.
Angels are so wonderful and I love being able to access their power as a Mom. My son was kidnapped in Mexico – I had no idea, but sensed he was surrounded by darkness. I prayed for help and still felt he wasn’t safe. So I prayed and asked that Angels be sent to help him. I felt peace after I asked for that. Only a few hours later I learned that he had been kidnapped and miraculously escaped. I feel certain that my prayer for angels was instrumental in his safe return home. http://sheridanripley.com/the-power-of-a-mothers-prayer/
Thank you for sharing your experience, because it will help Moms know that we can pray and call up on angels to help us keep our children safe.
I just read your experience, Sheridan. Wow! How scary. And yet, because of a mother’s prayer for angels he was kept safe. So glad it turned out well!
Thank you. We feel very blessed. We could see God’s hand in saving him and we are so grateful.
Wow…what a precious experience to share. Thank you so much for sharing it. It has helped me tremendously as I embark on a new and challenging calling. I’m so glad your baby Henry is with you still. What a neat experience…thanks again for sharing and referencing the talks.
I really, really love your story. Thank you for sharing it! It brought tears to my eyes. I too have had an experience with knowing my ancestor angels were helping me–I call them my “angel Grandmas”–as I went through a very difficult labor and delivery while having my first baby.
I hope you don’t mind me also sharing this, but do you know about Halo Sleep Sacks? (Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008KWO6?keywords=halo%20sleepsack&qid=1456632846&ref_=sr_1_3_s_it&s=baby-products&sr=1-3) I figured since my oldest is only 3, and you have 11 kids, these probably weren’t around when you started having babies. But if your baby just wore one of these sleep sacks to bed, you wouldn’t have to ever worry about a blanket over your sweet baby’s face ever again. They also have warm fleece ones for the winter–we even live in Minnesota and my baby wears her fleece footie pajamas and her fleece sleep sack and she’s never been cold at night. And they also have swaddle ones that were indispensable to me with my newborns.
Again, I hope you don’t mind me sharing about sleep sacks, but they have given me such peace of mind knowing my baby won’t ever get a blanket over his/her face. Thank you again for your beautiful story.
Thanks for sharing! They definitely weren’t around when I started having children. They look great and safe!
Usually we just use a footie sleeper with no blankets but the night this happened it was -17. So cold!
I rarely thought about angels growing up, but in recent years, they seem to just be more and more a constant theme in things I experience and read and feel and hear others talk about. It reminds me of that line in “The Spirit of God”: “the veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst”. I think that we will need their help more than ever in these last days and that it’s important we are aware it is there and that is part of why we are all becoming so much more aware. And like you, due to my own experiences and feelings, I am convinced they are not strangers to us at all but most often family.
What an amazing experience! We have also felt surrounded by loved ones from the other side during challenging times in the past, but your experience reminds me that I can seek them more often than I do. I’m so glad little Henry is safe.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful experience and blessing! It is amazing just how much we are loved by our Heavenly Father and Jesus and our angel ancestors!
Thank you for sharing. I love angels, seen and unseen, and have been blessed to receive their help many times. I know they are real. We have a James Christensen painting in our home titled Angel Unobserved. I love the symbolism and the daily reminder that angels are always there, even though we can’t always see them. And I love Elder Holland’s talk–definitely one of my favorites. Thanks again for sharing.
This was an incredible blog post for so many reasons. I loved your story–thank you for sharing it with your readers. It has strengthened my faith! I also want to say that this blog post came at the right time for me, for a number of reasons. I absolutely love (and need to utilize) the angels from the other side in my life. I just LOVE this so much! How I needed this today!
Wow. This is so beautiful. I’m so glad you shared it! I’m going to go read that Wendy Watson talk, but the Elder Holland one about angels is one of my favorite.
Thank you!
What an amazing experience! We have also felt surrounded by loved ones from the other side during challenging times in the past, but your experience reminds me that I can seek them more often than I do. I’m so glad little Henry is safe.
When I was pregnant with my third, and so tired I was laying down for a quick nap while my other two were –refusing to nap–and just playing together. I was woken by someone saying my name. Not loudly, but I felt it through my whole body. I immediately got up and checked on my boys. They were fine. But I often wonder what may have happened, or why I needed to wake at that moment. But it is just interesting to definitely have that feeling that we were not left alone in our little house, we were being watched over.
And it is interesting and hard to share personal blessings wile recognizing our dependence on God for those, and having faith in His individual plan for all of us. I actually didn’t make a comment in Relief Society a few weeks ago about the blessing of having a supportive spouse in relation to the topic (I think it was the adversity lesson) just because, knowing some of the situations of others in the room I felt a bit guilty to bring up having a great spouse. Because I don’t really think that somehow I “merited” that blessing through particular effort of my own. I think I/we did certain things right or well in our courtship, but I think other women could have done things similarly and still have it turn out that their husband wasn’t quite as great as they thought.
I don’t know if that makes any sense, but thanks for sharing, and the idea of asking for angels has definitely given me food for thought in my current struggles.