Wife Rule #150: To the Angels

The other day I awoke with thoughts and ideas floating around in my head--about Christmas time and the Savior's birth, and the good news brought by the angels, and all those loved ones who have enriched our lives and given us the gifts of faith, friendship, and love. I spent the next half hour trying to tie these thoughts together and write them down, and here is the result:

Beautiful Angels

Beautiful angels! They came to the family:
To Mary and Joseph and those whom they loved
To herald the coming of Jesus the Savior;
A message of peace to their hearts from above.
(Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:20-24; Luke 1:11-17)

Beautiful angels! They sang to the shepherds
The glorious message of peace on the earth.
With goodwill they hastened to see in the manger
The Christ child to find and adore at His birth.
(Luke 2:8-17)

Beautiful angels! In far lands proclaiming
Glad tidings of great joy to wise men and pure--
The prophecies spoken by those long before them
Fulfilled at His coming, their faith to make sure.
(Helaman 16:13-14)

Beautiful angels! In latter-days coming,
Proclaiming the Savior, His truth to restore
In heavenly fullness, His gospel returning
That again we may seek Him, and find, and adore!
(Joseph Smith History 1:30-34, D&C 110:11-16, Moroni 7:29-32)

Beautiful angels! Today they surround us;
Our hearts knit in love with these more common kind--
Our parents and siblings, our kind friends and neighbors--
Together we seek Him, together we find
In the love of “our angels” the Christ child we find!
(Mosiah 18:21)

As a fitting companion to these thoughts, I recalled these words spoken by Jeffrey R. Holland, a living Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ:

“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.”
(Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” October 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

At this happy season, my wife and I sincerely want to express our thanks and love to the angels in our lives--both those whose celestial words we read in the holy scriptures, as well as those who, though mere mortals like the rest of us, nonetheless shine with celestial demeanor and whose service blesses our lives in countless ways during the everyday interactions we enjoy with you.

May God bless you for your love and may we all remember the King of kings and Lord of lords whose ministry and mission on earth was ordained for the express purpose of lifting our lives and transforming us all into celestial beings--into angels fit for the presence of God.