"Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be."
Six times in this chapter it mentions speaking with an angel. There are many accounts of angels being sent as messengers from God throughout the scriptures. Just this past Sunday I was reading over the story of Jesus Christ's resurrection and how an angel rolled back the stone from the door of the sepulcher. He was the first to exclaim "He is not here: for He is risen" and other instructions to the women than came that morning to the garden tomb.
There are other accounts in the scriptures where people have been deceived by false angels of light. Pondering on all this made me turn to Doctrine and Covenants 129 and the three keys whereby messengers from beyond the veil can be identified. It all has to do with asking them to shake your hand.
"When a messenger comes saying he has a message from God,offer him your hand and request him to shake hands with you.
If he be an angel he will do so, and you will feel his hand.
If he be the spirit of a just man made perfect he will come in his glory; for that is the only way he can appear—
Ask him to shake hands with you, but he will not move, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for a just man to deceive; but he will still deliver his message.
If it be the devil as an angel of light, when you ask him to shake hands he will offer you his hand, and you will not feel anything; you may therefore detect him."
It is a comfort me to know there is a way not be deceived.
Day 1487
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