Within the scope of the Book of Mormon, angels are consistently portrayed as divine messengers of God, playing various pivotal roles throughout the narrative. They appear to prophets and individuals, often providing guidance, comfort, or delivering messages of great importance. Lehi, the founding prophet of the Nephite civilization, was among the first within the text to witness the presence of angels, seeing them in a vision where they were ministering before the throne of God (1 Ne. 1:8).
Nephi, Lehi’s son, expounded on the power and function of angels, elucidating that they speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and utter the words of Christ (2 Ne. 32:2-3). The ability to “speak with the tongue of angels” is also described as an elevated state of spiritual communion with God post-baptism (2 Ne. 31:13-14).
Furthermore, angels are seen as active participants in the instruction and conversion of souls. For example, Alma, another significant prophet, described angels as agents who prepared people’s hearts to receive the word of God and who would declare tidings of great joy concerning the coming of Christ (Alma 13:24-26). Additionally, the angels’ declarations about the kingdom of heaven accentuate their role as heralds of divine truth and imminent revelation (Alma 10:20-22).
The Book of Mormon also alludes to the idea that not only do angels act as God’s emissaries, but they also serve as protectors and beings capable of rejoicing in the salvation of humanity, as mentioned by Jesus Christ himself who finds joy with all the holy angels in the salvation of people (3 Ne. 27:30). Moreover, disciples of Christ are likened to angels, having the power to appear and minister according to the will of God (3 Ne. 28:30).
In summary, angels in the Book of Mormon are celestial beings who communicate God’s will, minister to humanity, and rejoice in the righteousness and salvation of mankind. Their involvement is integral to the spiritual narrative of the text, emphasizing the close relationship between heaven and earth in the unfolding plan of salvation.