AN INTRODUCTION TO MORMON ANGELOLOGY* The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that there are several types of angels: Pre-mortal spirits who may be sent to the earth from time to time with special messages for the faithful (the temple ceremony confirms this teaching, portraying visits to the earth by Peter, James, and John as angelic visitors prior to their birth on earth). A second type consists of "just men made perfect", i.e. righteous persons who have previously lived on the earth and then died, but who are called upon again to visit the earth for special missions which for one reason or another pre-mortal spirits are not capable of handling (this of course was not possible prior to Jesus' opening the portals of the Spirit Prison following his crucifixion. For further detail see Doctrine and Covenants, Section 138 setting forth a vision by Joseph F. Smith, fifth successor in the Presidency of the LDS Church). Such "just men made perfect" themselves comprise two classes: those not yet resurrected, and those with a tangible resurrected body of flesh and bone (not blood, which Joseph taught is merely the activating principle of mortality). Moroni, the angel who delivered the gold plates to Joseph was apparently of the latter class. A fourth classification consists of agents of deception, followers of Lucifer, who attempt to mislead mortals by appearing as "angels of light". All four types of angels apparently have the same appearance to mortal men. A general description of all angels is provided in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 20:6. The D&C also contains a revelation explaining in some detail the difference between two of these classes of angels and how the spiritually enlightened can distinguish between them (see D&C 129:2-9). Joseph also taught that all angels who administer to this earth are part of this creation (most readers will be aware that Mormons hold that ". . .worlds without number have I created: . . .[and they are peopled by my begotten children] but only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you"). Moses 1:31-35. Presumably there are similar classes of angels who administer to the inhabitants of these numberless other worlds, but LDS scripture and teachings say nothing of this. Finally, Joseph Smith and some of his successors have identified certain angels with some specificity. Taken in chronological order we can speak of: Adam, who is identified as the Archangel Michael in Mormon teaching (D&C 29:26). * Written for Professor Harold Bloom of Yale University as LDS input for his forthcoming study on Angeology. Joseph Smith was apparently also visited by the angel Gabriel and Rafael (D&C 128:21). In one of his sermons he identified Gabriel as the pre-mortal spirit who came to this world as Noah (see History of the Church, Vol. 3, p.386). Jesus himself, as the second personage in the Mormon notion of the Presidency of Three which directs the Council of Gods (we're not told the size of this Council, only that its members consist of those who've become partakers of the God Nature through righteous living during mortality on this or another world), can of course hardly be counted among the angels -- from whom however he is distinguished essentially only by the scope of his power and authority.* It may nevertheless be instructive in this connection to record that Latter-day Saints are taught that in his pre-mortal form Jesus was the Mighty Jehovah, creator (under Elohim, the name title given to the Lord God, or President of the Council of Gods) of the order of heaven and earth upon which we reside. This leaves us with Rafael (not mentioned in the Bible, but who appeared to Joseph Smith (D&C 128:21), not to mention Uriel, Raguel, Penuel, Sariel and Jerahmeel, five more angels mentioned in the Apochryphal Book of Tobit. Other Apochryphal sources add the names of Izidiel, Hanael, and Kepharel -- for a total of ten named angels. Here we must take a fairly long detour to set the stage for what follows. Unlike generic Christianity, which is based on ethereal notions of Greek philosophy introduced to make the new religion more attractive to the educated classes of Greece and Rome, there is room in rock core Mormon Theology for both chance and natural law beyond God's control. In Mormon thought, God intervenes rarely in world history, with the pre-planned objective of leaving man to discover for himself how nature brought the elements together to form his essential self, which "was neither created nor made", but is coeval with God himself (see Abraham 3:19 and D&C 93:29,36). Life is above all, a perfectly designed test for self-directed adherence to higher ethics. Man, by learning to dominate through self-control the instincts within himself toward greed or altruism, lust for power or service to others, gentle persuasion or domination and compulsion, becomes in essence his own judge and determiner of which of the Three Degrees of Glory he will find comfortable when the test of life is over (see D&C 121:34-44).** This doctrine accounts for why God permits evil in the world (a phenomenon which has puzzled all great religious leaders and philosophers and which has led many into atheism), in the process leaving men in no position to criticize God for having made arbitrary decisions about right and wrong in the thrust and shove of human strife -- or even man's ultimate destiny in the hereafter. As the author personally understands this (and this is certainly not settled Mormon doctrine) this makes motivation the ultimate determiner of righteousness. Many of us make what we honestly believe to be right choices, which sometimes nevertheless result in tragedy to ourselves and others. * McConkie takes much the same view in his Angels . See Oscar W. McConkie, Jr., Angels , Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City:1975. ** There hangs in the British National Portrait Gallery on Trafalgar Square a painting created by the Italian Friar Botticini based on a vision he'd had of the Hereafter showing three ranks of angels administering to Three Degrees of Glory beneath the rule of the Savior. While the painting hung for many years as altar piece in S. Pier Maggiore in Florence, it was later declared heretical by the Catholic Church. And sometimes calculating decisions are made to perform righteously out of the most self-serving motives (Jesus condemned such as hypocrites). I am persuaded that when we stand before the judgement seat, with a vivid recollection of all we've said and done of moment in our lives, those who acted out of genuine concern and compassion for their fellow men -- whatever the outcome -- can face God without shame or guilt, and will be found to be "just men" ready for perfection; while those motivated by greed, lust for power, or the acclaim of men, however disguised by outward appearances, will be overcome with shame as their secret thoughts are exposed, and will realize that they will be happier in Eternity with others of their ilk. There is an accompanying teaching in Mormonism that, not wishing to leave his children on earth without at least some framework of guidance within which to exercise their free agency when faced with momentous decisions which will effect them in Eternity, God reserved some especially righteous and able spirits to be born in every nation and among every people, usually at times when the light of righteousness is burning low, to spread principles of justice and right living. Mormons thus see Lao Tzu, Confucius, Gautama, Zoroaster, Solon, Hammurabi, and Mohammed, possibly Socrates (and undoubtedly others) as special agents of God -- and while not angels, since they were living mortals at the time of their actions, were often themselves the recipients of angelic visitation to instruct them in the way of truth. Certainly Mohammed, Buddha, and Zoroaster, as well as a number of Hindu saints, attest to such angelic visits, and Socrates to periodic visits by his "genius". This doctrine is authoritatively advanced in Milton R. Hunter's Gospel Through the Ages and Spencer J. Palmer's Religions of the World: an LDS View . To return to our topic: Who may have been some of the angelic visitors? We read that Father Adam was instructed by one such (Moses 5:9-10). The author's paper on Adam God Revisited argues, based on a close reading of related scriptures and Brigham Young's teachings about Adam, that this visitor was Jehovah himself (see especially Moses 5:9 ). After a millenium or so when Adam's decendants had departed from the truth, a group led by the righteous Enoch drew apart to found its own civilization. We are informed that Enoch's angelic instructor was again no other than God himself (see D&C 107:48-49 ). Another millenium down the pike, the world having again become so evil that to protect the unborn from coming into a world of such wickedness that they'd have little chance to exercise their Agency as they faced extraordinary compulsion to evil, it was Noah who was instructed by an angel (we're not told who) to save a righteous remnant and restore the teaching of sound principles. The next period of gross apostacy was brought to an end with a dispensation of righteousness to Abraham, again we're told, saved from destruction and instructed in righteousness by an angel of God (see commentary to facimile 1, Book of Abraham, Pearl of Great Price ). Now we're down to the time of Moses, the fifth great restorer. No detailed accounting is required of the well rehearsed instructions Moses received from God on Sanai, which continue to this day to guide the Jewish community, but which Christians consider were intended only as a Schoolmaster to bring the world to Christ. (Almost) finally, all Christians accept Jesus of Nazareth as the great restorer -- and Messiah -- of the Meridian of Time (though it was actually John who opened that dispensation, and of whom Jesus said, "Yea, [he] is more than a prophet . . . [he is] he of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before you. . . Verily I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.") (Matthew 7:10-11 ). It seems Jesus, too, was instructed directly by God the Father ("I do nothing but that which I've seen my Father do") as well, we are told, as by various angels (see accounts of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:21 ). Joseph Smith is accepted by Latter-day Saints as the last and final Restorer in the Fullness of Times, preceding the coming of the Messiah and the millenial reign of righteousness, to be followed by Armageddon and the Final Judgment. To initiate the winding up scene, both the Father and the Son appeared to the boy Joseph. The full account of this extraordinary event is recorded in The Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith 1:14-20 . There are thus seven dispensational angels, each having initiated one of the new eras of truth, who can in part be identified as follows: Adam - Michael Enoch - who may have been Rafael* Noah - Gabriel Abraham - Elias ?** Moses - ? John the Baptist - precursor of Jesus, and agent of the sixth dispensation Joseph Smith When the author was younger and of a more speculative nature (could one be more speculative?), he reasoned out in ways no longer clearly recalled (though probably based primarily on the chronological order in which J.S. listed the angels who had visited him at diverse times) that Rafael must have been Enoch, and Penuel and Ariel either Abraham, Moses, John, or J.S. It is significant that Jehovah, the God who created this world under the direction of his father Elohim (a name title we're informed consists of the emphatic plural in Hebrew, signifying God of Gods or Most High God), seems himself to have taken his assignment and concern for his creation sufficiently seriously to have introduced each of the several necessary dispensations of knowledge to keep the progress of his earthly brothers and sisters on track. As you'll note, most of his personal visits seem since the time of Abraham to have been to chosen servants in that lineage. Again, this is Timmins, not LDS Church doctrine, but one assumes that it is the assignment of angels, under the direction of God, to provide righteous guidance to other peoples, e.g . Gautama, Lao Tzu, Zoroaster, Mohammed, etc. But this need not be so. It is however accepted LDS doctrine that the resurrected Jesus visited the people on the American Continent, having promised his disciples in Jerusalem, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice". (John 10:16, cf. 3 Nephi 15:21-24 ). Both Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine , p. 168, and his brother Oscar W. McConkie, Jr., Angels , p. 44, agree with this "informed speculation"(McConkie, op. cit . , p. 55) Which brings us to some concluding thoughts on angels. President John Taylor, third in succession to the Presidency of the Restored Church, taught that those born in the chosen lineage, if not all people on earth (and he wasn't clear about this latter point), have assigned guardian angels.* President Taylor furthermore taught that it is the responsibility of such angels (who many LDS believe to consist of one's near forebears) to help guard one from temptation and at times not made particularly clear, but apparently based on worthiness and sensitivity to spiritual guidance, to intervene in affairs to prevent injury or death. It is also not clear whether such guardian angels are always near one (my mother believed this), or have means of determining when their presence is necessary. Movement from the spiritual world (which some LDS authorities have taught is but another dimension of the present world, not a distant realm) being virtually instantaneous, either belief is doctrinally acceptable. LDS popular writings are replete with stories of individuals having been saved or protected by such angelic intervention. Similarly, there are numerous accounts of receiving personal guidance, revelation, or instruction at moments of personal decision making. The author himself accepts angels as intermediaries bringing guidance from God, or members of the Higher Councils of the Hereafter responsible for one's lineage, perhaps even from elevated ancestors. Many LDS believe that family alliances have been made in the pre-mortal existence, and that worthy LDS "born in the Covenant", i.e . whose parents have been sealed in the Temple for Time and Eternity and whose children are thus born into the promise of a perpetual family relationship, should be on the lookout for a promised soul-mate in this life -- who, interestingly enough, need not always be a member of the Mormon Church, since many righteous individuals of the ante-mortal existence volunteered, or were chosen, for assignments outside the lineage for tasks which could not otherwise be readily performed because of worldly prejudice or otherwise. An example is Esther, who married the unbeliever Cyrus, thus becoming an agent of salvation for her people. It is thus common practice among LDS youth to pray for guidance whether a young man or woman to whom they are particularly attracted, is the one to whom they made pledges in the pre-existence or to whom marriage may be otherwise provided for in the divine plan. It would presumably be a concerned ancestral guardian angel who, as an interested and involved agent of the Holy Ghost, would afford such confirmation. After discussion with his sister and daughter, who are trained pyschologists, the author no longer has such simple-minded assurance about the notion of soul mates . In another paper, Mates, Metiers, and TV Personalities it is argued that we form in our psyche what psychologists call a persona of our ideal mate from all the favorable images of the other sex we gather from our mom, our sisters, cousins, favorite schoolmates, and the cute girl around the corner. When we find someone having a "substantial congruence" with this ideal persona, we go after 'em. And when we meet such a person whose own opposite-sex persona is in substantial congruence with the image we project, we have a match. But this doesn't disallow persona carry over from pre-mortality, or pre-mortal family alliances. * Oscar McConkie disagrees with this view. Op. Cit. p. 36 Likewise, many LDS believe that individuals made promises in the pre-mortal existence to be born in certain lineages. Parents thus often pray for guidance whether they have provided tabernacles for all the spirits contracted to be brought into the world. And, of course, Mormons work actively in their Temples on behalf of their departed dead -- becoming Saviors on Mount Zion, a quasi-angelic calling. Another significant element in LDS belief, is the widespread understanding that the spirits of the deceased are not infrequently permitted to attend significant family ceremonies and events involving their offspring, particularly in temples. The author is personally persuaded that his deceased brother was present in the Salt Lake Temple to observe the sealing (marriage) of his eldest daughter. He blinked his eyes several times to clear them, but knows that he saw what he saw. Needless to say, when he crossed the room immediately following the ceremony to double check whether it might have been just a look-alike member of the groom's family, the personage was gone. The parallelism of many of these Mormon beliefs with Chinese beliefs aand practices will be readily apparent to those familiar with Chinese folklore, possibly accounting for the attraction of Mormonism in the Chinese culture. The author and his wife were living in China until our recent transfer to Bucharest. While there he was lent a book which drew any number of other facinating parallels between Mormon beliefs and temple practices and the practices of ancient Chinese emperors, particularly Temple of Heaven ceremonies. One might ask how Noah could have been the incarnation of Gabriel, who was the angel of the Annunciation, given that this appearance followed Noah's earthly ministry yet occurred before Christ opened the gates of the Spirit World to those imprisoned there. In this connection it is essential to understand that Mormonism provides for a fifth type of angel: Translated Beings. These are righteous men who for some specific reason have for the time being been exempted from tasting death. The bodies of such individuals we are told are "quickened", i.e . translated to heaven -- a concept in its way not unlike the Catholic notion of the Assumption of Mary -- where they await tasks only such beings can perform. Such were apparently Enoch, Moses, and Ezekial. among many others. MConkie points out that such translations necessarily occurred quite frequently prior to the resurrection. They have not been necessary since Jesus opened the gates to the spirit world.. Given the fact that he was the angel of the Annunciation, Noah must also be among this number. Such Translated Beings are not exempt from death. Once the winding up scene has taken place and their special characteristics are no longer required, they will pass through a form of death, their bodies being raised again as immortal beings "in the twinkling of an eye" (3 Nephi 28:8 ). Perhaps one should also mention a sixth type of angel. It seems that certain mortals have also been termed "angels" when serving on special missions for the Lord. The angel who wrestled with Jacob and the angel who preserved Lot in Sodom have been identified as such by some LDS authorities. Not to mention those who, according to some anti-Mormon accounts, served as Brigham Young's eyes and ears on the Western Plains. A final observation which one is not sure properly falls within the purview of angelology, but which one suspects readers will find interesting, is the LDS doctrine which holds, unlike traditional Christianity, that Jesus was only the first fruits of the resurrection and that the world need not await the end of time for others to follow him. The New Testament reports that following Jesus' resurrection, "the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves . . . and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Acts 27:52-53 ). The LDS Church thus believes that the resurrection only began with Jesus Christ, and has been ongoing ever since. Taking into account our understanding that the Prophet Moroni (and others) are resurrected angels of flesh and bone (see introduction to the topic of LDS Angelology, above), it is thus not unreasonable for many LDS to believe, given the role of Joseph Smith as Prophet of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, that he is now not only a resurrected being, but has been exalted to godhood (see LDS Hymnal , p. 27 "Praise to the Man", the chorus of which reads, "Mingling with Gods he can plan for his brethren, Death cannot conquer the hero again". This of course leaves unresolved the question of whose bodies were disinterred, inspected, and then reinterred some forty years ago when the RLDS Church opened the hitherto supposedly secret graves of Joseph and Hyrum in Nauvoo not far from the Springhouse on the Joseph Smith estate on the banks of the Mississippi River.