Doug Tales 39: Nigh Unto an Angel

When we interact through the veil with others, are we connecting with those of light or those of darkness? And what about those of darkness who are pretending to be of light? Doug Mendenhall had many experiences learning how to discern the adversary and his followers’ work. Doug shares some pointers on the topic in his I See…Arise! (2016) on pages 11-12:

There are several reasons for relating these two stories. [The “two stories” are Doug Tales 24: Heaven Took Notice (posted July 26, 2021) and last week’s Doug Tales 38: Ten Instead of Five (posted Nov. 1, 2021).] Heaven does take notice of what we do and they also do come here to “test” us. The other reason is to understand that hell does mimic what heaven does, and they can also come as “angels of light.” We need to know and make sure that what we have been shown and what we have experienced is from above, not below. Yet even if an experience is from the adversary, there are still many lessons to be learned. We just need to know from whence it came.

“And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.” (2 Nephi 9:9; see also D&C 128:20, D&C 129:8, 2 Corinthians 11:14)

It does say “nigh unto an angel of light.” There is a difference. Maybe we ought to be sure to understand and recognize how to tell the difference. Will we make mistakes and be deceived? Absolutely. ALL of my gifted friends have been deceived on more than one occasion. That is part of the learning process. I have heard a few people declare that they never have been and can’t be deceived. I run away from these people because they are liars and satanic. There is always a learning curve associated with anything new.

Nevertheless, we were blessed on several occasions to have heaven take notice and visit us. At the restaurant it was a true blessing and made the restaurant experience well worth it, as hard as it was. It was a blessing to understand how it is no small matter for heaven to come here to a Telestial world in a manifested “physical body.” There is always much thought, conversation, and effort in what they do for us. To condescend and come here does cause them considerable pain. This also displays that indeed there were covenants made before this world about many different things, things that some might disparage as a thing of naught. I would be careful of that thought. Evidently heaven didn’t, and doesn’t, take covenants we fulfill as a thing of naught.