"Angels have never ceased to minister unto the children of men.."

Today was a perfect Sabbath day where I was a witness of something too sacred to explain. It started off with teaching my Primary boys about how the Savior blessed the children in 3 Nephi and how He prayed with all of them and for all of them. My kids loved learning about the angels coming down from heaven encircled about with fire, and even acted out what they would have done if the the angels stood in front of them. But I never would have thought, in a million years, that in that same day I would get a glimpse of the spiritual power we had read about and the holiness of a heavenly presence.

My Grandma has not passed away quite yet, but we're only counting minutes until it happens because of her physically deteriorating body. I went to visit my Grandma yesterday after Jill called and told me that Grandma only had a couple days left, but visiting her today was a new experience for me that I was only slightly prepared for after teaching the lesson this morning. My family had dinner at Jill's apartment (she lives in Orem) and then we all headed over to my grandparents house, so my Dad could give my Grandma a blessing. My Dad had worried and prayed all day about this blessing because of the type of blessing it would include- would it be an anointing to cure an illness or would it be to release her from pain that she would pass away?? When we showed up at their house, the Bishop and one of his counselors were there and while we were being introduced, a hospice nurse showed up to check on things. Everyone left the house to give my Grandma privacy to be changed and give the nurse an opportunity to check for certain things and as we stood on the lawn waiting, some of my cousins showed up, along with my Aunt and Uncle. While everyone kept standing outside talking and after I had seen the nurse leave, I figured it would be okay if I went inside the house. And that's when it hit me.

The complete difference of visiting yesterday from today was the feeling in the air- my sister joked that there was "death in the air", but there was something else there too. I quietly sat down in a corner chair so I wouldn't get in the way, and I watched my Grandpa hold my Grandma and tell her how much he loved her. I watched as my Grandpa looked at her like she was the most loved person on earth and tell her that he would take away the pain if he could. I'm not even sure if he knew I was there, but I just kept watching. And to see him baby her and care for her and love her, when she had no idea what was going on or who was even there, I was witness to a feeling and an outward expression of pure love that I wish every person would show towards one another. I sat in the corner crying and I watched as every family member walked through the front door; Mom, Dad, Jill, Lisa, Joe, Colton, Derek, Becca, Gage, Lisa, Bruce, Melissa, and Keven. Everyone gathered around my Grandma's bed and my Uncle asked my Grandpa for his permission to say a family prayer before the blessing was given. There was no mistaking the Spirit as we all bowed our heads and prayed for my Grandma and for His presence to be with us. I will never deny the power of family prayer and I will never in my life deny the miracle that happened next.

The prayer ended and the men, reverently and perfectly silent, gathered at the head of my Grandma's bed. As they placed their hands on top of each other's, it was almost as if the half circle they formed glowed with a visible spiritual power. We all bowed our heads again and as my Dad started the blessing he got choked up, and in the split second that he stopped to catch his breath, the overwhelming feeling of priesthood power and the presence of something heavenly was felt by all of us. To be standing there, watching my very own family members bow their heads and worthily give a powerful and spiritual blessing to comfort my Grandma, was something I have always underestimated. It was honestly as if "they were encircled about as if they were in a midst of flaming fire, that filled the whole room with a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory." What happened in that room was my own personal 'pillar of light' experience and only 3 Nephi 17:17 could even give an idea of how powerful and spiritually moving the blessing was, "No tongue can speak, neither can there be written by man, and neither can the hearts of men conceive the great and marvelous things we saw and heard." I can't tell you what was said during the prayer and I will never be able to explain the power and sacredness of the words spoken, but I can promise you that angels have never ceased to minister unto the children of men and that today was the day I caught a glimpse of the glory of celestial families.