An Army of Angels

The day I caught a glimpse of heaven, it started with the snow.

It fell harder and harder the closer we got, wrapped up in a little blue car, safe from the chill and the tufts of snowflakes cascading down from the sky.  We drifted along, warm and content, and then it appeared just out the window over my head.  I could see the six beautiful spires, and they seemed in that moment to reach closer to heaven than any skyscraper could possibly reach.

The walk was rushed, snow assaulting our faces as we pushed through the weather towards the crowd we could see gathered already.  As we got nearer, I could hear them: voices slipping delicately and yet powerfully through the falling blanket of snow.  "As sisters in Zion we'll all work together, the blessings of God on our labors we'll seek..."

I blended my voice with the hundreds of others as I stood by these sisters, all holding flags and wearing brilliant and faithful smiles.  "We'll build up His kingdom with earnest endeavor, we'll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak."

And then the song merged into another, a medley that was familiar to all of us.  "We are as the army of Helaman.  We have been taught in our youth.  And we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth."

The icy wind and the snow still being pelted from the sky at my face seemed to suddenly stop as I realized that I was standing among the ranks of an army. These hundreds of sisters, all about my age, from all over the country, about to embark to all over the world.  We were an army.  We had been prepared for this, for the call to stand as ambassadors of our Lord and to teach to the whole earth the goodness of His restored gospel, since before we were born.  Every one of these beautiful girls was strong and courageous and we had all been able, at a moment's notice, to drop everything and turn a year and a half of our lives over to the Lord.

It was suddenly clear to me that, right now, He needs a force like none other; and we, his young and trusting daughters, are to be that force.

For the thousands of times I had heard that song, this was the first time I had heard it sung only by women, and it seemed to me more potent than ever before.  I hardly noticed the cold for the fire blazing in my heart, for the gratitude to be a part of this marvelous work, for my love for my Father in Heaven and all these His righteous daughters.

As we sang, strong and confident, I could not hear my own voice, nor the voices of the girls beside me.  I could only hear angels.

(For the full story, you can watch this.)