Editing Angels in Christianity (section)

=== Latter Day Saint movement ===
[[File:Engel Moroni Bern Tempel.JPG|thumb|160px|Temple statue of the [[Angel Moroni]], [[Bern]], Switzerland]]
The [[Latter Day Saint movement]] views angels as the messengers of God. They are sent to mankind to deliver messages, minister to humanity, teach doctrines of salvation, call mankind to repentance, give [[priesthood (LDS Church)|priesthood]] keys, save individuals in perilous times, and guide humankind.<ref name="Mormon Doctrine">"God's messengers, those individuals whom he sends (often from his personal presence in the eternal worlds), to deliver his messages ({{bibleverse||Luke|1:11–38|KJV}}); to minister to his children ({{bibleverse||Acts|10:1–8|KJV}}, {{bibleverse||Acts|10:30–32|KJV}}); to teach them the doctrines of salvation (Mosiah 3); to call them to repentance (Moro. 7:31); to give them priesthood and keys (D.&C. 13; 128:20–21); to save them in perilous circumstances ({{bibleverse||Nehemiah|3:29–31|KJV}}; {{bibleverse||Daniel|6:22|KJV}}); to guide them in the performance of his work ({{bibleverse||Genesis|24:7|KJV}}); to gather his elect in the last days ({{bibleverse||Matthew|24:31|KJV}}); to perform all needful things relative to his work (Moro. 7:29–33)—such messengers are called angels.".</ref>

Latter Day Saints believe that angels either are the spirits of humans who are deceased or who [[Pre-existence#Mormonism|have yet to be born]], or are humans who have been [[resurrection|resurrected]] or [[translation (Mormonism)|translated]] and have physical bodies of flesh and bones.<ref name="LDS-BD">{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/angels |title=LDS Bible Dictionary-Angels |publisher=Scriptures.lds.org |date=21 February 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312104407/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/angels?lang=eng |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joseph Smith]] taught that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those that do belong or have belonged to it."<ref>[[Doctrine and Covenants]] [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130.4-5?lang=eng 130:4–5] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220173654/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130.4-5?lang=eng |date=20 December 2019 }}.</ref> As such, Latter Day Saints also believe that [[Adam and Eve (LDS Church)|Adam]], the first man, was and is now the archangel [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]],<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-6-the-fall-of-adam-and-eve The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] "Chapter 6: The Fall of Adam and Eve", ''[[Gospel Principles]]'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: LDS Church, 2011) pp. 26–30.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/107.54?lang=eng |title=D&C 107:54 |publisher=Scriptures.lds.org |date=21 February 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221174956/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/107.54?lang=eng |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[[Mark E. Petersen]], [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1980/11/adam-the-archangel "Adam, the Archangel"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', November 1980.</ref> and that [[Gabriel]] lived on the earth as [[Noah]].<ref name="LDS-BD" /> Likewise the [[Angel Moroni]] first lived in a [[Nephite|pre-Columbian American civilization]] as the 5th-century prophet-warrior named [[Moroni (Book of Mormon prophet)|Moroni]].

Smith described his first angelic encounter in the following manner:
{{blockquote|While I was thus in the act of calling upon God, I discovered a light appearing in my room, which continued to increase until the room was lighter than at noonday, when immediately a personage appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for his feet did not touch the floor.

He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant&nbsp;...

Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description, and his countenance truly like lightning. The room was exceedingly light, but not so very bright as immediately around his person. When I first looked upon him, I was afraid; but the fear soon left me.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.31-33?lang=eng |title=Joseph Smith–History 1:30–33 |publisher=Scriptures.lds.org |date=21 February 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=20 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620144846/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.31-33?lang=eng |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Most angelic visitations in the early Latter Day Saint movement were witnessed by Smith and [[Oliver Cowdery]], who both said (prior to the establishment of the church in 1830) they had been visited by the prophet [[angel Moroni|Moroni]], [[John the Baptist]], and the apostles [[Saint Peter|Peter]], [[James, son of Zebedee|James]], and [[John the Apostle|John]]. Later, after the dedication of the [[Kirtland Temple]], Smith and Cowdery said they had been visited by [[Jesus]], and subsequently by [[Moses]], Elias, and [[Elijah]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/110?lang=eng |title=D&C 110 |publisher=Scriptures.lds.org |date=21 February 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |archive-date=28 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728064542/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/110?lang=eng |url-status=live }}</ref>

Others who said they received a visit by an angel include the other two of the [[Three Witnesses]]: [[David Whitmer]] and [[Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints)|Martin Harris]]. Many other Latter Day Saints, both in the early and modern church, have said they had seen angels, although Smith posited that, except in extenuating circumstances such as the [[Restoration (Latter Day Saints)|restoration]], mortals teach mortals, spirits teach spirits, and resurrected beings teach other resurrected beings.<ref>[[Robert J. Matthews]], [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/12/the-fulness-of-times "The Fulness of Times"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', December 1989.</ref>