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Some say that God does not hear our prayers directly but that our prayers are communicated to Him by angels or deceased family members who have been delegated the task to listen to us. Personally, I don’t believe it but would like to know if the church leaders have said anything about it….to try to help a loved one who feels disconnected from his Father in Heaven.

Carol

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Dear Carol,

As Latter-day Saints we address Heavenly Father directly, because he is hearing our prayer, not that our prayer is being communicated to him through angels or deceased family members.

We have record of how family members are able to plead before our Father in Heaven on behalf of their children.

To further address your question I will refer you to our Church manual “Teachings of George Albert Smith”, section titled — “Prayer allows us to talk to our Heavenly Father as though He were present.”

“It is a wonderful blessing…to have absolute faith in a personal God who is interested in us and who hears and answers our prayers.”

In this section President Smith refers to a story about a young boy who prayed on the operating table and these are the doctor’s words he shares:

“That boy opened the windows of heaven and talked to his Heavenly Father as one would talk to another face to face… I am a better man for having had this experience of standing and hearing a little boy talk to his Father in heaven as if he were present.”

I will also refer you to “The Teachings of President David O. Mckay” who once said,

“I have cherished from childhood the truth that God is a personal being, and is, indeed, our Father whom we can approach in prayer and receives answers thereto.”

He continues…

“At one time, particularly, the answer came as distinctly as though my Heavenly Father stood by my side and spoke words…. When you kneel down to pray at night, do you feel his nearness, his personality hearing you, do you feel a power that operates perhaps as the radio or a greater power so that you feel you are communing with him?”

I believe the first vision should dispel any thoughts about how God doesn’t directly hear our prayers, since it was God our Father and Jesus Christ who appeared to him in the grove of trees.

However, in saying this it also appears throughout church history, as with Moroni, where in answer to our prayers angels may visit us, and then they communicate with us, and then I am sure they return and report back to Heavenly Father. Yet, I would say Heavenly Father personally heard the prayer, sent the messenger, and the messenger reported back.

Sincerely,

Gramps

 

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