Angels Among Us

Pause to think of the people that have influenced your life the most, for good or ill. Can you imagine who you would be without their influence? C. S. Lewis' autobiography "Surprised by Joy" demonstrates how much each of us are shaped by our interactions with others. As a child C. S. Lewis' faith in God was a result of his mother's influence, his fascination with mysticism was sparked by a childhood teacher, and his incredible ability to analytically examine a subject was molded by Mr. Kirk's mentorship.Personally, I have been molded by the influence of my parents, friends, teachers, religious leaders, and most of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Without the influence of these people I would not know that happiness comes from obeying the commandments of God, being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous" (Articles of Faith 13), and from losing our lives in the service of others. As a child we have little say over who composes the sphere of those who influence us, but as adults we can largely choose those we associate with, and thereby those who will impact our lives. It may seem difficult at times to discern between good and poor influences, but thankfully we have the light of Christ or the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us chose our associations wisely. I think back to C. S. Lewis' life and in his adulthood, whether he realized it or not, it appears that the Spirit of the Lord was working in him to lead him to truth. Not only to truth itself, but to those who would help him discover more truth. God wants us to return to be with Him, and those around us can help or hinder us from achieving that goal. May we chose to associate with angels so we can live according to "the nature of happiness" (Alma 40: 11).