Elder James E. Talmage on Guardian Angels

This is from an address given by Elder James E. Talmage on Sunday, June 25, 1893 in London, England:

I trust we have learned to value as we should this privilege of reaching the ear of God whenever we approach in a proper way.  If any of us had the means of entering the presence of Her Majesty the Queen, and of presenting our petitions to her with assurances that every righteous request should be granted, would we not think ourselves greatly honored?  Yet in very truth we have greater blessings than any favor of human potentates could give; we have received the promise that cannot be broken, coming not from a lord of the land, but from the Lord of Lords; not from a king of earth, but from the King of Kings; from the Omnipotent Ruler of earth and heaven and the Creator of all, that our petitions, if offered in faith, sanctioned and sealed by the sincerity of the heart, shall receive His attention, and that every such prayer, as far as it would be for our good, shall be granted.  In contemplating the meaning of such honors as these we may well enquire as to the reason for giving them.  This great Being, of infinite power and goodness, whom we cannot think of in His mighty attributes without sinking in our own sense of personal insignificance, He is our Father; and He has greater affection than we can comprehend by father's love for His children.  As a result of that great love, He has set heavenly beings to watch over us and to guard us from the attacks of evil powers while we live on earth.  Do we realize that in our daily walk and work we are not alone, but that angels attend us wherever our duty causes us to go?  It is only when we stray into unholy places, only when we tread upon forbidden ground, that they leave us to ourselves; and then they watch us from the distance with sorrow and tears.  Those holy beings think it not beneath their state to abide in the hovels of the poor, to stand by us in the most menial labor, provided it be honorable employment; but I cannot conceive of their going with us to the dram shop, the gambling den, and the brothel.  But as long as we are where duty calls us we are in no way alone.  Our eyes are so heavy, our ears so dull, that we see and hear only the things of earth.  Could our vision be opened, we would see in this room at this very moment more worshippers than are occupying these seats; could our ears be unstopped we would hear more than our own feeble voices joining in the hymns of praise that we sing. (emphasis added)

When at times trouble comes upon us, and we feel almost given up to despair, and think we have been deserted by friends, let us think of the heavenly companions whom God has assigned to us; who, indeed, would reveal themselves to our eyes but for our lack of faith.  Let us read again and ponder over the wonderful experience of the prophet of old, who, with but a single earthly companion-the servant who was with him-found himself surrounded by the army of a wicked king.  (See  2 Kings  vi:15-17).  In fear, seeing escape by human agency to be entirely impossible, Elisha's servant cried out, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?"  But the prophet answered, "Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."  And then Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the young man's eyes, and the servant saw that the mountains were covered with horses and chariots and hosts of angels sent to protect the prophet of God, whose time had not yet come.
            (Brian H. Stuy, ed., Collected Discourses, 5 vols., 3:-)