When I saw this book being offered by Deseret Book for review, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. The doctrine about angels is something that has interested me for years (and my interest in the topic has only increased with time). I looked forward to seeing what Brother Parry had to say.
We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a unique and important doctrine as it relates to heavenly beings. They were the instrument of the Restoration, for one thing. But in a world where people seem to crave a connection with the divine, or at least with other-worldly forces (some people seek such connections through alien watching or using radio hosts as go-betweens to those who have passed on, or....) I don't think the importance of such a compilation of information can be understated, both for those within the Church and for those not of our faith who seek to understand more about angels.
The book has three main sections, as follows:
Part 1: About Angels
Part 2: Angels Minister with Love to Mortals
Part 3: Five Symbols Associated with Angels
Within those three sections are 33 chapters on various topics such as what angels might wear, how they may appear to people, how they communicate with mortals, and much more. He uses scriptural examples to explore different kinds of work angels may do (such as announcing children yet to be born or protecting sacred space). In the chapters in the last section, he is deliberate about exploring some of the scriptural symbolism tied to mentioning of angels in sacred writings, but he mentioned other symbolism throughout the book as well.
The book wasn't quite what I was expecting (although I'm not sure I could fully articulate what I was expecting). Maybe I can explain it this way: It is different from a lot of doctrinal titles from Deseret Book in that it's not interpretative. It's informational. Truth be told, I'm more accustomed to the former style (although sometimes, interestingly enough, such a style can, at times, make me feel uncomfortable when it can feel like too much interpretation is offered that perhaps should be left to the reader to ponder). I think I was expecting more personal reflection. I will go so far as to say that it almost feels as though it could (should?) have been labeled as a reference book or compilation because there was so little in terms of thoughts or reflections from the author himself. Brother Parry, in fact, had very little to say. But he had a lot of information to share!
So, when considered as a reference book, I am comfortable saying that the book accomplishes its purposes. It appears to be a well-researched compilation of prophetic quotes and scriptural references about angels, and as far as I know, it's the only book of its kind on this topic. As such, I feel this is an important work, and I'm sure there are many layers to what I can learn from it. It's one I imagine I will refer to many times in the future as I continue to ponder the doctrine surrounding angels in God's plan. I would definitely recommend it as a valuable addition for the library of anyone interested in the topic.
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