Acts 12

The Herod in this chapter is the grandson of Herod the Great. The James that he has killed is James the first counselor in the first presidency of the church. Evidently, they were having so much success with the gentiles that this upset the Jews in Caesarea who formally respected Peter and James in contrast to the Jews in Jerusalem. I wonder if since it is Passover and the time of the Savior's resurrection, Herod is going to publicly execute Peter as a demented commemoration of the Savior's death. While Peter is in prison and sleeping in chains between the first and second guards or detachments of soldiers (wards), an angel comes and leads Peter out of the prison. Peter thinks he is seeing this in vision and probably thinking this is something that will happen in the future.

I find it humorous that when he comes to the house of Mary (who is the mother of Mark who probably wrote the gospel of Mark), the girl doesn't answer the door but leaves Peter outside calling to them while the rest of the people argue with the girl that it can't be Peter.

I like to think that the angel coming to Peter is no different than what happens to us. I believe that angels minister to us far more often than we realize, but they do it without our being aware of it. I believe that angels are with us during times of great difficulty and stress. I rejoice with us in our happiness and are troubled with out sins. I think they protect us, guide us, and influence our lives. After this death, I think we'll come to realize how much this has happened. And I also believe that like President John Taylor said, these angels are our ancestors.