An angel of the Lord played a critical role in the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Book of Mormon. This celestial messenger visited Samuel the Lamanite, imparting to him divine revelations and commandments. The angel declared glad tidings of great joy, pertaining to the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ (Helaman 13:7). The angel’s visitation charged Samuel with a sacred duty to prophesy and prepare the people for the coming of the Lord, a commission Samuel faithfully executed, despite facing rejection and hostility from the population he was sent to warn.
This heavenly messenger not only spoke of Christ’s imminent birth but also revealed specific signs that would mark His arrival, including great natural phenomena such as thunder, lightning, and other wonders over many hours (Helaman 14:26), designed to demonstrate God’s power and to leave no cause for unbelief among the children of men (Helaman 14:28). The angel’s message through Samuel was not limited to the miraculous signs alone; it was also a call to repentance and preparation for all who would listen, establishing a clear connection between the sign of Christ’s coming and the essential need for spiritual readiness among the people (Helaman 14:9).
This angel, unnamed in the text, thus serves as a divine messenger whose intervention was pivotal in heralding the most significant event in human history—the birth of Jesus Christ—and in fulfilling the will of God through the ministration to Samuel the Lamanite.