Yes, the invisibility of heaven's agents is for good reason. I do not doubt it. However, if we were to exercise our free will and gave them permission to appear to us in physical form . . . You know what I mean?

So how do you know its not one of evils minions, many have been given 'angels' to 'show' them what to do, Joseph Smith, the Jesuit Leader Loyola, and of course you cant forget all the new age gurus who channel their 'spiritual guide' to the waiting throngs or the charismatic leaders Jim Jones and David Koresh's who assured others they had a divine mandate and fooled so many. Satan can present himself as a shining angel and take anyone down a path to his domain with others close to them in tow. Be careful what you wish for.....

Rick, yes, we have to be on guard against the deceitfulness of evil people and angels. No doubt about it. However, when was the last time an evil angel appeared to you in physical form and attempted to deceive you? Can evil angels lead people astray who are living in harmony with the 28 fundamental beliefs?

Well let me tell you a short story, when I lived on the islands as a child, I woke up and saw a 'form' and it came in and roamed about the house and I could hear it as it moved things about. Well I am no wimp or shrinking violet, but I was shook up and never told anyone till many many years later and somehow my brother happened to hear, and guess what....he had seen it also and had kept it for all those years till he heard me mention it. Satans minions do roam about showing themselves and appearing as angels or 'virgin mary' or whatever form they think will impress humankind, and there are many that have been deceived and taken down the path to destruction, or worship the 'virgin' whenever she has appeared and make it a shrine, or follow the teachings of the 'angel' as the Mormons have....Be careful as in the end these 'angels' will take whatever form and do whatever miracles and will deceive 'even the very elect if'...so dont you doubt for a second that you can be led astray, Satan and his 'angels' will try with more power than you can imagine, and better not to test whether he can bend you to his will.....pray that your guardian angels will keep you from the appearance and challenge Satan and/or his minions are capable of.......

Rick, yes, evil angels do appear in physical form. Sorry you had to deal with that as a child. And, yes, it will happen more and more as time winds down. However, do you believe people who are faithfully and diligently living in harmony with the 28 fundamental beliefs can be lead astray by evil angels personating loved ones or whomever? Wouldn't they first have to abandon the the truth?

Refer to last post.

Many of the Pharisees and even the disciple believed in what they thought was the truth, but they had mixed in tradition and ideas of man into the teachings or were following unsound or strange doctrines..

Other than the deceptions in which the evil angels attempt to personate heavenly beings, it is reasonable that
people who strongly believe the dead are dead will know anything that appears pretending to be that dead person is a deception, thus probably would not be led astray by an actual manifestation..

BUT there is the secondary avenue by which evil angels can cause us to think sin is the right way -- Millions who do believe the dead can communicate, who do come in contact with these powers in some form or other, pass on the information. Books are written, media, talk shows, counselling, etc. are full of their philosophies, psychology and advice as to how to live our lives and react to relationships and our feelings. It may not come to us direct from an evil source, but the information saturates our environment and has it's effect on us. We may think it comes from "reliable sources" it may even sound right, and we do not even recognize it's true source--
UNLESS we spend a lot of time in prayer and reading God's Word.

Why do we sin?

Do we really understand the horrible nature of sin?
True, we probably recoil at many of the things happening in the world today. The blatant disregard of conscience that is taking place in the world of criminal behavior against people helpless to defend themselves, registers in our minds as terrible, horrible results of sin. But what lies at the root of these sins? The threads of sin that led people down the path to do these things? The selfishness, greed, desire for recognition, pride, hate, covetousness, feelings of entitlement, resentful of other's success, anger, selfish desires and lust, self centeredness, carelessness to little infractions of God's standard, lack of decision and simply flowing in the channels of convenience; all of these sinful seeds can exist and grow in the life of a person who has not committed anything that registers on the obviously "bad" sinner radar.

In a Christian life, "a constant battle is maintained for self-control. Daily they strive silently and prayerfully against harshness of speech and temper. These strivings may never be appreciated by human beings. They may get no praise from human lips for victories won. The world will never see these conquests, and if it could, it would only despise the conquerors. But in heaven's record they are registered as overcomers. There is One who witnesses every secret combat and every silent victory, and He says, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

"We need to guard well our hearts, for too often we forget the heavenly instruction we have received and seek to act out the natural inclinations of our unconsecrated minds. Each one must fight his own battle against self. Heed the teachings of the Holy Spirit. If this is done, they will be repeated again and again until the impressions are as it were "lead in the rock forever." {CH 561.2}
"Watch unto prayer. In this way alone can you put your whole being into the Lord's work. Self must be put in the background {CH 560.1} .