29 ...have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.
30 For behold, they are subject unto [Christ], to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
The phrase "a firm mind" has interested me latetly. This is probably because of the observable distance between the state of my mind and this aspired status. The fact that it is a qualification to receive the personal ministering of angels is also interesting. The scriptures are replete with examples of people who must have exhibited this quality becuase they qualified for the blessing.
By my reasoning, there isn't anything about those persons that is fundamentally different from myself. We, as God's children, are all alike unto him and therefore, all have the capability to develop such a mind. So, I think I'll list a few of the examples from the scriptures, maybe even from more recent church history and see what can be done towards the end of becoming like them and qualifying for the possible blessings, just in case...
It's interesting to note that I discovered the connection between the opening scripture from the Book of Moroni and the following passage just recently. I've known about Moroni's teaching about being firm in mind for some time but now, in retrospect, it was probably Jacob that taught Moroni about these principles through his writings. And I can't help but think that Jacob must have learned a great deal about faith and firmness from his brother Nephi ("I will go and do...", and "...I must obey."), although he used different phrases.
Jacob's teachings regarding "a firm mind" (Jacob 3:1-2):
1 ...Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.
2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.
Jacob recevied the ministering of angels (Jacob 7:5):
5 And [Sherem] had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.
The 2000 stripling warriors were spared even while a thousand of their comrades were slain:
25 And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
26 And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
27 Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.
-Michael Whatcott