An angel of God never has wings.

Hear now the words of Joseph Smith, Jr., the Prophet of the Restoration, who once declared, “An angel of God never has wings.” To those who first heard him, these words may have seemed strange, for in art and legend the angel has ever been painted as a being of radiant feathers and heavenly flight. Yet the prophet spoke not of fantasy, but of truth—of what is divine and near, of holiness not wrapped in symbol, but clothed in reality. In his words lies a revelation: that God’s messengers are not distant creatures of myth, but real beings, tangible, present, and very near to man.

In the teachings of Joseph Smith, the angels of God were not imagined spirits floating in celestial mists, but resurrected men and women—beings of light and substance, sanctified through obedience and faith. They were not meant to seem foreign to human understanding; rather, they were a reminder of the immortal destiny that awaits all souls who walk in righteousness. In saying that angels have no wings, he sought to tear away the veil of superstition and reveal the deeper truth: that heaven is not far from earth, nor are its messengers creatures of another kind. They are our brothers, our sisters, our ancestors—spirits perfected and sent to minister to the living.

This teaching came forth in an age when men still clung to medieval visions of heaven—a realm of unreachable divinity, populated by beings wholly unlike ourselves. But Joseph Smith was shown that the divine order is built upon progression, not separation. God’s kingdom is a family, not a hierarchy of the unreachable. Thus, the angels who visit mankind are not winged deities, but redeemed souls who have trod the same path of sorrow, trial, and triumph that we now walk. They are not above humanity; they are the perfected form of it.

To understand the heart of this teaching, consider the story of Moroni, the angel who appeared to Joseph Smith himself. He did not descend with flaming wings or celestial music; he came as a man—glorified, radiant, yet unmistakably human. He spoke with reason, with tenderness, and with purpose. He pointed not to himself, but to God’s work upon the earth. In that sacred visitation, Joseph learned that divine power does not require spectacle; it manifests through presence, truth, and purpose. The holiness of an angel is not in feathers or flight, but in faith and obedience.

And so, “an angel of God never has wings” is more than a literal correction—it is a spiritual lesson. It reminds us that divinity is nearer than we think, and that holiness often comes in simple, human forms. How often do we look for the miraculous in the sky, while ignoring the quiet messengers beside us—the friend who comforts, the stranger who blesses, the inner whisper that calls us to goodness? These, too, are angels without wings—servants of light walking unseen among the weary.

In every age, men have longed for signs and wonders, forgetting that God’s greatest works are done through ordinary hands guided by extraordinary faith. The prophet’s teaching turns our gaze inward and outward at once: inward, to the divine seed within us that longs to serve; outward, to the truth that we, too, may become angels to others. For to lift the sorrowing, to speak truth with courage, to love without condition—these are acts of celestial ministry, performed by mortals who have heard the call of heaven.

Therefore, let this truth be written upon your soul: you were not created merely to live, but to minister. Seek not wings of flight, but wings of compassion. Seek not halos of gold, but the glow of kindness and truth. In every act of service, you draw nearer to the divine pattern revealed by Joseph Smith—that angels walk among us, and that in serving others, we become like them.

And so, O seeker of light, remember this: God’s messengers do not need wings, for His presence lifts them higher than any flight. The glory of heaven is not found in distance or spectacle, but in nearness and love. Look for the angels in your midst, and strive to be one yourself. For one day, when you have walked the path of faith and fulfilled your duty with courage and charity, you too shall stand as an angel of God—wingless, yet radiant, bearing light into worlds yet to come.