Angels appear throughout the record as messengers of God who speak to prophets and individuals. Lehi was among the first to see them: in his opening vision he saw God on his throne, surrounded by numberless angels singing and praising God (1 Ne. 1:8).
Nephi taught that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost and so speak the words of Christ (2 Ne. 32:2-3). He described speaking “with the tongue of angels” as something a person receives after baptism and the reception of the Holy Ghost (2 Ne. 31:13-14).
Alma said angels were declaring the coming of Christ in their land, preparing people’s hearts to receive his word, and would make his coming known to just and holy men (Alma 13:24-26). Amulek also reported that God cries to the people by the voice of his angels, “Repent ye, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Alma 10:20-22). Moroni stated that the office of the angels’ ministry is to call people to repentance, to carry out the covenants of the Father, and to declare the word of Christ to chosen witnesses, and that angels minister to those of strong faith (Moroni 7:29-31).
Angels also minister collectively to whole gatherings, not only to individual prophets. At Christ’s visit among the Nephites, the assembled multitude looked toward heaven and saw the heavens open; angels descended “as it were in the midst of fire” and encircled the children, ministering to them (3 Ne. 17:24). A similar angelic visitation came to the Lamanites and Nephite dissenters who had imprisoned Nephi and Lehi: the heavens opened and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them (Hel. 5:48).
At his appearance among the Nephites, Jesus said that the Father and all the holy angels rejoice over those who are saved (3 Ne. 27:30). The three disciples who were to remain on earth were described as being like the angels of God, able to show themselves to whomever they chose when they prayed in Jesus’s name (3 Ne. 28:30).