Question: Do Mormon’s believe that non-eartly beings, divine or otherwised, have visited the Earth? Thank you.
Yes, we believe that both God and angels have visited the earth. All Christians, if they stopped to think about it, believe the same thing. Some of the most well-known examples are
1) When God visited Moses in the burning bush (Exodus ch. 3),
2) When an angel told Mary that she would be the mother of Christ (Luke ch. 1), and
3) Angels visiting shephards in the fields announcing that Christ had been born (Luke ch. 2).
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unique in that we believe that God still speaks to men today. In the early 1800’s, a young boy named Joseph Smith was concerned about which church he should join. After much study, he finally realized that there was no way he could figure it out. One night he read a verse in the book of James, which stood out to him (James 1:5). He realized that the only way he could find out what to do would be to pray and ask God for direction. In response to his sincere prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ visited him and told him that none of the churches were true. They told him that they were calling him as the next prophet to restore the true church to the earth again. (To see a short video representation of this story, click here.)
We believe that God has called prophets and apostles again to the earth. Just as God visited Moses and gave him directions on how to lead His people, He has a prophet on the earth today who can receive guidance on what we should be doing now – President Thomas S. Monson. Just earlier this month, we had the opportunity to listen to the prophet and apostles in a General Conference of the Church. I love watching conference. As I watch and listen, things stick out to me and I write them down, so I can work on them. I know that God speaks to prophets today, because I receive help and guidance with my life as I listen to their messages.