November the 23rd, 2005: It was the day before Thanksgiving. The morning started as usual, and after family scripture study and prayer, Lauren and Nicole, ages nine and seven respectively, left home to walk to school. Now, usually the sisters walked together, but this morning – for some reason – Lauren lagged about a block behind her sister. And it was a good thing; she did not see the events that followed.

Nicole started across the street, and was out in the middle of the crosswalk, when suddenly with no warning, a van traveling 30 miles per hour came out of nowhere and hit the girl on the right side. Nicole was hurled 42 feet across the intersection. She landed on the asphalt in front of a truck that was stopped at the stop sign. Can you imagine?

The scene became instant bedlam. Someone called the parents.

At the news, Mom threw her hand to her mouth and cried, “Oh, please, no!”

While she began to pace the floor, Dad ran out the door expecting the worst. He came to the scene, and got in the ambulance with his daughter and rode to the hospital. Once there, the doctors went to work. They examined Nicole thoroughly. They ran tests, they asked questions; they even kept her for observation. But in the end, by some miracle, all Nicole had was [were] some minor abrasions. She was unharmed. There was not even a bruise on her right side where the van had hit her. And she and her grateful parents went home that same day.

It was later that two witnesses came forward, and told a most unusual story. They described being at the intersection and watching Nicole get hit. They saw her fly through the air, but as she hit the ground, it was – it – it was as if she was being caught, and gently laid to the ground.

The next day was a most significant Thanksgiving. The family resumed their scripture study right where they left off, and they read the following verse:

“Wherefore my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven…. Behold, I say unto you nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.” (Moroni 7:27-28)

My friends, and so it is!