Proof of Angels

January 18, 2016
Tompkins, former editor of Angels on Earth magazine, tells the story of Tyler Beddoes, a police officer in Spanish Fork, Utah, who heard a voice at the scene of a fatal accident. Beddoes responded to the call of a car accident that claimed the life of Jennifer Groesbeck and left her eighteen month old daughter, Lily, stranded in the half-submerged vehicle. The authors discuss what they consider an otherworldly event when Beddoes and his fellow officers heard, "Help me, help me," and assumed it was Lily's mom speaking. It was not. Over time, they came to believe that an angel was spurring them forward to complete the rescue of Lily. Tompkins explores how that pivotal event has changed Beddoes' view of faith as well as life and death. Tompkins intersperses other historical accounts of angelic visitations through history to further build his case for the roles angels play in humans' lives. Whether one agrees with the theology presented or not, the story of Lily's rescue is touching. Tompkins' writing is inspired, a gift for those interested in the mystery of angelic encounters.