City of Angels: Beings frequently found in Salt Lake in many forms

Los Angeles may be nicknamed The City of Angels, but Salt Lake City could vie for that title in the Intermountain West.

With the Christmas Box Angel monument in the Salt Lake Cemetery, a golden Angel Moroni serving as an unofficial logo for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and also adorning the top of the Salt Lake LDS Temple, angels are probably more common here than most other cities.

The former CBS series, "Touched by an Angel," was frequently filmed in Salt Lake City, and angels are depicted in various other local churches, too.

Angels are generally considered the essence of goodness and service. They're divine beings, messengers from God who are mentioned throughout the Bible and a prominent element of Christianity.

But in this age of modern technology and increased skepticism, do most Christian churches still consider angels as real? What do various churches believe about angels?

"There's been a resurgence of interest in angels," said Father John Kaloudis of Salt Lake's Holy Trinity Cathedral.

However, he said this interest is very much a distortion of biblical beliefs because a lot of it overlooks God.

"We do believe in angels," he said of Greek Orthodox beliefs, but much of this modern angel interest has left out God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.

"Angels are messengers, but don't forget the master," he said.

Greek Orthodox church members strongly believe in guardian angels and the whole spiritual world to which they belong.

Catholic Online operates an extensive Web site on angels, saints.catholic.org/angels.html, and refers to them as "The Magnificent Servants of God."

This Roman Catholic site defines an angel as "a pure spirit created by God," non-bodily creatures. It also includes a ranking of the "Nine Choirs of Angels" and provides references for early angels in the church, as well as fallen angels (demons).

The site also stresses the Catholic belief in a guardian angel, a heavenly spirit is assigned by God to watch over every person and to guide him to do good. Also included are references to angels in the Bible and prayers to guardian angels.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that angels are real, powerful and glorious spirit creatures.