The Psalm of Nephi: 2nd Nephi 4


HoosierGuy
 Share

Recommended Posts

I am reading the Book of Mormon for the second time now. I'm currently in 2nd Nephi. 2nd Nephi is special to me because it was in the last three chapters of 2nd Nephi when I first felt the Spirit come over me. Back then I was reading it online. Now I'm reading it in my quad.

Anyway, I just read 2nd Nephi Chapter 4. I got to verses 16 and was blown away by what I read. I read my study guide book to the Book of Mormon and it says this is the Psalm of Nephi and one of the most beautiful things in all of scriptures. The study guide also says it is very much underused and should be used and shared more.

16 to 35 is absolutely amazing. It's as tho Nephi knows how I feel. He takes the words right out of my mouth. I guess I should say he takes the words right out of my soul. All the things I want to say during prayer to our Father in Heaven can be found in these verses. Wow. Amazing, true, and beautiful. I want to read this every morning when I wake up and read it before I go to bed. Very powerful.

16 Behold, my asoul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my bheart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great agoodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O bwretched man that I am! Yea, my heart csorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily abeset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have atrusted.

20 My God hath been my asupport; he hath led me through mine bafflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his alove, even unto the bconsuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine aenemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me aknowledge by bvisions in the night-time.

24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty aprayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been acarried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath avisited men in so much bmercy, cwhy should my dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

27 And why should I ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I dangry because of mine enemy?

28 Awake, my soul! No longer adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the benemy of my soul.

29 Do not aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the brock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou aredeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of bsin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my aheart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may bwalk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy arighteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine benemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have atrusted in thee, and I will btrust in thee forever. I will not put my ctrust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his dtrust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give aliberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I bask cnot amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the drock of my erighteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is one of my favorite scriptures!!

We do not know why the Spirit moved Nephi in such a way. I have my own theories, however. It is recorded just after his father Lehi dies. Nephi being younger had been appointed a prophet and a ruler above his older brothers. That in itself was a petri dish for contention. I can surely imagine his two older, wicked brother trying to harass him, verbally and even physically abusing him. That would have taxed Nephi beyond belief. He is trying to grieve the death of his father and his brothers jockeying for position within the family group.

Nephi would have experienced juxtaposed emotions under such circumstances. It is certainly beautiful and quite touching the way he expresses so many different emotions and the overarching faith that sustained him thru his trials and tribulations.

It is quite a poetic piece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share