2 Nephi 4:27-30

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 4:27-30

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

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

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

30 Rejoice, O my heart, 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 rock of my salvation.

Quotes for Discussion

The most noble of souls, the greatest of prophets, need heaven’s help to endure in faith to the end. Joseph Fielding Smith, even in his ninety-fifth year,…frequently said, “I pray that I may be true and faithful to the end.”

Millet & McConkie, BOM Commentary, 1:219

Nephi is extremely sensitive to sin. “The Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31). The sanctified man cannot “look upon sin save it were with abhorrence” (Alma 13:12). What Nephi enumerates as sin is rarely considered as sin by mortal man: guilt feelings for our thoughts (v. 26); slackening of strength because of our physical afflictions; or, anger because of our enemies (v. 27). Many people excuse or rationalize away their sins as the normal way of life for which God does not hold us accountable. The sanctified man makes no excuses for sin, but turns to the Lord and praises him for his blessings (v. 30).

Monte S. Nyman, I, Nephi, Wrote this Record, p. 434

Clearly discouragement is the means by which Satan tries to get us to stop trying. He knows that if we keep trying we’re going to connect with the Spirit of the Lord, which takes us out of our narrow self-preoccupation and unveils a rich resource of power and capacity.

It seems to me that our reaction to our heightened feelings of fallenness is important. One thing that seems to help is humility. It is a paradox that, when we feel so everlastingly valueless, the thing that could bring relief is humility. But discouragement may reveal a weakened connection with the Savior, a blurred focus. We can sharpen our focus by humbling ourselves to the depths before him. Then he offers us a sip out of the cup of his Spirit and our perspective changes, and we know that in his strength we can go on and even feel a measure of success. We can appreciate Ammon’s words: “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things” (Alma 26:12).

M. Catherine Thomas, Spiritual Lightening, p. 113-114

Spencer W. Kimball: Feelings at his first experience sitting with the Brethren on the stand at General Conference…

“How weak I felt! How humble I was! How grateful I was when President McKay said the voting was unanimous. I seemed to be swimming in a daze. It seemed so unreal and impossible that I—just poor weak Spencer Kimball—could be being sustained as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and tears welled in my eyes again as I heard myself sustained as an Apostle, a prophet, seer and revelator to the Church. We were called to the stand and took our places with the Twelve Apostles. I was next to Brother Lee who squeezed my arm in welcome. Thousands of eyes were upon us appraising, weighing, honoring us….After some other talks I was called on for my maiden talk. How I reached the pulpit I hardly know. What a moment—a sea of upturned, wondering, expectant faces met my first gaze. I began….I must have taken about 15 minutes. I lost track of time as I poured out my appreciation and gratitude and bore testimony.

“As I took my seat I felt I had failed and continued to tell myself that I had failed as Brother Benson gave his simple sweet-spirited testimony.”

The next day Spencer and Ezra Taft Benson waited upon President Grant in the big room next to the President’s office….Spencer Kimball knelt at the feet of the invalid Prophet, who had been born before the Civil War and who now laid his hands on his head, joined by the other Apostles, and ordained Spencer Woolley Kimball an Apostle. “What rapture—What bliss and joy unspeakable!”

But not long after, in his journal one day he wrote:

“I have been depressed all day—I feel so inadequate. It seems that I am not succeeding with my work as I should like. It has been a hectic day. Everything seems to have been disturbing and disappointing. Received a long letter of severe criticism from one of my friends—and everything seemed to be at cross-purposes. Maybe I needed further humbling.”

Then he wrote four days later:

“Oh! I am so happy today. To see just a little fruit of our labors is encouraging.”

Edward L. Kimball and Andrew E. Kimball, Jr., Spencer W. Kimball, pp. 204-5, 210-11