Just rising up from this troubled soul, but this rejoicing soul also, he says, oh Lord, will thou redeem my soul? I wonder if that was meant to be an exclamation point or a question mark as it's printed here. I hope, a plea, please redeem my soul or a question wondering, will you? I can't do it on my own. There's real vulnerability in that question. Will thou redeem my soul? Will thou deliver me out of the hands of my enemies? Will thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? May the gates of hell be shut continually before me because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite. Oh Lord, will thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me? That I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road. Oh, what a prayer. What pleading? Father, my heart is broken. My spirit is contrite. This is godly sorrow. This is everything that repentance is hoping to create within us. And so what an answer to that question. Will I redeem my soul? Of course, that's what I came for. When he asks, please can I shake at the appearance of sin? Whether that's that anything that appears sinful, may I be frightened off by it instead of lulled into security by it? May I shake when sin appears knowing that I have been given a way to escape? That's what he's praying for too. Don't shut the gates of thy righteousness, but please shut continually the gates of hell. If he's asking God to shut the gates of hell in his mind they must be open. And the adversary does everything within his power to make sure they are. Always, always come him right on in. But for him to say, please do not shut the gates of thy righteousness. What does that suggest they are right now? White open. Oh, both heaven and hell are open before us. I have placed before you life and death wherefore choose life. Nephi is taking this Deuteronomy moment seriously himself. And I just want to choose God. Please keep that. Keep heaven open and close hell. Help me move in the right direction. That is true humility. That's broken heart, country, and spirit. That is the sacrifice that God is asking for from us all. He then prays in verse 33, oh Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness? You hear the echo of Lehi's words to Jacob? We studied last week. Thou art saved, thou art redeemed because of the righteousness of thy redeemer? That's all Nephi's praying for also. To be encircled about by that robe of righteousness compared to what he said earlier. Remember, I am encompassed about by the temptations and sins that so easily beset me. I'm going to be surrounded by one thing or the other. I'm going to come into one gate or the other. Hell or heaven. I'm going to be surrounded by one thing or the other. Encompassed about by my sins or encircled about by the robes of Christ's righteousness. Oh, there's the mother hen gathering her chicks. And Nephi then says, oh Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies? Remember Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13, that God is faithful? He'll never allow you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will always make a way for you to escape? Well that's what Nephi's praying for. Please always show me the escape route. I'll take it every time. He says, wilt thou make my path straight before me? Because that's the fastest way to get back to God, straight way. Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way? But that thou would clear my way before me and hedge not up my way but the ways of my enemy? Oh Father, please make sure nothing gets in the way of me coming home. Home where thou art, home where lehi and sariya are, home where I want to be. I love the thought of the Lord clearing away the obstacles, taking them out of our path and putting them in the path of the enemy of all righteousness. Slow him down, speed us up. That's exactly what his grace is for. And so with full faith in that grace, Nephi ends this psalm. Saying in verse 34 and 35, oh Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. You see what's gotten him to this point in the past, it's what's going to get him through in the future. Have trusted will trust. That's what's going to carry us forward. There's another option though, and that's trusting in ourselves, which Nephi absolutely refuses to do. Maybe he tried that when he tried to buy the brass plates from Laban and realized, nope, my plan is insufficient. I'm going to have to trust God in everything. And so he does. He says here, I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh, for I know that curse it is he that puteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that puteth his trust in man or make it flesh his arm. Interesting all these blessings he's been praying for, but recognizes the curse scenes that await on the other side. Again, Deuteronomy, they're laid out right before us, side by side. He then says, yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. And boy, he knows that by personal experience, right? Vision after vision after vision. Yea, my God will give me if I ask not amiss. Therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee. Yea, I will cry unto thee. And then notice all the personal pronouns. My God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee. My rock and mine everlasting God. Amen. How's that for personal praise? Full of personal pronouns. A personal relationship with the Lord. That's all he wants. That's what he's working toward. It's what he's holding on to. It's what's going to get him through things. He no longer has his father on earth. But he's holding on to his father in heaven. He knows in whom he has trusted. And that makes all the difference. Speaking of personal pronouns, I remember once being in a training meeting somewhere in Atlanta if I remember correctly. And one of my colleagues was training a big room full of early morning seminary teachers. We were taking turns doing that and it was his turn. And I remember this one moment. I can't remember exactly what was said. But one of the, he'd asked the question, one of the teachers responded with a beautiful principle, a beautiful statement of faith that was put in general terms. Like this is how God is or we believe that such and such. And I'd never seen a teacher do this before, but the teacher just stopped. And thanked the student, quote unquote in this case, the early morning teacher, thanked them for that comment and then asked them very gently, could you rephrase it though? Because what you said was general and I want something personal. You said something about we, I need to hear it from you. Could you rephrase what you just said? Coming from you personally. And this sweet woman thought for a moment and mustered her faith and rephrased what she just said with all personal pronouns. I know. I've had these experiences and the spirit in that room completely changed. Instead of vague, but true principles, it was a personal testimony grown from personal experience. And that's what Nephi has. It's absolutely beautiful. I am so grateful for 2 Nephi chapter 4. It makes me wonder what would the psalm of Jared sound like as compared to the psalm of Nephi. And if I could prayerfully ponder the hand of God in my life, my strengths and my weaknesses, my highs and my lows, my prayers and visions, my experiences with the spirit, my own wretchedness, but my own rejoicing, what would it sound like? And would my soul sing instead of drooping in sorrow? Maybe that's a homework assignment worth taking on, writing your own personal soul and singing it.