Verse: ‘Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continuously upon the things which I have seen and heard’, (2 Nephi 4:16).
When we think of the psalms, we most likely, understandably enough, immediately picture the Book of Psalms, also known as the Psalter, found in the Hebrew Bible. The Bible is certainly rich in its various works of poetry, but many may not know that it is not only the Hebrew Bible that contains these things. The Book of Mormon too has a beautiful psalm hidden away inside of it. The Psalm of Nephi, or otherwise known simply as Nephi’s Psalm, is found in 2 Nephi 4:16-35. This is called a psalm as the text shares many similarities with psalms found in the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Psalms. This psalm is important as it shares the five common elements found in psalms. These are the recognition of sins, pleading for forgiveness, dedication to the Lord’s commandments, petitioning, and finally rejoicing in the forgiveness that God has given in His all-merciful nature. The Psalm of Nephi shares all five of these elements and is one of my favourite psalms found within scripture.
In Nephi’s Psalm Nephi lays out his hopes, joys, sorrows, and problems in his life, following the footsteps of the psalmist. When analysing or prayerfully reading this psalm it is crucial to understand the situation in which it is created. Nephi has just lost his father, Lehi, and these emotions of loss, which are familiar to many of us, are clear to see in this moving passage. These doubts and fears he brings up may be due to the fact that, as we know from the Book of Mormon, he is due to take over and lead not just his family but his people as their leader. Whilst we know how successful and great a leader he was, we must remember that at that time he must have been feeling all the anxieties and fears that we as humans feel also. These words of fear and sorrow are quickly replaced by praise for God and reminders of all that He has done for Nephi. We too can use these proclamations in our own prayer life as inspiration and worship.
I personally find it useful to prayerfully read and meditate this psalm in the evening before I sleep, alongside other psalms from the Hebrew Bible. It is indeed a beautiful reminder of how we should approach God, and our faith. Nephi encourages himself, as we can do ourselves if we pray his psalm as ours, to ‘no longer droop in sin’ but to ‘rejoice … and give place no more for the enemy of my soul’ (2 Nephi 4:28). He also promises that he will ‘praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation’ (2 Nephi 4:30). Let us too meditate on the words of this psalm and use it to remind ourselves how we should approach and thank God, as well as reinforce and re-establish our covenant with him as disciples.