When Our Strength Fails, Let God Be Our Strength

Nehemiah in the Old Testament and Lehonti in the Book of Mormon offer parallel examples of men who are resolved to carry out an important work but face increasing pressure from enemies. Nehemiah and his people were building the walls around the city of Jerusalem, and when their enemies tried to get them away from their task, Nehemiah said that they were engaged in a good work and could not come down. Lehonti and his men loved peace more than bloodshed and refused to be drawn back into another war and when Amalickiah demanded that they come down, their reply was that they were fixed in their minds with a determined resolution and would not come down. In both cases, Nehemiah and Lehonti were asked four times to come down and in each case these demands escalated in the levels of cunning and trickery and intimidation. Although both men were full of determination and both were engaged in good causes, Nehemiah was able to withstand the relentless attacks of his enemies while Lehonti eventually was destroyed. I don't think that Lehonti was weaker in character, less fixed in his mind, or engaged in a worse cause. Both men tried to resist their enemies with everything that they had. But Nehemiah survived because after being attacked over and over, each time his willpower and his patience likely being stripped away a little more each time, he nevertheless managed to carry on his great work because he did not rely solely on his own power. He prayed for Heavenly strength and divine wisdom to withstand the determined assault of his foes and thwart their most sophisticated stratagems, while Lehonti did no such thing. Sometimes, the challenges keep coming and keep coming and we can't keep facing them on our own power. We may be engaged in a good work. We may be fixed in our minds with a determined resolution. We may know exactly why we can't come down and exactly what the enemy will do to us if we do. But through exhaustion and confusion and pain we may get lost and forget which way is up and why we keep struggling when it would be so much easier to give in. That is why when our own strength fails we must lean on the Lord. He will give us the strength to say no. He will give us the wisdom to see through the lies and the trickery. When our will is gone, we can cry out, Father, thy will be done. Both Nehemiah and Lehonti were strong men engaged in good works and should be admired for how long they were able to resist, but Nehemiah was humble enough to recognize the limits of his own strength and did not hesitate to call on the Lord for help.