Nephi and James

“They set him at naught, and hearken not,”

And end up tying their lives in knots.  (1 Nephi 19:7 with my addition)

Unknown Author

“With thoughtless and impatient hands

We tangle up the plans

The Lord hath wrought—

And when we cry in pain, He saith,

'Be quiet man, while I untie the knot.'”

Isaiah

“Awake, awake, put on thy strength …

Shake thyself from the dust;

Arise …

Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck …

For thus saith the Lord,

Ye have sold yourselves for nought;

And ye shall be redeemed without money.”  (Isaiah 52:1-4)

Nephi

“I prayed unto the Lord

Saying:  O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee,

Wilt thou ...give me strength that I may burst these bands

With which I am bound.

And … when I had said these words …

The bands were loosed from off my hands and feet.”  (1 Nephi 7:17-18)

Alma

“I was struck with great fear and amazement …

I fell to the earth …

I was racked with eternal torment …

My soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree

And racked with all my sins …

I was tormented with the pains of hell …

The very thought of coming into the presence of my God

Did rack my soul with inexpressible horror …

For three days and for three nights was I racked … with torment …

I was harrowed up by the memory of my … sins

I remembered … the coming of Jesus Christ …

To atone for the sins of the world …

As my mind caught hold upon this thought,

I cried within my heart:

O Jesus, thou son of God,

Have mercy on me,

Who am in the gall of bitterness,

And am encircled about by … everlasting chains …

And … when I thought this,

I could remember my pains no more …

I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy,

And what marvelous light I did behold …

My soul was filled with joy

As exceeding as was my pain …

There could be nothing so exquisite

And so bitter as were my pains …

And … there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet

As was my joy.”  (Alma 36:11-21)

Gamaliel and Peter

Gamaliel:  “If this counsel or the work be of men,

It will come to nought, (Acts 5:38)

But it did not, for

“This is the stone which was set at nought …

Which is become the head of the corner.”  (Acts 4:11)

Alma and Amulek

“Alma and Amulek … rose and stood upon their feet

And … cried … give us strength according to our faith …

And they broke the cords with which they were bound …

And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison,

And they were not hurt;

For the Lord had granted unto them power.”  (Alma 14:25-28)