1 Ne 19:20 I
have workings in the spirit, which doth weary me even that all my joints are
weak
Intense
spiritual experiences often have the effect of draining one¡¯s physical
strength. This seems to be the case with
Nephi. A similar experience happened to Lehi, see 1 Ne 1:7. Three other examples of this phenomenon are
as follows, 1) Daniel sees the Lord in a glorious vision, then remarks, and there remained no strength in me (Dan 10:8), 2)
king Lamoni had been overcome by the spirit for two days, when he awoke he
announced, I have seen my Redeemer¡¦. Now, when he
had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with
joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit (Alma
19:13), and 3) Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw the vision of the three
degrees of glory together while at the Johnson farm in Hiram, Ohio. There were other men in the room who
witnessed their countenances as they received D&C section 76. One of these men, Philo Dibble recorded the
scene as follows, ¡°Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a
magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag,
observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, ¡®Sidney is not as used to it as I
am.¡¯¡± (Juvenile Instructor, May 1892, pp. 303-4) See also 1 Ne 17:47.