Nehemiah 1

Unlike Ezra, Nehemiah does not appear from my reading to be a scribe or one holding priesthood authority. Yet as I read the writings of Nehemiah my thoughts turned to the word of the Lord that -

"...men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 58:27 - 29)

As a faithful cupbearer for the King of Persia, we read the sincerity as Nehemiah fasted and prayed -

"...I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:
6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.
8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand." (Old Testament | Nehemiah 1:5 - 10)

When Nehemiah learned that -

"...the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire." (Old Testament | Nehemiah 1:3)

...he could not rest.

The greatness of Nehemiah was that he recognized a righteous need and worked faithfully to restore the temple walls and door even with great obstacles.