Why get depressed and lose the Spirit and even physical health just because of trials? Why give in to Satan? Why let him win? Why get down on yourself because you have weaknesses? Stand up and be counted! Don’t give in to the devil. Don’t get angry with yourself just because you are struggling with weaknesses. Don’t give up because things are tough.
Nephi’s enemies were his own brothers. We saw in 2 Nephi 1:26 a hint of the struggle with anger that Nephi had. In 3 Nephi 12:22 (among other passages) anger is forbidden. Though we might think he was justified, Nephi knew that his intense feelings of anger were wrong and did not come from the Lord and that they were driving away the Spirit.
Elder Theodore M. Burton warned, “Whenever you get red in the face, whenever you raise your voice, whenever you get ‘hot under the collar,’ or angry, rebellious, or negative in spirit, then know that the Spirit of God is leaving you and the spirit of Satan is beginning to take over.” 9