Doctrine and Covenants 124

(December 13, 2013)
I have never been able to resolve the apparent conflict between the language of this section (“when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.”) and Nephi’s statement (“for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”).  The two seem directly contradictory.  If the Lord giveth no commandment save He prepare a way, then how is it possible that we can go with all our might and cease not our diligence and still not perform the work?

While one is directly the words of the Lord, the other are words of His prophet (and quoted so many times as to be nearly unassailable).  It appears that somehow the two must be reconciled in order to gain an understanding of the truth.  How are they to be reconciled?

This is not an academic issue with me.  Right now, I am putting forth my very best efforts, working with all of my might, ceasing not my diligence, and yet I am concerned that all of these efforts will simply not be enough.  I want the confidence that Nephi had – if I am willing to go and do, the Lord will prepare a way for me to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.  While I know the Lord will accept my offering, that isn’t what I want to have happen (well, not all that I want to have happen).  I want to accomplish the task in front of me.  I want to preserve what needs preserved.  I want to build the temple that the Lord wants built, but my best efforts right now aren’t getting it done.

Are these both valid principles, and one applied to Nephi while the other applied to Independence, Missouri?  Is Nephi’s pledge because it was an individual commandment and Independence because it was a communal commandment (that does not help my situation, as there is more than one person involved in the work I am trying to accomplish)?  What would I need to do to move my efforts off of the Independence track and on to the Nephi track?