Job, by Gary L. Kapp
Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42: Lesson 97
Job 1–3; 12–13
“Yet Will I Trust in Him”
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
Have you ever struggled with keeping your faith during tough times? Picture Job. He used to have everything: wealth, family, and good health. Unexpectedly, he lost it all. Despite these hardships, Job never lost his trust in Jesus Christ. This lesson can help you develop a stronger desire to trust in the Lord when facing trials.
Books of scriptures. The next five books of the Old Testament (Job–Song of Solomon) are known as books of poetry or wisdom literature. They are written in poetic form. Like other scripture, these books can point us toward Jesus Christ and help us follow Him. (Note: Joseph Smith described Song of Solomon as “not inspired writings” [Joseph Smith Translation, note on Song of Solomon].)
Study the Scriptures
How can you develop a stronger desire to trust in the Lord when facing trials? Watch “Mountains to Climb” (5:05). Look for what could increase your trust in the Lord during trials.
On a scale of 1–5 (1 being not true of you at all and 5 being very true of you), think about how true the following statements are of you:
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I respond well to trials.
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I find strength from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ during trials.
Be open to feeling or learning things about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that could help you face your trials with increased trust in Them.
Read Job 1:1–3. Mark each thing you learn about Job. (Note: The word perfect translates to “whole, complete, having integrity.”)
It is important to understand that Job was a real person (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:10), but Job’s life is told using some poetic elements. For example, as Job’s story begins, the Lord and Satan are described as having two conversations. These are not actual interactions between the Lord and Satan but illustrate Satan’s role as our adversary or enemy. They could be a poetic way of preparing the reader for what follows in Job’s life—his afflictions, temptations, and loss of worldly goods.
Read Job 1:6–12. Think about what claim Satan made about Job’s righteousness and what he wanted to happen to Job.
Use the following table. You could mark what Job suffered in one color and how he responded in another color.
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What did Job suffer? |
How did Job respond? |
|---|---|
What did Job suffer? Read Job 1:13–19; 2:7 | How did Job respond? Read Job 1:20–22; 2:9–10; 13:15; 23:10 |
Respond to the following questions in your notebook:
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What stands out to you about Job’s response?
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What might Job have understood about God to respond the way he did?
We can learn from Job’s example that we can choose to trust God during our trials. Create a note next to Job 13:15 and record this truth.
Review the following study options. Complete one or more.
Option A
Who else from the scriptures learned to trust in God?
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:
The Savior has the power to make everything right and yearns to do so. He loves to permanently mend even shattered hearts (see Psalm 147:3). The ultimate lesson of the book of Job is that each of us can choose to live our lives trusting God and His plan, no matter what. (“Trust God and Let Him Prevail,” Liahona, Aug. 2022, 7)
Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream, by Grant Romney Clawson
One way to develop a stronger desire to trust in God is to learn from examples in the scriptures. Follow the listed steps to learn about others who trusted God during a trial. If you need help with the first step, the following example could be used:
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Daniel 2:19–23: Daniel faced King Nebuchadnezzar’s command that all the wise men in the kingdom (including Daniel) would be killed if no one could interpret his dream.
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Find an example in the scriptures where someone chose to trust God during their trials.
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Mark words or phrases that explain why this person trusted God.
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Record in your notebook how the example and things you marked could help you trust God.
Option B
How can I comfort others?
Think about Job’s friends comforting him. Though they eventually accused Job of sinning, his friends first came to mourn with Job and comfort him.
Read Job 2:11–13, looking for phrases that impress you about Job’s friends. Tag the phrases you find as “friendship.”
Link these verses with Mosiah 18:8–10, looking for related counsel given in the Book of Mormon.
Elder John A. McCune of the Seventy said:
As followers of Christ, we are not spared challenges and trials in our lives. We are often required to do difficult things that, if attempted alone, would be overwhelming and maybe impossible. As we accept the Savior’s invitation to “come unto me” [Matthew 11:28], He will provide the support, comfort, and peace that are necessary. … Even in our deepest trials, we can feel the warm embrace of His love as we trust Him and accept His will. We can experience the joy reserved for His faithful disciples, for “Christ is joy” [Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 82]. (“Come unto Christ—Living as Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 36)
Think about someone who might need your attention. In your notebook, write down this person’s name and what you could do to help or comfort this person.
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you develop a stronger desire to trust in the Lord when facing trials.
Share one or more of the following with your teacher or class:
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The scripture example you studied and how their example can help you trust God
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What you wrote to help or comfort someone (keep any specific people anonymous)
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Something specific you did to achieve the purpose of this lesson
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Any questions this lesson raised for you. How will you try to find answers to your questions?