Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42: Lesson 97

Job 1–3; 12–13

“Yet Will I Trust in Him”

Have you ever struggled to be faithful to God during difficult times? Job was a faithful man who enjoyed a blessed life. Unexpectedly, Job lost his wealth, children, and health. However, Job did not lose his faith in Jesus Christ. This lesson can help students feel an increased desire to trust Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ during trials.

Student preparation: Invite students to reflect on how they have responded to their trials. Ask them to come to class prepared to discuss their experiences.

Possible Learning Activities

Before beginning today’s lesson, it could help to tell students that the next several books (Job–Song of Solomon) are known as the books of poetry or wisdom literature. These books are written in poetic form and are not intended to convey history. 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].)

How we respond to trials

Consider beginning class by writing on the board “Person A” and “Person B.” Invite students to come up with a scenario for each person, one describing a long-term trial and one describing a short-term trial. The following prompts might help.

1. Ever since Person A was a child, they have had to deal with …

2. Today just keeps getting worse for Person B. It started with …

After students have established the two scenarios, invite them to discuss the following questions for “Person A” and “Person B.” They could do this in pairs or small groups.

• What would it look like if this person responded to this trial poorly?

• What would it look like if this person responded to this trial well?

• What would it look like if this person responded to this trial with trust in Heavenly Father?

After students have had time to discuss, help them think about how they respond to their own trials. The following is one way you could do this.

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:

• I respond well to trials.

• 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.

Job’s life

Read Job 1:1–3, looking for what you learn about Job. (Note: the word perfect translates to “whole, complete, having integrity.”)

• What did you find?

You might write students’ answers on the board. Before continuing the story of Job, consider reading or summarizing the following.

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.

To help students understand the first conversation, you could ask three volunteers to read. One volunteer could read the words of the narrator, another the words of the Lord, and the third the words of Satan. Ask students to read the words without dramatizing them in any way. Consider displaying the following questions for students to think about as they listen.

Read Job 1:6–12, looking for answers to the following questions:

• What claim did Satan make about Job’s righteousness?

• What did Satan want to happen to Job?

Allow students to share their answers. If needed, help students understand that Satan claimed that Job was only righteous because the Lord blessed him. Satan wanted Job’s blessings taken away to prove that claim.

Job’s example

For the next part of Job’s story, you could create a chart like the following on the board. You could then organize students into pairs or small groups to complete the chart. Ask groups to discuss the questions that follow. It might be helpful to walk around to help and encourage students. (Note: Boils are painful skin sores. Job “rent” or tore his clothes and shaved his head as signs of mourning.)

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.

• What stands out to you about Job’s response?

• What might Job have understood about God to respond the way he did?

  Students might point out that Job acknowledged his blessings had come from God (see Job 1:21), understood that trials are a part of God’s plan (see Job 2:10), and knew God was aware of him and that his trials would refine him (see Job 23:10).

  After students complete the activity, help them identify a truth by asking a question like the following.

• What can we learn from Job’s example that could help us during trials?

Among other answers, students might identify something like: we can choose to trust God during our trials.

Consider inviting students to find and mark where they see this truth in Job 13:15.

Examples in scripture

Think of ways that you can help students increase their trust in Heavenly Father during their trials. One way is to have students look up scriptures in which people explained their reasons for trusting God during a trial. Students could do the following activity.

1. Find an example in the scriptures where someone chose to trust God during their trials.

2. Mark words or phrases that explain why this person trusted God.

3. Prepare to explain how the concepts you marked have helped or could help you trust God.

If students need help identifying scripture accounts, you could invite them to search “trust” in Gospel Library. Or you could provide examples such as:

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.

2 Nephi 4:17–23—Nephi mourned over his own weaknesses and felt inadequate.

After sufficient time, invite students to share in small groups or with the class what they found. You could also show students “Mountains to Climb” (5:05), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Have them look for what President Eyring shared that could increase their trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ during trials.

Conclusion

You might conclude class by inviting students to write themselves a note or to send a text to themselves answering the following question. If they write a note, invite them to fold it up and put it in their pocket or someplace where they will see it later that day. You might play soft instrumental music as students write.

• What is something you felt today that has helped you want to trust Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ during trials?

Additional Resources

How can the Savior help us during trials?

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:

Jesus Christ loves to restore what we cannot restore, heal wounds we cannot heal, fix what is irreparably broken, and compensate for any unfairness we have endured. In fact, if we let Him, He will consecrate our suffering for our gain and sanctify to us our deepest distress. He will not just console us and restore what was lost (see Job 42:10, 12–13), but He will use our trials for our benefit.

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)

How can trials be a blessing?

Elder Isaac K. Morrison of the Seventy said:

We find many scriptural stories of great and noble leaders, such as Jeremiah, Job, Joseph Smith, and Nephi, who were not spared from the struggles and challenges of mortality. They were mortals who learned to obey the Lord even in harsh conditions. …

Reflecting on my own experiences, I realize I have learned some of my best lessons during the hardest times in my life, times that took me out of my comfort zone. Difficulties I encountered as a youth, while learning about the Church through seminary, as a recent convert, and as a full-time missionary and challenges I faced in my education, in striving to magnify my callings, and in raising a family have prepared me for the future. The more I cheerfully respond to difficult circumstances with faith in the Lord, the more I grow in my discipleship.

The hard things in our lives should come as no surprise once we have entered the strait and narrow path. Jesus Christ learned “obedience by the things which he suffered.” As we follow Him, especially in our difficult times, we can grow to become more like Him. (“We Can Do Hard Things through Him,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 116)

How can the Savior help us endure our afflictions?

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)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Sadness and pain

Students might benefit from a discussion about dealing with sadness and pain. If so, invite them to read Job 3:23–25, looking for how Job felt after losing his family, wealth, and health. The following questions might help students appreciate Job’s expressions:

• How would you describe Job’s feelings about his trials?

• What might be the difference between feeling grief and feeling hopeless?

• How can we invite Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us work through such feelings?

Comforting those in need of comfort

It might be helpful for students to 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. Students could read Job 2:11–13, looking for what impresses them about Job’s friends. Students could cross-reference these verses with Mosiah 18:8–10, looking for related counsel given in the Book of Mormon.

• When have you been blessed by someone’s effort to comfort or mourn with you?

Consider inviting students to think about someone who might need their attention. Have them write down this person’s name. Students could then write something they could do to help or comfort this person.

Lessons Job learned through his suffering

Help students understand that during Job’s suffering, his friends eventually suggested that God must be punishing Job for sin. As Job struggled with this accusation and his own thoughts, he expressed what he was coming to know about God.

Read Job 12:9–13, 16; 13:15–16 and mark what Job came to feel and learn about God.

• What did you mark? Why does that seem significant?

• How would you summarize Job’s feelings at this point?

Overcoming obstacles

After students find scriptures in which people trusted in the Lord, you could watch “Crossing the Finish Line: A Story of Overcoming Obstacles” (11:53). Invite students to look for what Dallin knew that helped him to trust Jesus Christ during his challenges.