Podcast

Scot

When we lead our tours to the Holy Land, we will inevitably pull out some humor from the Biblical sources, attempting to create memories of laughter in remote parts of the tour. Our Bible jokes are many and varied and of a quality that only a dad could appreciate. “Who is the great tennis player of the Bible? Of course, everyone knows it’s Joseph, because he served in Pharoah’s courts! And who was the great comedian of the Bible? It was Sampson. He brought the house down! And what kind of man was Boaz before he got married? Ruthless! … I’m waiting for all of you to finish laughing. And then we pull out the most obvious one: Who was the greatest doctor of the Bible? Some contend it was Job, because he had a lot of ‘patience.’ But most would agree it’s Moses because he delivered all the children of Israel! All humor aside, we know that the greatest physician in the Bible is the Savior Himself—the one who can heal each of us. This week we will see some of the ways that Job reminds us of Jesus and leads us to Him.

Maurine

Welcome to Meridian Magazine’s Come Follow Me Podcast. We are Scot and Maurine Proctor and we are delighted to be with you again this week where we will discuss a series of thoughts, ideas and patterns from 23 of the 42 chapters of The Book of Job. First of all, I’m fascinated by what Victor Hugo said about this great book:  ““Job is one of the greatest masterpieces of the human mind. It is, perhaps, the greatest masterpiece. And to-morrow, if all literature was to be destroyed, and it was left to me to retain one work only, I should save Job.”—Victor Hugo (Uzanne, “Conversations and Opinions of Victor Hugo,” 570).

Alfred, Lord Tennyson declared: “[Job is] the greatest poem of ancient or modern times.” (—Alfred, Lord Tennyson as cited in Anderson, “The Book of Job,” 238).

Thomas Carlyle wrote: “I call [the book of Job], apart from all theories about it, one of the grandest things ever written with pen. . . . There is nothing written, I think, in the Bible or out of it, of equal literary merit.” (Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes, 65–66).

“The Book of Job . . . taken as a mere work of literary genius,” wrote the famous Daniel Webster, “[is] one of the most wonderful productions of any age or in any language.” (Daniel Webster (Boston Atlas, 2).” — Verse by Verse, The Old Testament Vol. 1 & 2.)

[See Ogden, D. Kelly, Skinner Andrew C., Verse by Verse, The Old Testament, Volume Two, 1 Kings through Malachi, Job.)

With all these endorsements and encouragements, let’s look at Job and see what we can learn.

Scot

One thing I have learned as we have studied each Come Follow Me lesson for the week: We just can’t cover everything and we cannot get to most things. But we certainly enjoy the process.

Job is a bit of a mystery in many ways, but I am first taken by the rare adjective used to describe him in the very first verse:

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1, emphasis added)

Abraham was commanded by the Lord to be perfect (see Genesis 17:1), and the only other ones in the Bible who are called perfect are Job and Noah (see Genesis 6:9). A better translation of this in context might be that they were perfectly obedient to the Lord in their day and time and did all things whatsoever was asked of them in every particular. These were not run-of-the-mill men. They were standouts in every way and, taking into account the Law of the Harvest, it seems like perfect people would have things pretty easy. Let’s see if that is the case.

Maurine

First, though, in our studies particularly this year, we’ve been moved by the fact that often the prophets of old are types of Jesus Christ, and many parts of their lives or their missions serve to bring us closer to the Savior. Let’s look at ten parallels between Job and Jesus Christ:

“1. Job is described as “perfect” (1:1) (as we have already mentioned); Jesus was perfect (Hebrews 5:9; 3 Nephi 12:48).

2. Job once held a position of great honor but was brought low (Job 29:25; 30:1). Likewise, Jesus held a high position of honor in premortality but condescended to come to earth and was held in great derision (Mark 5:40).

3. The adversary was allowed to tempt Job (Job 2:6), just as Satan was allowed to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:3–11; Hebrews 4:15).

4. Job was rejected by his own, and at one point, felt he was a stranger in his own house (Job 19:14–15). Likewise, Jesus was rejected by his own (John 1:11; Luke 4:24; Isaiah 53:2–4).

5. Job’s physical suffering and anguish caused him to wish he had died from the womb (Job 3:11). Jesus’ suffering caused him to tremble because of pain and shrink from unimaginable suffering and anguish (D&C 19:18).

Scot

6. Job’s cry was “God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked” (Job 16:11). This was exactly Jesus’ experience, as Peter testified (Acts 2:23).

7. Job said of his associates, “They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face” (Job 30:10). This also was Jesus’ experience”…where Matthew recorded: ‘Then they did spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands.’ (Matthew 26:67).

8. Both Job and Jesus suffered alone (Job 19:19; D&C 76:107; 121:10; 133:50).

9. Neither Job nor Jesus got what they “deserved” but endured tremendous contradiction (see Lectures on Faith, 59).

10. One of Job’s statements even prefigures the burial of Jesus. The King James Version of Job 21:32 says, “Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.” But the Hebrew text (as other English versions attest) says: “He is carried to the grave, and a watch is kept over his tomb” (compare Matthew 27:65).” (See Ogden and Skinner, Verse by Verse, The Old Testament Vol. 2, Job).

I love looking for the types and shadows of Christ in every ancient prophet’s life and Job stands as a shining star.

Maurine

There is this scene in the first part of the book that, to some, it seems like the Lord is playing with our lives, or, that He makes deals with the Devil to play with our lives. Let’s talk about this for a minute.

In the Old Testament books that come before the book of Job, we find mostly stories—narrative accounts that describe historical events from a spiritual perspective. Noah built an ark, Abraham went to Egypt, Moses delivered Israel, Hannah prayed to have a son, and so on. Beginning with Job, we find a different writing style, as Old Testament writers turned to poetic language to express deep feelings or monumental prophecies in a memorable way.

We have already seen a few examples of poetry sprinkled throughout the historical books of the Old Testament. And from the book of Job forward, we will see a lot more of it. The books of Job, Psalms, and Proverbs are almost entirely poetry. The Jews refers to this portion of the Old Testament as the “Wisdom” literature or “wisdom” section or “the wreitings” in contrast to the Law—which is the Torah in Hebrew or the Pentateuch in Greek– and the Prophets, the latter of which refers to 21 specific books of the Old Testament, mainly those beginning with a prophet’s name. Some parts of the writings of prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos also use the Hebrew poetic form. Because reading poetry is different from reading a story, understanding it often requires a different approach. Here are some thoughts that could make your reading of Old Testament poetry more meaningful.

Scot

First, it may help you to keep in mind that Hebrew poetry in the Old Testament isn’t based on rhyme, like some other kinds of poetry that you are I are familiar with. And although rhythm, wordplay, and repetition of sounds are common features of ancient Hebrew poetry, they are typically lost in translation. One feature you will notice, however, is the repetition of thoughts or ideas, sometimes called “parallelism.” Another ancient form is the use of chiasm—things are written in such a manner to draw the attention of the reader to a central thought as in the near perfect chiasm of Alma, chapter 36. Types and shadows are used to bring us to Christ.

Now, we just went through ten parallelisms as we discussed the similarities between Job and Jesus Christ.

Here is a verse from Isaiah 52 that contains a simple example:

• Put on thy strength, O Zion;
• put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:1).

The 29th Psalm has many parallel lines—here is one example:

• The voice of the Lord is powerful;
• the voice of the Lord is full of majesty (Psalm 29:4).

Maurine

In other cases, the two parallel phrases use similar language to convey contrasting ideas, as in this example from Proverbs:

• A soft answer turneth away wrath:
• but grievous words stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1).

This parallelism didn’t happen by accident. The writers did it intentionally. It allowed them to express spiritual feelings or truths in a way that seemed to them both powerful and beautiful.

The entire Book of Job is written in purposeful, poetic form.

The initial representation in chapter 1, is drawing a contrast between good and evil, light and darkness and is used to teach from the life of Job, this perfectly obedient man, that bad things happen to good people and the Lord is aware of each of us in all our mortal sojourn, no matter what the circumstances.

Scot

Right, so don’t get too concerned in Chapter 1 when we read this:

6 ¶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. (Job 1:6-12)

And, as you know, from your readings this week and from your knowledge of Job, the floodgates are loosed and Job is subjected to almost every trial imaginable.

Maurine

Let’s look at what happens, and specifically note that it happens one thing after another in rapid succession:

13 ¶ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. (Job 1:13-19)

This would do almost anyone in. Look at how Job responds:

Scot

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:20-22)

This is stunning. But in a very direct way it reminded me, Maurine, of a tender scene from the lives of Phoebe and Wilford Woodruff:

“In early August 1839, Elder Wilford Woodruff left his home in Montrose, Iowa, obeying the Lord’s call to serve a mission in the British Isles. He bade farewell to his wife, Phoebe, and his only child, one-year-old Sarah Emma. At the time, Phoebe was pregnant with Wilford Jr., who would be born March 22, 1840.

“A few months after leaving Montrose, Elder Woodruff was in the eastern United States, preaching the gospel and preparing for the journey to Great Britain. During this stay he wrote in his journal of three separate dreams in which he saw his wife. After the first dream he wrote the following entry in his journal: “I saw Mrs. Woodruff in deep affliction in a dream at Montrose. I did not see Sarah Emma.” His report of the second dream was also short: “I had a dream during the night and had an interview with Mrs. Woodruff but did not see Sarah Emma.” The third dream was more detailed: “We rejoiced much at having an interview with each other, yet our embraces were mixed with sorrow, for after conversing a while about her domestic affairs, I asked where Sarah Emma was. … She said, weeping, … ‘She is dead.’ We sorrowed a moment, and I awoke. … Is this dream true? Time must determine.”

Maurine

The account continues:

“On July 14, 1840, Elder Woodruff, now in Great Britain, wrote a journal entry commemorating an important day for his family: “Sarah Emma is two years old this day. May the Lord preserve my wife and children from sickness and death until my return.” Always one to acknowledge the Lord’s will, he added, “O Lord, I commit them into thy hands; feed, clothe, and comfort them, and thine shall be the glory.” Three days later, little Sarah Emma died.

“Elder Woodruff did not learn of his daughter’s death until October 22, 1840, more than three months later, when he read the news in a letter sent to one of his brethren in the Quorum of the Twelve. Four days later he finally received the news from Phoebe, in a letter dated July 18. He copied part of her letter in his journal:

“My dear Wilford, what will be your feelings when I say that yesterday I was called to witness the departure of our little Sarah Emma from this world? Yes, she is gone. The relentless hand of death has snatched her from my embrace. … When looking on her, I have often thought how I should feel to part with her. I thought I could not live without her, especially in the absence of my companion. But she has gone. The Lord hath taken her home to Himself for some wise purpose.

“It is a trial to me, but the Lord hath stood by me in a wonderful manner. I can see and feel that He has taken her home and will take better care of her than I possibly could for a little while until I shall go and meet her. Yes, Wilford, we have one little angel in heaven, and I think it likely her spirit has visited you before this time.”

Scot

Phoebe concluded:

“It is hard living without her. … She left a kiss for her papa with me just before she died. … The elders laid hands upon her and anointed her a number of times, but the next day her spirit took its flight from this to another world without a groan.

“Today Wilford [Jr.] and I, with quite a number of friends accompanying us, came over to Commerce, [Illinois,] to pay our last respects to our little darling in seeing her decently buried. She had no relative to follow her to the grave or to shed a tear for her but her ma and little Wilford. … I have just been to take a pleasing, melancholy walk to Sarah’s grave. She lies alone in peace. I can say that the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord [see Job 1:21].” (Teachings of Presidents, Wilford Woodruff, pp. 77-80)

I have always been moved by that story and I remember it each year as we visit Nauvoo and the pioneer cemetery.

Maurine

Back to J0b, his life is a perfect type of the mortal condition as opposed to the pre-mortal condition. We have everything as we are peacefully living in the presence of God. We are blessed in every way and then the fall occurs. We are placed in this mortal condition where we are subject to all kinds of nearly unfathomable trials. We can face loss of family, loss of reputation, loss of houses and barns and flocks and herds, we can face loss of friends and even our strength and our health—all things can turn against us. And how will we respond? Will we forget the pre-mortal decree:

“…We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” (Abraham 3:24-25)

Make no mistake, Job is a real person. He is referred to other times in the scriptures, including in the Liberty Jail as the Lord tells the Prophet Joseph in the midst of his severe trials, “Thou art not yet as Job; they friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:10) Scot, you and I have visited the traditional tomb of Job in Oman a number of times. Islam regards Job with great revering.

Is there something here for all of us, that we are to look to the patience and perseverance of Job and to hold out faithful, as Job did, as Wilford and Phoebe did, come what may?

Scot

I think there is. As I’ve been studying Job this week, Maurine, I’ve been directed in my thinking to one of my favorite talks of Elder Richard G. Scott, called Trust in the Lord. I know most of you either heard it or have read it, but it’s worth remembering again. Elder Scott taught:

“No one wants adversity. Trials, disappointments, sadness, and heartache come to us from two basically different sources. Those who transgress the laws of God will always have those challenges. The other reason for adversity is to accomplish the Lord’s own purposes in our life that we may receive the refinement that comes from testing…

“Now may I share some suggestions with you who face the second source of adversity, the testing that a wise Heavenly Father determines is needed even when you are living a worthy, righteous life and are obedient to His commandments.

“Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Proverbs 3:11-12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain…

Maurine

Elder Scott continued:

“When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this, now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial? Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of the will of God is very hard to do. Yet, when you pray with real conviction, “Please let me know Thy will” and “May Thy will be done,” you are in the strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father.

“This life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence. To trust means to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning (see Prov. 3:5–7). To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience…

“I have found that because of our Father’s desire for us to grow, He may give us gentle, almost imperceptible promptings that, if we are willing to accept without complaint, He will enlarge to become a very clear indication of His will…

Scot

“I testify that when the Lord closes one important door in your life,” Elder Scott concludes, “He shows His continuing love and compassion by opening many other compensating doors through your exercise of faith. He will place in your path packets of spiritual sunlight to brighten your way. They often come after the trial has been the greatest, as evidence of the compassion and love of an all-knowing Father. They point the way to greater happiness, more understanding, and strengthen your determination to accept and be obedient to His will.” End of quote. (Scott, Richard G. Trust in the Lord, General Conference, October 1995)

I can’t tell you how many times in our lives we have quoted the “multiple doses applied simultaneously” reference. Not only for us, but for many of our dearest and closest friends. We often look at our own trials and think they are so hard, and then we see others and think we are so blessed. The Lord certainly has an extremely personal, micro specific path of trials, tribulations and challenges for each of us.

Maurine

And we see this same type and situation in the life of Job. The book of Job is carefully constructed and designed to show us a number of things: the nature of suffering, the importance of faithfulness, loyalty of God, the reality of Satan and opposition, the development of the godly attributes, and specifically the gifts of patience, faith and trust. The book covers natural disasters, family tragedies, business losses, health challenges, peer pressure, scrutiny and criticism, spouse pressures and marital differences. It’s all packed into this story of one man.

One question that is naturally asked is: Will Job be faithful, come what may? That is an important question, but we already know the answer. He DID remain faithful and true to the Lord in all circumstances and extreme challenges. The more important question is: Will we remain faithful to the Lord, come what may?

Scot

That is the question and a careful study of Job gives us the answer: We can indeed remain faithful and true to the Lord, come what may.

To add insult to injury, three of Job’s friends come and want to console him but also counsel with him.

11 ¶ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. (Job 2:11-13)

Maurine

This is a view of the traditional shiva, the Jewish seven-days of mourning. The word shiva literally means seven.

“During this period, the mourners are treated with the utmost care and respect. Their needs are met by the community — both their physical needs, such as meals, and their spiritual and emotional needs. During this time, mourners mostly remain at home and a service is held daily (often in the evening) at the home, so that the mourners may recite the Kaddish.” (Time Line of Jewish Mourning, https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/timeline-of-jewish-mourning/)

Kaddish means sanctification in Aramaic and is related to the word, kadosh in Hebrew which means holy. The mourner’s kaddish, which can be documented for at least 2,000 years, is basically a prayer that praises God. Here is a part of it:

“Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will…

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One…”

Scot

You know, Maurine, when I see these friends arrive to comfort Job, it reminded me of how I love to study the meanings of the names in the scriptures.

Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper names says the name Job means the persecuted. But we learn from the Arabic that the name means “he who turns to God.” As I studied further though, there are occurrences of this same name in related languages, and Job means “Where is my Father?” (Abarim Publications, Job meaning. https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Job.html) That catches my heart. That is the like the most tender and desperate cry of a forsaken son.

And just as interesting is the name of Job’s first friend, Eliphaz, a theophoric name which means God is pure gold. I think there is an inference in this poetic rendering of the story of Job that God’s children will be taken through the refiner’s fire and He will have them as gold, seven times purified.

Job’s second friend’s name is Bildad, which could be from Babylonian roots and mean the Lord or master loves but it could refer also to baal and have to do with another theology in the region where Job lived.

Job’s third friend is Zophar which appears to be a skewer or to pierce through, whether by fear, a shrieking sound or a sharp point. This gives us further insight into Job in his great trials.

Later, a fourth friend comes along to offer his advice whose name is Elihu, which means My God is He. This is a declaration and affirmation of faith and trust in the God of Heaven.

Maurine

Though Job is tried and tested through losing nearly everything, he is true and faithful to God to the end. He cries out in the pain of suffering:

15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…

16 He also shall be my salvation… (Job 13: 15,16)

Nephi’s language is the same in his psalm and lamentations just before he separates from his brothers:

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless [and here’s that Job-like language] I know in whom I have trusted.

20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time. (2 Nephi 4:17-23)

When we are taken to the very limits of our endurance, we can cry out, “I know in whom I have trusted.” Lehi was the same way. Alma was the same way. Abish was the same way. Chief Captain Moroni was the same way. Hannah was the same way. Abraham was the same way. Sarah was the same way. And so must we be the same way!

Scot

In the story of Job and the stories of the prophets, we see that God also tests various nations through loss of health and through the loss of wealth, even extreme poverty. We see it over and over again in the Book of Mormon. We see it all through the history of the Hebrew people in the Promised Land.The great Jehovah, Jesus Christ, declares that repentance and patience are essential keys to eternal life. Accepting trials and even thanking God for them, denotes a high level of faith.  Obviously, many nations have failed at this.

Job is such a personal story and his faith rings through the ages:

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: (Job 19:23-26)

Maurine

Scot, you mentioned how the Muslims greatly revere Job. This is the way one of their faithful states it:

“Job remained devoted to God.  His lips and tongue remained moist with the remembrance of God and he never despaired or complained.  He continued to thank God even for this great calamity that had befallen him. Satan was at a loss, he did not know how to entice Job away from his devotion to God…” (https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2721/story-of-prophet-job/)

God spoke to Job in the 38^th chapter reminding him of all that Job did not know and all that was before he came here to this earth:

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)

Scot

Then Elder Neal A. Maxwell reminds us:

We will not be strangers in the City of God. We were there before, when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy at the prospects of this stern but necessary mortal existence. (See Job 38:4–7.) What we sang then was doubtless an anthem of praise far greater than the “Hallelujah Chorus,” more glorious than Moses’ and Israel’s song after crossing the Red Sea. (See Ex. 15:1–2.) (Maxwell, Neal A., Called and Prepared from the Foundation of the World, General Conference, April 1986)

May we rejoice together in this amazing and sometimes difficult sojourn here on this whirling planet, a planet whose every particle and every soul is perfectly and eternally known is our prayer.

Maurine Thank you so much for joining us again this week. We’ve loved being with you and feel it an honor to be invited into your homes and hearts. Next week we will be studying the first part of the Psalms with a lesson entitled, The Lord is My Shepherd.” Thanks, as always, to Paul Cardall for the beautiful music which accompanies this podcast and to our producer, Michaela Proctor Hutchins. Have a great week and see you next time.