Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026

Satan obtains permission from the Lord to afflict Job physically—Job is smitten with boils—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort him.

Job, a just and perfect man, is blessed with great riches—Satan obtains permission from the Lord to tempt and try Job—Job’s property and children are destroyed, and yet he praises and blesses the Lord.

It’s natural to wonder why bad things happen to good people—or, for that matter, why good things happen to bad people. Why would God, who is just, allow that? The book of Job explores questions like these. Job was one of those good people to whom a lot of bad things happened. Because of Job’s trials, his friends wondered if he really was good after all. Job asserted his own righteousness and wondered if God really is just after all. But despite his suffering and wondering, Job maintained his integrity and faith in Jesus Christ. In the book of Job, faith is questioned and tested but never completely abandoned. That doesn’t mean all the questions are answered. But the book of Job teaches that until they are answered, questions can coexist with faith. And regardless of what happens in the meantime, we can say of our Lord, “Yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).

For an overview of the book of Job, see “Job” in the Guide to the Scriptures (Gospel Library).

In the Old Testament books of Genesis through Esther, we find mostly stories—narrative accounts that describe historical events from a spiritual perspective. Noah built an ark, Moses delivered Israel, Hannah prayed to have a son, and so on. Beginning with Job, we find a different writing style. In these books, 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. 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, as are parts of prophetic books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Amos. Because reading poetry is different from reading a story, understanding it often requires a different approach. Here are some thoughts that could help you find more meaning in Old Testament poetry.

By President Thomas S. Monson

President of the Church

May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe.

Learn from the life of Esther and other inspiring women the importance of trusting in God and courageously standing up for what you believe.

Amanda, a young single adult attending a YSA ward in Los Angeles, talks about how fasting plays a part in her life. To learn more, go to Fasting.lds.org.

(Esther 1-4) Showing her faith, Esther demonstrates courage by standing up for the Jews.

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Every priesthood holder stands at a unique place and has an important task that only he can perform.

By Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

The Lord’s hand is guiding you. By “divine design,” He is in the small details of your life as well as the major milestones.