Job and Forgiveness

Scripture
Read the bible story of job below. It is long but will be easier to understand for your child
than the bible version. Then explain how Job was so forgiving and didn’t let the bad things
that were happening to him affect his testimony or worshipping God. Finally read D&C
98:40 and explain what seven times seventy would mean.

Job and his wife Lived in Uz. Job had seven sons and 3 daughter all grown
with families of their own. Job had much land and livestock and men to help
him work. Job loved God and worshipped God everyday.

One day, the devil said to God, "You have blessed Job and given him everything
is the only reason Job worships you. If you would take away your blessings,
Job would no longer praise you." God said to the devil, " Do what you want
to all that Job has but do not touch him." The devil left God and began his
evil work.

Suddenly a messenger came to Job saying, "All your oxen and donkeys are
gone. All of the men that helped you are gone." While the messenger was still
speaking, a second messenger came and said, " A huge fire has killed all the
sheep." And still a third messenger arrived saying, "Some thieves came and stole
all your camels." And still a fourth messenger arrived saying, "All of your sons
and daughter were eating together when suddenly there came a huge wind and
the house fell on them." Job was so sad. In a single day, he had lost everything.
He lost his land, He lost his livestock.
He lost his sons and daughters. Job fell to his knees and began worshipping
God saying, "..the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away, blessed be the
name of the LORD." After all those bad things happened to Job, He still
praised God.

The devil was upset because Job was still praising God. So he went to God
and said, "If Job were hurting in his body, he would not praise you. God
answered the devil saying, "Do what you want but do not kill him." The devil
delighted in giving Job very painful sores all over his body from the soles of
his feet to the top of his head. Job had nothing He lost his land, He lost his
livestock. He lost his Sons and daughters. Now he was in more pain with the
sores all over his body. Job suffered greatly. Job's wife said to him, "Let it
go. Curse God and die" Job answered her, "You talk like a foolish woman.
Do we only take the good and not the bad?" Still he praised God.

Jobs friends had heard about what had happened to Job. They decided they
would go and be with him. His friends sat with Job for one week. His friends
told Job that he had sinned and that is why all these horrible things had
happened. Job insisted that he loved God and he never sinned against him.
They would not believe him. All of them told Job he had sinned and he must
confess his sin to make things right. Job still insisted that he had not sinned
against God. Finally his friends were quiet. They had nothing to say to him
because they felt that Job was wrong. They thought Job felt was better than
everyone else. They knew Job had sinned and wouldn't admit it. Finally, God
spoke. God said "Who is this that gives advice without knowledge, where were
you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Answer if you have
understanding!" God spoke to Job of all the things he created. God created
the heavens, the earth and all that is on the earth. Job said "I know that you
can do everything, and that no thought can be withheld from you. Therefore, I
have spoken things that I did not understand. But now I have heard you and
now I understand. " God said to Job's friends, "You have not spoken the
truth of me as Job has. Take seven bulls and seven rams and go to Job and
offer them up for yourselves. Job will pray for you and I will accept his
prayer for you. " Fearing the wrath of God, the men did as God had told
them. God accepted Job's prayer and was very pleased with Job.
As Job prayed for his friends, God returned his fortune that had been taken
away by the devil. God gave Job twice as much as he had in the beginning.
God gave him twice as many sheep. God gave him twice as many donkeys.
God gave him twice as many camels. God gave him twice as many yoke of
oxen. God gave him 7 sons and 3 daughters. His daughters were the most
beautiful in the land. After all of this, Job lived 140 years and he loved God
and praised him every day.
Story
Print off and laminate the “Let it go” story. Read the story to your child. Ask them if they
have ever been hurt and what they did. Ask them if they have ever hurt someone else and what
they did. Discuss options.

Print, color, cut out and laminate the pictures of the shoes. Read the situations; find the shoes
that fit each situation they match. Then “Walk in those shoes” and finish the sentence with
possible reasons for that person’s behavior.
 BY MARA SUNDWALL
(Based on a true story)
I, the Lord, will forgive only girl in our class who wasn’t
whom I will forgive, but of you invited. I feel horrible. I am so
it is required to forgive all men mad at Jenny.”
(D&C 64:10). “I can imagine how that

E
mily burst through the front door in would feel,” Mom said. “What
tears. She dropped her bag on the floor do you think you should do?”
and ran to her room. Mom followed her “I’m never speaking to her
and knocked on the bedroom door. “Em, can I again. Not in a million years,”
come in?” she asked. Emily sobbed.
Emily answered with a quiet “yes,” and Mom Mom put her arms
opened the door. around Emily and stroked
“Is everything OK, honey?” Mom asked. her hair. “Do you think that
“Nothing is OK!” Emily is the best thing to do?” she
said. “You won’t believe asked.
what happened “I don’t
today. Jenny handed care,” Emily
out her birthday moaned.
party invitations “Jenny is so
after school, mean.”
and I was the The next
morning at break-
fast, Emily slumped
into her seat at the
table. She pushed her
food around the plate
with her fork.
“Emily, Mom

4 ILLUSTRATIONS BY JARED BECKSTRAND

told me you didn’t get an invitation to Jenny’s party. Is
that what’s bothering you?” Dad asked.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Emily said.
“Try me,” Dad said.
“It’s just that my feelings are hurt. It’s embarrassing to
be left out.”
“I do understand, Em,” Dad said. “But remember that
we can feel better when we forgive others. Jesus for-
gave everyone who offended Him. Try to forgive, and
then let it go. It’s what Jesus would want you to do.”
Emily walked to school with her friend Lucy. Lucy
talked about Jenny’s upcoming party all the way to
school. Emily listened quietly, too embarrassed to tell
her friend that she hadn’t been invited. At recess, all of
the girls in Emily’s class huddled together and talked
excitedly about the party. Emily wandered away from
the group and sat by herself on the swings. She glared
at everyone. She felt very alone.
During gym class, Emily’s friend Gina, who usu-
ally picked her first when choosing teams, chose
Jenny first instead. Emily was the last to be
picked. She could hardly hold back the
tears, and her stomach began to hurt. She
asked the teacher if she could be excused from
class to go to the nurse’s office.
Later, as Emily waited for her mother to pick her
up from school, she thought about what her father
had said about forgiveness, and about how Jesus had
forgiven everyone who had hurt or offended Him. But
Emily couldn’t do that. She couldn’t forgive Jenny for
making her feel this way.
Emily and Mom rode home in silence. When Mom
pulled into the garage, Emily jumped out of the car and
ran to her room. She stared out the window until Mom
called her for dinner.
At dinner, Emily’s brother Jack talked eagerly about
his day at preschool. Emily’s dad told a funny story he
heard at work. Emily sat in silence, staring down at her
plate. After dinner, Mom announced, “We’ll be having
family home evening now.”
“But, Mom, it’s Thursday. We had family home
evening on Monday,” Emily said.
“It’s an emergency session to help you with
what’s been bothering you,” Mom said, smiling.
FRIEND JUNE 2009 5
 The family gathered in the living room. They
sang “Help Me, Dear Father,”* and Jack said the
opening prayer. Then Mom left the room and
returned with four helium-filled balloons. Each
balloon was attached to a colorful ribbon. Mom
handed a balloon and a marker to each member
of the family.
“Tonight we’re going to learn about letting go
of hurt feelings,” Mom said. “I want each of you to
write on your balloon things that others have
done that hurt your feelings. Write down
anything that is keeping you from
feeling love for someone.”
After thinking for a
minute, Dad began writing.
Mom helped Jack write
on his balloon, and then
began working on
her own.
6 *Children’s Songbook, 99.
Emily wrote things that were easy for her to forgive:
Jack jumping on her bed, Gina losing her favorite pen.
Then Emily paused. There was one thing that seemed
too hard to forgive. Could she really forgive Jenny and
still be her friend? Emily thought about the words of
the song they had just sung: “Help me, dear Father, to
freely forgive, all who may seem unkind to me.”
Emily sat quietly for a moment. Then she slowly
wrote on her balloon, “Jenny didn’t invite me to
her party.”
When everyone had finished, Mom said, “Now
let’s say a prayer in our hearts asking Heavenly
Father to help us forgive the people who have
hurt our feelings. Let’s also ask Him to forgive
us for things we have done that hurt others.”
As Emily finished her prayer, a feeling of
warmth washed over her.
Emily smiled as they all let go of their
balloons. The balloons drifted upward and
bounced gently against the ceiling. Emily
laughed and joked with her family as they
shared a dessert and cleaned up together.
That night, as Emily climbed into bed,
Mom and Dad sat down next to her. She
smiled up at her parents.
“It looks like you’re feeling better,” Dad said.
“I feel good,” Emily said. “I’m still sad that I
won’t be at the party with all of my friends, but
I’m not angry at Jenny anymore. I know that
Heavenly Father loves her just like He loves
me, even though we both sometimes do things
that hurt others. I think forgiveness is Heavenly
Father’s way of helping us learn to love each
other the way He loves us.” ●
“A spirit of forgiveness and an attitude of love and
compassion toward those who may have wronged us
is of the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”1
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)
1. Debbie went into her bedroom and saw her two-year-old brother scribbling
with crayons on the cover of her favorite book.
I think Debbie could understand and forgive her brother because__________.

2. Logan had just thrown the soccer ball inbounds, when a member of the
other team deliberately ran into him and knocked him down.
I think Logan could understand and forgive the other player
because__________.

3. Lisa’s father said he had to break his promise and miss her school program
that night because of work.
I think Lisa could understand and forgive her father because__________.

4. Michelle jumped into a large puddle and splashed mud all over Kevin.
I think Kevin could understand and forgive Michelle because__________.

5. Nate wanted a turn at riding the family horse, but his older sister wouldn’t
get off and let him have a ride.
I think Nate could understand and forgive his sister because__________.

6. Robyn was upset because her older brother wouldn’t let her go with him to
work in the fields.
I think Robyn could understand and forgive her brother because__________.

7. Heidi’s little sister Maria wouldn’t help catch the family dog, who squeezed
through the back fence just as the family was leaving for Church.
I think Heidi could understand and forgive Maria because__________.
Activity
Print off, cut out and laminate the start sign, the 14 forgive circles and the finish sign. Print
off the 21 pieces of the game, cut them out and laminate them. Layout the game board on the
floor. Have the "start" at one end of the room and the "finish" at the other, with the circles in
between. Have one person be the moderator (this person won't play.). Have the moderator let
the youngest person pick a card. Let them read it. If it is says "forgive and forget" on it. The
person needs to share how they would forgive and forget in that situation. If they do, they can
move according to the cards. If it isn't a "forgive and forget" card, they just follow the
instructions. The moderator walks to the players to give them cards (youngest to oldest) so
they don't have to move off of their spots. The first one to the finish wins.
Additional rules. If someone lands on a spot that another player is on, then they both keep
one foot on the spot. If someone gets the "change players with the person of your choice" card
and they are in front, they don't have to change places with anyone.