Inspiring Thoughts From Job and Spencer

Today at church our bishop read from the book of Job, a passage which I had never recalled hearing before. I had a hard time finding it once I got home, but with the help of my husband, I found it and I'd like to share it with you.

"Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!"

I was amazed to discover that Job was one of us. He wanted his words to be written in a book. More than that, he wanted his words written with an iron pen and lead into something permanent, like rock.

Here's another quote I found today, this one is from President Spencer W. Kimball. He wrote these words in 1977.

"We are proud of the artistic heritage that the Church has brought to us from its earliest beginnings, but the full story of Mormonism has never yet been written nor painted nor sculpted nor spoken. It remains for inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They must be faithful, inspired, active Church members to give life and feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy. Such masterpieces should run for months in every movie center, cover every part of the globe in the tongues of the people, written by the best artists, purified by the best critics."

I believe President Kimball would be pleased with some of what has been written and portrayed on the big screen about Mormonism since 1977, but I also believe that there are still many, many misconceptions about the Church in the world, and it is up to people like us to make a difference. I know not all LDS writers are going to write about the history Church, but hopefully our works are filled with truth and light. There are many ways we can share truth with the world.

Back to Job for a moment. The verses I quoted above are Job 19:23-24. In the next two verses Job gives us a clue as to what he would write about if he could write in a book, or if his words could be graven in stone. Here's what he says, and it's probably familiar to you:

"For I know that my redeember liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."

Maybe we can find time in our lives to follow Job's example and, through our written words, share our testimony of Jesus Christ with the world.

Have a good Sabbath.