u/pisteuo96

From the official Come Follow Me manual, Old Testament, 2026:

Job 1–3; 12–13

"The opening chapters of Job emphasize, in a poetic way, Satan’s role as our adversary or accuser; they don’t describe an actual interaction between God and Satan."

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/come-follow-me-for-home-and-church-old-testament-2026/33?lang=eng

This is the first time I've seen the church teach that something in the Bible isn't literal history, in this case, the book of Job.

Did anyone else notice this? We had stake conference last week, so we're doing Job this coming Sunday instead of last Sunday.

**TLDR - The shorter schedule will encourage people to read the lessons before class.

Last Sunday our ward talked about the new 25-minute classes that will happen after Sacrament meeting. Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society will each be 25 minutes. The details are here:  https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2026/03/30/sunday-second-hour-adjustment-class-meeting-schedules/

The main emphasis is going to be on people studying the material before class.

I realized this is going to solve the thing I have struggled with in the past, which is feeling like those meetings were a waste of time:

My past struggle 1: Boring repetition of things I already learned decades ago or conference talks I heard the first time in conference.

My past struggle 2: Content is covered in a very basic way, year after year.

The new solution with 25-minute meetings:

Fix 1: Classes will be full of reflection and insights people gained from reading the material before class during the week. Instead of going through the reading that people should have already done. People who didn't read can still listen to other people's insights. Reflecting on what you have studied is a best-practice from learning theory.

Fix 2: Content study will not be superficial, because I can study it the way I want at home, and to the depth I want, in the week prior to church.

Of course, this all depends on the church doubling down on asking people to read the material before class. I think people will soon learn that if they don't read, the consequence will be feeling a bit left out of the discussion.

Do you all recommend this book? Is it objective and focused on questions that LDS might have about the early church?

The Penguin History of the Church: The Early Church

by Henry Chadwick

https://www.amazon.com/Penguin-History-Church-Early-ebook/dp/B002TJLEUK/

About the Author

Reverend Henry Chadwick is a former Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and has been a Regius Professor at both Oxford and Cambridge. He is also an ordained Anglican priest.

Faith Matters today released a video with Bible scholar Peter Enns. He tells a story of a theologian in a faith crisis who went to Mother Theresa and asked her to pray that he receive clarity. She refused, saying, "Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of. I've never had clarity a day in my life, but I've had trust. So I will pray that you trust."

What do you think of this idea?

For context, here's the timestamp 27:19 in the video:

Faith Matters podcast - Pete Enns: The Sin of Certainty, https://youtu.be/D4B0bV_9EPs?si=emtiiryXukBUFsA9&t=1638

I heard the following quote in Sacrament meeting last Sunday. It's now one of my favorites.

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. …

"All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable. …

"It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.” --Orson F. Whitney

How have pain and trials helped you grow?

Could you have grown any other way?

Here's a great talk that unpacks this idea more:

"More Than Conquerors through Him That Loved Us," April 2011, Elder Paul V. Johnson, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/04/more-than-conquerors-through-him-that-loved-us?lang=eng