281.3: Trials and Providence (OT Gospel Doctrine Lesson 12, Study Notes)

“Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction”

 

Joseph gets into some tight spots, but even when things are hard, they work out for the best. How does that line up with our lives? Our trials can help us grow, but can they ever break us? In this second portion I provide some historical and literary background to the Joseph narrative, and then Jody and I dig into the challenging questions relating to Providence.

 

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Class Member Reading: Genesis 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45; D&C 64:8-11

Additional Reading: 2 Nephi 2:2; D&C 122:5-9

Other Reading: Review Genesis 39

 

You can access the Annotated Reading here (or PDF).

You can access the Lesson Notes here (or PDF).

 

Timeline 

Lesson Part 2: Scholarship

0:00        Overview

2:03        The composition of Josephs Story

Lesson Part 3: Study Notes

9:07        Real Life

15:54     Provident Living

Discussion Part 3

16:49     Caution with Josephs Happy Ending

31:48     Unhappy Endings

43:55     Easy vs. Hard Forgiveness

47:54     In What Ways and How Much does God Intervene

 

Resources

• Hugh Brown, God is the Gardner
• C.S. Lewis Living House quote
• Neal Maxwell, Irony, the Crust on the Bread of Adversity
• President Hinckley, Forgiveness
• President Faust, Healing Power of Forgiveness
• Chieko Okazaki, Raised in Hope
• President Hinckley, The Times in which We Live
• Bonds That Make Us Free
• Peacegiver
• The Story of Joseph, Discovering the Old Testament
• Ska, Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch
• Joseph and Aseneth, background and online text

 

Thanks to William Newman for content editing, James Estrada for audio postproduction, and as always to Steven Nelson for the beautiful bumper music.