Primary 82 - The Second Act




Children,

Today we are talking about Job. He was a prophet that had everything; family, servants, money, and property but above all, he knew he was a child of God. It was at this time this father of ten, business owner, master of servants, and wealth was tested. 
In our lives, we must come to terms that this is the second act of our immortality. In the second act, a hero has left home and is so far that they must press forward; failure is not an option. We are in the second act. It is tough. Some of us are real trials while some are between trials. In this act, the antagonist shows his real power and has some powerful advantages. In this act, there are victories on both sides but in the act, the heroes and villains reach a pinnacle. For mortality, we will die. But for some, it seems like the end of the show. It's not. The whole point of act two is self-discovery. What will we do to succeed? What point will we drive to get the job done? The hardest point is realizing that act two is discovering what we will do to come back to God. What will we do to keep Satan at bay? Will we acknowledge God's bounty and mercy? Will we truly use repentance? Will we find our love for the Savior?

Father in Heaven has set us up for our second act. Job lost everything and his friends approached his life like he had done something wrong. They said all the right things but when things got worse for their friend, they thought, Job had sinned, thinking God rewarded good and punished evil. It doesn't work like that. God tries us so that we will become strong. Wind and storms push against trees, not because God hates trees but because he wants the trees to become strong. A trial is the same. When Job finished his trial he was spiritually stronger and God cleared the boils, brought success in his business, and the man married and had children. 

Some lives don't have a second-act happy ending. One such person was Ann Frank. She had to witness war, & tyranny from a window in hiding. Her diary showed us her growth and development something she would not have gotten in another situation. In the end, the soldiers got her and her family. But it was act two! Act three is on its way. We will be victorious. Do you think she was forgotten? No, her efforts were rewarded but it wasn't in this second act (mortality) but it will be in the next. Ann faced fear and horror and because we'll develop faith, hope, and trust in her Messiah she will be so overjoyed for the reward of act three.

Another example of the second act was Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers. The heroes made it to the elf's city and thought they could leave for home, they learned that they should destroy the ring. They didn't know who would help them, how powerful was the enemy, or what would happen; the task ahead was blind. They went together and during their course, they were divided, given new allies, fought battles, and discovered new enemies, but the victory didn't happen in act two.

In Job's final act, he faced the advisory who said he wasn't worthy of seeing God. For all the trials and hardships of act two (mortality) Job saw through the devil's deceit and pressed forward. The Lord's kingdom became his.

Brothers and sisters, you will have a great second act because you realize this. It may seem hard at times but if you lean on the Lord, the trial will be overcome. The simple things like prayer, fasting, serving others, paying to tithe, reading the scriptures, and attending church will give us the strength to carry through even the toughest times.

Challenges 
1) Read Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46
2) Ask your parents about a time when they faced challenges in their lives. How did they get through it? What did they learn? What can you learn from their experiences and how can you apply it to your life?

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