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“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 32
“Thou Art Come … for Such a Time as This”
August 3–9, 2026Esther10 chapters · 167 verses
A Jewish orphan becomes queen of Persia without revealing her background. When the king's proud advisor Haman plots to destroy every Jew in the empire, her cousin Mordecai tells her, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther asks her people to fast, goes uninvited before the king at the risk of her life, and saves her people. God is never named in the book, yet His hand is everywhere.
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Study guide
Esther reads like a story full of reversals. These notes help you see the hand of God in a book that never names Him.
How to read this week
Read it in one or two sittings. Esther is a carefully built story. The suspense and reversals work best read straight through.
Look for God's hand. He's never named, but notice the “coincidences”: Esther made queen, the recorded plot, the sleepless night (6:1), Haman arriving at just the wrong moment.
Track the reversals. Haman plans to be honored and must honor Mordecai; he builds gallows and dies on them; a day of destruction becomes a day of joy.
Notice the fast. Esther's three-day fast (4:16) is the turning point. Fasting is the book's only explicit religious act.
Ask what “such a time as this” means for you. Esther had to choose whether to use her position to help others at personal risk.
The story of Esther
Year 3 — Vashti removed (ch. 1)
Year 7 — Esther becomes queen (ch. 2)
Year 12 — Haman's decree (ch. 3)
Three days — Esther and the Jews fast (ch. 4)
The banquets — The plot revealed; Haman falls (chs. 5–7)
13th of Adar — The Jews defend themselves (chs. 8–9)
Purim — Sorrow turned to joy, celebrated every year (9:20–32)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Esth 3:7
Pur (lots)
Haman's attempt to determine fate, overruled by providence.
Esth 4:1
Sackcloth and ashes
Mourning and humility before God.
Esth 4:16
Three-day fast
Seeking God's help before acting.
Esth 5:2
Golden sceptre
Acceptance and favor.
Esth 7:10
Haman's gallows
Evil turned back on its author.
Esth 9:22
Purim
Sorrow turned to joy.
Restoration connections
D&C 88:76 — The command to continue in prayer and fasting.
Alma 17:3, 9 — The sons of Mosiah fasted and prayed before their missions.
D&C 123:12–13 — Using our influence to bring truth and help to others.
Romans 8:28 — “All things work together for good to them that love God.”
Questions for the week
Where has the Lord placed you “for such a time as this” (4:14)?
When has fasting helped you face something difficult (4:16)?
How do you see God's hand in “coincidences” in your own life?
Haman's pride made everything he had seem worthless (5:13). What does that teach about pride and contentment?
What would it take for you to speak up for others, as Esther did (7:3–4; 8:6)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.