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Was the book of Job on the brass plates?

Job is never mentioned in the Book of Mormon, but phrases and concepts from that book appear multiple places. For example:

• Lehi spoke of his impending death by saying that his body would soon be laid in a “cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return” (2 Nephi 1:14). Job says, “I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death” (Job 10:21; see also Job 16:22).
• Lehi’s son, Jacob, who had himself “suffered afflictions and much sorrow” (2 Nephi 2:1), told his people that he knew many of them had searched the scriptures, “wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God” (2 Nephi 9:4). The closest parallel in the Old Testament is this testimony from Job: “Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:26).
• Jacob’s son, Enos, ended his book with a discussion of his own death, including the affirmation, “then shall I see his face with pleasure” (Enos 1:27). Elihu, in the book of Job, offers a similar testimony: “He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness” (Job 33:26).
• Alma testified to the people in the city of Gideon, “The time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people” (Alma 7:7), mirroring Job’s declaration, “I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth” (Job 19:25).

Since Ezekiel, who was a contemporary of Lehi, mentions Job twice in his book (Ezekiel 14:14, 20), we can reasonably conclude that Job’s account existed at least in some form prior to the time that Lehi left Jerusalem and that it may have been included on the brass plates.

The book of Job is a series of meditations on the relationship between righteousness and adversity. Most of the book takes the form of a poetic debate between Job, a righteous man enduring severe trials, and three unhelpful friends — Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar — who have come ostensibly to comfort him but who mostly seem to want to accuse him of wrongdoing. After several rounds of discussion, a hot-headed young man, Elihu, jumps in with an extended rant intended to correct all of them, after which God provides more transcendent and helpful correction directly to Job.

All of the characters in the book teach some true principles, and the narrator doesn’t intervene to distinguish between truth and error, apart from the Lord’s closing rebuke of the three friends. However, the Book of Mormon provides insight into this topic, notably in 2 Nephi 2 and Alma 14, which can help us evaluate the veracity of comments made throughout the book.

This week, let’s study the words of Job and his friends in light of principles taught in the Book of Mormon on the relationship between adversity and righteousness.