He preached the gospel fervently in Zarahemla.

He was kicked out but obediently returned when the Lord asked.

He shared his message while standing on a wall.

After he finished, some people got really angry and started throwing rocks and shooting arrows at him.

He knew he was being protected by the power of God.

But he also knew his mission was complete.

He jumped down from the wall and decided to just preach to his fellow Lamanites.

“They went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands, yea, even unto his own country.” (Helaman 16:7)

What happened next:

There were MANY people who heard Samuel’s words and believed instantly.

They knew they needed to find the high priest, Nephi.

They found him and confessed their sins.

He baptized many of them and continued to teach them as they developed their testimonies. ⁣

Nephi got to see most of the fruits of Samuel’s labors!

There are different times and seasons of our lives where we might be like Samuel:

Laying the foundation for a reward we will never know about.

And there are other times where we get the huge blessing of being like Nephi:

Seeing the beautiful fruits of the efforts of others.

There are times and spaces for both.

Even though Nephi’s role feels a bit more rewarding in the moment, none is more essential in the big picture.

We can find patience and clarity when we realize that if we do our best, the Lord has the timing all taken care of, whether or not we are around to see it!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Samuel vs Nephi  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I think one of the reasons is because of the internet.

Because of social media. ⁣

We can choose to produce goodness, to share goodness, and to consume goodness. ⁣

When our house is completely dark at night and I need to take care of a kid, all it takes is one little light to allow me to see. ⁣

By being just a small light, we can make a bigger difference than we could ever imagine. ⁣

I’ve got a testimony of that, for sure. ⁣

Samuel told the people living in Zarahemla that the Lord needed to destroy the entire city because of their wickedness. ⁣

“But behold, it is for the righteous’ sake that it is spared.” (Helaman 13:14)⁣

One righteous person can keep an entire city from being destroyed. ⁣

And one righteous person can shine a light and share goodness on social media. ⁣

We can choose to post wisely. ⁣

We can choose to avoid division. ⁣

We can check facts. ⁣

We can resist cheap digs. ⁣

We can create beautiful and powerful content. ⁣

And whenever we choose to share our opinions, we try to always be led by the Spirit. ⁣

And that’s how we transcend the darkness and bitterness around us. ⁣

We stand out in different and distinct ways from the rest of the world and our difference can be tenfold (or more) what it could have been even 30 years ago. ⁣

Just one person. One post. One comment. One moment of restraint. ⁣

Can make all the difference between darkness and life-changing light.

“The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times.” – President Kimball

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The Light of Women first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I despised running.

But I wanted to make my coach proud.

The first week, I ran a mile on five different days and recorded my times. ⁣

I was happy to report to my coach that I had met the goal…

But she never asked. ⁣

Darn.

The second week, I missed a day, only running 4 days.

But I still recorded my times. ⁣

I had my excuse ready to go…

But again, my coach never asked. ⁣

The third and final week, I figured she didn’t really care about us running on our own.

So I only ran one day. ⁣

She never asked.

And that was it. ⁣

Looking back, I realized my only motivation for running was the fact that my coach had asked. ⁣

But… I happened to record my mile times in a notebook that I discovered a few years later.

As I looked through my list of mile times, I discovered that I had improved my time every single time that I ran!

I had gotten faster and stronger, and yet all I cared about was what I could “get away with.”

⁣“And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself.”(Helaman 14:30)

When we “cut the corners” on our righteous spiritual habits, we might get away with it.

But we are the ones who have to deal with the eventual temporal and eternal consequences.

“On the straight and narrow path, there are simply no corners to be cut.” – Neal A. Maxwell

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Volleyball conditioning first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“What have you learned from trials in your life?”

People were sharing some really powerful and beautiful responses.

But… I noticed that everyone who commented was sharing the “big trials” in their lives.

The dramatic, heart-breaking, life-altering trials that taught them dramatic and life-altering lessons.

Now while I’ve had my fair share of “big trials”…

Most of my life is made up of “small” afflictions.

Monday mornings. Lack of sleep. Bad attitudes. Lists of things to do. Small miscommunications with friends. Frustrating situations with a kid.

We are promised that God “. . . shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” (2 Nephi 2:2)

Of course, the big trials can be so transformative.

But can God consecrate the small (but many) afflictions for my gain, too?⁣

Am I going to use my kid having a meltdown as fuel for my frustration OR as a way for me to practice my patience and love?⁣

Am I going to let my to-do list add to me feeling overwhelmed OR use it to practice prioritizing what matters most? ⁣

Am I going to let my miscommunication frustrate me and fester OR use it to practice love and forgiveness?

I’ve learned that a lot of it has to do with my decision whether or not to accept that my Heavenly Father will dedicate these mundane trials for my ultimate benefit!

I am in control of how much I let God into my life.

“Whatever the cause of your sufferings, your loving Heavenly Father can direct them to refine your soul.” -Anthony D. Perkins, Oct 2021

Yes, the big stuff.

But also the really normal, messy, frustrating, repetitive, draining little stuff, too.

When I choose to consecrate and dedicate it all to Him, I start to realize He is ready to help me learn and benefit from anything.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Monday mornings for my good?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One particular time, I was flying with my daughter, who wasn’t even two years old yet.

It was a late-night flight.

That then got delayed a few times.

The flight experience was… brutal. To say the least.

She freaked out during the safety demonstration and wouldn’t calm down.

She kept kicking the seat in front of us.

She got bored with every distraction I had packed in our bag.

I kept praying that she would calm down.

Or that she would just fall asleep.

But she did neither of those things.

I felt very alone.

As the flight ended, the person sitting directly in front of us (whose seat I kept trying to protect from my daughter’s crazy kicking) turned around and said:

“She did so well for such a little person! And you did an amazing job with her.”

I almost burst into tears.

And the Spirit poured comfort into my heart.

My mind suddenly completely changed perspectives.

I had wanted the hard time on the plane to stop.

That’s what I prayed for.

And yet, as trivial of a situation as this may have been, Christ was there.

He had been strengthening me to endure and learn from the experience.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)

I just couldn’t see this until a stranger pointed it out to me, and the Spirit quietly confirmed it.

Christ often doesn’t take away the tough time, no matter how big or small it is.

Probably because He’s really good at strengthening us to endure, learn, and find moments of peace in the meantime.

But it’s often our perspectives that need to change in order to see this truth.

If you are doing your reasonable best to live your covenants…

Then Christ is likely strengthening you right now to endure.

Christ strengthens me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Jesus strengthens me to endure first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But…

Other times I realize how intimate and vulnerable that thought really is.

It’s what’s in the depth of my soul that matters most, and I have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior who know everything that I really, truly hold dear to me.

Which means, it’s my desires that I really want to purify the most.

I’m a big believer that when I get my desires in order, my actions always (eventually) follow suit.

I want to find every evidence of murmuring and dread for righteousness and work to weed them out.

The murmuring in my heart when my husband says it’s time to read scriptures, even though I was in the middle of something important.

The murmuring in my heart as I wrangle two kids on a church pew all by myself.

The murmuring in my heart when that person asks for my help, again.

I might not be saying anything out loud.

I still participate in family scriptures, go to church, and serve that friend.

But if my Heavenly Father is looking at my desires, at the deepest thoughts of my soul, then I have some pruning to do.

The Lord warned William McLellin in D&C 75:7:

“I, the Lord, chasten him for the murmurings of his heart”.

It’s what was in his heart that mattered most, and it wasn’t revealing the most Christlike and loving intentions.

And so I’m working on molding the actual desires of my heart, what I really enjoy or despise, deep down, to align with where I know my heart needs to be.

It’s a vulnerable place to be in when I realize this.

But what I really want, what I’m really thinking…

That’s where I’m ready to get to work.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Murmuring in my heart first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.