Job positions, callings at church, being a parent.

King Benjamin and his son King Mosiah are pretty famous as the perfect examples of kings working alongside their people.

But the new King Mosiah’s reasoning stood out to me this time.

He served and worked with the people so that his leadership would not become a burden.

He didn’t make them do a whole lot more work just because he was their leader.

But he also didn’t just take on all the work by himself.

Leader and subject worked and served together.

In order to remove the burden.

Everyone still had to work, so the burden was not the work.

The burden was the leader imposing more work on the subjects and excusing himself under the guise of “leadership”.

Making the subjects do enough to cover what would have been the king’s contribution.

Which is, essentially, pride.

Thinking that we are better or worse than anyone else.

We can’t control how others lead.

We also can’t control what others think of our leadership.

But we can control how we think of our own leadership.

We can work on removing the pride and the burden, and working together.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Servant leadership first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I have realized recently that I like to give myself a lot more credit for service I do outside of my home, rather than inside.

When I pray for more opportunities to serve, I’m usually thinking about friends and neighbors who might need my help.

I feel like it’s almost “cheating” to count serving my own family members – isn’t that just something expected?

Of course I’m gonna feed my kids, and change diapers, and clean up spills, and play even when I need a nap… it’s just what I do!

But I’ve found a beautiful paradigm shift when I allow myself to think of it all as service.

I feel so much more LOVE.

I feel so much love for my kids and my husband who I’m serving.

And I feel so much love and gratitude to my Heavenly Father.

It gives meaning behind the action.

It makes cleaning up another spill and getting up to play another game of tag purposeful and loving rather than routine and mundane.

I allow myself to view every little thing I do for someone else as “service”, and I realize I’m not “cheating the system” at all.

This IS the system.

Whether you live with one other person, roommates, or a big family – we are created to love the people we are most closely surrounded by.

And so I continue to love and serve.

I’m abounding in good works in my home, and so my home is abounding with love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Abounding in good works first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was kinda caught off guard by her question.

We had been talking about keeping a good mindset while teaching, dealing with tough parents, unhelpful admin, and tons of other pressures. (If you’re a teacher, you know!)

And she said she admired how I took time to reflect on my actions and attitudes and adjust them so often.

Which, I’m gonna be honest, I had no clue that I was doing.

I thought back to the last time that I had self-reflected, and all of a sudden my morning prayer jumped into my mind.

I guess I had self-reflected when I was giving my thanks, asking for strength for upcoming obstacles, asking for forgiveness for my previous lapses in judgement and bad attitudes…

Yeah, I guess I had self-reflected that morning without even realizing it.

And as I’ve thought back to that conversation, I’m consistently amazed at how perfectly self-reflection, self-monitoring, or “watching ourselves” is built into our religious habits.

We are asked to say formal prayers every morning and evening.

We are asked to say prayers as families and as couples to monitor ourselves in those groupings, too.

We are asked to study the scriptures daily, encouraging us to use them as a tool to learn and reflect.

We partake of the sacrament weekly for a more formal self-inventory.

And so much more!

These habits we’ve been asked to do are MEANT (at least in part) to get us off of autopilot.

To slow down and reflect.

ALL THE TIME.

“It’s time to pray again?! I just prayed!”

Yup. That’s the point. We need that self-monitoring all of the time.

We need to watch ourselves. And our thoughts. And our words. And our deeds.

And then make necessary adjustments and try again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A gospel of self-monitoring first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve been feeling these emotions a lot recently.

Raising two humans all day is no joke.

Pluuuuus all the other commitments that I willingly take on.

Pluuuuus all the things that I want to be doing.

It’s just a lot.

When I read Mosiah 4:27, I laughed a bit.

“It is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.”

Cuz that’s what I feel like I’m doing right now. Going through the motions of running without much strength.

But it reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite talks from this past Conference.

I know a lot of us feel overwhelmed. Even when we aren’t actually “doing” a lot – we can still feel like there is too much.

But that’s where I remember that I have the answers right in my hands – I just have to ask.

I can be nudged toward which hat to wear from day to day, even minute to minute.

Prioritizing, doing things in an orderly manner, not running faster than we have strength – those are heavenly principles.

Which means our Heavenly Father will help us acquire the skills through the quiet whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

But it’s my job to remember to ask for help in those moments of overwhelm.

To be still. To know that there is a God.

And trust that He can help me know which way to face and to feel that calm peace that comes from divine direction.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Running faster than my strength first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It said to read Mosiah 4:9-12 and journal something.

I wouldn’t say I DIDN’T believe the Church was true and that God existed and Jesus loved me.

But I was pretty nonchalant about the whole “church” thing. I had never really thought about it in a mature, authentic way. I didn’t really care.

I was just doing what I was supposed to do on a Sunday afternoon, checking the boxes on my next value for Personal Progress.

And then I opened my black scriptures to Mosiah 4:9.

Believe in God.

And I did.

It was overwhelming. It was a “turn the light switch on and flood my whole being” experience.

King Benjamin told me to believe in God, and so I did.

And as I read the rest of his words over the next few verses, I was further convinced and touched by every single phrase.

I didn’t want the feeling to leave – I had never felt the Spirit like that before. It was tangible and undeniable.

And I’ve believed ever since that day.

Mosiah 4:9. The most powerful scripture in the whole book (to me).

My change of heart.

What’s yours?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My mighty change first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I know, it’s cliche to start off with a dictionary definition, but I was really intrigued by the word “tempt” in the definition for “entice”.

The Holy Ghost tempting me?! No way. Wrong application and usage.

But then I realized – that’s actually a perfect word for what the Holy Spirit does. It sounds weird. But I think it fits.

He “tempts” us to do good.

He encourages us to choose the right. He helps make good decisions seem like the right one. He offers these “tempting” thoughts to us, and we can choose to listen and follow, or ignore.

Fascinating, right?!

The exact opposite of what Satan does.

Can you think of a time you’ve been tempted to do something good this past week? What were you enticed to do? Did you follow through?

Just like giving into Satan’s wicked temptations over and over changes our desire and makes it easier to commit sin over and over…

Yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit over and over changes our desires and makes it easier to become more Christlike each day.

We’re in mortal bodies. We are “natural” men and women.

And we decide which temptations and enticings to yield our spirits to each day.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post To entice or tempt first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Temptations. Pain of body. Fatigue.

Oh man. I don’t know why these three words popped out so much when I read King Benjamin’s words this time.

Well, maybe I do.

They are so REAL.

This is what I experience, too.

I’m tempted. I’m tempted to make poor decisions. I’m tempted to just not do good things.

And Christ really felt those temptations, too. We know of one time he was formally “tempted”, but I’m sure he was tempted often to just pass by someone in need, or give in to other natural desires he might have as a mortal.

It’s not bad, at all, to be tempted.

I experience physical pain.

Sometimes I forget Christ can help me through physical body pain.

I’m sure his legs ached after travel. I’m sure his arms were sore as he learned carpentry from Joseph. I’m sure he stubbed his toe.

And I’m learning how to react to physical pain more perfectly.

And boy, do I feel fatigued.

Elder Holland so wisely counseled: “Fatigue is the common enemy of us all—so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill.”

Christ can help with fatigue. Even when I think I shouldn’t feel it. Even when it’s just due to little things, like raising two little kids all day.

I’m sure Christ felt fatigue as he laid his head down to sleep at night. After exerting his mental power to help everyone else and teach all day.

Christ’s atoning sacrifice is even more powerful and real to me because he actually lived as a mortal on this earth. He knew what it was like to be tempted, feel random pain, and just get fatigued.

It’s all normal. It’s all mortal. I’m just learning how to better react to it, because my Savior showed me how to perfectly.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Temptations, pain, and fatigue first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like, literally.

For some trivial reasons, it has helped me let go of stress and fake rules that I had built for myself:

• My house doesn’t HAVE to be clean before anyone comes over.

• I don’t HAVE to put makeup on before I go outside.

But for other reasons, not HAVING to do it, makes me realize that I WANT to do it:

• I don’t HAVE to teach my kids anything, secularly or religiously. But I think I want to.

• I don’t HAVE to listen to General Conference talks and read my scriptures. But I think I want to.

Benjamin is teaching us in the Book of Mosiah that we HAVE to believe and act through the name of Christ in order to receive salvation.

But we don’t HAVE to choose to follow that. We can accept the consequences either way.

So are we choosing Christ because we think we HAVE to, or because we actively WANT to?

Does it feel like an obligation, or a joyful choice?

I don’t think I always have a perfect mindset about the gospel and the Church that point me towards Christ – but I’m working on keeping that positive viewpoint more often.

Choosing to accept Christ’s salvation for me, choosing to make him my top priority at all times because I WANT to.

Artwork by @sticky_scriptures_cfm

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Out of obligation or choice? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Oh wait.

These past few weeks, I’ve seen friends move homes, have babies, celebrate birthdays, return from missions, and mourn losses all without the close physical support of their loved ones who would usually be there.

It’s tough to watch someone you love go through an important event and not be able to help them out.

Really tough.

I like to imagine our Heavenly Parents looking down on us in the same way.

With never-ending love, but not able to physically be with us as we experience the highs and lows of mortality.

And this is where the famous scripture from Mosiah 2 becomes pretty literal:

When we help each other, when we serve and celebrate and mourn and surprise, we are serving God.

We are His hands.

“Quarantined” away from him physically, but never spiritually.

And so, He depends on us.

He depends on us to look around.

To look around with the knowledge that everyone is a child of God.

And then to act as a loving parent would.

So I challenge you today: How can you serve someone outside of your normal comfort zone?

How can you feel the love of God for them, pray for inspiration, and then act?

How can you serve the all-knowing, all-loving, all-gracious God in Heaven today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post In the service of our God first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When I think about everything I’m supposed to be doing, I immediately feel overwhelmed.

There’s a lot going on, and belonging to this church, as amazing as it is, seems to bring a long to-do list with it.

Add this on top of regular life responsibilities, and immediately I think:
“I have to do ALL of this?”

But then I read King Benjamin’s words in Mosiah Chapter 2.

He teaches that even if we:

• give all the thanks and praise to God that our bodies could possibly give
• serve him day and night
• recognize that he preserves us every day and gives us breath

WE WOULD STILL BE UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS.

“And behold: ALL that he requires of you is to keep his commandments.” Mosiah 2:22

Talk about a perspective shift.

We can never even begin to give the thanks, praise, recognition, and service to God that he deserves.

We would not exist without him. We wouldn’t have our breath. We wouldn’t be able to have friends, families, jobs, or overwhelming responsibilities.

And all he asks in return is that we keep us commandments.

That’s nothing in comparison.

And so my heart is softened and changed.

“That’s ALL I have to do?”

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post That’s ALL I have to do? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.