Things that are unexplainable, grand, and inspiring. ⁣

But I have found that most of the time, my success comes from my hard work, my desire to learn, and my application of knowledge. ⁣

… so is that taking God out of the equation to acknowledge that?⁣

Let’s look at Captain Moroni’s battle against Zarahemnah’s Lamanite troops. ⁣

Moroni and Lehi had surrounded the Lamanites and were asking for their surrender.

Moroni verbally expressed that he knew the Nephite armies had prevailed because of their faith in God. ⁣

Zarahemnah’s response as he was surrounded by Nephite armies?⁣

“We do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.” (Alma 44:9)⁣

In other words, “Moroni, it certainly wasn’t a god who helped you. You just wore armor and were very smart about your battle plans – that’s why you won!”⁣

What Zarahemnah did not know is that Moroni had gone to the high priest Alma in order to find out where the Lamanite armies were going and how they should attack. ⁣

Moroni was cunning and brilliant with his battle plans – because he had faith in God who showed him what to do. ⁣

And that armor they wore? The Nephites traditionally always had better defensive wear than the Lamanites. So I’m sure Moroni used his God-given brilliance to continue those same preparations. ⁣

Zarahemnah was partially right in his argument. ⁣

Moroni won due to his cunning and armor. ⁣

But Zarahemnah missed the big, obvious connection that Moroni attributed his cunning and armor to the One who gave him breath. ⁣

Using my talent and intellect to find success in this life is exactly what God intends me to do with my gifts.

But He also wants to make sure I don’t lose sight, like Zarahemnah did, of where all of my power comes from.

Miracles that look like logical outcomes are still miracles from a loving Heavenly Father.

And acknowledging this constantly is what can help keep my heart soft and humble. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post That wasn’t a miracle!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Have you experienced one of these dog-piles of chaos and trials before?!

Health trials, emotional trials, physical trials, anxiety-inducing trials…

I was just a mess.

I knew I was in survival mode.

But I later realized that I was also in “spiritual survival mode”.

This was NOT the time of my life for lengthy scripture study sessions, devotional podcasts, and abundantly reaching out to serve others.

I was overdrawing from my personal spiritual bank account.

I was taking out a whole lot more emotional strength than I was putting in at the time.

And I think this is how it should be when these crazy moments hit.

I needed to draw on every ounce of spiritual testimony and peace that I had already found in order to keep my head above water.

A few months later, after my life calmed down a bit, I realized I needed to kick my spiritual preparation into gear again.

Captain Moroni teaches us something interesting about strengthening weak places in times of peace:

“In their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.” (Alma 48:9)

There wasn’t any contention going on at the time.

But Captain Moroni was spending time, energy, and resources to prepare for a future battle that he knew would happen.

You can’t really fortify during an attack.

It’s all about the preparation beforehand.

And if you are in a time of (relative) spiritual peace, then we know some sort of battle will come our way at some point.

It’s all about loading as many spiritual experiences, scriptural inspiration, and powerful prayer into our spiritual bank account so that when the chaotic parts of life come, there’s a fortress ready to handle the wear and tear.

It is essential to strengthen ourselves in times of peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Strengthen during times of peace  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

During the final approach in the dark night, the pilots noticed that a small green light had turned off. (This light indicated if the landing gear had extended successfully.)

The pilots called off the landing and circled around for a bit, completely focused on this little green light. ⁣

Gradually, the plane circled lower and lower. ⁣

But the pilots didn’t notice. ⁣

They were still focused on the green light. ⁣

When a crew member realized how close they were to the swamplands, it was too late, and over 100 people tragically died as they crashed to the ground. ⁣

After recovery crews found the airplane, they discovered that the landing gear was working perfectly. ⁣

The little green light was the only thing that had malfunctioned. ⁣

The accident happened because the pilots turned their attention to something that seemed to matter a lot in the moment. ⁣

But they lost sight of what actually mattered the most. ⁣

Lehonti and his people were firm and steadfast in staying at the top of their mountain. ⁣

Until Amalakiah became really annoying and really persistent. ⁣

Imagine if Lehonti had refused to move even after the 4th request, and stayed firm in his vision that the mountain would be his safety. ⁣

As Latter-day Saints, we have some pretty lofty and solid commitments to do what is right. ⁣

And then, everyone keeps talking about that TV show that you know wouldn’t be the best for you to watch…⁣

And everyone keeps posting those types of articles and comments on social media…⁣

And your friend keeps bringing that same subject up over and over… ⁣

They seem so important and so relevant. So persistent. Like a little green button, like an important army leader requesting a meeting. ⁣

And sometimes, they ARE important issues to address. ⁣

But when we put our whole focus there, we lose sight of what matters most:

Our relationship with our loving God and Savior. ⁣

So when we feel that urge to just take a step down the mountain, we can remember:⁣

I am doing a great work. And I cannot come down. ⁣

(Story adapted from Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk in April 2009)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The broken green light first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What is my “why”?

Why do I choose to do what I do each day?

Each and every thing.

Like emptying the dishwasher.

Reading a book to my kids.

Making time for date night.

Attending church on Sunday.

Studying the scriptures.

Why do I do it?

I’ve learned that I actually feel so much more empowered when I remember WHY I actually want to be doing each task.

I want to contribute to my home. I want to raise curious children. I want to strengthen my marriage. I want to worship God and take the sacrament. I want to invite the Spirit into my life even more.

Thinking of these “big” reasons makes the little mundane or habit-driven tasks so much more exciting and purposeful.

When Moroni went out to rally his troops, he also reminded his people of their “why.”

“He went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part.” (Alma 46:19)

And when he reminded them of their “why”, everyone was inspired to act.

They weren’t forced, guilted, or just convinced.

They thought about their purpose, and then they knew they wanted to do something.

What are your big picture “why”s for everything that you do each day?

Reflecting on this purpose can give us enough motivation to “rally the troops” and infuse a spiritual adrenaline rush into our lives.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rally the troops first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.