I’ve thought this for a long time.

I mean, It’s hard to believe that everyone won’t immediately want to repent after we all die.

There have been a lot of theories as to how exactly things will play out in the next life.

But Jacob reminds us in his sermon that “. . . they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still.” (2 Nephi 9:16)

In other words, circumstances won’t magically change our hearts.⁣

How many times have I fallen for that trap, though?⁣

I’ve thought, “I’ll be better at reading my scriptures once it’s fall break.⁣”

“I’ll be a better ministering sister once I’ve got my life under control.⁣”

“I’ll attend the temple more once my kids are older.⁣”

Now to be clear, there certainly are “seasons of life” where some things will be easier for us than others.

I’m in a ridiculously busy phase of life where I am constantly needed by lots of (mostly little) people.

But I had the spiritual impression recently that maybe I’ve been relying on that crutch a little bit more than I truly need to.

Because when we are always waiting for the proverbial grass to be greener to change our habits…

We miss out on having a mighty change of heart and the sacred personal growth that comes with it.⁣

So what have we been putting off?

What can we tackle today to align our wills even more closely with God’s?⁣

Let’s make some little changes today, and the next day, and the next!

That way, when we meet our Maker, we will present Him with a pure heart that is still ready to change for the better.

“We may not yet be where we hope and wish to be in the future…. In the meantime, we live now, not waiting for life to begin.” – Gerrit W. Gong

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Waiting for the grass to be greener  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Which wouldn’t normally be a big deal because I had studied music my whole life— and this class was EXTREMELY easy music theory. ⁣

The professor started the class by saying, “Alright, the test scores from your exam in the testing center last week were pretty good!”⁣

My heart sank. ⁣

I hadn’t taken any test. There wasn’t anything in the syllabus about this.

I had missed one of three exams that my class grade would be based on. ⁣

At the end of the lecture class, I sheepishly walked up to my professor’s podium. ⁣

I took full responsibility for my mistake and asked him if there was anything I could do for even partial credit. ⁣

He looked at me for a moment…

And he said, “My office hours are from 1-3 tomorrow afternoon. If you can be there, you can take the test in my office.”⁣

I thanked him profusely and took the test in his office the following day. ⁣

When I checked my score online a few days later, I saw that I had received 100% on the exam. ⁣

I was so grateful for my professor’s GRACE in allowing me to take an exam after the testing period had closed, something that was completely my fault. ⁣

But I was also grateful for his JUSTICE in scoring the exam, where I was given full credit for every question that I got correct. ⁣

I noticed that in 2 Nephi 9, Jacob praises God for His “mercy and grace” (v8) AND says, “O the greatness and the justice of our God!” (v17)⁣

We praise God for offering us His MERCY when we don’t do what we are supposed to, and feel full sorrow for it. ⁣

We praise God for offering us JUSTICE when we are actually doing our best, giving us credit for our intentional good deeds.

Both justice and mercy are the kindest things that our God can offer us, and only He is the perfect example of knowing when to extend each gift.

“How great, how glorious, how complete

Redemption’s grand design,

Where justice, love, and mercy meet

In harmony divine!”

-“How Great the Wisdom and the Love”, Hymn 195

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Mercy and justice for a college class first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’m fine!

I can handle it!

Unfortunately, this habit also spills over to my prayers.

My brain thinks it is selfish to pray and ask for comfort.

It seems like such a frivolous thing to ask for.

I’m fine.

I can handle it.

And yet, I know that my Savior has said:

“I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you.” (2 Nephi 8:12)  

He wants to comfort me!

He’s there with the offer.

And I don’t need to be perfect or totally righteous to ask for this peace and love.

…But I do need to ask.

Do we trust that the Lord can actually comfort us?

And do we trust that asking for comfort isn’t selfish?

Even more than a good friend, I’ve learned that Jesus knows I often need support and love.

I just need to know that I’m not alone.

I want to feel divine rest.

And I need to know that I will get through my rough times.

Our Savior knows our experiences and feelings perfectly.

And He wants to give us comfort, if we just remember to ask.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I don’t need any help first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There are weird, vague events.

Sudden scenery changes.

Mergers of different people that we know. ⁣

And we just go along with it!

But then we wake up. ⁣

And suddenly, it is clear that THIS is reality. ⁣

It seems strange to have even believed that our abstract dreams were reality. ⁣

There are times in my life when I have felt like I was dreaming when it came to my spiritual connection to God. ⁣

I didn’t fully realize that I was dreaming at the time, though.

It seemed like it was just reality.

God just seemed like a tricky person to actually connect with. Not much I could do about it. ⁣

And then something wakes me up. ⁣

Sometimes it’s a big trial that humbles me. Sometimes it’s a powerful talk or lesson. Sometimes it’s a spiritual awakening in a haphazard personal study. ⁣

But all of a sudden, I REALIZE how “asleep” I had been in my worship. ⁣

And the contrast is stark to feeling AWAKE. ⁣

I become an active participant in my spiritual progression. I feel the connection to God. I reach out to people around me and share my light. ⁣

Sometimes, we just need a reminder to AWAKEN our souls. ⁣

But this can be tricky when we don’t even recognize how spiritually asleep we are. ⁣

Nephi’s passionate plea, “Awake my soul!” (2 Nephi 4:28) can remind us that we have the power to wake ourselves up from our dreamlike state. ⁣

We can wake up and take the reigns of our relationship with God. We can wake up and choose to act. We can wake up and share our testimony with others. ⁣

Awake, my soul!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Awake my soul!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Because of this, our other friends gave us the nickname:

“The Happy People.”

The nickname stuck.

To this day, I still have her name as “The Other Happy Person” in my phone.

We loved being happy together!

But do you want to know something funny?

It was MIDDLE SCHOOL!

I love middle schoolers, but I don’t think any of them are truly happy all the time.

I can think of plenty of challenging, dramatic, and emotional situations my friend and I endured as we figured out who we were in those tricky years.

But we had also figured out how to be “Happy People” during the tough stuff.

As an adult, I want to be more like Cali in middle school.

Dealing with the super dramatic while also remembering to have a fun time as much as possible.

Nephi himself said that “. . . we lived after the manner of happiness.” (2 Nephi 5:27)

And yet, I can point to many examples of Nephi’s personal life being less-than-awesome.

Many, many, many examples of the tough, dramatic stuff.

As an adult, I now understand that living after the manner of happiness is a lot more complicated than just having a smile on your face.

But at the same time, I think middle school Cali had a cool nickname to live up to.

I want to do my best to always be a “Happy Person”, living after the true manner of happiness and focusing on my Savior Jesus Christ.

And just like I figured out all those years ago, there is always joy to be found, no matter the situation.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Middle school nicknames first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

How does this emotion play a role in your life? ⁣

Elder Uchtdorf taught: ⁣

“When someone opposes or disagrees with us, it’s tempting to assume that there must be something wrong with them. And from there it’s a small step to attach the worst of motives to their words and actions…⁣

“When we do so with anger or hate in our hearts—when we lash out at others to hurt, shame, or silence them —chances are we are not doing so in righteousness.”⁣

In Nephi’s record, he refers to ANGER quite often. ⁣

Usually, his brothers are angry at Nephi for their circumstances. ⁣

Other times, his brothers are angry because they have been rebuked. ⁣

And yet, even when Nephi was tied up and in dire situations, he never felt anger toward his brothers. ⁣

Do we attach “good intentions” to our actions while automatically assuming everyone else who disagrees with us is motivated by hate or selfishness?⁣

That’s what brews anger. ⁣

Or do we recognize that our own discipleship has pretty much nothing to do with the actions of people around us – that we have been commanded to love our enemies?⁣

In Nephi’s tender lamentation, he mourns that he feels anger because of Satan’s hold in his life. ⁣

“And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?” (2 Nephi 4:27)

Anger at ourselves for our sins is a fruitless endeavor, too. ⁣

We can’t hate ourselves into righteousness, and Nephi recognized his own tendencies to feel anger because of his sins and temptations. ⁣

Nephi knew that eliminating anger in his life meant always showing love to his brothers, but also finding peace within his own mind. ⁣

Love for our enemies, and love for ourselves.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Feeling anger  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I felt both embarrassed and frustrated.

I felt embarrassed for putting all the effort into running a campaign, making stickers, and giving an enthusiastic speech in front of the entire school.

And I felt frustrated that no one (or not enough people at least) could see the value that I would bring!

I thought that I truly was the best person for that position, but that I hadn’t been able to convey that to everyone.

Lehi shared a prophecy about Joseph Smith.

The Lord said, “And I will make him great in mine eyes.” (2 Nephi 3:8)

I can’t help but think–

Whose eyes do I want to be great in?

I learned early on that I can’t count on being seen as “great” in the eyes of my peers.

(For the record, I had an amazing group of friends in high school and I ended up taking another student government position that year.)

But I have to almost EXPECT to be underestimated.

We may not always be viewed as someone awesome at school, at work, in our community, in our wards, and even in our families.

We might have a kid who doesn’t win “student of the month”, gets cut from the team, or struggles in a class.

But whose opinion matters the most?

I’ve slowly learned that other people’s perceptions actually have nothing to do with who I really am.

I mean, it is always a good idea to be kind and try to make friends.

To serve and to love.

But when we decide that God’s opinion of us is all that matters, we can gain clarity on how to truly be a “great” person in God’s eyes!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I lost the election first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It was so annoying!

From eating to speaking to sleeping…

I found that so many of my daily habits were affected by my inability to breathe through my nose.

When my sinuses finally cleared, I was so excited.

I could finally breathe through my nose again!

It was all I could think about.

And I quite literally prayed many prayers of gratitude for my nose.

I’m not going to lie; it usually is not fun to think about this truth:

“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” (2 Nephi 2:11)

But it is true.

If I had never had a stuffy nose, I would have never felt gratitude for a clear one.

The negative opposition isn’t fun to experience.

This goes from things as trivial as stuffy noses or headaches…

To much more serious issues like family arguments, physical trials, or emotional issues.

These hard times can be really tough to dwell on.

But if we keep the proper perspective, we can use these hard times to teach us gratitude.

We can use opposition as fuel to keep constant gratitude in our hearts.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My stuffy nose  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

With a 6, 4, and 1 year old, this also means that I’ve had to deal with infants and toddlers and all the chaos that comes from trying to get little kids to sit still for an hour, all by myself.

I’m really really really good at feeling sorry for myself.

In fact, despite AMAZING ward members, friends, and teens coming to sit by me to help with the kids, for a long time I would always shed at least a tear or two thinking about just how dang hard this is.

Other people would talk about the amazing Spirit they felt in sacrament meeting, or how they are improving their worship during the sacrament.

And I’d always laugh.

“We are just in survival mode. I’m not going to enjoy sacrament meetings right now.”

You know how sometimes you just need some tough love?

I finally got the tough love I needed from the Lord about a year ago as I sat, feeling very sorry for myself.

“Stop thinking you have it worse than everyone else. ⁣And start focusing on why you are here.

“You can still find joy.”

Woah.

Exactly what I needed.

Joy. ⁣

It is not the absence of hard things.

It is focusing on the Savior, even when enduring hard things. ⁣

I’ve learned since then that I can handle kids during sacrament meeting and be miserable OR I can handle kids and still feel pure joy. ⁣

“My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” – Russell M. Nelson

Come to my ward any Sunday, and you’ll still see me with some kids who really struggle in a quiet church environment (along with so many others who are willing to help).

But you’ll also see me feeling joy and praise and worship in the moments where I am able to.

It’s so tempting to want to wait for a future time to feel JOY.

But I have learned over and over that God doesn’t want us to delay joy.

And He’s so willing to help us figure out how to endure AND feel joy if we are willing to ask.

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Sitting all alone 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.