The smell of fresh trees is literally one of my favorite smells ever. ⁣

The red-ish brown bark of the trees, the bright green leaves, the sharp gray rocks. ⁣

It was just beautiful and peaceful. ⁣

The breeze and the blue sky.

I couldn’t help but just stare at the trees and think, “This has to be a gift from God.”⁣

There is too much beauty.

Too much design. Too much life. ⁣

It’s the most obvious sign I can think of that a loving Heavenly Father and Savior exist. ⁣

All things denote there is a God. ⁣

So if you’ve been feeling a little disconnected from God lately…

If you’ve been wanting to ask God for a sign that He is there—

Not in the prideful way Korihor did, but in the faith-filled, “I really need a reminder that you are there and you love me” way…

Give nature a try. ⁣

Nature is His sign. ⁣

And maybe that’s why I love the smell of the trees so much. ⁣

Because it reminds me of other times when I’ve been in the forest, away from distractions and obligations, completely surrounded by pure, untouched creations. ⁣

And I’ve felt His Spirit and His love. ⁣

Need a sign? Need some proof?⁣

Head outside.

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the bearth, and call things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its dmotion, yea, and also all the eplanets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” (Alma 30:44)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Escaping the heat  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Now, after the people had all offered up thanks after this manner, they returned to their homes, never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand, to offer up thanks after their manner.” (Alma 31:23)

They may have thought:

A religion that takes over your whole life?!

Let’s just worry about it one day a week and forget about it for the rest. ⁣

Prayer that requires thought, mental devotion, and faith?!

Let’s just write a script so it’s easier.

⁣Worship that means becoming introspective, emotionally mature, and honest with ourselves?!

Let’s make that look a little cooler with a fun tower so everyone can see when we are being righteous!

But even today, where pretty much everything is more convenient than it was 2,000 years ago, we know that religion, at its core, is not meant to be convenient.

⁣Loving people is hard work. ⁣

Serving people is hard work. ⁣

Forgiving people is hard work. ⁣

There are no shortcuts. ⁣

And that’s the point.⁣

We are supposed to serve when it’s inconvenient, love when it’s difficult, and forgive when it stretches our souls.

That what our Savior has modeled for us, and that’s where change happens.

And as much as I like being comfortable, I want to be able to change over and over again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post That looks like hard work  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

If they are even mentioned at all.

And yet when Mormon wrote out this story about Korihor’s actions, he wrote that Korihor was preaching his carnally-pleasing message, “leading away many women”… and then he added “and also men”. (Alma 30:18)

To me, this JUMPED off the pages as I read. The “men” part sounded like an afterthought. ⁣

Korihor affected women the most. ⁣

He clearly appealed to their pride. ⁣

He caused them to commit sin, thinking of no consequence. ⁣

He turned them against their religious traditions. ⁣

He made them think it was foolish to believe in something they couldn’t see.

It seems like women were extremely susceptible to Korihor’s wicked teachings. ⁣

So, how are we doing today?

Are we falling for Korihor’s sneaky deceptions?

Guess what our prophet has specifically said?

“We need women who can detect deception in all of its forms.” – President Nelson

To recognize the same exact teachings that Korihor shouted, but in our media, news, apps, entertainment, and conversations. ⁣

We’ve been asked to stand up when something that is a societal norm or even a part of “church culture” doesn’t sit right with us.

To receive personal revelation and then lead with confidence and love. ⁣

For me, this leads to some reflection.

Have I let any sins become “acceptable” in my life?

Have I become lax, or indulged in pride? ⁣

How can I better take a stand?⁣

Because we have been promised that in these final days, the good women of the world will be drawn to the Church because of the example of strong, righteous women. ⁣

We need to be seen calling out sin and standing up for what is right. ⁣

Instead of being the first to fall away into temptingly easy and pleasurable paths…⁣

We can use our influence to bring others to Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Korihor convinced the women first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When I taught 6th grade, I would tell my students to imagine a parent had just asked them that question. ⁣

How would they respond?⁣

My 6th graders ALWAYS said their most common response to that question was, “Nothing.”

(And now that I’m a parent, I’m starting to get this same response when I ask what a kid did at school/preschool/primary…)

But when I would have this discussion with my 6th graders, we would use this as a springboard to talk about plots in stories.

We basically never read or listen a story where there was no problem of some kind.

Good stories only happen when there is some “inciting event” that initiates a problem to deal with or solve.

And that’s really one of the biggest reasons why kids say “nothing” happened at school.

It’s because they can’t think of anything “story-worthy” to share. ⁣

No problems = no stories.

Our brains are wired to crave stories, though!

That’s why we love reading and watching TV shows.

That’s why scriptures are more effective at teaching doctrine than bullet point lists of what we believe.

That’s why we get together with friends and end up telling story after story. ⁣

But sometimes, there aren’t really any stores to tell.

“And it came to pass that in the commencement of the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace.” (Alma 30:5)

These may seem like the most “boring” parts of the Book of Mormon.

No problems? No stories!

But if we zoom in, what “boring” and “unspectacular” things were happening during these times of peace?

What unsuspecting service was being performed?

What normal life events happened?

And while these are fun questions to ponder on, it also makes me think of the more normal times in my own life.

Where I may not have a big, dramatic, story-worthy trial I’m facing.

Those regular, routine schedules and to-do lists.

Are those times of peace for me?

Could the mundane moments of my life also be summed up as times of “continual peace”?

Can I maybe do a better job at learning to feel gratitude for those peaceful times?

They may not be story-worthy, but those moments can be just as formative as the big stuff.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post No problem = no story first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.