I had just explained how I read my scriptures, prayed, attended church, and was kind to my siblings.

My bishop told me how great I was doing!

(Yes, 100% perfect in the church stuff, I thought.)

But then my bishop asked, “So, what are you working on to improve how you live the gospel?”

My mind froze.

I mean, I had just told him I was doing everything right.

I finally muttered…

“Uh. . . I don’t know. Nothing right now.”

My bishop smiled kindly at me and said:

“Well, maybe the next time we meet, you can think about an answer for that.”

Looking back, I chuckle in slight embarrassment but also so much love for teenager Cali who thought “checking all the boxes” was good enough.

The scriptures warn, though, “. . . wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!” (2 Nephi 28:24)

I have learned since that day that there is SO much more to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

And I am also now very aware of the long list of qualities I still need to work on to improve.

Very, very, very aware.

Now, I think it’s important to find a balance, because we don’t want the pendulum to swing too far from over-confident-teenager to never-good-enough-adult.

For example, we can go to a temple recommend interview and respond confidently AND fully recognize that we still need to improve.

We can confidently teach a class at church while relying on the Spirit AND fully recognize that we have so much more to learn.

We can belong and feel happy in Zion without feeling complacent.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My perfect interview  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had a small homework assignment that was due online. ⁣

It was the end of the semester at BYU, it was an easy Education class, and I really wanted to sleep. ⁣

I knew I would get 10% off for each day it was late, and I knew I could still easily get an A in the course no matter what grade I got in this small assignment. ⁣

So I went to bed. ⁣

I was doing some basic “risk assessment”… and I was accurate in my conclusion.

I got a 90% on the assignment, and an easy solid A in the class at the end of the semester. ⁣

I willingly chose the “punishment” because I knew it wouldn’t affect my overall outcome. ⁣

But can we do risk assessment with our salvation?⁣

Can we calculate what the negative consequences will be and then decide whether or not we want to follow the rules exactly or whether we want to fudge the lines a bit?⁣

Well, we can.

But Nephi gives us the Lord’s dire warning against mindsets like this:

“…if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.” (2 Nephi 28:8)

Because the purpose of this life is not to “pass” or to turn in the correct assignments. ⁣

We are here to fundamentally CHANGE who we are and become more like God. ⁣

So when we use risk assessment and decide that we are fine with the eternal consequences for a little bit of sin and merriness, we mock our Savior’s atoning sacrifice.⁣

We are willingly doing something wrong because we think we’d rather face a little bit of godly punishment than deal with disciplined growth. ⁣

“Eh, yeah I know I shouldn’t be watching this show but I want to do it anyways. If the Spirit leaves me for a bit, I’ll just get it back tomorrow.”

Now, we WILL commit sin.

Even with all the knowledge we have, we will sin.

But when we decide that we would rather sin and deal with the consequences than try to change our desires, we’re trying to do risk assessment with our souls. ⁣

And we miss out on true godly sorrow, growth, and softening our hearts.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Late homework first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

We were at the park playing with some friends, and I was holding my infant son.

Every time I picked up my water bottle to take a drink, he would try to grab it.

I pulled my water bottle out of his reach and fed him his bottle of milk instead.

But an older kid who was with us was just watching me.

She finally asked, “Why can’t you just let your baby drink your water bottle? He looks so thirsty!”

I explained to this kid that babies’ tummies are so small that they should only be filled with milk to make sure they get all the nutrients they need.

If I gave him water, he would think he was full…

But he would actually miss out on the nutrition his little body desperately needs.

It made me think of this scripture where we learn that people who turn against the Lord will be “. . . like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint, and his soul hath appetite.” (2 Nephi 27:3)

I knew my baby needed nutrition, and not water in that moment.

But how many times am I filling my own spiritual life with “water”, completely missing out on the “nutrients”?

What am I doing with my time and energy that I think are giving me nourishment…

But are really just taking up space that the essential things need?⁣

It’s so easy to trick ourselves into thinking we are busy with important things. ⁣

But in reality, we are fooling ourselves.

We end up depleted of spiritual nourishment. ⁣

But confused as to why we feel spiritually starved.

Every time I get caught in these “I’m too busy for the important stuff” cycles, I’ve learned that nothing solves it like a spiritual reset.

For me that’s often going to the temple (even when I think I don’t have time).

Or it’s making myself study my scriptures for a long time.

I try to do anything that will help focus my time on what actually nourishes my soul.

“Being busy” and having a full metaphorical tummy do not mean I’m actually doing good things, or being nourished.

But turning to the Lord, the source of true spiritual nourishment, helps me realize just how important those spiritual vitamins are.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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