I love being a teacher. I’ve naturally taught my whole life, from piano lessons to formal school lessons. I got my degree in teaching and taught full time.

I love being a woman. There is such a cool sisterhood and friendship associated with being female. I love connecting with other women.

I love being a writer. I find such creative joy in taking the thoughts in my head and putting them into the written word.

I love being a wife. I love that I chose an awesome guy to be my partner, and I’m always so happy when I look at the relationship that we have created and the fun we get to have.

I love being a native Californian and a current Arizonan. There are such rich experiences that my different homes have given me, and the people in each location have molded me into who I am.

I love being a mom. I love getting to just love on two amazing kids. It’s fun to see their good days and their bad days, and help teach them what they’ll need to be good humans.

I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love the friendships that I’ve made and the sense of community it gives me no matter where I move.

But what’s my most important role? More than all of these, as essential as they may be?

“It is to hear Him, to follow Him, to trust Him, and to become an extension of His love.”

In other words, it is to be a disciple of Christ.

That is our most important label. That is our most important job title. That is our most important identity.

To learn how to hear our Heavenly Father.

The people of Amlici worked on calling themselves by a different name than the people of God. They found other labels and associations they would rather be called than being part of the people of God.

So what labels do we have? What labels do we find most important? What labels take up the most of our physical time or our mental energy?

Because the most important one we can work on is to hear our Heavenly Father, follow Him, trust Him, and love as He does.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The most important title first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

For some reason, we started talking about different callings in the church.

I felt like I should ask him what his favorite calling had ever been.

This is a man who had been a mission president in Romania, a branch president at the MTC, a bishop, and pretty much every other “prestigious” calling in the book.

He thought about my question for a while.

And then he said his favorite calling was being a ward Sunday School teacher.

He said that he loved just discussing the gospel with other people.

That always impressed me because to me, he had served in so many “important callings”, and yet the one that he picked seemed so mundane.

But my grandpa also really loved the gospel.

I think he understood that the “prestige” of his callings didn’t really matter. They didn’t make him any better than anyone else.

At the end of the day, he loved teaching the gospel and listening to the gospel being taught.

I love the beautiful, cyclical nature of callings in the church.

We get taught lessons by new converts, by young moms, by former stake presidents… and there’s always something to learn!

People go from a calling of great “importance” and visibility to a calling where they only interact with a few people.

It’s a beautiful reminder that in this church, none of us is greater than the other.

Unlike other establishments where people seek power or high ranks, we get the cool opportunity to serve other people in different ways at different times.

And when pride or jealousy start to creep in, those are great reminders to keep in perspective.

Every “calling” in this church is temporary. None of them dictate how much value we hold. All of them give us opportunities to serve and become a little better.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Pride, craftiness, contention, forgetting their duty…

I’m sure Alma actually went around and taught them about the dangers of pride and craftiness and contention and forgetting their duty.

But what did he find the most effective?

“Bearing down in pure testimony” Alma 4:19

This always makes me think about teaching the youth in the church.

When they are struggling with modesty, language, media intake, making good friends, reading scriptures…

It’s never a bad thing to have a specific lesson on those specific topics.

BUT

The real change happens when we teach pure doctrine through pure testimony.

And who does pure doctrine and testimony point us toward?

Jesus Christ.

When we preach of Christ, we teach all of the lessons at once.

And when we learn of Christ, we learn all of the lessons at once.

My view of modesty was not molded by a really clever lesson on modesty. It was shaped as I grew to know my Savior more, and learned that I wanted my outward appearance and behaviors to reflect my inner testimony.

No matter the question or the sin or the concern… the pure doctrine of Christ is the answer.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Is there anything worse than taking a woman with plans of launching her new study guide, writing posts, getting everything organized for the week, and sticking her in a hospital room without visitors and a dying cellphone?!

Guess what I’ve had to do these past few days as I’ve dealt with the unexpected hurdles and hospital stay?

Slow down.

Say no.

Let things go.

I was touched when I read about Alma dealing with his two jobs – one as the high priest of the church, and the other as the chief judge over the land.

He said that he felt very sorrowful with everything he had to deal with.

But the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

He knew he had to draw boundaries and set priorities with his time and mental resources.

So he gave up the judgment seat to someone who was very qualified, and he kept the role of high priest.

And guess what that meant for Alma?!

He was suddenly able to do so much MORE!

By saying no to one thing, he was able to travel the land and be the best high priest that the people needed.

What a simple but powerful lesson that I keep learning!

Sometimes, whether by choice or by emergency surgery to remove a terrible, useless organ, I get reminded that when I say no to some priorities, I’m able to actually do more.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Gallbladders and priorities first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Mosiah’s sons were wicked and actively destroying the church that Mosiah had worked to establish.

He felt pain and sorrow for their souls.

And then, the unimaginable happened! An angel appeared to his sons, and their hearts were softened.

Not only were they converted, his sons now traveled throughout Zarahemla trying to repair the damage they had done.

I bet Mosiah was so proud of them. I bet interacting with them brought him so much joy now.

And then his sons approached their dad with a request – to go to the Land of Nephi. To go to those bloodthirsty Lamanites who had killed so many of their brethren, and try to convert them.

It says Mosiah’s sons “did plead with their father many days”.

I’m guessing Mosiah said “no” a lot. It was a death sentence for his now righteous and kind and selfless sons and he didn’t want them to leave.

But eventually, Mosiah decided to take it to the Lord.

The answer?

Let them go. I will keep them safe.

And so Mosiah told them they could go.

Mosiah died before they returned.

He never knew what happened to his sons.

But he let them go, because the Lord said He would keep them safe.

Mosiah knew what faith was. He listened to the Lord and actually believed what the Lord told him.

Mosiah knew what sacrifice was. He had just gotten his righteous sons back, and now they needed to leave.

Mosiah’s faith and sacrifice would result in his sons converting thousands and thousands of people.

But he didn’t necessarily know the extent of what would happen.

He just did what the Lord asked, and believed in the promises he was given.

Our faith and our sacrifices might seem small – but they are setting the stage for something greater than we can even imagine.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

My friend stopped talking to me.

She hung out with new people at lunch and recess for a few days. For a kid in elementary school, that’s pretty much your whole social life, so it was a big deal.

I felt really badly about what I had done, but I also didn’t know what to do about it. Talking to my friend now seemed like something that would never happen again.

Well, my mom found out what happened.

I remember having a little conversation with her about it. We talked about how I hadn’t been kind, and I told her things just seemed awkward with my friend now.

So my mom made me write an apology letter, and we walked over to this friend’s house with my letter and a treat in my hand.

When my friend answered the door, I remember thinking how awkward and painful the whole situation was. I felt this pressure in my chest.

I handed her the letter and treat, said that I was sorry, and then my mom and I walked back home.

The next day at school? Everything was back to normal.

The weight of shame and awkwardness and pain was gone!

That was distinctly the first time I remember the freeing power of repentance.

After my sin, I had felt that weight of guilt. To little 10-year-old me, that was embodied in the awkward squirmy feeling that I felt during the school day.

And it was amplified by a million when my mom made me actually face my friend and apologize. It felt uncomfortable to face someone that I had wronged and to admit that I was wrong.

But that freeing feeling afterwards?! THAT was worth it.

I learned it was worth wading through the messy feelings in order to find peace in my conscience.

And I’ve felt that over and over again as I’ve matured and worked through my relationship with my Savior.

That weight of guilt when I sin is so heavy.

And I know that it’s going to get even heavier when I go to repent. The pressure gets even higher because I’m actually facing what I did wrong.

But once I face that pressure, and give my soul over to my Savior, I feel that instant release.

The weight is gone.

And my soul feels the pain no more.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Being pained no more first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seems like Alma was a natural-born leader. The sons of Mosiah followed him, and he was able to convince many people that their parents had foolish traditions.

And then guess what was happening just a few short years later?

Alma the Younger used his strong speaking skills to unite, baptize, and convert countless Nephites as their high priest.

It seems like he was a natural-born leader. Amulek followed him, and he was able to convince many people of the errors of their ways.

He had talents. Innate, God-given talents.

But it was up to Alma how he used them.

What talents have we been blessed with?

Speaking, writing, teaching, listening, helping, knowing what others need, leading, getting things done, creating, making friends, solving…

Are we using these talents for good?

Are we using them for evil?

Or… are we not using them at all?

The world needs what we have to offer. God needs us to grow and develop what He gave us.

To build up the world.

To build up the church.

To build up our families.

To build up ourselves.

Because we matter, and the talents that we have matter.

And what we decide to do with them matters, a whole lot.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Leading and speaking with power first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The boy kept calling for everyone to come and help with the wolf. But he wasted their time – there was no wolf.

Eventually, he cried “Wolf” so many times that no one came to help him when the wolf actually arrived.

Because of our fallen mortal state, we’ve been conditioned to think that we only have a certain amount of tries before we are really just a faker and a liar.

We see this modeled all around us – you only get so many second chances before you lose trust.

“I’m not really as good as people think I am. They have no idea how often I…”

But the Lord NEVER gives up on us.

He NEVER gets to the point where we say, “Okay, NOW I’ll never yell at my kids again” and He rolls his eyes.

He’s cheering us on. Every time. Even when we feel like a hypocrite. Even when we keep those same sins going week after week, year after year…

The moment we decide we want to change, we’ve got the Lord on our side.

And when that change doesn’t last, but we feel that motivation to repent and change again, He’s by our side again.

As many times as it takes.

Thank goodness.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

They deceived many with their flattering words who were in the church.

Flattery is one of the most common tactics of the adversary when it comes to what we have recorded in the scriptures.

…which means it’s probably one of his most common tactics today, too.

Flattery is so powerful because it appeals to our own vanity and pride.

“You don’t need to study the scriptures today. What would that really do to help you?”

“You already tried reaching out to your ministering sister a couple of weeks ago. You’re good! No need to try again for a while.”

“You do so much for this family. You’re right, you should be angry at your husband!”

Everyone likes being validated and told that they are right and smart.

But the adversary’s flattery has a hidden agenda.

It is meant to deceive us.

I feel the contrast when I listen to the words of living prophets telling me to do better at hearing the word of God in my life. To learn how to access priesthood power. To serve more. To share the gospel.

It’s loving and kind, but it’s correction that pushes me to be better.

I push back against the flattery that feels so good for a fleeting second, because I realize I WANT to be better. I don’t WANT to stay the same. I don’t WANT to keep my same habits and think that “all is well in Zion”.

I want to change. I want to work hard for the change. I want to see the power of God in my life.

And that doesn’t happen when I spiritually sit back and relax.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I’m flattered! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

First group: Limhi thought about how to escape. He asked the people for ideas. Gideon came up with a plan that seemed like a good idea.

So they gave strong wine to the Lamanite guards, and escaped while they were in a drunken sleep. It worked!

Second group: Alma and his people prayed, and the Lord told them to just wait a little bit longer. Finally, the Lord told Alma that they would escape that night, and that everyone should gather their things.

The Lamanite guards were in a deep, unexplained sleep, and Alma’s people all escaped.

The Lord answers the prayers of his people.

But He answers prayers in different ways for different people, situations, and times.

Limhi had to figure it out. He had to use the people and the resources he had, come up with a plan, and execute it.

How empowering!

WE can solve it own problems! WE can wrestle and come up with ideas, consider them all, and then execute the best plan of attack!

Alma had to rely on the Lord. It seemed impossible, but THE LORD came up with the plan. HE told them what to do. HE made the solution possible.

How faith-promoting!

The Lord will make a way, even when it seems impossible! He will make miracles happen! We just follow the promptings we receive, and the rest will be taken care of.

I’m grateful for the times in my life where I’ve been allowed to figure things out. To struggle to learn new skills, to be creative, to make scary decisions and then move forward with them.

And I’m also grateful for the times when I feel lost and I can feel the Lord guiding me and proving the miracles that I need in order to move forward.

Different times. Different people. Different answers.

But still the same result.

Artwork by James Coates

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Different answers, same result first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.