Other prophets converted entire cities and softened the hardest hearts. ⁣

But that wasn’t Abinadi’s mission.

His was to preach repentance to hardened hearts, convert young Alma who would be cast out, and die a brutal death. ⁣

We all have different missions here on earth. ⁣

Some will endure difficult financial situations.

Some will be saddled with mental illness.

Some will know the pain of losing loved ones prematurely.

But the thing that carries us through is our faith. ⁣

Abinadi figured out, at least by the time Noah was getting angry, that he would be sealing his words with his blood and that physical deliverance would not be his in this life. ⁣

And so, he was filled with that faith in God.

That peaceful faith that surpasses all reasoning.

That faith lasted even until the last moments as the flames surrounded him and he cried out:

“O God, receive my soul.” (Mosiah 17:19)

Do we have the faith in God to endure our personal missions? ⁣

We can’t compare them to other people’s because we’ve all been asked to endure different things.

But ultimately, our faith in God can help us endure our personal missions well.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Accepting the different paths first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Yeah, he was a lazy and wicked man.

But Abinadi had just spoken with clear power from God. ⁣

“King Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him.” (Mosiah 17:11)

But his priests, the friends he had chosen to surround himself with, added pressure.

They found accusations against Abinadi.

They got angry. ⁣

And this brought Noah back into his prideful anger, leading Noah ordering Abinadi to be tortured and then burned to death. ⁣

We are all responsible for our own actions. ⁣

But the people we surround ourselves with can make a huge difference. ⁣

This is easy to see when a wayward child is influenced by a group of their peers. ⁣

But it’s a little harder to see in myself.

Who am I surrounded by?

Family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers…

But what about the other influences on my mind too?

Social media accounts, TV shows, podcasts, books…

How are they affecting me?

Am I being subtly nudged toward complaining, making fun, judging harshly, or doubting?

Is my support system supporting my most important goals in life? ⁣

I’m not just saying to only surround myself with “members of the Church”, but doing my best to ensure that the people I willingly interact with the most are kind and have good intentions, no matter their religious affiliation.

And I think the flip side is just as equally worth considering—

Am I being a righteous support system to others – encouraging and loving and accepting and uplifting the best that I can?⁣

“Find good friends. Be good friends. Support one another wherever you are. Stand with holy people.” – Gary E. Stevenson 

We know we are in control of our own actions. ⁣

But Noah’s choices of friends tipped the scale in a dire direction.

And a kind, supportive, loving friend can make all the difference.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Choose your friends wisely  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it?” (Mosiah 12:29)

They knew the scriptures.

They knew the commandments. ⁣

But they were still lazy and rude and evil. ⁣

Their knowledge didn’t change them. ⁣

Abinadi had the same knowledge of the scriptures and the law. ⁣

But he used that knowledge to open a channel of communication with the Lord, receive the personal revelation that he needed to preach repentance (twice!), and then followed through on the promptings. ⁣

Our knowledge can’t save us. ⁣

Knowing the scripture stories won’t save us. ⁣

Knowing the doctrine won’t save us. ⁣

Our actions will. ⁣

Studying the scriptures and then using that knowledge to change our actions. ⁣

Learning and connecting with the doctrine and then using that to propel us to become more Christlike. ⁣

King Noah, his priests, and Abinadi all had the same knowledge. ⁣

But their hearts were in completely different states.

“In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” – Dallin H. Oaks

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Knowing versus acting first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“You’ve got a bad habit, and you’ll never overcome it.”

“Life will always be this overwhelming, so you should stay frustrated all the time.”

“Life is going okay even though you stopped keeping the commandments, so you’ll be fine in the long run.”

In fact, King Noah’s wicked priests made fun of Abinadi for telling them to repent by echoing this same message:

“And behold, we are strong, we shall not come into bondage, or be taken captive by our enemies; yea, and thou hast prospered in the land, and thou shalt also prosper.” (Mosiah 12:15)

They haven’t been taken into bondage yet, so OF COURSE that means they will never be taken into bondage!

They had been prospering just fine, so OF COURSE they are going to continue to prosper!

But Jesus?

He’s all about change.

If you’ve got a bad habit, Jesus wants to help you overcome it.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, Jesus wants to offer you peace and strength to endure.

If you think you don’t need the gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus invites you to see what you are missing out on.

Nothing ever stays the same….

And that is actually the best news ever.

The post Nothing stays the same first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.