As I rushed to get ready one morning, everything piled together in my mind.

The list of everything I had to do. The emotions people around me were feeling. The feeling that I would not make it through the day.

This scripture that we’ve been studying this week came to my mind:

“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs”. (Mosiah 24:14)

⁣I decided that morning to test it.

I knew I still needed to face my problems that day.

But could He really take the FEELING of the burden away without actually solving any of my problems?

I closed my eyes and pictured myself carrying the burdens that seemed to be weighing me down.

And I pictured myself waking humbly up to my Savior…

And setting it all down at His feet.

I said, “I know everything I need to do and manage and handle today.

“But I’m going to leave the feeling of being burdened at your feet.”

I pictured myself walking away, and I took a deep breath.

I felt lighter.

Like, literally, I felt like an actual physical load had been taken off my back.

I said a prayer of gratitude and went on with my day.

My list didn’t change that day, but I was SHOCKED at the miracles that kept piling up.

Like, I said I was going to test this theory with my Savior, and it’s like He was saying “Prove me herewith”.

I can’t list or share all the miracles, but I’ll just say that ONE of them was my ministering sister texting me and telling me that she had “randomly” ordered pizza to be delivered to my home that night.

I floated through that difficult day.

Jesus really means what He says.

If we, who are heavy laden, come to Jesus and really set the weighty, overwhelming feelings down at His feet, He will give us rest.

Not rest in the way you may think or want.

(I’m still hoping I can find time to take a nap in the next couple days, but it’s not looking hopeful…)

But that rest for the soul was all that I really needed.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post He truly gives rest first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There were two different groups of people.

Both oppressed by the Lamanites.

Both wanting to escape to Zarahemla.

The first group, led by Limhi, thought about how they were going to escape.

They brainstormed ideas, listened to Gideon, and came up with a plan.

Their result?

Limhi’s men gave strong wine to the Lamanite guards and escaped while they were in a drunken sleep.

It worked!

The second group was led by Alma.

They prayed for a long time for relief, and finally got an answer:

“Thou shalt go before this people, and I will go with thee and deliver this people out of bondage.” (Mosiah 24:17)

Not knowing exactly what was going to happen, the people packed their belongings and waited with faith.

Miraculously, the Lamanite guards were in a deep sleep, and everyone escaped!

The Lord answers the prayers of His people.

But He answers them in different ways, in different situations, and in different times.

While Limhi had to come up with ideas, talk with others, and execute the plan…

Alma and his people were just waiting in faith, acting on directions they didn’t quite understand yet.

But guess what was the same with both groups?

The result!

They both were freed from bondage because they relied on the Lord.

“Every one of our paths is different.” – Reyna Aburto

No matter the path the Lord takes, He will provide a way to make miracles happen.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Two groups, two paths first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There are seven blind mice who each try to figure out what the large object in front of them is. ⁣

One feels the foot and thinks it’s a pillar.

Another one feels the trunk and thinks it’s a snake.

And so on. . .

They all are accurate in their assessment of what they physically feel, and draw completely reasonable conclusions. ⁣

But they are all wrong. ⁣

It’s an elephant. ⁣

The Lamanites made a reasonable, but very incorrect, assumption that the people who kidnapped some of their women were the people of Limhi they kept clashing with next door.

“They were angry with the people of Limhi, for they thought it was the people of Limhi.” (Mosiah 20:6)

But they were wrong. ⁣

This is an essential lesson to learn here on earth: ⁣

While we do our best to draw accurate conclusions each day, there are many times when we are very wrong. ⁣

Your ministering sister who didn’t reach out to you when you were clearly struggling, is dealing with brutal anxiety.

Your bishop who completely ignored you when you obviously needed help, had just received some concerning personal news.

Your friend who didn’t respond to your text, saw your message but then got interrupted by her kids and honestly forgot to reply.

We do our best to create the truth of what’s happening around us, but at the end of the day, we are often wrong in our assumptions of other people. ⁣

And other people are wrong about us. ⁣

So what do we do about this?

I think happiness and peace are found in letting go of the frustrating stories we make up when we don’t actually know the whole truth. ⁣

Sometimes I like to come up with my own backstories in my mind that completely and reasonably explain what someone did.

But most of the time, I’ve learned to just give it to God.

I’m naturally going to feel frustrated, confused, let down, forgotten, annoyed. . .

But I can quickly return to happiness and peace when I let that anger go and humble myself before Jesus Christ, the only One who knows exactly what everyone is going through.

Humility, surrendering it to God, and finding love instead.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Seven Blind Mice first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Then repented?

And then fallen out of the habit yet again?

I certainly have.

I start to feel pretty frustrated.

But I noticed that after Alma had just finished teaching all of the people what it meant to be a member of Christ’s church by mourning with those who mourn, taking Jesus’ name upon them, keeping the commandments, and being baptized, this is what the people did and said:

“. . .they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.” (Mosiah 18:11)

I can pretty much guarantee that while these people were amazing, they weren’t perfect.

I’m sure they didn’t hear Alma preach and immediately keep every commandment with exactness afterward.

They were human, with human tendencies.

But do you know what they got right?

They had a perfect DESIRE!

They DESIRED to be baptized.

They DESIRED to make covenants.

They DESIRED to serve the people around them.

So even when we aren’t perfect with prayer (or whatever your habitual sin may be)…

Do we desire to pray every day?

Do we keep trying every single time we forget or mess up?

Do we sincerely want to do better?

Do we desire to commune with God more and more?

If we have a good desire to be righteous, then we are on the right track.

“We are going to be blessed for our desire to do good, even as we actually strive to be so.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Messing up again  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.