“Someone who invites you to their parties, is super fun to hang out with, and responds to your texts!”

But since my high school days of tons of friends, (very G-rated) parties every weekend, and texting all day (as long as I didn’t go over my monthly limit), my experiences with friends have changed.

I’ve had periods of time where I’ve made friends quickly. And I’ve had other periods where I’ve moved to a new place and never felt like I quite fit in.

And I’ve learned to change my definition of “friend”.

Instead of people my age who are super fun and invite me to do things, I’ve learned that I can make friends with anyone, of any age, in any life circumstance.

I’ve learned that while I can’t control who “likes” me, I can control who I reach out to.

Sisters that I’ve ministered to, served with, called, accidentally cried with, reached out to…

Those are the people I consider my friends.

Who were Jared and his brother concerned about, as much as their families?

Their friends.

When Jared asked his brother to pray for the Lord, he requested that the Lord specifically spare their friends, and they all travelled together to the new land.

We don’t get many stories of friendship in the Book of Mormon, so this really stood out to me as I studied.

Jared and the Brother of Jared wanted to be with their friends.

Maybe they hung out together every evening and enjoyed each other’s company.

But I bet that they bore each other’s burdens.

They had sympathy, they jumped up in the middle of the night, they went out of their way to serve…

And when we serve, we grow our love towards that person.

When I want more friends, I know that I can find more people to serve and get to know.

I’m grateful for the amazing friends that I have – the ones who have served my family, and the ones who allow me to serve them.

And I’m grateful that the friendships, not just the family relationships, that I make in this life will continue into the eternities.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Making new friends first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The Brother of Jared built the barges, but started getting concerned about the lack of light within the boats.

So he asked the Lord.

“O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer?” (2:19)

But the Lord didn’t answer that question. He gave the Brother of Jared some direction about air that he had asked about, too.

He went and did as he was commanded, and solved the air issue.

But then he went back to the Lord and cried again about the light issue.

“O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?” (2:22)

And finally, the Lord acknowledged his cry. But He responded with turning it back to him.

“What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (2:23)

But the Lord didn’t stop there. He then listed all the ways that they would NOT be able to have light.

“Ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces.”

“Neither shall ye take fire with you.” (2:23)

And then he asks the Brother of Jared one more time:

“What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” (2:25)

Finally, the Brother of Jared realized that this was going to require some work on his part. The Lord wasn’t going to just tell him what to do.

And so he came up with a plan, and humbly presented it to the Lord.

The Lord accepted the plan and touched the 16 stones with His hand.

Which led to the Brother of Jared, filled with faith, requesting to see Jesus Christ.

And he did.

This back and forth, this seemingly messy conversation with the Lord, filled with repeated asking, and responses about what not to do…

It was exactly the pathway that needed to happen in order for the Brother of Jared to have the most sacred experience of his life.

True communion with the Lord is work. It is hard work.

And hard work brings miracles.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Prayer is a form of work first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Often I get caught up in all the complicated and intricate ways that Heavenly Father responds to me, that I forget that sometimes, He is totally ready to just give me a response when I ask a question.

The Brother of Jared spoke to the Lord: “We shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.” (Ether 2:19)

And the Lord responded: “Thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.” (Ether 2:20)

A concern was presented.

And an answer was given.

But there’s one thing that I noticed.

The Brother of Jared had already built the barges.

The Lord had previously told him to build barges, and the Brother of Jared built them, knowing he didn’t have the answers.

He built them knowing that air and light were going to be concerns.

He didn’t need to know all the details before he started.

He knew that if the Lord had told him to build barges, all of the issues would be solved and questions answered in due time.

I like to “see the forest before the trees” when I work through new projects in my life.

I like to see the whole picture before I can take the steps from tree to tree.

But often, the Lord just shows us one tree at a time, before we ever see the forest.

He’ll answer our questions when He knows they need to be answered, and not when we first think of them.

The Lord absolutely can answer our prayers right after we ask our questions – but sometimes, the timing of our asking is the most important part.

Build. Get to work. If the Lord commanded, He will answer the small questions when He knows we need them.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Answers when we need them first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was recently thinking about a time when I was NOT looking for a new job – but I WAS looking for some more fulfillment in my life.

A random job opportunity popped up, and I browsed through the application info out of curiosity.

And then I knew.

I knew I needed to fill out that application.

And, to be honest, I knew deep down that I would ultimately get the job.

I applied, I got the job, and it changed the trajectory of my life.

But I had just been praying for a more fulfilled feeling with the things that were on my plate.

And yet, my God knew that I needed something different, and He was prepared to tell me exactly what that was.

The Brother of Jared had been praying for his family and friends to be spared from having their languages confounded.

Which led their large group on a journey across a wilderness and many smaller waters, ultimately bringing them to a seashore.

And then the Lord told the Brother of Jared, “Go to work and build… barges”, and he was given specific “instructions of the Lord”. (Ether 2:16)

The Brother of Jared just wanted protection and freedom for his family and friends.

And the Lord was ready to step in and give him the specific promptings and directions to build barges in order to lead them to a better future.

We obviously can’t control when these types of unexpected but specific answers come, but we can be prepared.

The Brother of Jared had great faith and called upon the name of God.

He was prepared for any kind of answer that he would receive.

He didn’t reason it away, check with his brother to see if he thought it was a good idea, wait a few weeks until it fit into his schedule a little better…

He and his brethren just went to work.

So are we ready to go when the prompting comes?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Anyone else relate?!

We think we’ve experienced something unforgettable, or learned an interesting new fact, or felt the Spirit stronger than we’ve ever felt before…

And then memory fades.

I’m not going to lie, the idea of writing down my life experiences in a journal for the benefit of some future great-great-grandchild has always seemed far out of reach to me.

I’m not sure if my posterity will ever really read what I write.

But I do know that writing things down enlarges my memory.

Anytime I write an experience down, it cements my feelings down on paper.

It breaks the memory free from Satan’s grasp. He can’t convince me that I made it up, or that I really felt that way, or that I over-exaggerated.

I have the truth, straight from my mouth.

I learn to trust my past feelings and experiences.

I grow my collection of “spiritually defining moments” as Elder Andersen taught.

When the Brother of Jared left the mountain where he saw the Savior, the Lord commanded him to, “write the things which he had seen.” (Ether 4:1)

The Brother of Jared had just been shown marvelous prophecies and visions.

And the Lord wanted him to write them down right away.

Directly after coming “down out of the mount”.

And that’s great counsel for us, too!

But the coolest part is that writing down powerful or important memories doesn’t have to mean pulling out the old notebook for 20 minutes at the end of the day anymore.

I write things down in the “notes” app on my phone all the time. I post on social media. I type. I do voice-to-text. I record videos of special moments. I use a journaling app.

We’ve got a whole modern world of “writing things down” available to us!

So how can you improve just a bit more today in the way that is most sustainable to your lifestyle? Share any ideas below!

And as Elder Andersen taught:

“When personal difficulties or world conditions beyond our control darken our path, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead.”

The post Just write it down! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.