When I read the history of the Jaredites, there seems to be one common theme that is the root of all of their problems:

Power.

“And he gave battle unto Shule the king, in which he did obtain the land of their first inheritance; and he became a king over that part of the land.” (Ether 7:16)

These men wanted power.

They wanted power over other people so that they could make them do whatever they wanted.

They wanted power to give themselves more privilege and leniency.

They were willing to do whatever it took, including destroying families and friends, to grab power and to keep it.

What a contrast to Jesus.

He was the perfect example of humble “servant-leadership”

— Someone who gains authority by SERVING others. ⁣

Now, not many of us are seeking high positions of power.

But all of us have had some kind of leadership positions…

Whether in church callings, in work, and even as parents.

So what’s our leadership style?

Do we assume that our title gives us power, and we look for ways to get even more?

Or do we take leadership roles as a chance to serve those “beneath” us so much that we build our own loving authority and influence?⁣

Good leaders see opportunities of greater responsibility as a chance to do even greater service!

“The world teaches that leaders must be mighty; the Lord teaches that they must be meek.” – Stephen W. Owen

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

It seems like the winds never stop. ⁣

I try to block things out for a bit – but when I resurface with my emotions, the wind is still there. ⁣

I keep trying, but I can’t get rid of it. ⁣

It can be exhausting. ⁣

To want to fix a problem. To want to eliminate the wind and keep the calm sea for just a bit. To feel in control. ⁣

But the wind still blows. ⁣

And so these two verses jumped out to me:⁣

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters…” (Ether 6:5)⁣

“The wind did never cease to blow…” (Ether 6:8)⁣

The Jaredites experienced constant and furious winds. ⁣

For weeks and months on end, the wind blew and there wasn’t a thing they could do about it. ⁣

But guess which part of the scriptures actually jumped out to me?⁣

The second half. ⁣

Read those same verses again, now with the endings added:⁣

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:5)⁣

“The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:8)⁣

The winds weren’t blowing just for fun. The Lord didn’t forget about calming the sees of their journey. ⁣

The winds were exactly what was driving them towards the Promised Land. ⁣

Maybe some Jaredites prayed for the wind to stop or at least slow down. ⁣

But that actually would have gone against their prayers for safety on their journey. ⁣

The winds WERE the answer. They were what was driving them towards the result they wanted. The result He knew they needed. ⁣

And so I received the reminder I so desperately needed. ⁣

I don’t think my winds are going anywhere right now. ⁣

Because they are actually blowing me towards my destination. ⁣

Thanks, furious, never-ending wind. ⁣

I have faith that my destination will be even greater than what I have in mind.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The wind doesn’t stop  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’m not sure exactly the emotions, but I’m willing to bet there was anxiety.

Doubt.

Probably some fear.

All flashing through the Jaredites’ minds to some degree.

But what did the Jaredites choose to do?

“They did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.” (Ether 6:9)

I’ve always loved the holiday of Thanksgiving!

It’s fun to hear all the people around me express their gratitude for the things they are thankful for.

But when we focus on our “gratitude list,” it can be easy to be jealous of what others have.

Or it can even be tempting to wallow in self-pity for what we are missing out on.

Instead, we can take inspiration from the Jaredites and feel joy and gratitude to the Lord no matter our circumstances.

“I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Whether we are trapped in a tiny wooden barge traveling hundreds of miles through the ocean.

Whether we are dealing with other really rough times.

Whether we are concerned for the wellbeing of others.

We can always choose to feel gratitude to the God who gives us life and love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Gratitude in the barge  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“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”. ⁣

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. ⁣

“Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.” (Ether 1:36)

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. ⁣

And 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 toward that person. ⁣

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 Friends in the Book of Mormon  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also 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)

But the brother of Jared had been the one who had built the barges!

I have a feeling that as he was building, he may have realized that light and air were going to be issues.

He had faith, though, that if the Lord had asked him to build these barges, then they could figure out the details later.

I really like to “see the forest before the trees” when I move forward with my life.

I like to feel confident in the big picture before I start working on the details.

But often, the Lord just shows us one tree at a time.

The whole forest won’t come into focus until after we’ve shown our obedience to the little stuff, even if we think it can’t possibly come together in the end.

Can we build our faith so that we trust the Lord will show us how it all fits into a big, beautiful forest someday?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The forest and the trees first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

– one of a million lies I have told myself. ⁣

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”.

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.

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.”

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “I’ll totally remember that!” 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.

I browsed through the application information out of curiosity. ⁣

And suddenly, I knew that I needed to fill out that application.

I got the job.

And that job completely changed the trajectory of my life in the best way possible.

I had been praying for more fulfillment in my life…

And God knew exactly how I needed to get there.

No matter how random it may have seemed.

But it took faith to follow those out-of-left-field promptings!

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

And pretty shortly after, the Lord told him:

“Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built.” (Ether 2:16)

How do sincere prayers for protection and freedom turn into commandments to build barges?

God knows.

Only He knows.

And the brother of Jared had the faith to follow the direction!

Do we have the faith in Jesus Christ to follow the promptings we receive, even when they don’t seem to match with the questions we had in the first place?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

In both a priesthood blessing and a group prayer that were offered while waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive, while the fate of this individual was still unknown, there was a unique experience. ⁣

No one prayed for nor was this person blessed with healing. ⁣

All of the blessings were for comfort for family members and for those of us in the room. ⁣

Everyone knew, in an unspeakable, powerful way, that healing was not what we should be praying for. ⁣

Some of my most holy moments have been similar, in much less dramatic ways.

Where it wasn’t me praying for my own will, but instead feeling my will being distinctly pulled to my Father’s will. ⁣

Moroni promised us that:

“Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him.” (Mormon 9:21)⁣

But Moroni also clarified how we know that our prayers will truly be answered. ⁣

We must “ask with a firmness unshaken”. (Mormon 9:28)⁣

That is what the “unshaken firmness” feels like to me. ⁣

It’s when I’m praying with such pure intent and faith that I feel my will being gently molded and aligned. ⁣

Father and child. ⁣

I know what to ask for, and what not to ask for. ⁣

The job, the friend, the mission, the child, the opportunity. ⁣

My will is aligned. ⁣

And with firmness unshaken, I know that the prayer will be answered.

“Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other”. (Bible Dictionary, Prayer)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Bosses can be inconsistent.

Friends can be selfish.

Spouses can be forgetful. ⁣

Prophets (like Moroni admits) can have terrible writing or speaking skills.

It’s all normal. ⁣

In church, we like to say, “Nobody’s perfect.” ⁣

We say it matter-of-factly, throw it into lessons and talks, and sometimes even chuckle while we say it. ⁣

But then we have to actually interact with each other!

Those imperfections can become roadblocks ranging from frustrating to full-on impossible to work with. ⁣

This is life. ⁣

⁣But Moroni reminds us of an important element to dealing with imperfections in other people:

“⁣Condemn me not because of mine imperfection.”(Mormon 9:31)

While we most certainly are aware of the weaknesses of the people we interact with every day, we should not CONDEMN others because of them.

Judging, criticizing, or labeling people by the worst things they’ve done isn’t what the Savior does.

We honestly just can’t avoid noticing other people’s imperfections.

But we can avoid using other people’s imperfections to condemn them.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Dressing up nicely?

Caring for the things that we own?⁣

These are the questions that swirl in my head when I read Mormon 8:37:⁣

“Ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel…”⁣

The remainder of verse 37 seems to have the answer, though.⁣

“MORE THAN ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.”⁣

What do we love MORE?

Looking great and making lots of money? ⁣

Or caring for the less-fortunate around us?⁣

As with almost every gospel principle, it’s a subject that’s difficult to judge from the outside, looking at others.⁣

(Actually, it’s pretty easy to judge other people about this, but very difficult to ACCURATELY judge, no matter how well we know them.)⁣

There are wealthy people with beautiful homes who open up their house for every occasion, give generously, and love the Lord. ⁣

And there are wealthy people who let their abundance turn into fulfilling selfish desires and stinginess.

There are people who love enhancing their beauty with makeup and cute clothes, but aren’t afraid to get dirty in the name of service, or donate items they no longer need.⁣

And there are people who let their pride keep them from being seen in ways that wouldn’t keep up with their appearance.⁣

It’s okay to seek for a better-paying job in order to create financial stability, to buy new clothes that help you feel amazing, to enjoy your latest gadget that you saved up for…⁣

But it’s when these things become MORE THAN our love for God and our fellow man, that we can’t possibly imagine living without them, that we lose our gratitude and humility…⁣

That’s when they become sins.⁣

So what can we control?

It actually doesn’t matter how much money you have in your bank account, or how many clothes are in your closet, in order to fall victim to LOVING them more than God and others.⁣

Which makes this a beautiful month to use our gratitude to reflect on what we’ve been given from God, and how we can use however little or however much we’ve been given in order to build up the kingdom of God.

Make sure we can always confidently say that we love God more.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Which do we love more?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.