You probably see that come through in the posts I write here.

I like to search the scriptures, find the lessons, and then apply them to my life.

It’s like the ultimate, creative math problem – finding new variables and new information that lead me to different results every day.

And I think that’s why I’m obsessed with this scripture that Christ speaks in 3 Nephi 14.

Because it just makes logical sense.

Truly good people live good lives and produce good results.

People with ulterior motives may speak eloquently, but by definition, they cannot produce goodness.

To be clear, the “results” are not equated with “success” in worldly terms – evil people become rich and famous, and good people have serious trials.

But good people emanate love.

We will listen to leaders speak at General Conference next week, and we will hear great words being spoken.

But we can also see evidence that these amazing men and women back up what they say with the good things that they do.

This is one of the ways that I KNOW this gospel is true.

Because following the teachings that I have learned has given me a taste of God’s love and allowed me to feel greater love for people around me.

It just makes sense!

But the trickiest part is sometimes showing that love.

Because others are looking at me and judging me by my fruits, too.

Am I putting good results out into the world? Am I sharing and spreading love? Do I live with integrity for the things I believe?

Will someone look at me and want to know more about what I believe in based off of my attitudes, love, and good deeds?

Or will I fade into the great and spacious crowd by slipping into the latest trends and digging into negative emotions?

Christ’s advice about judging by fruits is what has saved my testimony time and time again – and it’s what keeps me constantly analyzing if I’m letting my testimony shine through in the way I live.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post By their fruits first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Or at least, no one over two-years-old sees.

And often, I don’t feel like I’m being rewarded for all of my hard work and small efforts.

I mean, I’m pretty mature. I’m intrinsically motivated to do pretty much all of my spiritual and physical tasks.

But still.

I often forget that there IS someone who does see every little thing that I do.

He sees when I’m about to go to sleep and remember I’ve forgotten to read my scriptures, and so I roll over and read a couple verses before dozing off.

He sees when I feel frustration boiling up inside, but I stay calm and kind, defusing the situation while also getting in a better mind space.

He sees when I get a prompting to text a friend, and follow through on it.

But the part I forget most of all?

He rewards me for every little good effort that I make.

Elder Uchtdorf said, “In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us.

“It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.”

He is rewarding me all of the time for my good deeds and desires.

But sometimes, I cling onto my umbrella of self-criticism, “busy-ness”, and slothfulness.

I’m not allowing the blessings to flow into my life. Or, at least, I’m not allowing myself to see them.

My favorite, easy remedy?

President Eyring said it best when he shared how he prayed and meditated each evening to see the hand of God in his life that day:

“I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.”

We just have to try to see the blessings!

We have to give the Spirit a chance to show us.

Only then can we feel recognized, appreciated, loved, and blessed by our dear Father in Heaven.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Raining down blessings first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

No way. Of the devil. Not allowed.

There were some church leaders who gave this advice to avoid R-rated movies, and it kind of grew into a cultural fact.

But within the past decade or so, Church leaders have really moved away from calling out specific movie ratings.

The “For the Strength of the Youth” pamphlet currently says: “Do not attend, view, or participate in anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way.”

Not a single sentence about the rating of a movie.

In fact, the church as a whole has started moving away from strict structure.

Eliminating an hour of church, getting rid of Personal Progress, eliminating home and visiting teaching…

Less rules and checkboxes from the church.

This is what my mind was immediately drawn to when Christ appeared to the Nephites.

He is telling the Nephites that the strict, prescriptive Law of Moses is gone.

But here’s the important shift –

In place of these lower, specific commands and counsel, we are instead given a higher law to self-administer.

Instead of not killing, we shouldn’t even be angry.

Instead of not commuting adultry, we shouldn’t even lust in our minds.

Instead of loving your neighbor, love your enemy too.

And that’s what we’ve seen as a religious people in recent years.

Instead of sitting and passively listening to a lesson for an hour, make your own plan and teach your family.

Instead of visiting your assigned sister every month, figure out what she actually needs and do it.

Instead of just avoiding R-rated movies, figure out how to avoid the evil influences of Satan in any way possible.

Restrictions being taken away isn’t a free pass – it’s a call to a higher way to live.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A higher and holier way first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My friend and I were having a discussion years ago about sharing the gospel, visiting teaching, and feeling uplifted, all by being social.

And her very introverted husband interrupted us and asked this question.

It kind of stopped me in my tracks, because I had just been talking about how connecting and talking with as many people as possible was how I felt the love of God working in my life.

I don’t think I had a great answer for him then, and he didn’t really share his thoughts at the moment, but I’ve never forgotten his question.

Because we’ve been asked to let our light shine.

And since I’m pretty extroverted, it’s not natural for me to understand others’ desires to NOT be social and interact with people.

But I feel that as I’ve matured and grown, I’ve learned that absolutely 100% without a doubt that introverted people can still let their lights shine and be perfect examples of gospel living.

Why?

Because we ALL have the light of Christ within us.

Sharing our “light” doesn’t mean getting up on stage and belting out a solo. It doesn’t mean baking treats and carrying out lengthy conversations with everyone in the ward. It doesn’t mean putting your testimony on social media every single day.

It CAN mean those things, but it certainly doesn’t have to.

Letting our light shine means letting the Light of Christ naturally shine through as we develop our strengths that we have been given.

And if that means that your “shining” looks different, smaller, less important, or less interesting than the ways that other people “shine”, it truly doesn’t matter.

If we are doing good works and leaning into our unique strengths, Christ can help us become more than we are now.

He can amplify our light and stretch us to become even brighter.

So what is YOUR unique way that you can shine? It will probably look different than mine, or your spouse’s, or your friend – but comparison is the thief of joy.

So turn your attention to the Savior – how can you let your personal God-given light shine in the best way that only you can?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A gospel for introverts first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I told her that we didn’t have any juice in the car, but that she could have some water.

She started getting upset and asked for juice again.

I offered her the water again, and she reluctantly took it.

And then she asked for juice again.

When I told her that we didn’t have any in the car, she started crying.

“I just want some juice!”

She is two years old, and this was a completely developmentally appropriate conversation.

(At least, back me up if you have also tried to raise a two-year-old ????.)

She doesn’t have emotional maturity yet to understand that she can’t have juice whenever she wants it OR how to appropriately deal with frustration when she can’t satisfy her desire.

Have you ever thought about the concept of SPIRITUAL maturity?

Jesus Christ commands us to “be ye therefore perfect”.

I’ve heard quite a few words that people like to substitute for “perfect”, since we know we will not and cannot achieve perfection in this life.

But one of my BYU religious professors told us his version of a translation for “perfect” that has always resonated with me:

Be ye therefore SPIRITUALLY MATURE.

We can’t get to “perfection”. But we CAN see ourselves sliding farther and farther on the sliding scale of spiritual maturity.

Are we doing what we are supposed to do without needing to be checked in on?

Do we nitpick commandments and find “loopholes”?

Do we act on our own accord to do good?

Do we understand that rewards may be delayed?

We all start out as emotional toddlers who need constant, constant, CONSTANT direction, reassurance, and correction.

But our loving Savior wants us to develop spiritual maturity.

As you study the beatitudes and other wise counsel straight from our Savior this week, I challenge you to look at each commandment on a sliding scale and ask yourself:

How can I be more spiritually mature in fulfilling this commandment?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Be ye therefore spiritually mature first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.