As a pianist, I have felt the Spirit so many times while playing completely secular pieces of music. ⁣

I’ve felt the Spirit while watching a dance recital. ⁣

I’ve felt the Spirit while watching a TV show that isn’t about anything religious. ⁣

I’ve felt the Spirit while looking at flowers, while reading a book, while driving by new homes that are almost finished. ⁣

In my life, feeling the Holy Spirit has not been contained to just when I’m at church or reading my scriptures. ⁣

There is so much good in the world that isn’t obviously tied to religious purposes. ⁣

But I see the good in accomplishment. ⁣

In learning a new skill. ⁣

In watching someone try their best. ⁣

In feeling the potential of what is to come. ⁣

In happiness and joy, devoid of vulgarness. ⁣

In viewing carefully crafted creations. ⁣⁣

“If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” – Article of Faith 13

We can pursue talents, and gifts, and skills, and knowledge!⁣

Good things aren’t contained to my church. ⁣

(Although there are so so so many good things within my church.)⁣

But my loving God has given the world so much that goodness is overflowing everywhere. ⁣

What is something (not necessarily church-related) virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy that you’ve been seeking out lately?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Feeling the Spirit at a dance recital first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There was no way what my HR director was telling me was true. ⁣⁣

“But I’ve signed up for short-term disability for the past three years!”

“Oh,” the HR director said. “But did you also fill out the physical application for it each year, too?”⁣⁣

I had no clue about a physical application. ⁣⁣

I’m a fairly competent, intelligent person who had attended the employee benefits meeting every year. ⁣⁣

And I truly, honestly did not remember hearing about this extra step. ⁣⁣

I was frustrated, devastated, concerned for our financial situation…⁣⁣

But nothing could change that. I hadn’t paid into the insurance, and so I didn’t get it. ⁣⁣

It was one of the worst feelings in the world:

The feeling of being punished for something that you truly had no clue you were doing wrong. ⁣⁣

Real life is rough like this sometimes. ⁣⁣

Honest mistakes and innocent oversights can have devastating impacts. ⁣⁣

I can hardly even imagine a loving Heavenly Father who would hold something over my head that I did not knowingly do. ⁣⁣

Instead, “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.” (Article of Faith 2) 

I think of silly times, like when I thoroughly enjoyed a cake at a neighborhood party, just for my mom to realize it was filled with coffee afterwards, and I felt so guilty. ⁣⁣

Or more somber times when I believed I was helping someone out, only to discover that I had unknowingly harmed their spiritual progress. ⁣⁣

I am grateful that I will be punished— or held accountable— for my own sins.

In order to sin, I have to have a knowledge of the principle against which I am sinning.

This seems totally fair to me.

I won’t be held accountable for anyone else’s transgressions, whether it’s Adam’s, Eve’s, a leader’s, or a friend’s mistake.

God will only hold me accountable for the sins I choose. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My honest mistake  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I saw a meme recently that said being an adult is basically saying that phrase over and over each week. ⁣

I had to laugh, because I know for sure that I’ve said that sentence countless times. ⁣

And do things ever “die down”?!⁣

Not really. I mean, maybe a bit. But there’s always “something new” coming up. ⁣

It’s life. ⁣

And I’ve actually found a lot more joy and acceptance when I lean into that chaos a bit! ⁣

Instead of always waiting for things to “calm down”, I find that life is actually pretty good when I accept that there’s always going to be “something”. ⁣⁣

There will always be a big event or deadline or life change or serious decision looming. ⁣

And it’s all good!⁣

The 13th Article of Faith is so good, but one of my favorite lines is tucked away in the middle of it:⁣

“We have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.”⁣

Isn’t that awesome?!⁣

NOT: “We have endured many things and hope that things will calm down and we will actually get blessings pretty soon here”.⁣

But instead, embracing the fact that the future is going to be filled with more things to endure!⁣

We aren’t looking for rest and calm in this life. That isn’t our doctrine. ⁣

Our doctrine is that we are ready to endure. ⁣

We’ve done it in the past, we are ready to do it some more in the future, and we have hope that we can handle it through relying on Christ.

So is this week looking crazy for you?⁣

Ready for things to die down a bit?⁣

After December, honestly, maybe they will for a while! ⁣

But we are Latter-day Saints who have endured many things, and sure hope to be able to endure all things that will come our way in the future. ⁣

We’ve got this.

“To completely avoid the problems, challenges, and difficulties of this world would be to sidestep the process that is truly necessary for mortality to work.” – Brook P. Hales

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post After this week, things won’t be so crazy!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I remember one day in middle school when I was hanging out with my friends at someone’s house.

It was the first time someone had asked me this question, and I was excited to answer!

I felt like I had been preparing for this my entire life.

I decided to launch into an explanation about the Plan of Salvation, and I even remember drawing out the whole diagram with arrows, earth life, and ending with the three kingdoms of glory. ⁣

That moment was so powerful in my mind because I was totally on my own, having to explain my beliefs. I was proud of what I did.⁣

But I also realized that what I was explaining wasn’t having the impact that I wanted. ⁣

I could tell I had lost their attention and their interest. (I’ve always been a very self-evaluative person.)⁣

Should I have started with Joseph Smith instead? Or maybe the Book of Mormon? ⁣

This dilemma stuck in my mind for a long time. I wanted to find the right thing to start these conversations with, so that other people would really “get” our religion without me launching into obscure concepts right off the bat.

And then, years later, I saw the opening lesson in the Preach My Gospel manual. ⁣

It is a lesson on the First Vision, yes, but the first concept that is taught is: ⁣

“God is our loving Heavenly Father.”⁣

That felt so right to me. That’s where I should begin.⁣

And then I made the connection…⁣

What’s that first Article of Faith I had learned all those years ago?⁣

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father…” ⁣

We believe in God, and we know that God loves us.⁣

That statement was much more simple than the answer I thought I had been looking for. ⁣

But that statement is also so much more powerful. ⁣

Do you believe in God?⁣

And do you believe that God is a loving, eternal, Heavenly Father?⁣

What a blessing that is to believe!⁣

And I’ve found that when I share that joy with others, I am able to give them the quickest glimpse into what truly matters to me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  What do Mormons believe? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.