“No way, not me! I’m not starting an account. That seems like a big commitment. Is that something I could even do?”⁣

And just as quickly as I came up with my objections, I heard the Lord speak in my mind:⁣

“It is not meet that I should command in all things… Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness”. (D&C 58:26-27)⁣

Boom. ⁣

The Lord put the ball in my court, and I went for it. I started the account and shared my testimony each day of what I was learning. ⁣

But why did D&C 58:26-27 pop into my mind?⁣

Because I had just studied those scriptures that morning. ⁣

I had just been in the scriptures, studying these words that the Lord had previously spoken. ⁣

He didn’t speak to me in foreign, unfamiliar words. ⁣

He used the words that I had just given Him. ⁣

And that’s what He did for young Joseph. ⁣

The Lord wanted to give Joseph a special message. ⁣

He knew of Joseph’s confusion around religion. He knew of the turmoil that swirled in his head. ⁣

And the Lord wanted to tell Joseph that he could just ask for help. ⁣

But the way He told Joseph this required action from the young boy. ⁣

Joseph had to be in his scriptures. ⁣

And then, he read the words. ⁣

James 1:5. ⁣

And the Lord used those words to speak directly to Joseph. To give him direction for his next step. ⁣

This is why I love studying the scriptures. ⁣

I want Him to be able to get any message through to me, because He has plenty of scriptural words, fresh in my mind, to pull from. ⁣

I want to expand the Lord’s vocabulary in my life.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Expanding the Lord’s vocabulary first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Before Joseph could experience the light, darkness gathered around him.

Evil darkness.

He couldn’t speak.

He was in total despair.

It was a power he had never felt before, and he knew it wanted to destroy him.

And then, there was suddenly light and glory!

Two heavenly Beings appeared.

“One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JSH 1:17)

When I read this verse, I usually focus on the final two words:

“Hear Him!”

It is essential for each of us to figure out how to hear our own personal messages from God on a daily basis.

But I also can’t help but notice that dramatic contrast.

Joseph didn’t just have a pleasant experience and learn how to hear the Lord.

Joseph was saved from the destructive darkness first.

And then he could hear Him.

Learning to truly hear our Savior is an important skill to have at any time, but it is especially imperative when we feel like we are being closed in by darkness.

When we feel all alone.

When we feel like we can’t speak for ourselves.

When there is darkness and temptation and fear…

It is hearing our Savior that will bring us light and peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Hearing in darkness  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This was a question that I asked myself over and over again a few years ago. ⁣

Every General Conference where I knew I needed to have a question in mind, every sacrament meeting, every Fast Sunday…⁣

I just felt so confused by this elusive “atonement”.

And yet every time I asked the question, I didn’t feel like I was getting much of an answer. ⁣

I didn’t feel like God was giving me wisdom liberally in response to my asking. ⁣

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

And then one Sunday, I was asked by a teacher to share my thoughts on “the atonement” for a few minutes in a church lesson. ⁣

As I nervously spoke to my class, I suddenly realized what a large testimony I had gained of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice!

I discovered how much clarity I had gained over the past few years, little by little. ⁣

Even though I felt like I hadn’t received any wisdom, I recognized that I had learned to always refer to the event in reference to the Savior (“the Savior’s atoning sacrifice”). ⁣

I knew when I had repented, His atoning sacrifice was what made that possible. ⁣

I knew it wasn’t necessary to know the details of what the Savior’s sacrifice looked like in the moment. ⁣

I had been given such wisdom about the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, and I didn’t even realize it because it didn’t all come at once. ⁣

I keep thinking about Joseph right after the First Vision. ⁣

While we look back at that event as the start of a very large stone that now fills the whole earth, Joseph likely saw it as a small step. ⁣

He had asked about the state of his soul, and which church to join. ⁣

He was told that he was forgiven and that he should not join any of them. ⁣

But he wasn’t given any further instruction in that moment. ⁣

He had no clue about the Book of Mormon. No clue that he would organize an entirely new church. No clue that he would help restore ancient ordinances and covenants.⁣

Because sometimes, receiving liberal amounts of wisdom from God looks like tiny baby steps in the moment.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rays and pillars  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There was one day in particular when we both hadn’t been on our phones very much because we had a packed schedule of fun events.

It was evening before we both had a chance to sit down and pull out our phones to scroll social media.

We sat down to just chill and scroll social media a bit.

However, as soon as I had opened it, I immediately had to put my phone away.

I’ve always thought people posting their opinions on social media didn’t affect me much.

But in that moment, I felt such a stark contrast.

I had been living in the moment all day—

Connecting, experiencing, relaxing, having fun, and having meaningful conversations.

And then I opened my phone and saw a literal “war of words and tumult of opinions.”

It was too much for me.

That evening, I stayed off social media, FaceTimed my kids, read my scriptures, and went to bed.

Ignore any historical context you may know about this verse, and try to read it from your current perspective:

“In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done?” (JS-H 1:10)

As I sat there, looking at this war of words online, I realized I could do what Joseph did.

Instead of thinking:

“What do I need to post? What do I need to comment on? Where should I share my opinion?”

I tried to ask myself:

“What is to be done right now? What do I need to do?”

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the war of words?

Weighed down by the tumult of opinions?

Instead of adding to the words and the opinions, I think we would be wise to follow Joseph’s thought process.

Try focusing on what good things we can DO.

In our own spheres of influence.

We can create, serve, worship, love, solve, restore, and praise.

What is to be done?

Let’s do it.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What is to be done?!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.