Would you think of Joseph and Emma Smith in a log cabin?

Would you picture the Kirtland temple being built?

Would you think of saints gathered in Nauvoo?

Those are great images of certain aspects of the gospel being restored.

But did you know you could also picture yourself right now?

You.

Doing your ministering, serving your family, sitting in church on Sunday, or listening to General Conference…

You are part of the Restoration, too.

Like, really.

The 9th Article of Faith reminds us: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”

How have you seen the Restoration roll forward just in your own lifetime?

After you think about that, try asking someone older than you how much the Church and their understanding of the gospel has changed throughout their life.

The change is real.

The progression is real.

The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ is ongoing!

The Restoration Proclamation reminds us: “We gladly declare that the promised Restoration goes forward through continuing revelation.”

It might not seem as dramatic as some of the events that Joseph Smith experienced…

But that doesn’t mean revelations aren’t coming step-by-step.

Are you ready and listening for the next steps closer to God?

“When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord’s work?” – Elder Uchtdorf

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post YOU are the restoration! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Does being dunked underwater cleanse your soul?

Does someone placing their hands on your head remove sickness from your body?

No!

These actions mean absolutely nothing…

Without the power of Jesus Christ.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to partake of the sacrament and have our sins forgiven.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to be baptized and have our souls cleansed.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to receive a blessing that can heal us.

And that same power has been given to people here on earth to allow all of God’s children the opportunity to repent, be cleansed, be healed, and so much more.

We know this as priesthood power.

It was a quiet day in May of 1829 when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were the first people in this dispensation to receive this now-restored priesthood power.

The Restoration Proclamation teaches: “The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins.”

This simple priesthood restoration would eventually flood the earth.

“Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth.

“Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality.

“But no other organization can and will influence your life after death.” – President Russell M. Nelson

What a miracle it is to be alive when God’s priesthood power is available to each of us to cleanse, heal, and empower us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Does bread have power?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I consider myself pretty strong at math.

And I truly wanted to learn each element of calculus.

But I had to ask a lot of questions as I learned how to do calculus.

The problem was that my high school teacher was never clear in her responses to questions.

I’d ask questions in class, meet with her at lunchtime, or send her an email, and yet I always left our sessions feeling more confused than when I first went in.

Every question seemed to lead to a tangent or a vague explanation.

It was honestly so frustrating.

I vented to my mom about how confused I felt, and she told me to call my grandpa, who had been a math professor.

After asking my grandpa just a few questions and listening to his responses, my brain was finally calm and clear.

I was learning!

I understood concepts.

I could accurately solve problems on my own.

I felt relieved.

I think about young Joseph Smith, trying to get his own answers to spiritual questions.

But he was left feeling quite frustrated.

In the Restoration Proclamation, we read:

“He had questions regarding the salvation of his soul and trusted that God would direct him.”

Can you imagine?

Asking the basic questions of the soul and not finding any sort of satisfactory answer?

The apostasy was a time of spiritual confusion.

It was a time where everyone had the same questions and yearned for truth but could not get correct answers.

Joseph felt this himself.

And at the right time, God used Joseph to bring much-needed clarity and relief to his children.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Calculus class first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I really struggled. For a while.

While I was going through this period of deep concern, I leaned on the things that I KNEW to be true.

I loved my Savior Jesus Christ.

I knew I was a child of God.

I knew the Book of Mormon had totally transformed my life and taught me.

So I kept leaning on those truths and acting in faith.

And while I still did all the things, I prayed like I had never prayed before.

I kept wanting to turn to other resources, and sometimes I did. Books, podcasts, people’s advice that I love or admire.

But looking back, I can now see what was the most important. And when I read this sentence in the Restoration Proclamation, it all clicked:

“We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

I don’t think it’s a secret that for many people, their testimony of Joseph Smith and/or church history is less confident than other aspects of their testimony.

It’s possible that you might even be “dreading” this year and our study of church history.

If that’s the case, I see you.

But I also encourage you to put the promise at the end of the Declaration Proclamation to the test.

Prayerfully study scripture.

And then ACT in faith.

Do everything you can to fill your life with faith and the Spirit and the Book of Mormon.

Pray fervently.

And you WILL gain your own witness and testimony of the Restoration and its purpose in preparing the entire world for the Second Coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.

And I can say that because… I did the same thing.

A humble heart, sincere prayer, asking God more than I asked anyone else, reading my scriptures more than I read anything else, all lead me to confidently say that I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration. And what he did made so many other blessings possible for all of God’s children all over the earth.

It’s going to be a great year, and a year of great growth.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Was Joseph Smith really a prophet?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.