Made the journey to Ohio, leaving their homes and livelihoods after hearing the prophet’s call. ⁣

This community was tight-knit. They were staying together. ⁣

But where would they live in Ohio? Who had room for them?⁣

Finally… Leman Copley offers his farm. ⁣

They all can live together! It will take work to build up their community. But at least, finally, some good news. ⁣

They have a home. ⁣

And then… Leman returns. Angry. With a friend. ⁣

They are all asked to leave. Leave their new home?!⁣

But where could they possibly go now?⁣

Where in the Kirtland area could house all of them?⁣

Newel pleads on behalf of his displaced congregation. ⁣

And Joseph receives the word.⁣

“You shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri”. (D&C 54:8⁣)

Missouri. ⁣

No one else had been asked to move there yet. ⁣

Joseph hadn’t even been to Missouri. ⁣

And yet, the Colesville Saints packed up their belongings and started the trek to Missouri. ⁣

The Lord ended His revelation to his sweet children, forced to move yet again, with this loving reminder:⁣

“Be patient in tribulation”. D&C 54:10⁣

Tribulation is a constant. ⁣

The Colesville Saints experienced it. ⁣

But so do you. And so do I. ⁣

What’s your tribulation right now? ⁣

It probably feels lighter than the Colesville Saints burdens. But… maybe it doesn’t. ⁣

And no matter the load, we are asked to have patience. ⁣

To just wait. ⁣

To not hasten, or rush. ⁣

But to move at the pace that we can, to make the efforts we can make, and to feel patience, turning the timing over to God. ⁣

To wait in humility. ⁣

The tribulations aren’t the variable. They will come. They already have come. ⁣

And our Savior keeps promising us peace as we turn our will over to Him in patience, every single time.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Colesville saints  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

She would drive by our home every week and drop off a scripture activity.

She would say “hi” to my daughter at church.

She remembered every detail of their conversations.

She was the BEST.

And my daughter loved her!

Later, I learned that this teacher had served in many notable leadership callings in the church throughout her life.

Now, with her calling as a teacher to a group of three-year-old kids…

She planted herself.

She blessed the lives of so many people, including my own and my daughter’s.

I’ve been planted in a lot of places in my life.

I’ve been in different locations, wards, callings, jobs, friend groups, and schools.

Sometimes, it’s hard to be planted or “all-in” when I’m in a circumstance I don’t really enjoy.

I just think about what I’m missing, or how I know things could be better.

But I love that when the Lord told a few different families to move from Ohio to Missouri permanently, He said:

“And thus let those of whom I have spoken be planted in the land of Zion.” (D&C 57:14)  

He didn’t want them looking backward, wondering when this would end.

He didn’t want them being envious of those who got to stay behind.

He just wanted them to be planted where they were.

When I put my roots down in whatever situation I may be in and decide to truly “plant” myself, I feel so much more peace, calm, and happiness.

But looking at my daughter’s Primary teacher has given me a new perspective on this, too:

When we plant ourselves well and embrace our current environment, we can better serve and love the people around us.

We plant our roots “all-in” where we are, bloom where we are planted, and help the other flowers grow, too.

“Whatever your calling, I urge you to see it as an opportunity not only to strengthen and bless others but also to become what Heavenly Father wants you to become.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Plant yourself first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Gaining a testimony is not the finish line. ⁣

That girls camp testimony meeting, your mission, that moment in the temple…⁣

It wasn’t the finish line. ⁣

It wasn’t the peak spiritual experience in your life, and now everything is just downhill. ⁣

The Lord reminds Sidney Gilbert that:

“He only is saved who endureth unto the end.” (D&C 53:7)⁣

To me, THAT’S what I’ve learned it really means to “endure to the end”.⁣

It means that I’m working to maintain what I’ve already felt and learned. ⁣

AND I’m working to create even more spiritual anchor moments. ⁣

I’m trying to keep the general trend going upward. ⁣

I’m thinking back on my anchor moments, and using them to fuel my day-to-day living. ⁣

I’m reading the scriptures to support the knowledge I already have and dive into the new. ⁣

I’m putting myself in holy places so that I can work on feeling the Spirit more often.

And then even more often. ⁣

I’m not even close to the finish line, and that is exciting to me!⁣

I didn’t “make it” by getting sealed in the temple.⁣

Or having that one strong spiritual experience. ⁣

It’s consistency. ⁣

It’s the daily workouts at the gym, instead of doing a marathon each summer and calling it good. (Figuratively speaking…)⁣

A testimony is great.

Having a strong witness that your Savior died and lives for you is amazing. ⁣

But after the amazing, anchoring spiritual experiences, I want to think:⁣

“It’s only going up from here.”⁣

And truly… it doesn’t always go up from there. There are dips and valleys and trenches along the way. ⁣

But I keep climbing back up and out as I keep turning to my Savior to lead the way. ⁣

He is the one who truly helps transform my “enduring” into “growing”.⁣

Gaining a testimony isn’t the finish line. ⁣

It takes work to keep the flame going and growing.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It’s all up from here first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Now, after you come back from Disneyland…

I think it is a fascinating question to ponder.

I’ve heard many people say something along the lines of:

“Having lots of money just makes you more of who you already were.”

Basically, if you are barely scraping by financially right now, but you still pay your tithing and help a neighbor out when they need a meal…

Then you would likely be a wealthy person who still pays their tithing and can help people in need in much more dramatic ways.

But if you are living comfortably right now, but stingy with giving away any money…

Then it’s likely that you would find reasons to be stingy with your money when you had a lot more of it, too.

The Lord says:

“Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls . . . Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite.” (D&C 56:16-17)

So, if both the rich and the poor receive warnings from the Lord here, what can we do to make sure we are doing as we should?

Rich AND poor people can be prideful with hardened hearts.

Rich AND poor people can be humble with broken hearts.

It doesn’t really matter what our bank account looks like if our hearts are pure, broken, and humbled before the Lord.

We might not be able to control how much money we have, but we can always control the state of our heart.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rich and poor hearts first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.