Listen to your first thought or prompting, and act on it right away. ⁣

I have been working on that as much as I can these past few weeks, and some days are better than others, but I’ve had some pretty cool experiences. ⁣

It was exactly the advice that I needed to gain a little more clarity in my life, and invite even more spiritual promptings to come. ⁣

“What lack I yet” is a question I ask pretty often in prayer, and it’s a principle I even use to guide my scripture study and look for personal applications. ⁣

The reason I love asking this question so much is because it keeps me focused on improvement. ⁣

I’ve found that the Spirit is always eager to bring my attention to one area I can focus on in particular. ⁣

Instead of being overwhelmed by everything that I lack, I can be shown what one thing would get me started in the right direction. ⁣

When I was reading about the Lord’s comments about Sidney Rigdon this week, I was really intrigued by this connection:⁣

“I, the Lord, am not pleased with my servant Sidney Rigdon; he exalted himself in his heart, and received not counsel”. D&C 63:55⁣

Sidney was exalting himself in his heart, which is definitely a problem. ⁣

But what an interesting side effect, right?!⁣

Because of this pride, he didn’t receive counsel!⁣

He wasn’t asking “what lack I yet?”— he was thinking something like, “I’ve got it all figured out. I’m good enough.”⁣

Pride is so sneaky. ⁣

The adversary wants us to stay as we are, and reject any advice that’s given to us, whether through prayer or through other kind loved ones. ⁣

And yet our Savior invites us to change. His atoning sacrifice is the reason we CAN change. ⁣

But we don’t have to tackle this impossible task of “becoming Christlike” all on our own. ⁣

The Spirit can whisper to us exactly what the next step is.

Being so gentle and kind in giving us just what we can handle next.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “What lack I yet?” first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You can’t prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, in a way that all bystanders would agree with, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.⁣

To me, yes, there is tons of evidence to prove it. ⁣

Enough for me to feel completely confident turning my heart over to Him and dedicating my life to this work. ⁣

But we can’t actually prove it to other people. ⁣

It will always take just a little bit of faith. ⁣

A little bit of trust. A little bit of listening to your feelings and your heart more than your head. ⁣

The Lord taught the saints in Ohio in D&C 63:9 that: ⁣

“Faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.”⁣

Proving the gospel is true and that Christ really exists, is never going to be enough to really convert someone.⁣

Including ourselves. ⁣

Piling up all the evidence can only get my mind so far.

I have to rely on the faith that comes in my heart to keep me truly converted. ⁣

Faith can not come by signs, or proofs, or total knowledge.⁣

In fact, I usually am not so great at recognizing signs or miracles until AFTER they have happened. ⁣

Hindsight is 20/20, right?⁣

Our Heavenly Father WANTS us to have faith. ⁣

He wants us to believe first. ⁣

The world thinks that it’s a little silly. ⁣

But that’s okay, for I’m learning to overcome what the world thinks, anyways. ⁣

Belief and faith first, and then come the miracles. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post No way to prove  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Are you a get-up-every-fast-and-testimony-meeting type of person?⁣

Or only-in-smaller-settings? ⁣

Or only-in-the-family? ⁣

Or… rarely at all?⁣

I don’t usually bear my testimony in formal settings. ⁣

And sometimes, I’ve felt like I’ve fallen short for not bearing my testimony at every formal chance I get. ⁣

But I’ve slowly expanded what I understand it means to bear my testimony. ⁣

It doesn’t need to mean verbalizing an extensive talk where I testify in perfect wording about every single thing that I believe or know. ⁣

A testimony is often just a quiet witness of a truth that I know by the Spirit. ⁣

It can be in a casual setting. ⁣

It can be unplanned.⁣

It can be in the context of living my real life.⁣

It can be short and incomplete. ⁣

As the group of men traveling from Missouri back to Ohio met up with their friends headed in the opposite direction, they bore testimonies together.⁣

The Lord told them In Doctrine and Covenants 62:3: ⁣

“Ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.”⁣

Every time I say a simple truth, I am bearing my testimony. ⁣

When my daughter is playing and I remind her: “Jesus loves you!”⁣

That’s bearing my testimony. ⁣

When I tell my friend that I’m actually not worried about certain outside circumstances because I feel peace from believing in Jesus Christ…⁣

That’s bearing my testimony. ⁣

When I write down in my journal where I saw the hand of God in my life today…⁣

That’s bearing my testimony to future self. ⁣

I’m not sure exactly what gets recorded in the great Book of Life, but I know that my life has been richly blessed when I make an effort to insert bits of testimony into my day. ⁣

To not shy away from mentioning Jesus’ name or stating what I really believe. ⁣

A quiet witness of a single truth that I know. ⁣

“You bear your testimony when you share spiritual feelings with others.” – Gary E. Stevenson

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Bearing testimony first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My roommates and I moved into our freshman dorms at BYU, and our new bishopric emailed out a “get-to-know-you” survey to everyone.⁣

(I can’t even imagine how overwhelmed that bishopric was with having to meet 180 18-19 year olds all at the same time, and issue callings as quickly as possible.)

Of course, one of the questions on their survey was: ⁣

Do you play the piano?⁣

I stopped when I saw that question.

Because I was afraid.

I was afraid that if I answered truthfully, I would be “stuck” in a musical calling.

And music-related callings are often demanding and/or isolating.

But I also remembered the lessons my parents had taught me about sharing my talents at church. ⁣

I filled out the survey, saying that I did play the piano.⁣

The Lord was talking to many of the men who had traveled to Missouri in D&C 60:2:

“But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man.”⁣

These men were hiding their talents because of FEAR.

I’ve learned that anything fear-based is not coming from God. ⁣

If I’m afraid of people judging me

Or I’m afraid of people comparing me

Or if I’m afraid of getting a certain calling

Or if I’m afraid of being asked to volunteer in some way

Or even if I’m afraid of people thinking I’m trying to “show off”…

That doesn’t feel generous and loving to me.⁣

In fact, this makes me think of the Law of Consecration.

ALL of my talents and gifts come from God anyways. ⁣

Anything that I do to increase my talents and gifts, whether it’s a musical gift, or it’s just opening my mouth and talking about the gospel…⁣

Anything that I can do to increase any gift, is showing gratitude to the Lord. ⁣

Gratitude is the key.⁣

When I’m filled with gratitude, then I don’t have any fear. ⁣

It has taken me a while to get to this point, but I want to be so ridiculously generous with my time and all of my talents.

Which means… ⁣

No fear. Only gratitude.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “Do you play the piano?” first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.