The choir I was accompanying sang every note with conviction. ⁣

By the time I played the chord along with their final “to rule again!”, the Spirit was palpable. ⁣

I remember thinking I could have cut the air with a knife. The Spirit was so strong. ⁣

I lifted my fingers off the keys and sat in awe during the powerful closing prayer for the fireside we were at. ⁣

Once the prayer finished, I was in the unique position to look up at the faces of everyone in the choir. ⁣

Everyone was beaming. There was light emanating from each face. ⁣

The fireside that had just concluded?

It was given by a sculptor who had an exhibit of depictions of Christ. ⁣

She had spoken of Christ the entire time. ⁣

The pure Spirit was present as she bore testimony and taught of Him. ⁣

So for us to punctuate her testimony with ours in musical form, still preaching purely of Christ…⁣

It was unforgettable and undeniable. ⁣

I have testimonies of prophets and tithing. ⁣

I have testimonies of church and service. ⁣

I have testimonies of families and miracles. ⁣

But at the end of the day, at the center of it all, is my Savior, Jesus Christ. ⁣

He is the reason for everything else. ⁣

So when I bear record of Jesus Christ, and what His life, sacrifice, and example mean to me, that is when the Spirit is the strongest. ⁣

Because I know that He lives, I can be of good cheer. ⁣

I can let my fears be absorbed into peace. ⁣

Because I know He is standing by me. He never leaves me, even though my heart is prone to wander from Him. ⁣

My Savior is at the center of it all. ⁣

I treasure all aspects of this gospel and of my testimony. ⁣

But when I bear pure testimony of my Savior, I am brought even closer to Him. ⁣

My fear dissipates, my joy increases, and I am reminded of His constance. ⁣

I believe in Christ. ⁣

“I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.” – D&C 68:6

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I Believe in Christ  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As my hand got close to the metal plates, I could feel extreme heat near my fingertips.

I had forgotten I had already turned it on a few minutes previously and it was already completely warmed up.

I was grateful at that moment for the warning that the heat from the straightener gave me.

And I was able to avoid burning my fingers.

I love that the Lord gives us so many positive words of encouragement.

But it is also so important to look at the direct warnings He extends to us.

The Lord gave some of the Saints in 1831 this warning:

“Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness.” (D&C 68:31) 

Did you notice those four specific warnings?

Don’t be idle, teach your children, be earnest in good things, and don’t be greedy.

Well, don’t those seem pretty appropriate for those of us who, today, are still trying to build up Zion?⁣

Don’t be idle—⁣

Our time on earth was meant to be for more than being entertained. ⁣

Teach your children—⁣

We can’t control their choices, but that doesn’t mean we can drop the ball on teaching them like their lives depend on it.

Be earnest in doing good things—⁣

We can’t wait to be commanded or be put in an organization that will force us to do good things. We’ve gotta be proactive, just like our Savior is. ⁣

Don’t be greedy—⁣

Thinking that we deserve more than others is a manifestation of pride that brings us away from God. ⁣

SUCH great warnings that the Lord gives. ⁣

Warnings don’t have to be rough, mean, or heavy. ⁣

In fact, I feel enlightened when I read about truths that I need to work on and fix.

Correcting loved ones and hearing correction from the Lord doesn’t have to be harsh or rude. ⁣

I am grateful that the Lord gives me warnings, and invites me to be better.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Heat warnings  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seemed like this was a big focus when I was a teen— to write in a journal.

And so I’d write what happened each day for a couple days in a row, and then I’d forget for a few days and try to catch up…⁣

And then it would be months until I had another church lesson about writing in a journal and I’d start the process all over again.

Somewhere along the way, I’ve gradually started to “spiritually mature” when it comes to what I believe I need to be writing down. ⁣

And I was excited when I saw that the Lord said something similar about John Whitmer, too:⁣

“He shall continue in writing and making a history of all the IMPORTANT THINGS which he shall observe and know concerning my church”. (D&C 69:3⁣)

The idea that my great-great-great grandchild is someday going to want to know what I ate for breakfast on Wednesday doesn’t really appeal to me. ⁣

(Although, if you love writing all the details of your life, go for it!)⁣

Maybe someday, someone will read what I write, but I’m not necessarily doing it for them. ⁣

Instead, I’ve been motivated by two ideas:⁣

I am writing down IMPORTANT THINGS due to the value of writing things down. (Idea formation/memory/pondering)

And⁣

I am writing things down in ways that seem natural and simple to me. ⁣

In my life, this looks like:⁣

A note in my phone where I write down one or two words for what I’m thankful for that day. ⁣

A physical journal where I write down my emotions and impressions after General Conference. ⁣

A google doc where I quickly jot down funny stories from my kids that I want to remember. ⁣

Social media posts where I document important life events. ⁣

The margins of my scriptures where I write down spiritual impressions and ponder. ⁣

And so on. ⁣

When I’ve found my own unique ways to follow the counsel to write important things down, I feel blessed. ⁣

I’m able to slow down, process, and see the joy in my life as the Spirit brings certain, important things to my mind.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Guilt about journaling…  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Their lives look so awesome!

I want to do what they are doing!

Why is my life so boring?!

The Lord taught some of the Saints who argued about who could write the most eloquently to:

“. . . strip yourselves from jealousies and fears.” (D&C 67:10)

But how do we do that?

How do we get rid of the jealousy that creeps up when we see someone whose life seems better than ours?

Here’s what I’ve tried recently:

I become their cheerleader.

Are you going on an amazing vacation?

Awesome!

I want to hear all about it and see all your pictures.

I want to feel genuine joy that you got to have that experience.

Life here on earth is going to be unfair.

Some people will always have more than we do.

And some people will have much less.

But we are all equal in God’s eyes.

Truly.

The amount of money people may or may not have for a vacation has no bearing whatsoever on the things that really matter.

What really matters is that I follow His commandment to love everyone, including the people who take cooler vacations than I do.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Vacation photos first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.