He is an understanding and compassionate God.

And He is also a God of order and eternal laws. ⁣

There’s this beautiful tension that exists there.

And two pretty dramatic instances of this jumped out to me in this week’s reading. ⁣

First, we have the Lord talking about baptisms for the dead. ⁣

The saints had heard Joseph preach about this idea, and immediately went to the river to get started!⁣

The Lord shows these two tensions of understanding but still following eternal principles here:⁣

“I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me.⁣

“But behold, at the end of this appointment your baptisms for your dead shall not be acceptable unto me”. (D&C 124:31-32⁣)

Can you see both sides of God there?⁣

An understanding of the saints’ condition:

Without a dedicated temple, and with a strong desire to perform proxy baptisms.⁣

He didn’t tell them they weren’t allowed to do them anymore, or that none of them counted. ⁣

But then we also see the rule: the absolute minute a temple baptismal font is dedicated, they have to be done there. ⁣

Fascinating, right?!⁣

Okay but just a few verses later, we get ANOTHER example of this tension!⁣

In D&C 124:49, the Lord tells the saints that He is going to revoke His earlier commandment to build a temple in Far West, because wicked men had prevented it.⁣

… and then He commands them to build a temple in Nauvoo right away. ⁣

He didn’t make them stick to this previous commandment, and promise the saints that they would be protected while they went back to finish the Far West temple. ⁣

He saw that it was no longer reasonable, but then immediately commanded them to get to work on a Nauvoo temple, with no excuse for weariness or financial distress. ⁣

I see both sides in God. ⁣

I know there are eternal laws, commandments, and principles to follow. ⁣

And I know that He perfectly understands my personal situation. ⁣

But I don’t ever want to use His compassion as permissiveness. ⁣

And I sincerely pray that I will never misinterpret that balance.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Both aspects of God  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When the bishop extended the call to my husband and me, I honestly didn’t even know what that calling meant.

Pretty soon, the ward mission leader contacted us and asked us to come to a bimonthly meeting with the missionaries, followed by visiting members of the ward.

I diligently attended the meeting the first few times…

But soon, there was always a good excuse not to go to these meetings when they came around.

I mean, I had a busy life!

I remember thinking, “I know I’m not fulfilling my calling the best I can right now, but if I had a different, bigger calling, I would do better.”

I eventually realized I would never magically “do better” if I had more to do.

Heavenly Father wanted me to give my best no matter the calling.

As soon as I humbled myself and recommitted to my calling, I received a new one.

“And when he shall prove himself faithful in all things that shall be entrusted unto his care, yea, even a few things, he shall be made ruler over many.” (D&C 124:113)

Do we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that we would be better off if we had something “more important” to do?

The Lord asks us to show that we can be faithful with just a few things first.

Whether it’s starting a small family scripture study habit, saying personal prayers for just a minute, or saying hi to someone new, we can show our diligence in small and simple tasks.

He’s not expecting perfection.

But He is asking us to be filled with faith as we continue to try our best.

“Wake up and do something more than dream of your mansions above!”

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Waiting for bigger calling  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I think almost every baptismal/confirmation talk I’ve ever heard has touched on this idea that we need to receive the Holy Ghost, since those are the words used in the ordinance. ⁣

But I actually really love this idea that we don’t just decide to receive the Spirit at age 8, and then we are good to go. ⁣

I think we can choose every day, every moment, whether or not we are going to receive the Spirit. ⁣

The Spirit is there, but isn’t going to impose on our agency. ⁣

This past week of my life, I’ve really tried to actively invite the Spirit into my life. ⁣

I’ve prayed to ask for the Spirit each day. ⁣

I’ve even visually pictured receiving the Holy Ghost each day. ⁣

When I’ve been feeling down, I’ve done better at actually inviting His comfort to help me, instead of wallowing in self-pity (which I’m super good at).⁣

When I’ve been confused, I’ve practiced inviting inspiration instead of expecting it. ⁣

It’s actually been really cool. ⁣

I feel like I have a better relationship with the Spirit. ⁣

I’ve thought about having the Spirit’s presence with me much more than I have for a long time. ⁣

And… I’ve been happier. I’ve been more productive. I’ve been a little kinder. I’ve had more patience. I’ve felt more confident in making some decisions. ⁣

And I feel like there’s so much more I’m still missing!⁣

What can I invite the Spirit to do in my life that will bring me even closer to my Savior?⁣

To help me live even more as He lives?⁣

“He shall receive of my Spirit, even the Comforter, which shall manifest unto him the truth of all things, and shall give him, in the very hour, what he shall say.” (D&C 124:97⁣)

I think it takes a whole lotta faith and a quite a bit of action!⁣

So how do you receive the Holy Ghost each day?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Receive the Holy Ghost  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord.” (D&C 124:15⁣)

This verse is just so tender and personal. ⁣

God really knows our heart. ⁣

Like, He REALLY knows. ⁣

Deep down, He knows what we love most and what we want. ⁣

He knows the good intentions and the selfish intentions. ⁣

He knows the true weaknesses, and He knows the continued excuses. ⁣

He sees us as we really are. ⁣

That is… a vulnerable realization, right?⁣

Like, there isn’t hiding a thing from Him. ⁣

(Just a reminder that He sees all this and still loves you completely and isn’t expecting a perfect heart right now.)⁣

But I think that’s what makes the Lord’s comment about Hyrum Smith so beautiful. ⁣

He could see that Hyrum wanted to do what was right. ⁣

He had good intentions, he had integrity. ⁣

And he loved, truly truly loved, righteous things. ⁣

Yet, I haven’t heard any reports that Hyrum was a perfect man. ⁣

The Lord isn’t saying that everything that Hyrum DID was good. Or that everything he SAID was good. ⁣

His intentions and his heart were always good. ⁣

(Good and perfect are very different.)

So how can I become focused on turning my heart to be a little more righteous today? ⁣

How can I get rid of the things in my heart that I know aren’t the best for me? ⁣

What do I truly love?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A good heart first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.