Like, “we believe the prophet will still receive revelation for things in the future”.

But it’s just as powerful to realize that this is a personal statement, too.

I believe all that God has revealed to me personally in the past.

Those promptings about choices to make, those confirmations, that guidance.

I believe all that He does now reveal in my life.

I am seeking out and actively believing the personal revelation that I need right now.

And I believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things that will help me build up the kingdom of God.

I believe this.

I know that I will continue to have difficult questions.

I know that I will continue to have choices to make.

I know that I will experience heartbreaking circumstances in the future.

I know that things will not go according to my plan.

And yet, I believe that He will reveal to me everything that I need to know in order to make it back to Him and improve myself.

I believe that.

And that belief leads to a great deal of trust and confidence as I prove Him right, time and time again.

Personal revelation is a miracle.

Not just as a distant concept of hoping the prophet is doing his part to lead the church.

But as a personal principle that has led me in the past, steers me right now, and gives me confidence in my future.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post He will yet reveal to me first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

There was no way what my HR director was telling me was true.

“But I’ve signed up for short-term disability for the past three years! This is exactly what it is for!”

I told her how each year, I would sign up for insurance benefits on the computer during our little staff meeting at school, and I made sure to always select short-term disability insurance.

“Oh,” the HR director said. “But did you also fill out the physical application for it each year, too?”

I had no clue about a physical application.

She told me that even though all other insurance choices and options were made on the computer, short-term disability insurance required an extra physical paper application.

I’m a fairly competent, intelligent person who had attended the employee benefits meeting every year.

And I truly, honestly did not remember hearing about this extra step.

I was frustrated, devastated, concerned for our financial situation…

But nothing could change that. I hadn’t paid into the insurance, and so I didn’t get it.

It was one of the worst feelings, and I still despise that emotion today—The feeling of being punished for something that you truly had no clue you were doing wrong.

Real life is rough like this sometimes.

Honest mistakes and innocent oversights can have devastating impacts.

I can hardly even imagine a loving Heavenly Father who would hold something over my head that I did not knowingly do.

I think of silly times, like when I thoroughly enjoyed a cake at a neighborhood party, just for my mom to realize it was filled with coffee afterwards, and I felt so guilty.

Or more somber times when I believed I was helping someone out, only to discover that I had unknowingly harmed their progress.

But above all, I am grateful that I will be punished (AKA held accountable) for my own sins (which require a knowledge that there is a principle I am sinning against).

And that I won’t be held accountable for anyone else’s transgressions. Whether it’s Adam, or Eve, or a leader, or a friend.

I will only be held accountable for the sins I choose.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Honest mistakes first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As a pianist, I have felt the Spirit so many times while playing completely secular pieces of music.

I’ve felt the Spirit while watching a dance recital.

I’ve felt the Spirit while watching a TV show that isn’t about anything religious.

I’ve felt the Spirit while looking at flowers, while reading a book, while driving by new homes that are almost finished.

In my life, feeling the Holy Spirit has not been contained to just when I’m at church or reading my scriptures.

There is so much good in the world that isn’t obviously tied to religious purposes.

But I see the good in accomplishment.

In learning a new skill.

In watching someone try their best.

In feeling the potential of what is to come.

In happiness and joy, devoid of vulgarness.

In viewing carefully crafted creations.

Virtuous, lovely, of good report, praiseworthy.

We can seek after these things!

We can pursue talents, and gifts, and skills, and knowledge!

Good things aren’t contained to my church.

(Although there are so so so many good things within my church.)

But my loving God has given the world so much that goodness is overflowing everywhere.

What is something (not necessarily church-related) virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy that you’ve been seeking out lately?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Good things everywhere first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I remember it was around middle school that religious differences between my friends and me started to become more obvious, and people became curious about what I believed and why I did or didn’t do certain things.

So one day at a friend’s house, one of my closest friends asked, “Cali, so what does your church believe?”

I felt like I had been preparing for this my entire life!

I decided to launch into an explanation about the Plan of Salvation, and I even remember drawing out the whole diagram with arrows, earth life, and ending with the three kingdoms of glory.

That moment was so powerful in my mind because I was totally on my own, having to explain my beliefs. I was proud of what I did.

But I also realized that what I was explaining wasn’t having the impact that I wanted.

I could tell I had lost their attention and their interest. (I’ve always been a very self-evaluative person.)

Should I have started with Joseph Smith instead? Or maybe the Book of Mormon?

This dilemma stuck in my mind for a long time. I wanted to find the right thing to start these conversations with, so that other people would really “get” our religion without me launching into obscure concepts right off the bat.

And then, years later, I saw the opening lesson in the Preach My Gospel manual.

It is a lesson on the First Vision, yes, but the first concept that is taught is:

“God is our loving Heavenly Father.”

That felt so right to me. That’s where I should begin.

And then I made the connection…

What’s that first Article of Faith I had learned all those years ago?

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father…”

We believe in God, and we know that God loves us.

That statement was much more simple than the answer I thought I had been looking for.

But that statement is also so much more powerful.

Do you believe in God?

And do you believe that God is a loving, eternal, Heavenly Father?

What a blessing that is to believe!

And I’ve found that when I share that joy and that belief with others, I am able to give them the quickest glimpse into what truly matters to me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I believe in God first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I saw a meme recently that said being an adult is basically saying that phrase over and over each week.

I had to laugh, because I know for sure that I’ve said that sentence countless times.

And do things ever “die down”?!

Not really. I mean, maybe a bit. But there’s always “something new” coming up.

It’s life.

And I’ve actually found a lot more joy and acceptance when I lean into that chaos a bit!

Instead of always waiting for things to “calm down”, I find that life is actually pretty good when I accept that there’s always going to be “something”.

There will always be a big event or deadline or life change or serious decision looming.

And it’s all good!

The 13th Article of Faith is so good, but one of my favorite lines is tucked away in the middle of it:

“We have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.”

Isn’t that awesome?!

NOT: “We have endured many things and hope that things will calm down and we will actually get blessings pretty soon here”.

But instead, embracing the fact that the future is going to be filled with more things to endure!

We aren’t looking for rest and calm in this life. That isn’t our doctrine.

Our doctrine is that we are ready to endure.

We’ve done it in the past, we are ready to do it some more in the future, and we have hope that we can handle it.

So is this week looking crazy for you?

Ready for things to die down a bit?

After December, honestly, maybe they will for a while!

But we are Latter-day Saints who have endured many things, and sure hope to be able to endure all things that will come our way in the future.

We’ve got this.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Enduring forever first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.