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 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.

The 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.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

I love that there are so many positive words of encouragement that the Lord gives us, cuz boy do I need them.

But I think it’s also important to look at the direct warnings that He gives us.

Cuz boy, do I need those, too!

The Lord spoke about the saints in the church at the time, that I feel like could be pulled into 4 separate warnings:

“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 catch those 4 specific warnings?

1. Don’t be idle
2. Teach your children
3. Be earnest in good things
4. 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 4 warnings first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seemed like this was a big focus when I was a youth— 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.

Can anyone else relate?!

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 and why that was different than Tuesday doesn’t really appeal to me.

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

In fact, the idea of recording my life for future generations doesn’t seem very compelling for me either.

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.

So I’m not writing every detail of my life. Instead, I’m focusing on writing down the important things.

And then I’m writing them down in simple ways.

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.

An app 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.

For me, the idea of compiling every detail of my life into a single journal is not something that I’ve been impressed to do.

But 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 Journaling first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I played a musical number on the piano in church last week, and someone came up to me and said that.

In the same moment I both laughed and cringed.

I realized that I just happened to have recently shown off a few of my strengths at church by playing the piano, speaking, and teaching.

I thanked my friend for the compliment, but reassured her that I was plenty bad at plenty of things.

You will never see me publish a cookbook. Or if I do, please, please, don’t buy it.

But I also cringed because I suddenly realized that she was feeling about me the same way that I have felt about other people!

“They have it all together!” “They have so many talents!” “Their life is so easy!” “They take so many amazing vacations!”

I’ve been there.

And I think most of us have been there, too. Jealousy is an emotion that happens in this fallen world a whole lot.

The Lord taught some of the saints, who were arguing about who could write the most eloquently, in D&C 67:10 to:

“Strip yourselves from jealousies and fears”.

But how do we do that?

How do we get rid of the jealousy that creeps up everytime we see someone who has things better than we do?

Who has more talents or more friends or a stronger testimony or better behaved kids than we do?

I learned one solution a few years ago that has totally transformed my attitude:

I become their cheerleader.

You are going on an amazing vacation? Awesome! I want to hear all about it and see all your pictures, and I want to feel genuine joy that you got to have that experience.

You are experiencing a success that I wished I had? I take that little ping of jealousy that creeps up and I turn it into thinking about how happy you must feel. How proud you must be to accomplish that goal.

You are moving into THAT new house? In THIS market?! AWESOME! Way to go! That will be so cool for your family, and I hope it turns into your forever home that you love.

Its pretty powerful.

It puts things in perspective to shift from a competition where I’m winning some races and losing others…

To instead think about how we all have our own race to run.

It doesn’t help to compare the races, whether that makes me feel better or worse about myself.

Instead, I just want to cheer everyone on with any little progress they make on their pathway home.

To strip myself of all jealousies and just love, encourage, and cheer my brothers and sisters on.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Getting rid of jealousy first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My Heavenly Father knows and loves everyone on this earth and directs everything.

Each event and each element and each person is in His loving care.

“The heavens and the earth are in mine hands” D&C 67:2

It’s powerful to think about the whole world being in God’s hands.

God is mighty and all-powerful.

But, right before declaring that the heavens and the earth are in His hands, He mentions to the groups of saints gathered:

“Whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.” D&C 67:1

He hears every prayer that I say.

He knows every single desire, every single yearning of my heart.

He knows things about myself that I haven’t told anyone else.

He knows what I really want and what I really fear, even if I’m not sure what I want or fear.

So the God of heaven and earth, who holds everything in His hands, ALSO knows my every desire.

And what does He do with this unfathomable power and this knowledge?

Holding the whole world while also knowing everything about me?

“The riches of eternity are mine to give.” D&C 67:2

He wants to pour out the riches of eternity upon me.

He’s got the whole world in His hand. He also knows my every personal desire and plea.

And He wants to bless me in ways that I can’t imagine.

“O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.

“Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.” D&C 67:1-2

The riches of eternity are His to give to the whole world.

And thanks goodness I am in His hands.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post In His hands first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“We all sin.”

All of us.

Me. You. The last person you spoke to. The person you think that has a perfect life. Your loved one. Your church leader. The prophet.

Save our Savior, every single person on the earth has sinned and commits sins.

So… what sets righteous people apart?

There’s a giant spectrum of righteousness, so how do we move closer and closer to our Elder Brother’s example, if we are all sinning anyway?

Saints are sinners who repent.

People who feel remorse from a sin and then have a strong desire to never do that again.

And their desire is so strong… that they change their nature. They refine that rough edge just a little bit more.

As Joseph was returning from his mission to Missouri, there was drama and contention between some of the men.

And, in a surprisingly transparent moment, the Lord told the men about Joseph:

“He has sinned.” D&C 64:7

It interesting to see that written out about the prophet of the Lord, huh?

Joseph sinned.

But what allowed Joseph to still hold the keys of the kingdom and not be removed?

“Nevertheless, he has sinned; BUT verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness”. D&C 64:7

So what made Joseph unique?

He would sin. And then he would bring that sin to the Lord through confession. And then he would ask forgiveness.

The Lord wants to help us to change, so this sounds like the ideal situation.

He asks us to talk with Him about sin in our prayers.

And then He asks us to leave that sin behind as we ask for forgiveness in return.

Everyone sins.

So do we let the sin fester?

Or do we immediately confess and ask for forgiveness?

Because, I think that that decision makes all the difference.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

A few years ago, EVERYONE knew who our family history consultants were.

They were amazing.

They came in and taught Sunday School lessons, hosted youth activities, made goals, and did home visits.

I did family history work, and took my own names to the temple.

It was awesome.

Our consultants especially impressed me because that calling is a pretty vague one. Not every ward even has them, and I don’t think I could have told you who held that calling previously. Not that that’s a bad thing.

But I was just so impressed by how they chose to magnify a calling that could be perceived by others as small, insignificant, or unnecessary.

They made it large by using their unique talents and strengths.

What callings do you have right now?

Sure, what calling do you have at church.

But also, what other callings do you have?

A mom, a teacher, a parent, a ministering sister, an actual sister, an honorary grandma, a leader, a spouse, a child, an organizer…

I was shocked (okay but kinda really) when I took my first baby girl home from the hospital that there was no handbook on how to be a mom.

I get to just… figure it out.

But I feel this motivation to not just “figure out” how to be a mom, but to instead MAGNIFY that calling.

How to think for myself and create the best “mom” that I can with my personal talents and strengths.

I think about my Savior.

I don’t think there was an exact blueprint that His life here on earth had to follow.

Instead… He just went about doing good in quiet but powerful ways.

He created how He would fill the calling of the Savior by using His kind and eternal talents and strengths.

Creation isn’t just for artists, writers, and musicians.

We all get to create.

We get to create exactly how we are going to fill the roles that we have. The callings we’ve been given. The assignments we receive.

We get to magnify what we’ve been given to create even more.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Magnify with your talents first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It had been one of those really busy days.

And I wished that I could just take a day off the next day to watch Netflix and rejuvenate, because boy, did I need it.

But of course, I couldn’t do that.

Now, I’m pretty good at removing the fluff from my life. It’s definitely a strength of mine to be able to say “no” to things that I don’t need to be doing.

But my packed to-do list for the following day was still there.

I felt exhausted and prayed for strength to get through the following day.

And here’s an example of when the Lord used my scripture reading to answer my prayers and needs in an immediate way.

As I was reading my scriptures that night, I happened to read D&C 64:33.

Here, the Lord says:

“Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing”.

That phrase, that I’ve heard a million times before, hit me like lightning.

Doing good things and being a good person is literally the whole point of this life.

NOT to get my work out of the way so that I can watch Netflix as much as possible.

Yes, I need to make sure I’m not running faster than I have strength and that I’m sleeping well.

But then… I WANT to let the good things that I’m doing energize me instead of drain me.

And it may sound overly-simplistic, but that’s what I chose in that moment.

I simply CHOSE to let the good things that I’m doing ENERGIZE me instead of drain me.

And… it worked.

I know, I know, it sounds too easy. But I think the mind is a powerful thing.

Deciding to not complain about all the good things that I’m doing opened the door for gratitude and energy to come in to my life in an even greater capacity.

And I even gained some clarity on a few things in my life that I thought were the best, but were not necessary.

Piece by piece, I’ve started finding that joy even more.

I’ve stopped glorifying my “busy-ness” and my fatigue.

I’ve got a lot of really great, really important things on my plate.

And I’m gonna keep on going and finding the joy.

Because God wants me here on earth to DO good and BE good, AND have joy.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Weariness and joy first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

He pulled on it and thought he got most of it out.

Years and years went by, and a painful bump formed on his finger.

He put some softening ointment on it with a bandage every day, and eventually a small portion of the sliver popped right out!

Elder Duncan made the cool connection that I’ve seen in my life:

When we refuse to forgive other people, we are holding on to so much needless pain, just like this sliver that stayed in his finger, giving him pain for years.

The Lord taught some of the saints, some of whom were having a particularly contentious time, in D&C 64:9:

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.”

It can be SO difficult to forgive someone else.

And sometimes it can feel like forgiving them means that you are saying that it’s okay that they did what they did, or that you feel like they don’t need a consequence.

And I think that’s the real root of why God asks us to forgive everyone.

Because He knows exactly what the needed consequence is.

He knows when someone needs the full punishment with justice. He knows when someone needs His full mercy. He knows everything.

And we THINK we know everything about someone else’s situation– especially if we are close to them.

But we don’t.

And so we are asked to forgive. To take out the splinter from our finger.

We don’t know what the splinter deserves. Maybe it meant to get stuck in your finger and cause you a lot of harm. Maybe it was just having a bad day. Maybe it feels terrible remorse now and never wants to cause that pain again. Maybe it just needs a small sanding so that it won’t stick out like that again.

Only God knows.

And so we? We deserve the peace that comes from taking the splinter out, no matter how big.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Splinters and peace first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I started having a conversation with someone and I really wanted to know how she was doing…

And then my little boy crawled out of sight and I had to run after him.

I saw a new family at our linger longer after church that I wanted to get to know better.

And every single time I started walking their way, one of my kids desperately needed my urgent attention. And then the family got up and left.

I started catching up with another friend I hadn’t seen in a while.

And then I had to go stop by kid who was trying to climb all over the organ in the chapel.

I wanted to be friendly. I wanted to meet new people. To connect. To show love.

And my kids kept distracting me and throwing obstacle after obstacle my way.

I honestly left church feeling pretty bummed out.

I kept praying for a new perspective and some clarity all afternoon.

Eventually, the spirit brought two things to my mind.

First, I remembered the different uplifting interactions I had with people BECAUSE my kids were being a little crazy.

New friendships being made. Other people serving ME.

And secondly, the spirit brought to my mind this scripture, that I had already been pondering as one of my favorites from this Come, Follow Me week:

“Out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” D&C 64:33

I felt like I missed out on some great things at church yesterday.

Because I was instead stuck doing a bunch of little, insignificant things.

Pulling out a Jesus book to distract, opening another pack of fruit snacks, pulling a hand away from a cord, picking up the kid trying to lick the A/C vent (again), picking up the goldfish, talking out of a meltdown, teaching about reverence in the chapel that seemed to go in one ear and out the other…

I did a lot of small things.

But I did them for two little kids that I love. Because they are so so so little. And right now, they need the fruit snacks. They need the carrying. They need the teaching. They need the constant attention.

And all of these small, little things…

Comes all the REALLY great stuff.

Seriously, these kids are going to be amazing grownups. I can tell already.

And because I will become greater as I step into my role as their mother.

Parenthood is doing a lot of the small stuff. The diaper changes, wiping up the spill, giving a hug, over and over.

Small stuff. All day, every day.

But it’s out of these small things.

The songs sung during the diaper change, the invitation to help mommy clean up the spill, the loving smile and little tickle when I give the hug.

Out of these small things proceedeth that which is great.

Artwork by Megan Lindsey, @huesandbluesart

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Small things at church first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.