She made the big decision to be baptized into the Church.

She joined with her good friends, the Knights, down in Colesville, New York, along with other people in the area.

Emma was baptized!

But it seemed like as soon as this happened, the storms of the adversary blew in with full force.

Hecklers gathered around the baptism site.

They followed Emma, Joseph, and their friends back into the home.

The hecklers were so loud, rude, and disruptive that Emma and the others could not have the Holy Ghost conferred upon them.

Emma and Joseph tried running out to a different house, but Joseph was arrested and taken away.

Emma was afraid. She prayed with other women for her husband.

For two days.

And then finally, Joseph was released. They escaped back to Harmony, Emma still without the gift of the Holy Ghost.

She knew their family had felt opposition before, but this was a new level.

And she needed comfort.

Her desires to follow her heart and move forward with joining the Church seemed to cause intense and dramatic struggles.

And so Emma, through her husband, received a divine revelation. (Section 25)

She was called by her name.

Emma.

Her sins were forgiven.

She was told that she was an elect lady.

And she was told that as an elect lady, she had some duties and responsibilities:

To expound the scriptures
To exhort the church
To comfort her husband
To make a selection of hymns
To lift up her head and rejoice
To keep the commandments

God knew Emma.

He knew how difficult the past few months of her life had been.

And He knew how much more difficult it would become.

And so He comforted her. He promised her blessings.

And, He gave her things that only she could do in order to make a real difference.

Emma Hale Smith was an elect, chosen lady who handled the load she was given by relying on the Lord.

Because elect women suffer and struggle. They feel like every righteous effort is met with more opposition.

But elect women are also blessed beyond measure, even if the blessings don’t look like what they’d hope they would be.

And elect women have work to do.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post An elect lady first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You can start with an anticipatory set to pique interest, you can read from a common piece of literature and analyze different components, or you could go inquiry-based.

And… I love them all!

To me, crafting a lesson plan is exactly that— a beautiful craft of mixing creativity and teaching concrete topics.

After my formal teaching training and degree, I finally had the first opportunity to teach a full lesson in church to a youth Sunday School class.

I jumped into “lesson planning” mode and crafted prompts and stories that were going to perfectly take these kids through the concept of “tender mercies”.

Sunday arrived, and I was so excited to teach the lesson.

I walked into the classroom, and within five minutes, I knew what I had prepared was not going to work.

These kids needed something different.

A common teaching mantra popped into my head:

“Teach the kids, not the lesson.”

I said a silent prayer and felt prompted to share a lengthy personal story with the kids— one that I would usually avoid because it involved me just talking for a long time, which isn’t always engaging.

I have no clue why I was prompted to share that story. No kid ever said anything to me afterwards, other than a customary “thanks for the lesson” as they walked out the door.

Maybe I was the only one who needed to learn the lesson that day.

Because I learned that the Spirit gives me words to say and to write.

That was the first time that I can remember having my formal plans being completely overthrown by a spiritual prompting.

But it’s happened time and time again since then.

I plan out a post to write, and as I start writing, I completely change direction.

I think of a testimony to bear, and while speaking, I share completely new thoughts.

But letting the Spirit guide me doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind and relying on Him to do all the work.

I still prepare.

I still lesson plan and craft and create.

But it’s the calm feeling that I know I might follow my plans to a T, or I might throw them out the window.

And either way, it’s all good.

Amazing preparation + being filled with the Spirit = the best teaching possible.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Preparation and the Spirit first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Doctrine & Covenants 26:1 says, “Let your time be devoted to the studying of the scriptures.”

On this account for the past 2+ years, I have literally lived and breathed studying the scriptures.

But… it hasn’t always been easy or come naturally to me.

It’s been a culmination of years of trying new approaches, and letting go of some of the “rules” that I realized weren’t helping me.

Since the Lord asked Joseph, Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer to study the scriptures in Section 26, I wanted to share my 3 favorite scripture study tips today!

 1) Pray with a purpose!

I’ve always heard to start my scripture study with a prayer, but for years I just bowed my head and asked for the Spirit to be with me.

This is totally fine, but my study completely transformed when I started being real with Heavenly Father before I read.

My prayers started sounding like: “Dear Heavenly Father, I feel really alone. Please help me feel comforted as I read.”

Praying with a purpose has set the scene for Heavenly Father to answer my authentic prayers in the scriptures.

 2) Never read without a pen!

I used to wonder what people were actually writing in their scriptures.

I eventually realized— I should be seeking after super strong spiritual experiences EVERY TIME I read the scriptures!

Instead of reading and waiting for something to hit me super hard before I go and get something to write with, I now ALWAYS read with a pen in my hand, showing the Spirit that I am ready the moment that personal revelation strikes.

 3) Leave time to ponder afterward!

Most of my communication with God comes from just sitting still.

It is so easy to just finish my reading for the day, close the book and move on.

Instead, intentionally leaving 5 minutes or so at the end of scripture study time for my mind to wander on what I’ve just read has made all the difference.

Those are my three tips! They are simple, but they have completely transformed my relationship with the written word of God.

What other study tips would you add to this list that have helped you?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Cali’s top 3 scripture study tips first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(Side note: I think we can do better at reassuring our youth that feeling the Spirit is not the same thing as crying, even though many people experience both!)

But one sure way to get the tears flowing?

PLAY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.

When I sit down to watch a broadcast, as soon as the Tabernacle Choir starts singing a song, the tears start coming.

My absolute favorite way to bear my testimony is to play a piano solo of a hymn arrangement in church.

Or to sing with a choir, all united together in perfect harmony.

There is just something magical about music.

But it’s not just high-quality music that brings the Spirit, though.

The Lord asked Emma Smith to compile sacred hymns for the church, and then He told her in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12–

“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart;

“yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me,

“and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

God delights in our music.

Songs of righteous people are prayers.

And these song-prayers will be answered with blessings.

But the thing is…

I don’t think my musical training or abilities have much to do with my spiritual connection to music.

It doesn’t matter whether you can read a note or sing a melody.

No talent, audition or training required.

Songs, sung with an intentional devotion to God, are prayers.

And God delights in any sort of prayer or communion with Him.

And so I’m making sure to keep good, uplifting music in my life, to sing and play as often as I can.

Music is a prayer.

What is a song that has touched YOU most recently?

Just this weekend, I joined with a group of saints singing “Come, Come Ye Saints”, and felt a beautiful whisper from the Spirit that while the pioneers experienced tough trials, we are faced with completely different but still totally valid trials today. And that we can still find reasons to rejoice that “All is well!” 

️Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The song of the righteous first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

That’s why I’ve always loved math.

And so when I have problems come up in my life, I want to fix them right away.

If I’m not feeling the spirit in my life, then I need to figure out what is hindering me so that I can open myself up to inspiration again.

If I’m having a medical issue, I want to get the diagnosis so that we can treat it appropriately.

If I’m wanting to make a decision, I try to get all the information and make the best decision that I can as soon as possible.

But I’ve noticed something in the scriptures.

The Lord never asks us to solve our afflictions.

Although I’m sure He appreciates the qualities of being a good problem-solver, most scriptures give us completely different counsel about how to deal with difficulties:

“Be PATIENT in afflictions

“For thou shalt have MANY;

“But endure them,

“For, lo, I am with thee.” D&C 24:8

We are told that we will have afflictions.

No amount of preparation or knowledge can change that.

And when those afflictions come?

We are asked to just be patient in them.

To sit in the miserable.

To wait without an answer.

To see no solution in sight.

That is what we are asked to do.

That doesn’t sound very awesome.

Because I don’t like to have a problem, and just wait.

But the Lord gives us a redeeming promise that should be more than enough to carry us through any dark path we have to endure.

I AM WITH THEE.

Fear not.

The Lord is with us.

Sitting right beside us in the miserable.

Waiting without an immediate answer, but with tons of quiet encouragement.

Showing us that waiting in affliction doesn’t mean the end of the world.

We are going to have a lot of afflictions.

And sometimes, a whole bunch all at once. (I’m with ya there!)

And we aren’t asked to solve them all by ourselves.

We are asked to just be patient and to endure.

And as miserable as waiting during an affliction can sound, when the Lord is with us every step of the way, we can still find those moments of peace, love, and even joy.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Patience in afflictions first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.