It seems like an exaggeration– that if I repent, then my Father in Heaven suddenly doesn’t remember what I did anymore.

But what if He really does forget my sin because I am no longer the person who sinned?

When I am truly and fully repenting, with my whole heart and soul, then I am actually changing.

My heart is changing.

My will is changing.

I am a new person. There has been a shift in who I am and what I want.

And so my perfect Divine Father isn’t going to hold something over my head that I no longer am.

It just wouldn’t make sense.

That weight is no longer a part of me.

That is the true beauty in repentance.

When I sincerely and humbly decide that I am ready to become a more spiritually mature individual, then I can.

Because my Savior already paid the price of justice.

He knows what the sin feels like, with the full force of consequences and pain and regret.

(Which is why I’ll praise Him forever.)

And through His suffering, I am freed to change. To use His power to mold and mend who I am.

So that judging me based off of my past seems completely irrelevant.

Remembering it and letting it hold a weighty place in my mind seems immature and myopic.

There is just no point.

I am no longer that person.

I am someone who is more Christlike. Someone with a softer heart and a more contrite spirit.

I repent and change, and I am forgiven.

I am new.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Life has so much more to offer than usefulness.

I believe we are meant to truly enjoy it.

To find beauty in the sunsets (and in Arizona, oh boy do we have the best).

To savor the delicious chocolate cake.

To dance to the background music.

To literally stop and smell the roses.

This is hard for me.

Because I’m a practical person.

I like things to have a purpose, a meaning.

But I’m getting better at selling my loaf of bread to buy a beautiful bouquet of hyacinths. Just because.

To get from point A to point B on a swirly twirly pathway, instead of sprinting.

Because one way of traveling leaves me refreshed and renewed. And the other way leaves me exhausted.

In D&C 59:18, the Lord so gently reminds us that things on this earth were made:

“Both to PLEASE the eye and to GLADDEN the heart”.

And in the next verse:

“To strengthen the body and to ENLIVEN the soul.”

The earth was created.

We aren’t living in a brown and gray abyss that will “work just fine” for living arrangements.

Instead, our Savior spent time creating beauty and intricacies.

Why?

He probably enjoyed creating it. He probably enjoyed the challenge and the beauty of the process.

But of course, He also wanted us to feel this joy.

To have our souls enlivened and gladdened and pleased.

Life is tough. There are lessons to be learned and trials to be endured.

But life is also beautiful and miraculous and delicious and harmonious and transcendent.

We need bread for our body.

But we also need hyacinths for our soul.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Hyacinths for the soul first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy FASTING may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy JOY may be full.

“Verily, this is FASTING and prayer, or in other words, REJOICING and prayer.” D&C 59:13-14

To be honest, fasting has always been tough for me.

I’ve always obeyed and fasted on Fast Sunday, but I’ve known I’ve had a disconnect.

Here are my two takeaways that I’ve learned as I’ve tried to focus on finding the purpose and joy within fasting:

First, pray, pray, pray.

I love this pretty popular quote from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, who said:

“Without prayer, fasting is not complete fasting; it’s simply going hungry.”

This is the first thing that has helped me find some JOY in fasting.

When I pray, specifically at the open and close of my fasting experience, I feel like my fasting has more purpose.

And my fasting has in turn elevated my prayers to feel even more genuine.

But here’s the other thing that has helped my fasting journey recently:

Really understanding that FASTING and FAST OFFERINGS have an inseparable connection.

I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t super familiar with fast offerings when I started living on my own. I feel like it’s just not something we talk about a ton.

The Church Handbook states that:

“The Lord has established the law of the fast and fast offerings to bless His people and to provide a way for them to serve those in need.

“When members fast, they are asked to give to the Church a fast offering at least equal to the value of the food they would have eaten.

“If possible, they should be generous and give more.”

Remembering that my fasting and accompanying fast offering is also a way of taking care of the poor and the needy in my immediate community, those who may be fasting breakfast out of necessity and not out of commandment, has given me huge growth in my understanding of and love for fasting.

In fact, sometimes, it brings me true joy. 

If you feel like you’ve found joy in fasting, I’d love to hear it! What has helped you rejoice?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Getting real with fasting first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had been studying the assigned scriptures already all week long, and I had loved them.

Even though we were starting with the New Testament, that first week in January actually had us studying from various books of scripture about being self-motivated in our scripture study.

I pulled out my phone that Sunday morning to text some Young Women and remind them to study the assigned Come, Follow Me scriptures.

Suddenly, I had the thought to search for an Instagram account that they could follow.

I pictured some kind of account where someone was posting little spiritual thoughts each day inspired by that week’s scriptures.

I searched on Instagram and… nothing.

All of a sudden, a thought popped into my mind: “Maybe YOU should start the account.”

I’m pretty sure I laughed. I’m not really an “Instagram” type person.

But… it also kinda sounded fun, PLUS I have always loved talking about the scriptures and sharing personal applications.

But wait… that would be weird to start an Instagram account and like, ask people to follow me.

Should I really do this?!

And then guess what scripture popped into my mind?

Now, I want to be clear. Guess which scripture the Holy Spirit brought to my mind as a way of communicating a powerful lesson that I needed to hear immediately?

It was one of the assigned scriptures that I had already been studying that introductory week.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27:

“For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things…

“Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;”

It suddenly seemed so simple.

Would this be a righteous thing that would put good into the world?

Would I be using my own free will to be anxiously engaged in God’s work?

Then I didn’t need to be commanded to do it.

I could just decide to do it, purely because I wanted to, and because it was good.

So I opened up Instagram, and started @comefollowmestudy.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

I was working so hard to just do the bare minimum that was required of me.

By my second year, I felt like I could handle the basics better.

And so I started figuring out how to be an even better, kinder, more involved, and more effective teacher.

It’s not like I was a bad teacher my first year. I was good. My students liked me, their test scores were good…

But I improved SO much each year that I taught.

And by the time I quit my job, I was an awesome teacher. But, I still could have been even better and certainly would have improved more.

The phrase that the Lord uses in the beginning of D&C 59:9 has always been powerful to me:

“That thou mayest MORE FULLY keep thyself unspotted from the world…”

It’s not a yes or no thing.

Just like it wasn’t “good teacher” vs. “bad teacher”, this isn’t a cut and dry “totally unspotted” vs. “spotted”.

It’s a spectrum of cleanliness.

And the Lord is saying:

Hey, do you want to move the needle on the spectrum even closer to ‘purity’? Do you want to become even more clean?

Do you want to rid yourself from all the worldly grime that’s darkening your spirit?

Then try keeping the Sabbath day holy even better.

Is not like you’ll do it “right” or “wrong”— I just know that you can do it even better than what you’ve been doing.

And it’s going to add cleanliness to your life if you choose to do it.

What a cool message, right?!

We are constantly invited to do just a little better. Not that we were necessarily doing it “wrong” before, but more that He knows the blessings and extra peace that await us when we move the dial on that purity spectrum just a little bit more.

Whether it’s Sabbath day observance, or a different commandment that you are feeling pulled toward focusing on right now—

I love that we can always find ways to become just a little bit more unspotted.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Made the journey to Ohio, leaving their homes and livelihoods after hearing the prophet’s call.

This community was tight-knit. They were staying together.

But where would they live in Ohio? Who had room for them?

Finally… Leman Copley offers his farm.

They all can live together! It will take work to build up their community. But at least, finally, some good news.

They have a home.

And then… Leman returns. Angry. With a friend.

They are all asked to leave. Leave their new home?!

But where could they possibly go now?

Where in the Kirtland area could house all of them?

Newel pleads on behalf of his displaced congregation.

And Joseph receives the word.

“You shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri”. D&C 54:8

Missouri.

No one else had been asked to move there yet.

Joseph had never even been to Missouri.

And yet, the Colesville Saints packed up their belongings and started the trek to Missouri.

The Lord ended His revelation to his sweet children, forced to move yet again, with this loving reminder:

“Be patient in tribulation”. D&C 54:10

Tribulation is a constant.

The Colesville Saints experienced it.

But so do you. And so do I.

What’s your tribulation right now?

It probably feels lighter than the Colesville Saints burdens. But… maybe it doesn’t.

And no matter the load, we are asked to have patience.

To just wait.

To not hasten, or rush.

But to move at the pace that we can, to make the efforts we can make, and to feel patience, turning the timing over to God.

To wait in humility.

The tribulations aren’t the variable. They will come. They already have come.

And our Savior keeps promising us peace as we turn our will over to Him in patience, every single time.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

My daughter Quin turned 3 last year, which means she is brand new to the primary organization this year.

Starting that very first week in January, just a few months ago, Quin’s sunbeam teacher has dropped by our home every single week with an activity and a lesson completely prepped for Quin to do.

Like, stuff is cut out, glued together, extra supplies are attached in a baggie, multiple papers of coloring sheets and lessons…

Every. Single. Week.

We had so much fun doing her “primary lesson” together at home each Sunday.

And when we started up 2nd hour a couple of weeks ago here, Quin felt right at home with her teacher and has totally fallen in love with in-person primary.

This teacher has served in many notable callings in the church throughout her life.

And with her calling as a sunbeam teacher? To a group of 10 three-year-olds?

She has planted herself.

And then she has bloomed, blessing the lives of so many others, including my own and my daughter’s.

I’ve been planted in a lot of places in my life.

Different locations, wards, callings, jobs, friend groups, schools…

Sometimes it’s hard to be planted in a circumstance I don’t really love.

But I loved that the Lord told a few different Saints in Section 57 to permanently make the move from Ohio to Missouri.

And to “be planted”.

Not looking back, wondering when this was going to end. Not envious of those who got to stay behind.

But just to be planted for the sake of being planted.

I’ve resisted being planted plenty of times.

But I’ve always been surprised at how much more at peace I feel when I decide to be planted where I’m at.

To put down my roots, and see what I can do.

And Quin’s teacher has made me think about the other direction of this, too.

I don’t just plant myself for my own peace.

I also plant myself because that’s how I can best be of service to those around me.

I can look outside myself, bloom, and bless others when I choose to be planted, no matter the circumstance.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Now, after coming back from Disneyland I think it actually is a really interesting question to ponder.

I’ve heard many people say something along the lines of:

“Having lots of money just makes you more of who you already are.”

And I think I agree with this.

If you are just barely scraping by financially right now, but you still pay your tithing and help a neighbor out when they need a meal, then you would likely be a wealthy person who still pays their tithing and is able to help out people in much more dramatic ways.

And if you are living well right now, but stingy with giving away any money, then it’s probably likely that you would find reasons to be stingy with your money when you had a lot of it, too.

The Lord says something along the same lines in D&C 56:16-17:

“Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls….

“Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite”.

So, if both the rich and the poor are getting warnings from the Lord here, what can we do to make sure we are doing as we should?

The Lord answers that in verse 18:

The “pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite”.

In other words, we need to have a soft heart!

If our hearts are broken and humbled before the Lord, then it doesn’t matter what our bank account looks like.

Rich and poor people can be prideful with hardened hearts.

And rich and poor people can be humbled, with soft hearts.

The status of our bank account doesn’t matter nearly as much as the status of our heart.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rich and poor, pure in heart first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

If your mind went to a group of Saints in the 1800s trying to practice the Law of Consecration, but failing, and then having the Law of Consecration removed until we will be able to practice it better in the future…

Know that this is basically what I thought for a long time, too, until someone corrected me.

And my mind was blown!

While it is totally true that various groups of early saints did try– and fail– to organize systems through which they could live the Law of Consecration…

The actual Law of Consecration has NEVER been removed since it was restored!

In fact, as stated on the church’s temple website, the Law of Consecration is one of the specific covenants made during the endowment ordinance.

In D&C Section 51, the Lord was giving Edward Partridge, the bishop, some of the first directions when it came to giving members of the church stewardship over certain items and then redistributing them.

And the Lord’s main focus was to help everyone remember one important truth:

“And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence” D&C 51:16

The Lord wanted them to remember that everything. EVERYTHING. Was from Him.

THAT is the biggest purpose of the Law of Consecration.

Which means… we can do that now!

Sure, we haven’t been asked to deed everything we physically own to our bishop to then redistribute.

But we can still consecrate EVERYTHING.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught in 2010:

“The Lord’s law of consecration… has an economic role but, more than that, is an application of celestial law to life here and now.

“To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes.

“True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives—that is, our time and choices—to God’s purposes.”

But I can consider all the blessings that I have been given:

My time, my body, my financial situation, my talents and gifts, my leadership abilities, my education– how can I consecrate these?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Do we still consecrate? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Gaining a testimony is not the finish line.

That girls camp testimony meeting, your mission, that moment in the temple…

It wasn’t the finish line.

It wasn’t the peak spiritual experience in your life, and now everything is just downhill.

The Lord reminds Sidney Gilbert that: “he only is saved who endureth unto the end.” (D&C 53:7)

To me, THAT’S what I’ve learned it really means to “endure to the end”.

It means that I’m working to maintain what I’ve already felt and learned.

AND I’m working to create even more spiritual anchor moments.

I’m trying to keep the general trend going upward.

I’m thinking back on my anchor moments, and using them to fuel my day-to-day living.

I’m reading the scriptures to support the knowledge I already have and dive into the new.

I’m putting myself in holy places so that I can work on feeling the spirit more often. And then even more often.

I’m not even close to the finish line, and that is exciting to me!

I didn’t “make it” by getting sealed in the temple.

Or having that one strong spiritual experience.

It’s consistency.

It’s the daily workouts at the gym, instead of doing a marathon each summer and calling it good. (Figuratively speaking…)

A testimony is great. Having a strong witness that your Savior died and lives for you is amazing.

But after the amazing, anchoring spiritual experiences, I want to think:

“It’s only going up from here.”

And truly… it doesn’t always go up from there. There are dips and valleys and trenches along the way.

But I keep climbing back up and out as I keep turning to my Savior to lead the way.

He is the one who truly helps transform my “enduring” into “growing”.

Gaining a testimony isn’t the finish line.

It takes work to keep the flame going and growing.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Going and growing first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.