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… today first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

He probably would have been a farmer. Probably wouldn’t have received any more education than he did. He was pretty charismatic and passionate, so I’m sure he would have gotten involved in some groups or causes.

And yet, because of his calling, his words, prophecies, and teachings have been studied for 200 years by millions of people.

Does the Doctrine and Covenants make you think Joseph Smith was totally perfect and the best ever?

Not me.

In fact, this year, I’ve really been struck by how often Joseph was corrected by the Lord.

But most revelations we’ve read haven’t even made mention of Joseph.

Although Joseph Smith was not perfect, I think he did a pretty-near perfect job at using every privilege that God blessed him with to point others towards the gospel.

And not to point people to himself.

What blessings and privileges do you have right now?

You might not think you are very #blessed right now.

But do you have the blessing of having children?

Do you have the blessing of being married?

Do you have the blessing of having friends?

Do you have the blessing of having a church calling or ministering assignment?

Do you have the privilege of working or volunteering somewhere?

The list goes on.

“For unto this end have I raised you up, that I might show forth my wisdom through the weak things of the earth.” D&C 124:1

We are weak things without God!

And every blessing, every privilege, every platform we have been so graciously blessed with should be used to point people, our children, our students, our spouses, our friends, all back to Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Our privilege is for Jesus first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I honestly didn’t even knowing what that calling meant when my husband and I were first extended the call.

Honestly, it seemed like a small calling. We had just barely moved into the ward so no one knew who we were, and I figured they just put everyone new as a ward missionary.

Pretty soon, the ward mission leader contacted us and asked us to come to a bi-weekly meeting with the missionaries, and then we’d all split up and go on visits to people in our ward.

I was pretty good at attending the meeting sand going on visits for the first little bit, and then there started to be a lot of excuses from me.

I was teaching full time, and crazy busy, and so there was always something else to do.

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

(Ugh, I don’t always love telling personal stories from when I was more spiritually immature. But still, that’s what I thought.)

I did eventually come to the realization that I was never going to magically “do better” if I had more to do!

Heavenly Father wanted me to serve the best that I could, no matter the calling.

Pretty much as soon as I recommitted to my calling, I received a new one.

Do we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that we will be better in the eternities?

That once we have received a large reward, THEN we will follow through on all our responsibilities?

But really the Lord is asking us to show that we can be faithful with just a few things first.

Read: not perfect, but FAITHFUL.

Are we filled with faith and trying to do our best to lead our families? (Even though we make a million mistakes)

Do we keep trying to renew our personal faith through daily habits that draw us closer to the Lord?

Do we try to contribute to our neighborhoods, our wards, our communities in positive and uplifting ways?

That’s where our focus should be right now.

Prove our faithfulness in small and simple ways each day.

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

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Just a ward missionary 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

(Besides pregnancy hormones, I’m crying at everything right now to be honest.)

It 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 is good. Or that everything he SAID is 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 Integrity and love first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The idea that He is an understanding and compassionate God…

And the idea that He is a God of order and eternal laws.

I’ve seen this tension in my life a lot.

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 God’s balance first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.