My favorite leaders haven’t always been the most organized.

My favorite leaders haven’t necessarily made the best executive decisions.

My favorite leaders haven’t always been the smartest.

My favorite leaders HAVE strengthened me.

They’ve known me.

They’ve cared about me and reached out to me.

They’ve taught or presented or trained on things that I really need to learn in order to become a better person.

The focus isn’t on them.

The conversation is always on others.

I’ve had bishops, relief society presidents, and young women leaders who have strengthened me.

I’ve had bosses, principals, and team leads who have strengthened me.

I don’t know that everyone agrees that this is what makes a good leader.

But to me, it makes sense.

The ultimate, real, true purpose of us being here on earth isn’t to learn how to become the most efficient person we can possibly be.

It’s not to become that leader with all the charisma and fame.

It’s not to lead the biggest empire.

It’s to love God and then to love others.

It’s to take the strength we get from knowing our standing with God and to turn that around and spread it to others.

It’s to teach and build and share.

It’s real servant-leadership. 

It’s the type of leadership Jesus Christ showed while He walked the earth. 

Real leaders strengthen others.

Who has been a leader who has strengthened you? I want to hear about them, or pass this message onto them to let them know the impact they’ve had. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Am I doing enough?

Where is my standing with God?

I think about these questions a lot.

Actually, I think about them a little bit less now than I used to. But they are still there.

When I look around at a messy home and a kid climbs on top of me even when I’ve asked them not to and my to-do list is longer than ever, I wonder if I’m doing well enough.

But something else I’ve noticed about these moments?

I’m in self-pity.

And I’m NOT listening to the Spirit.

I’m thinking of all the ways that I’m falling short.

And I’m not trying to connect with the Divine, show gratitude, love, and grow.

On the flip side, those moments when I’m really in tune with the Spirit…

When I’m feeling love and prompting and clarity and guidance…

I KNOW that I’m enough.

I know that where my heart is matters most, and that it is in a good place.

I know that I will keep needing my Savior.

So sometimes I need to hear:

“Let your soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing, and resist no more my voice.” D&C 108:2

When I am resisting the Spirit, when I think I know more about my value and worth than He does, then I feel tied down and heavy.

And when I allow myself to be comforted by that still small voice, then I feel confidence and peace.

Let your soul be at rest.

Stop resisting the comforting voice of the Spirit.

You are doing just great.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I good enough? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

At my teaching job, my principal had reminded everyone of a task that was overdue at a staff meeting, and a lot of people seemed shocked.

Quick confession time: I always felt a little awkward in those situations because I absolutely hate sounding like a know-it-all.

I hate hate hate it. I don’t want anyone to think of me as condescending.

But… I also enjoy reading instructions and contracts.

No, not the “terms and conditions” on random things I buy, no one likes those.

But if I am starting a new job, taking on a new role, or joining a new group and there are extensive directions and expectations written up in a contract of some kind?

I read every single word and make sure I understand what it means.

It’s exciting to me, and I always love being completely “in-the-know”.

And so… I had read our principal’s email a couple weeks earlier and already completed my task.

(I also have 10000% empathy for teachers missing things in emails because have you seen a teacher’s inbox before?!)

The Lord reminds the members of the church in D&C 107:99:

“Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.”

I find this fascinating because at the end of this super lengthy section about priesthood offices and duties, He reminds the saints:

Hey, YOU are each responsible for learning your own duty and then fulfilling it.

We are responsible.

In a new calling, we can be responsible and read what the handbook actually says we should be doing.

We can read the scriptures and study from modern words of prophets so that we know how to behave and act and so that we know our doctrine.

We can learn about how to help others who are struggling and then get out there and act.

We can figure out what our covenants actually mean and then go out there and fulfill our end of them.

We don’t have to wait for someone to tell us what to do.

In fact, we shouldn’t.

We need to learn, and then we need to act.

What is our duty?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post You are responsible for knowing! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’m not sure if that statement made you cringe as much as I do when I think about it, but yikes.

It can be tough.

I mean, even with a group of people who I like, trying to make plans together for a group date, things can get messy.

Making decisions in our callings at church,

Making decisions as a family,

Making decisions in a committee at work,

Completing a group project for school,

Or even just look at groups of legislators who have to make decisions for a country together…

Making decisions in a group of people is often rough.

And that’s what I find so appealing and soothing about the Lord’s directions to church leaders in D&C 107:30:

“The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long-suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity;”

What were just listed?!

Christlike attributes.

So if we possess Christlike attributes, it is much easier to make decisions together.

And I just have to share this beautiful promise the Lord gives them right afterward in verse 31:

“Because the promise is, if these things abound in them they shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord.”

If we abound in Christlike attributes we are promised that we will gain the knowledge of the Lord.

We will not be unfruitful if we harness these qualities.

Of course, we can’t control the attributes of everyone around us in a group, so that complete spiritual unanimity will probably be a rare occurrence.

(Or if you are a leader in a group, you can at least encourage and model these positive qualities.)

But what we can control is ourselves, right?

We can trust that being more righteous will lead to better decision-making.

That becoming more meek will lead to better decision-making.

That having more patience, showing charity, gaining knowledge, and living virtuously will lead to better decision-making.

Christlike attributes lead to better decision-making.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

They were well-meaning saints who gathered together weekly and had copies of the Book of Mormon, but Warren recognized that his congregation needed someone with some greater priesthood authority and direction to assist them in Freedom, New York.

He wrote a letter to his brother Oliver’s good friend Joseph Smith asking for him to send someone with greater priesthood authority out to visit their branch.

I imagine Warren was excited to get someone to lead them.

Wouldn’t it be so nice to have someone step up and take charge?

Someone who actually knew what they were doing?

Warren had been familiar with the church since his brother had first met up with Joseph a few years earlier.

But Warren himself had only been converted and baptized for less than a year.

Finally, Joseph wrote a letter back to Warren!

“It is my will that my servant Warren A. Cowdery should be appointed and ordained a presiding high priest over my church, in the land of Freedom and the regions round about;” D&C 106:1

Wait, what?

Doesn’t Warren’s story sound familiar?

Sometimes we see the need.

It is so glaringly obvious.

Someone needs to step up and do something about that.

And then…

We are the ones called to fill that position.

Or, we realize on our own that WE could be the one to step up and be the solution.

It’s a lot easier to notice what’s wrong and wait for someone else to solve the problems we see.

“If only someone would fix that bulletin board!”

“If only someone would help that lady!”

“If only someone would start a fun hangout group!”

“If only someone would start advocating for that cause more!”

But what if… we were the person we were waiting for?

We can see a need, and we can be the one to step up.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Warren Cowdery and the high priest first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.