And guess what?

That was all that she needed!

Her body only needed that milk, nothing more.

She had exactly what she needed for her healthy development. ⁣

But then she got a little older. ⁣

She needed to practice and learn how to deal with different textures and tastes. ⁣

Her body didn’t really need this other food, but she needed to prepare and practice for when that would be her only source of nutrition. ⁣

Sometimes she loved the new things she tried; other times, she would spit them back out. ⁣

Then she got even older, to the point that milk alone could no longer support her growing body.

She needed the nutrition from a variety of foods. ⁣

She needed to learn how to feed herself. ⁣

Do we see the parallels in our own gospel growth? ⁣

“I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (1 Corinthians 3:2)

It doesn’t really matter our age, or even if we were raised in the church. ⁣

We’ve gotta start with the basics. ⁣

Just go to church. Read your scriptures. Pray. Serve others when you can. ⁣

And that’s all that we need at first!

That’s what starts to mature us spiritually. ⁣

And then we start taking bites of the heartier meat of the gospel.

Truly studying the scriptures. Learning how to communicate better in prayer. Worshipping in the temple. Serving in a holier way. ⁣

Some of these new bites are hard to handle at first.

But the “milk” concepts are no longer quite cutting it on their own.

We recognize that we need something more in order to continue our spiritual growth. ⁣

The way I prayed when I was 8 years old looks very different than what “prayer” even means to me now.

But I needed that simple step of nice, easy instructions for prayer first.

We start with milk.

And then meat.

Sometimes we need to simplify and recenter ourselves with the basics.

And other times we know we are getting a little too comfortable, and feel a longing to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Which principle of the gospel are you ready to dive into more today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Milk before meat  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Those who have heard sound bits of my religion and see me as a devout follower.

Those who only see the differences between them and me.

Those who left the faith and can’t imagine why anyone would stay.

And I’m pretty self-aware.

There are certainly things from the outside looking in about my faith, and the church that I believe houses God’s priesthood power, that look foolish.

Paul counseled:

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

But for everyone who thinks I am foolish for staying so dedicated to the undeniable revelation I have received…

There are also people I know who are some of the most well-educated and kindest and most giving humans I’ve ever met.

Brilliant minds who stay.

Independent and powerful individuals who join.

I mean, I think the gospel of Jesus Christ actually logically makes a lot of sense.

But just reasoning things out will never be enough to convince someone to fully convert.

The Spirit is the key.

The Spirit has to be involved when seeking gospel truths, hearing revelations, listening to prophets, and reading scriptures.

The Spirit has to whisper those confirming messages.

The Spirit has to give us that feeling of warmth.

The Spirit has to appeal to our logical mind and show how it actually all makes perfect sense. ⁣
⁣
Are we just believing the foolish traditions of our fathers?⁣

Not when the Spirit is involved! ⁣
⁣
Are we just exercising blind obedience and following whatever some authority figure tells us to do?⁣

Not when the Spirit is involved!⁣
⁣
When we have the Spirit with us, we shake off the bands of “foolishness” and begin to see what truth is!

And at the end of the day, we can only get that heavenly perspective by keeping the Spirit with us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I foolish for keeping the faith? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What it is, and why it’s so detrimental.

Shame = you are bad because you did something wrong. ⁣

It’s not super helpful to feel SHAME.

And we really should aim to never be the cause of anyone else feeling shame.

“I am a bad person because I did something wrong.”

“Only bad people do things like that.”⁣

Do we feel SHAME when we make poor decisions or don’t do good things?

Do we automatically go to: “I am bad”?⁣

Do we knowingly or unknowingly SHAME those around us when we see them making poor decisions?

Calling a child “bad”, telling a teenager they are ruined because of a poor choice, telling a young woman she is bad for wearing certain clothing, showing less love to others when they make certain decisions. ⁣

Well that’s exactly what Paul said he was NOT doing!

He was trying to correct some pretty serious sins that these Corinthians were committing.

But he makes it clear that he is NOT shaming them. ⁣

“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.” (1 Corinthians 4:14)

He is WARNING them.

Teaching them. Rebuking them. ⁣

What’s the difference?⁣

Love. Forgiveness. Direction on how to correct. More love. Pointing to the Savior. Building up true worth. ⁣

We do believe that there are “rights” and “wrongs”.

Which means, there are “wrongs” that we need to correct in our own actions, and in the actions of those we have stewardship over. ⁣

But warnings to others and commitments to do better ourselves should always be framed with our Savior in mind. ⁣

We are not bad people.

We are loved beyond belief. We have infinite worth. We are spiritual sons and daughters of God the Father. ⁣

We make bad decisions. But we can correct ourselves and repent. And we will make bad decisions again. And we can correct ourselves and repent again. ⁣

That’s the whole purpose of this gospel! ⁣

Continuous change. ⁣

Not through shaming ourselves or others.

But through kind and loving warnings and corrections.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Shame or warning? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

And I ended up going pretty far!

I honestly learned a lot in the process of just competing.

I learned the best structure for captivating speeches.

I knew to start with an interesting hook.

To switch my tone of voice often.

To balance lighter anecdotes with heavy, straightforward points. ⁣

And then I got a formal teaching degree.

And now I truly enjoy giving talks in church and teaching lessons.

I feel pretty confident in “how” to do it, at least in the way it is formally taught.

But that doesn’t make me more qualified to teach a Sunday School lesson than anyone else.

Paul said, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4

⁣in other words, the best way to preach is not the way that professionals can teach us about how to teach.

The best way to teach is to teach WITH THE SPIRIT.

Isn’t it cool that everyone, from prophets to members of our congregation, doesn’t need any formal “speech” training to change lives through the Spirit?

We don’t pick our local bishop based on who gives the best sermons.

We don’t have a competition for who is good enough to speak at General Conference.

Because we don’t NEED someone who is entertaining or well-educated in order to learn about Jesus.

The professional training doesn’t qualify anyone for the work.

What matters is whether or not we teach and preach and testify WITH THE SPIRIT.

So the next time you are nervous to teach a lesson, bear your testimony, or share that spiritual thought, trust that God can make amazing things happen through humble people who are willing to access the Spirit of God in their lives.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

What a mature, eternal perspective, right?!

In the midst of my most difficult trials, when I am able to remember this perspective, it makes things a little more bearable. ⁣

But why?

Probably because these thoughts push me toward my Heavenly Father and Savior.

My Heavenly Father wants me back home.

He wants me to have the glory and the blessings He has, of which I have no comprehension. ⁣

He gave me a Savior to help me along.

To turn to all of the time, but to lean on especially when things become difficult. ⁣

Anytime I am brought to this perspective, things seem a little more bearable.

A little more temporary. ⁣

I feel a little more strength.

That is because my Savior is bearing my load, yoked with me.

Sometimes I just need to remember he is there. ⁣

I feel a little more love and peace.

That is because my Heavenly Father gives me even more of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life when I am thinking of Him and doing righteous things. ⁣

But I’ve also learned that I think these realizations and humbling thoughts come best from within. ⁣

Not from telling every person around us going through a difficult time that, “This will all be worth it! You will be fine!”⁣

But instead mourning, comforting, and listening to those who suffer.

Offering scriptures and talks they can read to gain their own comfort and to forge their own strong relationships with deity.

Sharing our personal experiences with love and tenderness. ⁣

When I am closer to my Savior and my Heavenly Father,

When I remember my relationship with Them,

When I put things into perspective…⁣

I realize, I can handle anything.

Because He can handle anything.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Is it really all worth it?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My husband and I recently celebrated 10 years of marriage.

It’s so fun to look back at how we first met.

There were so many things that “just happened” to work out.

There were conversations I “randomly” had with people that gave me advice I needed.

Looking back, it all worked out perfectly and for our good!

But I also remember navigating those unknown dating waters, and wishing that I could just magically know that it would all come together in the right way.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

So what if we could enjoy the joy and peace of “hindsight” right now?

What if, when trials and hard times come, we trust that we will be looking back one day fully understanding why we needed to travel that path?

I’ve tried this now many times in my life as I’ve navigated other huge decisions.

Jobs, kids, friends, moving…

I do my best.

I rely on the Spirit as much as I can.

And then I just trust that things will all work together for my good!

In fact, I am optimistically certain that this is the case— and it’s a fun way to live!

My goal is to live with this perspective, without having to wait until things really work together for my good in order to believe it.

God’s in control.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post All things work together for our good first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Basically, we learn one person’s story.

And then we assume that everyone who has a similar characteristic must also have a similar life.

Our brains unfortunately do this with skin color, how people are dressed, hair styles, gender, religion…

We assume.

We assume that everyone at church is doing great, and we are the odd ones out.

We’ve learned the single story of a “perfect member” and apply it to everyone sitting around us, alienating ourselves as the “other.”

Or we assume that “less-active” people have lost their testimonies because we think we know their full story.

Learning an individual person’s single story is a great way to know THAT person.

The danger comes when we use it to make negative assumptions and unfounded judgments.

Because at church, we have such a variety!

I have learned to truly love the diversity of life experiences, personalities, gifts, interests, and education that I’m surrounded by each Sunday.

We DO have many similarities when we belong to this church.

We are asked to become one in purpose. ⁣

But that doesn’t mean for a second that we all come to the table with the same experiences. ⁣

And I love it!⁣

“We, being many, are one body in Christ… Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us”. (Romans 12:5-6)

Becoming unified as a church means recognizing the variety of talents, life experiences, stages of testimony, and education that we each have.

And we celebrate it!

And we use it to uplift each other and connect with each other! ⁣

We truly get to know people instead of assuming and judging. ⁣

Connection.

The body of Christ is all connected in one whole.

The more we can connect and share, the closer we become, unified in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The danger of a single story first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I really wanted it.

And I didn’t get it.

I was devastated.

It was a really tough time for me to figure out what had gone wrong.

Have you ever prayed for something, and it didn’t happen?

From little “please help my baby fall asleep” prayers to much more serious and bigger prayers, it’s always a bit of a blow to not have a prayer answered the way we hoped it would be.

But I’m going to take a step back and get logical here:

That actually makes sense for not all of our prayers to be “granted”, right?

Even if we have righteous desires, we will never see the whole picture as Heavenly Father does.

In this instance with the job, God knew that I needed to find a different employment that would be perfect for my family and lead me to lifelong friends.

So why pray if we know not all of the things we desire in our prayers will align with God’s will?

Paul teaches us how the Spirit can help us know what to pray for!

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

The Spirit can help us know what to actually pray for.

“Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.” —“Prayer”, Bible Dictionary

⁣It’s okay to pray for what we want.

But the Spirit can also help nudge our hearts toward what our Heavenly Father desires for us.

Our desperate prayers for a particular job all of a sudden start ending with “if it be Thy will.”

And then we feel prompted to start praying for new job opportunities to pop up.

And then we are praying for acceptance at a new job!

It can be a slow process, but a powerfully humbling one to see WHAT we pray for shifting over time as our sincere desires change.

One of the roles of the Spirit is that He can teach us what to pray for.

When we start changing our prayers into beautiful experiences where we listen to inspiration and follow the Spirit, we end up aligning our wills with God.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How do I align my will with God? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Love at Home”. ⁣

NOT “Love One Another” like I had practiced. ⁣

I hurriedly glanced at the program next to me to confirm that yes, he had announced it correctly. ⁣

I had no time to even panic – I just turned to hymn 294 and started the introduction. ⁣

It was my grandpa’s funeral a few years ago, and I had been asked to play the organ for the service.

I had snuck into the chapel the night before to practice on the organ.

And I had diligently practiced “Love One Another” over and over again until the notes, registration, and volume were perfect.

So in that moment when I realized I had practiced the wrong “love” hymn, I started to pray.

I immediately and silently pleaded with the Lord to help me transfer the practice time and energy from the one hymn to the new one. ⁣

“Love at Home” actually isn’t that difficult of a hymn to play, but I had the most beautiful experience.

I KNEW that everything was going to be okay.

I felt strength and confidence in my playing.

I’m sure my dear musical Grandpa, my Heavenly Father, and maybe even others were supporting me. ⁣

To me, THAT is GRACE. ⁣

Divine assistance to carry us through our human frailties.

(I checked my phone afterwards— the correct hymns had been sent to me, I just read it wrong!)⁣

I put in the practice time – that is GOOD WORKS. ⁣

I asked for divine help once I realized my mistake – that is FAITH. ⁣

I was able to play a song flawlessly with zero practice, resulting in a beautiful spiritual experience for myself, and in a reverent introduction for the congregation celebrating my Grandpa’s life – that is GRACE.

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:2)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Grace learned at an organ  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

In the scriptures, we frequently read about “righteous” people and “unrighteous” people.

But if none of us are perfect, how can we possibly know whether or not we are at least on the right track to being considered “righteous”?

Paul gives us a great clue!

He was speaking about those who are NOT righteous when he said:

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3:10-11)

If a group of people doesn’t have any righteousness in them…

It’s because they aren’t SEEKING after God!

So, are you seeking after God?

If I lose my cell phone during the day, I’m proactively going to get up and look everywhere until I find it.

That’s how I picture “seeking after God”.

It’s someone looking for the Spirit, service, personal growth, and prayer with God with earnest.

Don’t forget, we still don’t have to be perfect at this!

We just need to take some sort of action each day to SEEK after God.

Even if it’s just a silent, sincere prayer in our hearts that we are on the right track.

Small but proactive actions like that add up to righteousness!

“Although we may not be perfect, brothers and sisters, we can be worthy.” -Becky Craven

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How do I know if I’m righteous?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.