My husband will often talk to me about people, maybe from work, maybe from our ward, and I have NO CLUE who he is talking about.

Like, it’s bad. ⁣

BUT I fully believe there is actually a sacred respect around our names. ⁣

They are important. ⁣

In fact, when I was a full-time teacher, I usually had around 90 new students each year.

And I made it a goal to memorize all 90-some kids’ names by the end of the third day of school.

It was hard work.

I would quiz myself with their picture rosters.

I would walk around the room during independent work and call them by name.

And honestly, I would pray for help. ⁣

For some reason, this was a really important goal for me. ⁣

And by the 4th day of school, I had them down! Even all the Kylies, Kayleys, and Kaylas.

But a few weeks into the school year, I would notice some other teachers would still be asking students in their own class what their names were, or calling some students by the wrong name repeatedly. ⁣

Names are important.⁣

There is something different, deep, and personal about calling someone by their name. ⁣

Jesus Christ, the Savior of all mankind, appeared to Mary first. ⁣

And all He said was her name. ⁣

“Jesus saith unto her, Mary.” (John 20:16)

Can you imagine the Savior saying your first name?

Really imagine it?⁣

What a tender experience. ⁣

And she responds with the respectful title, Rabboni. ⁣

Two names were said, but I imagine a flood of meaning and emotion from both ends. ⁣

I’m not sure what the “takeaway” is for this lesson, other than it has come up in my life a lot recently so I felt like I should post. ⁣

Maybe we can do better at putting effort into learning people’s names and using them often.

Especially those who we have stewardship over in callings.

Maybe we can do better at referring to our Savior and Heavenly Father by name or title more in our home.

Maybe we can take more solace in the fact that our Heavenly Father and Savior really do know us BY NAME.⁣

But names are powerful, personal, and meaningful.

What lessons have you learned about the importance of names?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The importance of a name  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Suddenly, the resurrected Savior approached them…

But their eyes were not able to recognize Him.

These disciples were sad.

They explained to the disguised Christ that their friend, Jesus, had been a mighty prophet.

But today had been the third day since His crucifixion, and He hadn’t returned yet. ⁣

After some more conversation, they arrived at their dwelling.

These disciples pleaded gently with the disguised Jesus:

“Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.” (Luke 24:29)

They didn’t exactly know who this man was who had walked with them.

But He had read the scriptures to them and invited the Spirit.

I can imagine them thinking that if this person did anything to bring them closer to the Spirit, they wanted Him to stick around.

What journey have you been walking on recently?

Maybe you are learning to love the scriptures more.

Maybe you want more spiritual experiences.

Maybe you are looking to grow your faith.

No matter your path, Jesus is there walking with you.

EVEN when you don’t realize it.

It’s tough to see and recognize Him when our lives are filled with all sorts of mortal distractions.

Sadness.

Frustration.

But Jesus is with us!

And Jesus will stay with us on our path in the future, too, as we invite the Spirit to abide with us just a little bit longer.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Abide with us! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Considering we literally refer to him as “doubting Thomas”, I think he gets a bad rap for wanting proof before believing. ⁣

But do any of us really have a testimony without having any “proof”?⁣

What’s your proof for knowing your Savior lives?

That you have a loving Heavenly Father?

That the gospel and Book of Mormon are true?⁣

My proof is very personal, and honestly wouldn’t make sense to anyone else if I tried to describe it. ⁣

But I still have proof. ⁣

My proof is in overwhelming presentations of the spirit.

My proof is in the undeniable love and peace that I feel.

My proof is in the manner I live my life and the small blessings I notice. ⁣

We have to have some sort of “proof” to believe. ⁣

What’s cool about Thomas, though, is that he totally believed after seeing and feeling the proof. ⁣

“Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed”. (John 20:29)

I bet you could rattle off names of scriptural figures who saw signs and angels and never believed. ⁣

But Thomas did. ⁣

He simply asked the Lord for a little proof.

A little piece of evidence. ⁣

But it seems like he asked with a willing and humble heart. ⁣

Now Jesus says that we are blessed for not seeing. ⁣

We can’t have that same proof as Thomas, at least not right now. ⁣

And Christ gives us credit!

It is hard to believe something without seeing.

But we still can get proof.

Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit.

“The truths that mark the way home to God are verified by the Holy Ghost.” —Henry B. Eyring

That is the Spirit’s job.

To give us the small, intangible, hard-to-relay moments of proof that give us the evidence we need to believe.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What’s your proof?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Why does it matter that we have living prophets and apostles on the earth today?⁣

Why does it matter that we receive continued revelation in our lives?⁣

Honestly— someone asked me these questions recently and it took me a bit to figure out why I felt all of these things were so important.

I want to share what I think, but I also invite you to ponder about your own responses.

I believe the answer is because the gospel is alive and relevant!

We have a LIVING Savior with LIVING prophets and REAL-TIME guidance from the Spirit.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ care about us right now, living our lives.

They care about our “modern” problems.

⁣The Savior can offer us grace right now!

Sometimes when we read about Christ living 2,000 years ago, it’s easy to keep Him 2,000 years ago in our mind.

Just like the prophets we read about in the scriptures, we keep Him in the time period where we read about His stories.

Sandals. Walking in Galilee. Robes.

Jesus isn’t with everyone else we’ve read about who has since passed on.

He is alive!

“And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5)

He rose from the dead so He could be on our journey with us as much as He was on the streets in Jerusalem.

I’m grateful for a living Savior, with living prophets, with ever-present personal revelation that can help me in my immediate times of need.

So what help, guidance, love, or impressions do you need today?

It’s all available right now in this living gospel!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Three important questions  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.