While I don’t have any insider information for what it is like to be one, I think it’s tempting to think that once a prophet becomes a prophet, they instantly get some direct pipeline to receive messages from God.

But I think it still takes a lot of personal spiritual work to receive revelation, whether it’s for ourselves or whether it’s for a prophet.

And I’ve heard President Nelson speak about some of the times he has chosen to turn the TV off because it drove the spirit away, or how much he reads the scriptures and listens to promptings to make himself available to revelation.

His process probably looks a lot more familiar than we might realize.

One message that he taught about repeatedly last weekend was centered around this idea:

“Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ.” – President Nelson

Every topic that President Nelson talks about is tied back to Jesus.

Every time.

Our prophet keeps teaching us about Jesus, how to draw on Jesus’ power, His strength, rest, love, the divinity of the Son…

Another prophet a few thousand years ago talked about this same solemn responsibility that prophets share.

“I have set watchmen upon thy walls… ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence”. (Isaiah 62:6)

The watchmen are not supposed to keep silent about Jesus.

And from what I’ve observed, our current prophet is doing a magnificent job at keeping me focused on the Savior.

I know prophets must feel that weight of that responsibility.

Hoping that as many people that can hear their voice will know He lives, too.

So what has the prophet taught you about Jesus?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Not silent about Jesus first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Because every single time I do sit down to glance through it or I make time to read an article, I am always blown away by the content.

So when October’s magazine came in the mail, I found some time to flip through and I told myself I could pick one article to read.

Lo and behold, the first main article was one written by our beloved prophet, so of course I chose to read that one.

Now, throughout the Old Testament, but most especially in Isaiah, we see the strangely long word: LOVINGKINDNESS.

And this word is what President Nelson talked about for part of his powerful, super detail-oriented Liahona article.

Here are just a few snippets of what he said:

“All those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.

“In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called hesed.

“Hesed has no adequate English equivalent.

“Translators of the King James Version of the Bible must have struggled with how to render hesed in English.

“They often chose ‘lovingkindness.’

“Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.

“Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him.

“And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.”

In Isaiah 63:7, we read: “I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.”

LOVINGKINDNESS is much more than kindness and love.

God wants to share this special kind of love and devotion with us, much like the unique love that we share with a spouse.

And to access that lovingkindness, we enter into special covenents with God.

So what are the covenants you have made with God?

And what’s something you can do today to live up to what you’ve promised just a little bit better today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Purple play-doh plates, yellow balls of play-doh food, and giant globs of play-doh apple juice that my son insisted everyone sip.

They love play-doh.

Probably because it can become any kind of toy that they want it to be.

Play-doh does whatever my kids want it to do.

“We are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8)

Did anyone else catch the big theme of having WILLING hearts this past weekend in general conference?!

One of the scariest moments of my life was when I felt a strong prompting, confirmed in the temple, and confirmed over and over in other small ways, to quit my job.

I told Heavenly Father how much I loved my job.

But I also started to feel this willingness to do as He invited.

Slowly, I stopped telling Him how much I loved my job and instead told Him I would do what He would ask me to do to become the person only He knew I could be.

It was still scary to quit my job.

But I was willing to do it.

It was one of the biggest times I’ve felt that molding happen all at once in a dramatic way, but I actually know that my life has been filled with tiny, quieter little pinches, pulls, and folds along the way.

God isn’t looking for perfectly shaped masterpieces.

He just wants us to be clay instead of stone, and He’ll take care of the rest.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Clay in the potter’s hand first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve said silent prayers like this many times.

When a friend brings up a difficult gospel topic, when I’m comforting someone in need, or when I’m teaching a Sunday School lesson…

I’ve sent that super prayer upward, pleading for words to come to my mind that would help me to navigate the situation.

The words don’t always appear instantly.

In fact I’ve noticed that sometimes I have to stumble through a lot of wrong words before I start to find my pathway forward with words that fit better.

But when I have a good, Christlike need for communicating, I have found that the support comes in one way or another.

The Savior mentioned that this is actually part of the covenant that He makes with those who turn away from sin.

“My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed”. (Isaiah 59:21)

When we covenant to take Jesus’ name upon us and always remember Him, He in turn promises that we can always have His Spirit to be with us.

And when we have the Spirit with us, we can be blessed to know what words to say at the right time.

Not a witty remark or a good comeback or anything else that might be self-serving.

But when we are in the position to bring people closer to the Savior or to strengthen our own testimony, the words associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ can be found within our mouths.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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