With so many good, important things here on the earth, I personally believe that God gives us desires or allows our own desires to point us in the direction where we can do our part and make a difference.

And I believe that these desires and focuses can change throughout our life, too. ⁣

Nehemiah was a man who had never been to Jerusalem. ⁣

And yet he started feeling great concern about the walls of Jerusalem. ⁣

“Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:12)

Nehemiah believed the Lord had put this desire in his heart.

And so he acted, and was able to rebuild the wall. ⁣

What desires are in your heart?

“‘Great and powerful convictions of truth’ are found in the hearts of Latter-day Saints in nations across the world. This strength of faith carries the work of the kingdom forward.” – Neil L. Andersen

How do you believe you have been asked to build the kingdom of God in your own way?

How have you found ways to make this world a better place in a way that you feel particularly passionate about? ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The desires of your heart first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve had my heart prepared to not be accepted into a program at school. ⁣

I’ve had my heart prepared for a struggle my son would have to face. ⁣

I’ve had my heart prepared before receiving a big calling that would affect our family a lot. ⁣

And as I’ve talked with others, many have shared other personal, sacred experiences where their hearts have been prepared for a huge financial setback, a move, or even the death of a loved one. ⁣

I know that God prepares our hearts in ways that are sometimes indescribable, and for experiences that we may be the only ones to know about. ⁣

God prepares hearts. ⁣

I also have learned that I can do my part to prepare my own heart for situations that I do know are ahead of me. ⁣

I’ve found literal priesthood power when I prepare my mind before entering the temple. ⁣

I’ve discovered genuine love when I prepare my heart to love and serve someone who seemed difficult to love and serve. ⁣

I’ve experienced great peace when I’ve prepared my soul to expect miracles. ⁣

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it”. (Ezra 7:10)⁣

Life is often busy and stressful and crazy. ⁣

But taking time to prepare our hearts or listening to promptings from God that prepare us for large tasks ahead will bring much more love and peace in the long run. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Such joy, relief!⁣

Out of Babylon and back to the land of your ancestors to rebuild the great temple as a sign of devotion to God. ⁣

Good intentions to do good things. ⁣

But then⁣

SO MUCH OPPOSITION. ⁣

The work stops. ⁣

So heartbreaking!⁣

But the prophet says to keep going despite all the opposition. ⁣

Letters are written to the Persian king trying to “tattle” on the Jews, encouraging the king to use his power to stop their efforts. ⁣

So what does the great Persian king Darius do with all of his social status, influence, and power? ⁣

He says, “Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.” ⁣

He even then tells all these complaining neighbors to give the Jews any material they may need for the temple so that, “they be not hindered”. (Ezra 6:7-8)⁣

Darius didn’t know these Jews. He didn’t really know much about Jerusalem. ⁣

But he stood up for the people who were getting picked on and encouraged others to assist, too. ⁣

Elder Renlund, in his talk “Infuriating Unfairness” in April 2021, said:⁣

“Brothers and sisters, not throwing stones is the first step in treating others with compassion. The second step is to try to catch stones thrown by others.”⁣

You may not feel that you have the power and influence that Darius used for these Jews. ⁣

But how could you be a powerful example of love the next time someone starts gossiping?⁣

How could you be a powerful example of grace the next time someone starts criticizing? ⁣

How could you be a powerful example of inclusion the next time someone starts excluding? ⁣

Little by little, we can catch the stones meant for those around us, and share love and support instead!

“Let the work of this house of God alone…that they be not hindered.” (Ezra 6:7-8)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Catch the stones first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One of my favorite details in this week’s reading comes from Hezekiah’s reign:

“So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.” (2 Chronicles 30:26)

Why was there so much joy at this moment? 

The people had gathered to worship the Lord with their whole hearts!

They had turned back to Him, celebrated the Passover together, and experienced the kind of joy that only comes from drawing closer to Christ.

I love what Elder Patrick Kearon teaches:

“We are members of the church of joy! And nowhere should our joy as a people be more apparent than when we gather together each Sabbath in our sacrament meetings to worship the source of all joy!”

It’s easy to think of church as another obligation on an already full weekend.

Especially when there are meetings to attend, kids to take care of, lessons to prepare, and checklists to complete. 

But how can we view Sundays differently? 

What if we come to church expecting to meet with the source of our joy?

That doesn’t mean every Sunday will feel emotional or every problem will disappear. 

But when my focus shifts from simply attending church to truly worshipping Jesus Christ, I’ve found that my heart starts to change, even when my circumstances stay the same. 

I feel more joy IN ADDITION to the meetings, the kids, the planning, and the checklists. 

I’ve loved the change that comes from avoiding asking, “What will I get out of church?” and instead thinking, “How can I worship Christ today?”

I think that small change in perspective can open the door to the same kind of joy the people of Jerusalem experienced.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Joy in Jerusalem first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As we researched, something funny started happening.

We began seeing those two models of cars everywhere! 

At every stoplight, in every parking lot, and driving down every road, there they were. 

I hadn’t realized how many people owned them. 

Of course, the cars hadn’t suddenly appeared overnight. 

They had always been there. 

We were simply noticing them because they had become important to us.

I quickly learned that our brains are remarkably good at finding and drawing attention to whatever we seek.

The same principle applies spiritually!

When we are looking for God, we begin to find Him everywhere. 

Looking for Jesus and His hand throughout what seems like an ordinary day helps me recognize that He has been there all along. 

Looking for miracles means I start noticing the countless ways He already blesses, guides, comforts, and strengthens me. 

King Uzziah learned this powerful truth: “As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:5)

What if we intentionally sought the Lord from the moment we woke up until we went to bed? 

We might be surprised by how many blessings, tender mercies, and quiet miracles we discover. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Two car models first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

King Uzziah had been faithful, and God had blessed him.

But “when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:16).

The very blessings that came from relying on God eventually became a source of pride that pulled him away from God.

Our greatest spiritual moments, even miracles we’ve experienced, don’t guarantee we’ll stay with the Lord until the end.

That testimony you gained at girls camp?

That “big calling” you held?

That miracle that happened at your lowest point?

These good moments from our past can be beautiful spiritual memories.

But they can also lead to pride, separation, and dismissal.

So what’s your heart like today?

Are you still humble?

Still teachable?

Still willing to let Him lead?

Our past faithful moments can be great fuel to our testimonies, but, just as Uzziah learned, we’ve got to check constantly to make sure our blessings for the past haven’t separated our hearts from God now.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Success as a downfall first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But I desperately needed answers and figured I might as well call the specialist and see what I could get.

I said a prayer and dialed the number.

As I introduced myself to the receptionist, she said,

“Well, is there any chance you could get over here this afternoon? I just had a last minute cancellation and can fit you in if you can make it.”

I moved heaven and earth to get to that doctor’s office within the next couple of hours, and I was able to get some medical answers I desperately needed.

I’ve learned that I think the Lord loves to prove Himself in seemingly impossible situations.

“And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.” (2 Chronicles 14:11)

Asa knew his army was facing insurmountable odds.

And yet, he showed faith that the Lord could still help their troops prevail.

And the Lord pulled through! 

By an absolute miracle, the enemies of Judah were destroyed.

Sometimes it can be scary to need and ask for a big miracle.

But I think the Lord loves being able to prove Himself when it is His will and show that impossible things can be done through faith in Him.

So if you need a miracle right now, try humbly asking and see what goodness God is able to show, whether it’s what you expected or not.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

As they have gotten older, I’ve noticed more rudeness and impatience between my kids.

And I started praying about what I should do to help foster more kindness in our home.

And suddenly, the thought came into my mind:

“Read the scriptures with them more.”

To he honest, that prompting stung a bit.

I talk, think, and teach about the scriptures all day—that’s really what I need to improve?!

But I also knew deep down that my kids weren’t getting my best efforts when it came to intentional family scripture study.

And it felt much better once I accepted that.

Receiving correction usually isn’t very fun.

King Josiah realized his people had been completely neglecting the scriptures, too.

“And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, …to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them.” (2 Kings 23:4)

When King Josiah realized what he was doing was wrong, he cleansed the temple of idols and humbly corrected his mistake.

The correction might not be fun to receive, but it’s what we do afterward that matters the most.

Are we humble and eager to change?

Are we stubborn and in denial?

What things might your home or your life need changing right now?

Of course there’s going to be some way we can improve, so we can be confident the Spirit will give us that direction.

But it’s what we do after we hear that correction that shows the state of our heart.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My stinging correction first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

That’s essentially what Hilkiah, one of King Josiah’s priests, did! ⁣

He discovered a lost “book of law”, and when Josiah learned what was contained in these scriptures, he was DEVASTATED. ⁣

In 2 Kings 22:13, we read: “Great is the wrath of the Lord that it is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book”. (2 Kings 22:13) ⁣

Josiah was realizing how much they had missed out on following the Lord for generations, all because they didn’t have these scriptures.

The scriptures are SO. IMPORTANT.⁣

From a historical viewpoint, there are so many civilizations that didn’t keep a written record of what happened, which means we know virtually nothing about them. ⁣

I mean, we don’t have any written record of the 10 tribes from the northern kingdom of Israel after they were taken by the Assyrians, which is why we consider them “lost”. ⁣

The scriptures contain our spiritual history! ⁣

They keep us grounded in what the gospel really is.⁣

They keep us grounded in what the Lord has promised and done for us. ⁣

They remind us of what He did for our ancestors.⁣

In them, we can clearly see the patterns of what He has done over time. ⁣

This is why I have fallen in love with the scriptures– ⁣

They are like a constant checkpoint I can return to in order to make sure I’m not adding on or taking away from what God really wants to teach me. ⁣

“As with voices from the dust, the prophets of the Lord cry out to us on earth today: take hold of the scriptures!” – Robert D. Hales

And that’s it for today–I just love the scriptures.

I hope you are able to feel that love yourself, whether it’s just for a minute while you do your best to read through some verses that don’t totally make sense to you, or whether it’s during your 30 minutes of uninterrupted study time with pencils and guides covering the table…

It’s beautiful to love the scriptures.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I love the scriptures first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You know those times where nothing actually is really wrong, but nothing’s really right either?⁣

I was just going through the motions, trying to make it to the end of the day so that I could sleep and reset myself.

I had a little thought, “Maybe read some scriptures to get out of the funk.”⁣

And then a little later, “Maybe a Conference talk would help me out.”⁣

But I kept pushing those thoughts to the side. ⁣

I was in a blah mood, and I just needed to survive until the end of the day. ⁣

I told myself I didn’t have the right mindset to make my brain focus on scriptures or a talk, so I just kept surviving and scrolling. ⁣

It was a long afternoon. ⁣

When Hezekiah was having a tough time, look at what he did: ⁣

“When king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the Lord.” (2 Kings 19:1) ⁣

What do we do during the tough times? During the weird times? The frustrating times? The overwhelming times?⁣

Even the “blah” times?⁣

We aren’t meant to be happy all the time, of course. ⁣

But when we aren’t happy, do we use that as an excuse to step back from God and focus on our issues, or do we use it as an opportunity to grow closer to Him?⁣

Hezekiah was worried about battles, armies, blasphemy, and other political issues. ⁣

And he turned closer to God to find the answer. ⁣

What if we believed that turning to God really is the answer to every single problem? ⁣

No matter the issue.⁣

Growing closer to God, whether that’s through temple attendance, reading the scriptures, praying, or whatever else works for you is always the best option. ⁣

And luckily other times I’ve made good decisions where I HAVE chosen to turn to God during my rough, blah, strange moods. ⁣

And it’s always worth the effort.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A “blah” day first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.