I’d read professional development books. ⁣

I totally got into educational podcasts. ⁣

I studied the scriptures a lot and read supplemental materials. ⁣

I love learning, I had the time and the mental capacity to do it, and so I did. ⁣

Fast forward a few years and three kids later, and it blows my mind how little time I have for that anymore. ⁣

I started a podcast episode that I was super excited to listen to last week, and it took literally all week, listening to 5 or 10 minute portions here and there, to finally finish it. ⁣

My scripture study has become much more focused on the essential basics. ⁣

I can only read articles on my phone for as long as I have before I need to help someone with something else.

My speed of acquiring knowledge has slowed down.

So much to the point that it’s tempting to think, “What’s the point! I’m failing at it all.”⁣

“Your direction is more important than your speed.” -Richard L. Evans⁣

Why were the people in Jerusalem in spiritual trouble?⁣

It wasn’t because they had slowed down the speed of their spiritual progression. ⁣

“They hearkened not… and went backward, and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:24)⁣

They were going in completely the wrong direction. ⁣

A step in the right direction, no matter how small, is still a step. ⁣

Three verses of scripture read on my phone before zonking out in bed knowing I’ll only have a few hours before a kid wakes me up is a step in the right direction. ⁣

Listening to half of a conference talk because I only have 5 minutes in the car is a step in the right direction. ⁣

Sending a text to someone when I’ve been meaning to do so much more to serve them is a step in the right direction. ⁣

Forward. Not backward. ⁣

(Or when I go backward, repenting and taking that little step forward as fast as I can again.)⁣

Always trying to move a little bit closer to the Lord, inch by inch.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Direction, not speed first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

YET⁣

We talked a lot about how we often think we can’t do something, like solve a tough math problem, or dance ballet, or write an essay. ⁣

But the truth is, we can’t do those things YET! ⁣

If we put in the practice, learning, or training, we could technically do almost anything we wanted to do. ⁣

And of course, this message doesn’t only apply to sixth graders. ⁣

I can’t bake. I’m not good at drawing. I don’t garden. ⁣

And that bleeds into our spiritual development, too. ⁣

I’m not good at praying with real intent. I don’t like ministering to others. I don’t see the purpose in attending church. I’m so bad at studying my scriptures. I can’t forgive that person. I won’t feel charity toward those people. ⁣

I think Jeremiah had one of these realizations when the Lord called him to preach. ⁣

Jeremiah did NOT think he could be called as a prophet. ⁣

“Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am as a child” (Jeremiah 1:6) ⁣

And the Lord basically responded to him by pointing to the big sign on the door that said YET. ⁣

You may feel like a spiritual child right now. ⁣

But, especially when the Lord is involved, there isn’t anything we can’t do! ⁣

What new skills or strengths do you feel God wants you to learn right now, no matter your age? ⁣

Because God always adds YET.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Jeremiah heard YET 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 daughter 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)⁣

Having a WILLING HEART is something the Lord asks of each of us.

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 Willing hearts first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When I’ve read this word before, I’ve assumed it is used to describe God’s love and kindness literally. 

But I have learned that when the translators were working on the King James Version of the Bible, they often chose “lovingkindness” as the direct translation for the Hebrew word “hesed.”

However, when you look at what “hesed” means in Hebrew, it describes the unique covenant relationship where both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.

It connotes a special kind of love and mercy God extends and feels for those who make covenants with Him. 

Isaiah said, “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.”⁣ (Isaiah 63:7) 

Lovingkindness is much more than kindness and love. ⁣

God wants to share this special kind of love and devotion with us!

To access His lovingkindness, we enter into covenants with God.

So what covenants have you made with God already?

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

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Lovingkindness 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, not 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 The words to say first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

We went to this restaurant every single Tuesday while we dated and even into our first year of marriage.

I looked forward to Tuesdays during this time.

Not only would I get to eat yummy food, but my husband and I would get to connect and laugh together even when our schedules were busy. 

When we talk about the Sabbath day, we learn there are blessings when we “Call the sabbath a delight.” (Isaiah 58:13)

The Sabbath is a day set aside to strengthen our relationship with our loving Heavenly Father.

He wants us to look forward to this day with excitement and consider it a delight to reconnect with Him. 

I wasn’t forced to go to Taco Tuesdays with my husband–

I went because I loved him and wanted to spend time with him.

Similarly, I have found greater happiness when I feel delight and excitement about spending my Sabbath day developing a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.

When I don’t see the Sabbath as a burden and instead look forward to reconnecting, I am blessed with the confidence that I know who God is and how He feels about me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

I’ve done it three different times, and each time, as that due date approaches, the intensity starts to build. ⁣

I would feel that excitement to bring a new baby into the world.⁣

But I knew that I would have to experience a lot of physical pain, uncertainty, potential complications, and sleeplessness in order to get to the other side. ⁣

It’s excitement, it’s anxiety, it’s trying to be peaceful and hoping everything will go smoothly. ⁣

And then, after the journey, the new baby is laid on your chest.⁣

What a feeling. ⁣

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows:” (Isaiah 53:4) ⁣

I’ve carried and birthed three sweet little babies. ⁣

And Isaiah teaches us that our Savior has carried and borne every sorrow, trial, and tragedy we’ve experienced. ⁣

He’s struggled and become fatigued with what we currently have to endure. ⁣

Which in turn, I believe, gives Him a special kind of love toward us. ⁣

“No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.” – Elder Holland⁣

I love this motherly imagery because I am a mother, and the relationship between brutal physical sacrifice and devoted love is one that I’ve experienced firsthand. ⁣

But I also know that you don’t have to be a mom to know this. ⁣

The Savior loved us and was willing to endure real actual physical pain to then love us even more wholly. ⁣

Which means that maybe, just maybe, when we willingly sacrifice on a much smaller scale on His behalf, we grow a special kind of love for Him, too.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Borne and carried first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I once had someone start talking to me and they said, “I just heard of a school that is trying out not assigning homework. I’m interested to see what happens, cuz I think homework is a waste of time!”

This person didn’t realize that as an educator, I had read countless studies and attended trainings about the complex topic of the pros and cons of homework. ⁣

Plus, various schools have already been trying it out for years. ⁣

But this topic was completely new for this one person.⁣

We don’t know what we don’t know. ⁣

And I’ve felt exactly the same way when I’ve listened to a speaker, brought up a problem to someone who already has the solution, or wondered about a topic only to find out people have already come to great conclusions. ⁣

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)⁣

Can you imagine how much more the Lord knows than we do?!⁣

We’re like, “Hey, I think I’ve figured out how mercy works!” Or “Wow, I think I got a glimpse of true charity!” Or “Oh, THAT’s how you make fasting meaningful!”⁣

And His way of thinking and understanding is so much infinitely more than what we can even realize. ⁣

But He’ll help us out and give us glimpses of His ways. ⁣

Personal revelation is huge for this. ⁣

But so are other opportunities where people have been given priesthood authority to receive revelation that will also enrich, enlighten, and educate us.⁣

And that’s what general conference is. ⁣

A chance to hear from men and women who are speaking with priesthood authority. ⁣

People who are assigned by the prophet of God to put in the work to receive revelation for the general population of the church.

We’ve been given a chance to learn what other people have learned about God’s ways. ⁣

We’ve been given a chance to learn what He has already taught them about where we might be lacking in God’s ways. ⁣

I loved this past weekend as a beautiful time where we gathered, reflected, and received directions that we may not have even known we needed yet. ⁣

And now it’s our time to reread, study, and dive in.

General conference helps us learn the Lord’s ways just a little bit better.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The power of general conference first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The baptismal ordinance is SO simple.

It’s over in literally just a few seconds. ⁣

This powerful, soul-saving essential ordinance accompanied by everlasting covenants is so…⁣

Simple. ⁣

Pure. ⁣

Un-complicated. ⁣

It’s (mostly) little 8 year olds who love Jesus, want to follow Him, and choose to keep a commandment.⁣

It’s so simply beautiful. ⁣

“Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” (Isaiah 52:11)⁣

When these young children take upon themselves the name of Jesus and receive the Holy Ghost, they are bearing the vessels of the Lord. ⁣

These girls and boys have access to the priesthood power of the Almighty God as they keep their covenants. ⁣

Life is going to get a whole lot more complicated for these 8 year olds as they navigate what it’s really like to be Christlike in a world filled with fallen mortals and temptations everywhere. ⁣

But the premise is still pretty simple. ⁣

Whether it’s our initial baptism, or whether it’s the weekly renewal in another simple ordinance, we are invited to be clean so that we can access our priesthood power and bear His holy name. ⁣

Scrub off that sin, that tarnish, that anger, that hard heart, and just be clean. ⁣

And when that cleanliness doesn’t stay too long, we work on it again next week.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The simplicity of baptism first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

OVERWHELM:

What area of your life seems totally crazy and overwhelming right now? ⁣

Maybe housework, your calling, school work, teaching loved ones, scripture study, keeping up with schedules, other people’s problems, work…⁣

EMPTINESS:

And then what is one area of your life that seems really empty right now? ⁣

Maybe spiritual nourishment, physical excercise, gratitude, family time, organization, social life…⁣

It’s these two opposite extremes that are pretty prevalent in mortality for everyone. ⁣

We’ve all got areas that are like a crazy wilderness, and other areas that are like a dry desert.⁣

I love that the Lord promises us that He will help us in BOTH of these areas:⁣

“For the Lord shall comfort Zion… he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein”. (Isaiah 51:3) ⁣

We can turn our hearts and our desires over to Jesus.⁣

And then He can help us find the beauty within the overwhelming wildernesses we have to face. ⁣

He turns that overwhelming, exhausting overgrowth into an Eden, with purpose and love in every flower and vine. ⁣

He’s helped me find purpose in finishing that last load of laundry, or find fulfillment in saying “no” to that extra commitment. ⁣

And He can help us build up a flourishing garden in places where there were deserts. ⁣

He gives some of His everlasting water to the dry ground to bring new energy and life. ⁣

He’s helped me to see clear paths forward for how to study general conference talks more often, or given me promptings on how to find new activities to start.⁣

So what’s your wilderness right now?⁣

Where is your desert?⁣

How has the Lord helped you in the past to turn both of them into beautiful gardens, and how might He be able to help you right now?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Wilderness and desert first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.