Moroni’s life and his own commentary reveal that he was going through pretty much exactly what brave Anna was experiencing in her dark cave. ⁣

Can you imagine being all alone?

And not knowing what was going to happen to you next?⁣

After having lived a life of general predictability, being thrown into a situation where you have absolutely no idea what tomorrow might bring?⁣

Moroni had been honest ever since his father died. ⁣

He didn’t think he was going to live very long. ⁣

So he hurried and wrote down his father’s last teachings. ⁣

But then… he was still alive. ⁣

So he looked at the Jaredite records, and had a prompting that he should abridge those. ⁣

Halfway through, he said goodbye again. ⁣

But after still being alive, he kept going until those records were complete.⁣⁣

And then he was still alive. ⁣

As unpleasant as it might seem, Moroni was actually expecting to be killed, time after time. ⁣

And so when his plans changed and he was left with unexpectedly large amounts of free time, what did he do?⁣

He did the next right thing. ⁣

He didn’t spend his days wasting away, thinking that his death would come eventually. ⁣

And he didn’t wait to see the whole big picture before jumping in. ⁣

He just took a step.

And then another step.

And then another, not being able to see the next step until he had taken the one right in front of him. ⁣

I’ve had plenty of times where my life has turned upside down.

Searching for a job that wasn’t coming, leaving an opportunity that I loved, or even having some summer plans completely change. ⁣

On a much, much smaller and less dramatic scale, I have often needed to remind myself of this same lesson. ⁣

I can’t see the whole plan.

I can’t know the purpose for every action. ⁣

But I think I can figure out what the very next right thing is, and take that step.

And that keeps me moving forward, through the darkness of uncertainty.

“Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished…” (Moroni 1:1)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Ready for a spiritual thought from Frozen 2?! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(We were talking about the 4 gospel writers with their similarities and differences.)

“Wouldn’t it just have been easier if Jesus Himself wrote down everything that He did and said?!?”

I had to laugh.

I mean… YES.

Can you imagine?!

Jesus writing down what He actually did and experienced and said?

Honestly, I think we couldn’t really comprehend it.

It would be too much.

But I got this kid’s point.

Why don’t we have more clear facts about Jesus?

A cohesive timeline about what He did?

A plethora of details that are missing from every story in the four gospels?

That would be so nice for my little mortal logical brain to have and to study.

But we don’t get that.

We get lots of messy, possibly mis-translated accounts from a couple thousand years ago.

Now Anna and Simeon had one of the coolest experiences ever:

They got to SEE baby Jesus at the temple.

But… I guess a lot of people technically probably saw this little infant that Mary and Joseph had with them.

But Anna and Simeon had a testimony-building experience where they witnessed of the Messiah’s divinity.

“She coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)

“Anna and Simeon were eyewitnesses to the infant, but… their knowledge of his divine mission came through the witness of the Holy Ghost.” -Dallin H. Oaks

That’s the cool part.

We don’t actually have to see baby Jesus.

We don’t actually need an itemized list of what He did and when.

In order to KNOW Him and TESTIFY of Him.

The Spirit can witness to us of Jesus’ reality and divinity.

And we can go and share.

We can have the same experience that Anna and Simeon had in the temple that day in Jerusalem.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Anna and Simeon first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.