The end of the Book of Mormon.

“The most correct of any book on earth.”

Another testament of Jesus Christ.

I needed this book this year.

I feel like the world went on a journey that needed the Book of Mormon, too.

From these pages, I was reminded that very real and very imperfect people made miracles happen.

I was reminded that the “blessings” for believing in Christ aren’t always temporal blessings.

Life can be hard at the same time that it is beautiful and peaceful.

Pride is the biggest trap, and it disguises itself by seeming justified pretty often.

God answers prayers.

God knows the bigger picture.

I have to change my heart, but also allow my heart to change my actions.

Sharing the gospel with other people brings great joy.

Everything points us to my Savior.

The Savior cares about literally everyone.

This book is life-changing. In the early latter-days of the church (which we will start studying in just a few days), it was the Book of Mormon that drew people to join a religion that seemed totally strange.

The Book of Mormon is a solid rock in the foundation of my testimony.

Whenever I feel any winds of confusion or doubt blowing, I come back to the Book of Mormon.

It is so true.

And it’s also so useful and practical. And inspirational. And heartbreaking. And powerful.

I love the Book of Mormon.

I have had the Spirit whisper time and time again to me that there is truth in every page.

I’ve heard God speak to me through its pages.

In fact, the first time that I heard God’s voice was in these pages.

And when I pray about this holy book, a sweet Spirit of peace fills my heart.

Every time.

Just peace.

Peace in my heart.

Peace is the real blessing.

I know the Book of Mormon is true, and studying it every single day in 2020 has changed my life. God is good, and Jesus loves me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My final testimony first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

She asked me one day: “What do you think your special spiritual power is?”

She shared that hers was to sense other people’s emotions, even when they wanted to hide them.

I told her that I felt that the Spirit told me truths all the time, both eternal truths, and also about things that would happen in the future.

We had an interesting discussion together about how we both felt that these “powers” were meant to be kept privately.

She totally believed the few sacred experiences I shared with her were true, and she shared some of her beautiful experiences, too.

I’ll never forget that conversation. It was reverent, it was sacred, and it was respectful.

But we also spoke freely about the powers from beyond the veil that can make real differences in our lives.

Because I think the Spirit is more powerful than I even realize.

The Spirit has told me the truth many times.

I’ve had pure gospel truths confirmed to me, like the validity of the Book of Mormon.

I’ve had truths revealed to me about my relationships, like who to become friends with or who to distance myself from.

And I’ve had truths about future events revealed to me, like whether or not I was getting a job or whether something I was worried about would actually happen.

And each time, the Spirit tells me truth in the most peaceful and meek way.

I don’t feel any pride. I don’t feel the need to tell others. I don’t boast.

I just know the Truth.

And I know that God knows that I know.

I think that the truth is quiet. It is powerful and confident, but it is quiet.

And I also think that the Spirit can bring that same truth to anyone who seeks.

I know that I can’t know the answer to every question. I can think of many times when I’ve asked, and NOT received truth. I’ve just received nothing.

But those moments are even still a little comforting. Because I know that if I’m not having the truth revealed to me, it means I’m not meant to know yet.

And then I feel peace.

We can seek for truth. God wants us to know truths, and He gives us His Spirit to let us hear the truths we need.

Whether we are making a personal decision, or seeking for the truth of an ancient record, the Spirit can reveal the truth of all things.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Seeking for the truth first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“It also essentially entails doing good, being good, and becoming better.” – Elder David A. Bednar

Elder Bednar echoes what Moroni ends with so perfectly.

In order to become perfected in Christ, we have to deny ourselves of all ungodliness.

We need to repent and turn away from sin.

Work on overcoming weakness and stand strong against temptation.

But just staying clean isn’t going to get us to “perfection”.

We then have to love God with all our might, mind, and strength.

We have to get up and do good things.

We have to serve, to listen to promptings, to love each other.

Our hearts have to change.

And that’s how we become perfect.

Personally, I feel like my focus changes all the time.

Some days, I’m working on getting rid of sin.

And other days, I’m working to do good with a willing and loving heart.

And being perfected in Christ requires both.

I know we talk about how we can’t become perfect here on earth.

But I do believe that we can become more and more perfected every day.

It’s just about keeping both parts of the equation in mind:

Getting rid of the bad.

And coming to Christ with the good.

And once we show that we can do this in small increments, our Savior shares His grace to slowly make us more and more like Him.

To perfect ourselves in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Perfected in Christ first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I sometimes think about how I could literally do anything I wanted to right now.

I could take off running down the street and never come back. I could lay in bed all day. I could order any food that I wanted and eat it. I could drive anywhere. I could stop doing things that I’m doing right now.

I could also call someone right now and catch up with an old friend. I could make a treat and drop it on someone’s doorstep. I could immerse myself in General Conference talks. I could make a goal and take a step to achieve it. I could clean something. I could listen to some good music.

Like… isn’t it overwhelming the amount of freedom that we have every single day?!

Obviously, I don’t have freedom from any consequences, but I can do literally anything that I want at anytime.

Which was what I thought of when I read Moroni’s warning exhortation to us in Moroni 10:8:

“Deny not the gifts of God”.

I know that there are some spiritual gifts that I’ve been given.

And I’m also very aware of my imperfections.

So… what if I asked God to give me gifts of the Spirit that will help turn my imperfections into glorious strengths?!

I have the agency to ask that.

And Elder Dallin H. Oaks encouraged us to do just that:

“We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections.”

We can ask.

We can pray and ask for more personal revelation. We can pray and ask for a stronger testimony. We can pray and ask to understand the scriptures better. We can pray and ask to behold angels in our lives. We can pray and ask to be better teachers.

And when I fall into the ever-popular, “That’s just who I am!” – I am denying gifts from God.

I am deciding that I am not good enough for a gift. Or I don’t need it.

Which, unfortunately, is a choice I totally can make with my agency.

But I don’t want to.

I want to ask. Humbly, meekly, with the intent to serve others and grow closer to the Divine.

I want to ask for the spiritual gifts that will strengthen my imperfections and bring me closer to my Savior.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How do you deny a spiritual gift? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Down south to Disneyland, across Nevada, or just to the mountains.

But I learned from a young age that I like to just stare out the window of a car.

My mom would always get fun activities for my sisters and me to do, we’d check out books from the library…

But I would often find that I would spend half the day just staring out the window, thinking.

And when I learned how to drive, I remember learning that all my friends had carefully curated playlists on their iPods for driving.

And I preferred driving in silence.

I liked that time to just let my mind wander. To think on nothing and everything at the same time. To tell stories in my head, relive funny or amazing moments in the past, think about big picture questions.

And slowly but surely throughout the years, I’ve filled my time with things to do.

Productive things. Fun things. Meaningful things. Wasteful things.

I’ve given birth to two children who like to occupy a lot of my time, too.

And all of a sudden, I have to intentionally create time to ponder.

In fact, my decision to focus on pondering while I read the scriptures is what sparked my intense passion for them a few years ago.

Setting time limits to study instead of verse numbers to study transformed (and I can’t use that word strongly enough!) my experience with the word of God.

But I’m still trying to ponder more. To turn things off. To not turn a show on and scroll through my phone at the same time.

To give my brain a break and to just… let my mind wander.

Why?

Not just because I enjoy quiet time and thinking.

It’s because all of my moments of transformation have come from letting my mind think on things.

My decisions. My resolve to follow certain commandments better. My feelings of which relationships to pursue and which to let go. My analysis of my performance in jobs or callings.

And ultimately, my testimony.

Because when I stop everything and let my mind run free, I find that God speaks.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Pondering in silence first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Mormon had just finished telling his son Moroni about the terrible things that were going on with the Lamanites and Nephites, and what tragic futures were to come.

But then he reminds his son:

Don’t let these things weigh you down.

Don’t let the evils of others bring your spirit and your faith down.

Don’t let the wickedness of the world dim your light.

Don’t let other people’s poor decisions linger in your mind.

And instead?

Let Christ lift you up.

Let your knowledge of His atoning sacrifice bring you hope.

Let His mercy linger in your mind.

Let His goodness be a powerful example to you.

What a lesson right?

Sometimes, I wish that I didn’t tie so many of my posts into “2020”. But at the end of the day, I can’t ignore the similarities between the end of the Book of Mormon and our current reality.

There is a lot of evil around us.

There are people with ill-intentions.

There are people making terrible decisions that affect us.

And yet, knowing that Christ has already atoned for our sins makes the weight much less heavy.

Because – Christ has already won. He has won victory over sin, over weaknesses, and over death.

And that knowledge can lift us up, even when we are surrounded by the most unpleasant of circumstances.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Weighed down and lifted up first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s still weird to me that I gave birth this year.

Going into labor can be scary.

Having severe abdominal attacks a few months later can be scary.

Going in for emergency surgery without anyone allowed to be with you can be scary.

An unexpected 3-day hospital stay while your breastfed infant is at home can be scary.

Handing your little baby over to be put under anesthesia for an MRI can be scary.

Scheduling an appointment with a pediatric specialist can be scary.

Thinking of your baby’s different future can be scary.

And add that on top of what everyone else has also experienced, with general health scares, political unrest, and social issues…

When I write it all down, it seems bad. Truly frightening.

But can I be honest?

While the opportunities for fear have surrounded me, I feel like I’ve had a pretty peaceful year.

It’s been a year of stretching and growth. A year of new perspectives and refined priorities.

But not a year of fear.

To be clear, I don’t say that with a sense of pride or superiority.

In fact, I am well aware that this is a special spiritual gift that I have, and I have been specifically told that.

But those few moments when I have felt that fear start to creep up, in that moment where I sat in a waiting room by myself as they carried my baby away, I turned to my Father in Heaven.

In humility, in meekness. In love.

Loving my Heavenly Father is what cast out those little inklings of fear.

Loving my Savior is what transformed my fear to peace and confidence.

I’m not perfect at it, but when I have been in my most desperate times, I have had moments of pure and perfect love. Pure and perfect devotion to the Divine.

And I have found for myself that these moments of true, pure, perfect love for Heaven have cast out my fear.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Casting out fear first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Never fails… whom?

I’ve been pondering on that this week.

And I really think that charity never fails US.

I think most of us can recite that “charity is the pure love of Christ”.

But then I hope I’m not alone in often picturing charity as an action. Reaching out. Making a call. Pulling weeds. Making beds. Being a listening ear.

(Which are all amazing actions to take, of course!)

But I think it’s important to remember that charity is actually just a feeling.

In fact, according to the Bible Dictionary, charity is “the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love”.

In the scriptures, the word “charity” is never even used to refer to good deeds.

Instead, it is an emotion we feel inside of ourselves.

It can totally be the motivating factor for us to then reach out and perform acts of service for other people!

But charity is love.

Feeling love NEVER fails US.

I clarify “US” because our acts of service can certainly fail other people.

I may think I’m being a fantastic ministering sister, while someone complains that I don’t fulfill my assignment very well.

I may think I’m being a helpful volunteer, while someone thinks that I’m wasting my time.

I may think I’m being thoughtful, while someone thinks I’m being overbearing.

I can’t control how the pure love that I feel in my heart is then perceived by other people. (Of course, tact and sensitivity are always qualities I strive for, too! But at the end of the day, I can only do my best.)

But the Godly love that I try to cultivate can change me. It can save me.

What a timely message, right?!

The more love we feel for other people, the more Christlike we become. Because He loves everyone, too.

Everything else will fail in the end.

But feeling a deep love, a love that is kind, patient, and humble… THAT will sustain us through everything.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Highest, Noblest, and Strongest Love first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Here’s what I mean –

Shortly after Kyle and I were married, we moved wards, and I was called as Ward Choir Director.

We were brand new in the ward, and I remember the member of the bishopric kind of laughing as he extended the calling and saying, “You are probably feeling very under-qualified and overwhelmed by this call, but I know the Lord will help you fulfill it.”

And I sighed a bit as I shared just a short list of my musical background and assured him I felt just fine accepting the calling.

The truth was, though, I was disappointed in the calling.

I wanted to be able to teach the gospel. To be in Young Women’s, or Primary. To interact with other strong women and create goodness together. To plan fun events and learn gospel principles together. To make friends in this new ward.

Not to beg people to come to choir practice all by myself.

But I fulfilled the duties that were outlined in my calling.

I did them grudgingly, but I did them. The choir rehearsed and performed on schedule. The songs sounded pretty good. We grew our participation numbers.

But I had such a prideful attitude about it.

After a full year of this calling, General Conference rolled around. And sure enough, there was a talk about serving with real intent in our hearts.

Some pride in my heart started to soften as I realized that I had been “serving” by fulfilling my checklist duties, but my heart was not being fed or changed by my service.

I knew I needed to make a dramatic change in order to root out the pride and anger. I wanted to become more Christlike, but I wasn’t quite sure how.

So I thought, “How can I be the best Choir Director I could possibly be?!”

And then I got to work.

I had that calling for another year and a half, and I found true joy in it. I made good friends who were choir members and accompanists. I was overcome with the Spirit while conducting performances of a simple 8-person, 2-part choir.

I finally felt like I was serving my ward members, and I finally felt like I was serving the Lord.

I’m really good at tricking my mind into thinking that if I just go through the actions, I’m doing what’s required of me.

But nothing counts as much as the intent.

Are we serving, giving, loving with pure intent in our hearts? Or are we doing it grudgingly?

After 2 1/2 transformative years in that calling, we moved. I was grateful for the lesson I had learned, and was ready to jump into a new calling in my new ward “all in”, with pure intent.

My new calling in my new ward?

Ward Choir Director.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Ward Choir Director first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

By Friday, I had gotten to know the girls in my group extremely well, but I was still a little nervous about this lesson.

I mean, I had taught them tons of times by that point, but I felt the weight of this particular lesson for some reason.

I prayed a lot and pondered a lot, and eventually I had a story pop into my mind to share and center my lesson around.

Friday came, and it was a beautiful experience. The Spirit was felt, girls opened up about their feelings, and I knew that I had followed the promptings of the Spirit.

The next week came, and I felt so excited for Friday’s lesson that time! I had the thought to re-plan my lesson, but I pushed it aside, because the previous week had been so successful.

Friday came, and I taught the lesson the same exact way.

And it was a total flop. I didn’t feel the Spirit, I could tell my girls weren’t feeling it, and I just felt confused.

Until the Spirit quietly reprimanded me:

“I am not a calculation.”

I’ve thought about that moment a lot.

The Spirit will not always tell us to do the same things.

It isn’t some exact calculation that tells us that if we sing this hymn, or read this scripture, or tell this story, or conduct our meetings in this exact way, we will automatically bring the Spirit.

Some of us might be in leadership or teaching callings right now that require us to constantly ask for the Spirit’s guidance on how to fulfill our assignments.

But I also thought about my role as a mother. As a wife. As a daughter of God.

Am I clinging to, “This is how it worked for me in the past, so I’m going to keep doing it!”?

Or am I constantly relying on the Lord to teach me through His Spirit how to best study my scriptures TODAY?

How to best pray, how to teach my children, how to grow my marriage, how to serve others… today?

Because I think it changes all the time.

Effective scripture study today looks a whole lot different to me than it did 2 years ago.

And that’s just fine.

So my reflecting question is – am I guessing I know exactly what the Spirit wants me to do?

Or am I waiting for His constant recalculation?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Recalculating the Spirit first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.