It seems like the winds never stop. ⁣

I try to block things out for a bit – but when I resurface with my emotions, the wind is still there. ⁣

I keep trying, but I can’t get rid of it. ⁣

It can be exhausting. ⁣

To want to fix a problem. To want to eliminate the wind and keep the calm sea for just a bit. To feel in control. ⁣

But the wind still blows. ⁣

And so these two verses jumped out to me:⁣

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters…” (Ether 6:5)⁣

“The wind did never cease to blow…” (Ether 6:8)⁣

The Jaredites experienced constant and furious winds. ⁣

For weeks and months on end, the wind blew and there wasn’t a thing they could do about it. ⁣

But guess which part of the scriptures actually jumped out to me?⁣

The second half. ⁣

Read those same verses again, now with the endings added:⁣

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:5)⁣

“The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:8)⁣

The winds weren’t blowing just for fun. The Lord didn’t forget about calming the sees of their journey. ⁣

The winds were exactly what was driving them towards the Promised Land. ⁣

Maybe some Jaredites prayed for the wind to stop or at least slow down. ⁣

But that actually would have gone against their prayers for safety on their journey. ⁣

The winds WERE the answer. They were what was driving them towards the result they wanted. The result He knew they needed. ⁣

And so I received the reminder I so desperately needed. ⁣

I don’t think my winds are going anywhere right now. ⁣

Because they are actually blowing me towards my destination. ⁣

Thanks, furious, never-ending wind. ⁣

I have faith that my destination will be even greater than what I have in mind.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The wind doesn’t stop  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’m not sure exactly the emotions, but I’m willing to bet there was anxiety.

Doubt.

Probably some fear.

All flashing through the Jaredites’ minds to some degree.

But what did the Jaredites choose to do?

“They did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.” (Ether 6:9)

I’ve always loved the holiday of Thanksgiving!

It’s fun to hear all the people around me express their gratitude for the things they are thankful for.

But when we focus on our “gratitude list,” it can be easy to be jealous of what others have.

Or it can even be tempting to wallow in self-pity for what we are missing out on.

Instead, we can take inspiration from the Jaredites and feel joy and gratitude to the Lord no matter our circumstances.

“I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Whether we are trapped in a tiny wooden barge traveling hundreds of miles through the ocean.

Whether we are dealing with other really rough times.

Whether we are concerned for the wellbeing of others.

We can always choose to feel gratitude to the God who gives us life and love.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Gratitude in the barge  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Someone who invites you to their parties, is super fun to hang out with, and responds to your texts!”⁣

But since my high school days of tons of friends, (very G-rated) parties every weekend, and texting all day (as long as I didn’t go over my monthly limit), my experiences with friends have changed. ⁣

I’ve had periods of time where I’ve made friends quickly.

And I’ve had other periods where I’ve moved to a new place and never felt like I quite fit in. ⁣

And I’ve learned to change my definition of “friend”. ⁣

I’ve learned that I can make friends with anyone, of any age, in any life circumstance. ⁣

I’ve learned that while I can’t control who “likes” me, I can control who I reach out to. ⁣

Sisters that I’ve ministered to, served with, called, accidentally cried with, reached out to…⁣

Those are the people I consider my friends. ⁣

Who were Jared and his brother concerned about, as much as their families?⁣

Their friends. ⁣

“Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.” (Ether 1:36)

When Jared asked his brother to pray for the Lord, he requested that the Lord specifically spare their friends, and they all travelled together to the new land. ⁣

We don’t get many stories of friendship in the Book of Mormon, so this really stood out to me as I studied. ⁣

Jared and the Brother of Jared wanted to be with their friends.⁣

Maybe they hung out together every evening and enjoyed each other’s company. ⁣

And I bet that they bore each other’s burdens. ⁣

They had sympathy, they jumped up in the middle of the night, they went out of their way to serve…⁣

And when we serve, we grow our love toward that person. ⁣

I’m grateful for the amazing friends that I have – the ones who have served my family, and the ones who allow me to serve them. ⁣

And I’m grateful that the friendships, not just the family relationships, that I make in this life will continue into the eternities.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Friends in the Book of Mormon  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.” (Ether 2:19)

But the brother of Jared had been the one who had built the barges!

I have a feeling that as he was building, he may have realized that light and air were going to be issues.

He had faith, though, that if the Lord had asked him to build these barges, then they could figure out the details later.

I really like to “see the forest before the trees” when I move forward with my life.

I like to feel confident in the big picture before I start working on the details.

But often, the Lord just shows us one tree at a time.

The whole forest won’t come into focus until after we’ve shown our obedience to the little stuff, even if we think it can’t possibly come together in the end.

Can we build our faith so that we trust the Lord will show us how it all fits into a big, beautiful forest someday?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The forest and the trees first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Knowing that there was no way to steer?

Commending yourself entirely to the Lord your God?

What anxiety, doubt, and fear I’m sure flashed through their minds.

But what did they CHOOSE to do?

They sang praises to the Lord.

They thanked the Lord all day long.

And when the night came?

They didn’t cease to praise the Lord.

Thanksgiving always brings a special spirit to me.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved it.

And I think this Thanksgiving gives us a special opportunity to reflect:

Have we lost ourselves in the “list” of things we are thankful for, sometimes wallowing in what isn’t on the list, or jealous of what we think should be on the list?

Or have we used this year to practice our attitude of gratitude?

We don’t have to be grateful for 2020.

We can be. But we don’t have to have it on our list.

President Uchtdorf put it so eloquently:

“This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer.”

We are grateful to God IN our circumstances.

Whether we are trapped in a tiny, wooden barge, traveling hundreds of miles through the ocean.

Or whether we are dealing with job loss, loss of loved ones, financial insecurity, faith crises, or any other type of despair.

We can develop and show gratitude.

Through prayers, through scripture study, through service, and through singing.

We can always feel gratitude.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

And I realized how grateful I am that I haven’t had to deal with that.

With a two-year-old and a baby, I haven’t needed to explain to them how the world is different right now.

I haven’t needed to explain why things are cancelled or changed.

I haven’t had to deal with any fear or anxiety on their parts.

But, I know that as they grow up, there are going to plenty of tumultuous and horrifying events that will rock their worlds.

And I’ll have to address all of these conversations I’m being spared right now.

As the Jaredites crossed the ocean, they were buried in the depths of the water.

“When they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish”. (Ether 6:7)

They couldn’t be harmed by the water, because their vessel was tight.

Imagine that sense of security – knowing that the thing you are in is so impenetrable that it doesn’t matter if you encounter a giant whale, a huge wave, or anything else.

You know you’ll be safe because nothing can get in.

And so I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how I want my family environment to be tight like a dish.

To immerse our family in so much prayer, scripture study, service, family fun, temple work, church activities…

That there is no room for the adversary’s storms to enter.

I want to show my kids that while we absolutely cannot control what goes on around us, there is no reason to feel fear.

Of course, we are mortal, and valid anxiety and emotions will seep through from the heavy weight of the water.

But we can continue making our vessel as tight as possible.

We can create and feel security that will carry us emotionally through the tumultuous waves outside.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Tight like unto a dish first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seems like the winds never stop.

I try to block things out for a bit – but when I resurface with my emotions, the wind is still there.

I keep trying, but I can’t get rid of it.

It can be exhausting.

To want to fix a problem. To want to eliminate the wind and keep the calm sea for just a bit. To feel in control.

But the wind still blows.

And so these two verses jumped out to me:

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters…” (Ether 6:5)

“The wind did never cease to blow…” (Ether 6:8)

The Jaredites experienced constant and furious winds.

For weeks and months on end, the wind blew and there wasn’t a thing they could do about it.

But guess which part of the scriptures actually jumped out to me?

The second half.

Read those same verses again, now with the endings added:

“The Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:5)

“The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:8)

The winds weren’t blowing just for fun. The Lord didn’t forget about calming the sees of their journey.

The winds were exactly what was driving them towards the Promised Land.

Maybe some Jaredites prayed for the wind to stop or at least slow down.

But that actually would have gone against their prayers for safety on their journey.

The winds WERE the answer. They were what was driving them towards the result they wanted. The result He knew they needed.

And so I received the reminder I so desperately needed.

I don’t think my winds are going anywhere right now.

Because they are actually blowing me towards my destination.

Thanks, furious, never-ending wind.

Artwork: Jonathan Arthur Clarke

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Where the winds blow first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Someone who invites you to their parties, is super fun to hang out with, and responds to your texts!”

But since my high school days of tons of friends, (very G-rated) parties every weekend, and texting all day (as long as I didn’t go over my monthly limit), my experiences with friends have changed.

I’ve had periods of time where I’ve made friends quickly. And I’ve had other periods where I’ve moved to a new place and never felt like I quite fit in.

And I’ve learned to change my definition of “friend”.

Instead of people my age who are super fun and invite me to do things, I’ve learned that I can make friends with anyone, of any age, in any life circumstance.

I’ve learned that while I can’t control who “likes” me, I can control who I reach out to.

Sisters that I’ve ministered to, served with, called, accidentally cried with, reached out to…

Those are the people I consider my friends.

Who were Jared and his brother concerned about, as much as their families?

Their friends.

When Jared asked his brother to pray for the Lord, he requested that the Lord specifically spare their friends, and they all travelled together to the new land.

We don’t get many stories of friendship in the Book of Mormon, so this really stood out to me as I studied.

Jared and the Brother of Jared wanted to be with their friends.

Maybe they hung out together every evening and enjoyed each other’s company.

But I bet that they bore each other’s burdens.

They had sympathy, they jumped up in the middle of the night, they went out of their way to serve…

And when we serve, we grow our love towards that person.

When I want more friends, I know that I can find more people to serve and get to know.

I’m grateful for the amazing friends that I have – the ones who have served my family, and the ones who allow me to serve them.

And I’m grateful that the friendships, not just the family relationships, that I make in this life will continue into the eternities.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Making new friends first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The Brother of Jared built the barges, but started getting concerned about the lack of light within the boats.

So he asked the Lord.

“O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer?” (2:19)

But the Lord didn’t answer that question. He gave the Brother of Jared some direction about air that he had asked about, too.

He went and did as he was commanded, and solved the air issue.

But then he went back to the Lord and cried again about the light issue.

“O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?” (2:22)

And finally, the Lord acknowledged his cry. But He responded with turning it back to him.

“What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (2:23)

But the Lord didn’t stop there. He then listed all the ways that they would NOT be able to have light.

“Ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces.”

“Neither shall ye take fire with you.” (2:23)

And then he asks the Brother of Jared one more time:

“What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” (2:25)

Finally, the Brother of Jared realized that this was going to require some work on his part. The Lord wasn’t going to just tell him what to do.

And so he came up with a plan, and humbly presented it to the Lord.

The Lord accepted the plan and touched the 16 stones with His hand.

Which led to the Brother of Jared, filled with faith, requesting to see Jesus Christ.

And he did.

This back and forth, this seemingly messy conversation with the Lord, filled with repeated asking, and responses about what not to do…

It was exactly the pathway that needed to happen in order for the Brother of Jared to have the most sacred experience of his life.

True communion with the Lord is work. It is hard work.

And hard work brings miracles.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Prayer is a form of work first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Often I get caught up in all the complicated and intricate ways that Heavenly Father responds to me, that I forget that sometimes, He is totally ready to just give me a response when I ask a question.

The Brother of Jared spoke to the Lord: “We shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.” (Ether 2:19)

And the Lord responded: “Thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.” (Ether 2:20)

A concern was presented.

And an answer was given.

But there’s one thing that I noticed.

The Brother of Jared had already built the barges.

The Lord had previously told him to build barges, and the Brother of Jared built them, knowing he didn’t have the answers.

He built them knowing that air and light were going to be concerns.

He didn’t need to know all the details before he started.

He knew that if the Lord had told him to build barges, all of the issues would be solved and questions answered in due time.

I like to “see the forest before the trees” when I work through new projects in my life.

I like to see the whole picture before I can take the steps from tree to tree.

But often, the Lord just shows us one tree at a time, before we ever see the forest.

He’ll answer our questions when He knows they need to be answered, and not when we first think of them.

The Lord absolutely can answer our prayers right after we ask our questions – but sometimes, the timing of our asking is the most important part.

Build. Get to work. If the Lord commanded, He will answer the small questions when He knows we need them.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Answers when we need them first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.