Things that are unexplainable, grand, and inspiring. ⁣

But I have found that most of the time, my success comes from my hard work, my desire to learn, and my application of knowledge. ⁣

… so is that taking God out of the equation to acknowledge that?⁣

Let’s look at Captain Moroni’s battle against Zarahemnah’s Lamanite troops. ⁣

Moroni and Lehi had surrounded the Lamanites and were asking for their surrender.

Moroni verbally expressed that he knew the Nephite armies had prevailed because of their faith in God. ⁣

Zarahemnah’s response as he was surrounded by Nephite armies?⁣

“We do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.” (Alma 44:9)⁣

In other words, “Moroni, it certainly wasn’t a god who helped you. You just wore armor and were very smart about your battle plans – that’s why you won!”⁣

What Zarahemnah did not know is that Moroni had gone to the high priest Alma in order to find out where the Lamanite armies were going and how they should attack. ⁣

Moroni was cunning and brilliant with his battle plans – because he had faith in God who showed him what to do. ⁣

And that armor they wore? The Nephites traditionally always had better defensive wear than the Lamanites. So I’m sure Moroni used his God-given brilliance to continue those same preparations. ⁣

Zarahemnah was partially right in his argument. ⁣

Moroni won due to his cunning and armor. ⁣

But Zarahemnah missed the big, obvious connection that Moroni attributed his cunning and armor to the One who gave him breath. ⁣

Using my talent and intellect to find success in this life is exactly what God intends me to do with my gifts.

But He also wants to make sure I don’t lose sight, like Zarahemnah did, of where all of my power comes from.

Miracles that look like logical outcomes are still miracles from a loving Heavenly Father.

And acknowledging this constantly is what can help keep my heart soft and humble. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post That wasn’t a miracle!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Have you experienced one of these dog-piles of chaos and trials before?!

Health trials, emotional trials, physical trials, anxiety-inducing trials…

I was just a mess.

I knew I was in survival mode.

But I later realized that I was also in “spiritual survival mode”.

This was NOT the time of my life for lengthy scripture study sessions, devotional podcasts, and abundantly reaching out to serve others.

I was overdrawing from my personal spiritual bank account.

I was taking out a whole lot more emotional strength than I was putting in at the time.

And I think this is how it should be when these crazy moments hit.

I needed to draw on every ounce of spiritual testimony and peace that I had already found in order to keep my head above water.

A few months later, after my life calmed down a bit, I realized I needed to kick my spiritual preparation into gear again.

Captain Moroni teaches us something interesting about strengthening weak places in times of peace:

“In their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.” (Alma 48:9)

There wasn’t any contention going on at the time.

But Captain Moroni was spending time, energy, and resources to prepare for a future battle that he knew would happen.

You can’t really fortify during an attack.

It’s all about the preparation beforehand.

And if you are in a time of (relative) spiritual peace, then we know some sort of battle will come our way at some point.

It’s all about loading as many spiritual experiences, scriptural inspiration, and powerful prayer into our spiritual bank account so that when the chaotic parts of life come, there’s a fortress ready to handle the wear and tear.

It is essential to strengthen ourselves in times of peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Strengthen during times of peace  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What is my “why”?

Why do I choose to do what I do each day?

Each and every thing.

Like emptying the dishwasher.

Reading a book to my kids.

Making time for date night.

Attending church on Sunday.

Studying the scriptures.

Why do I do it?

I’ve learned that I actually feel so much more empowered when I remember WHY I actually want to be doing each task.

I want to contribute to my home. I want to raise curious children. I want to strengthen my marriage. I want to worship God and take the sacrament. I want to invite the Spirit into my life even more.

Thinking of these “big” reasons makes the little mundane or habit-driven tasks so much more exciting and purposeful.

When Moroni went out to rally his troops, he also reminded his people of their “why.”

“He went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part.” (Alma 46:19)

And when he reminded them of their “why”, everyone was inspired to act.

They weren’t forced, guilted, or just convinced.

They thought about their purpose, and then they knew they wanted to do something.

What are your big picture “why”s for everything that you do each day?

Reflecting on this purpose can give us enough motivation to “rally the troops” and infuse a spiritual adrenaline rush into our lives.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rally the troops first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Alma tried preaching here, but left because no one was listening.

Amulek joined him and they were able to convert a few people.

But then the head of the government in that city rounded up all the believers.

The men were cast out and stoned.

And the women and children were burned.

Pure evil.

Alma prophesied of the city’s impending destruction, and pretty soon, Lamanite armies launched a surprise attack.

They completely decimated the city. All the inhabitants were killed. There were too many bodies to bury, so the city just stank.

No one wanted to go near it.

Eventually, people started inhabiting that land again, but it was a weak city. It had been gutted, and it wasn’t easy to rebuild.

So when the Lamanites wanted to attack again, they knew exactly which city would give them the easy win and build momentum.

Ammonihah.

But when they got there, they were astonished.

This city had been rebuilt and fortified in a manner in which no city had ever been fortified before.

An easy win turned into a powerhouse stronghold, and the Lamanites turned away without even trying.

I have many weak places.

I have sins. I have weaknesses. I am a fallen woman.

But what does Christ do?

He makes weak things become strong.

He takes my sins, any hint of evil desire, and He cuts it down. He destroys it.

But then He builds.

He restores.

He strengthens.

The sin from my past now becomes my strength. I am able to connect and empathize with those who struggle with the same things. I am able to see evil for what it is. I am able to warn and teach.

I have been rebuilt, and now I will not fall.

How?

Because of my Savior.

Because I talk about Him, and read about Him. I think about Him, and serve Him.

He allowed His mortal body to be totally destroyed.

So that I can be rebuilt, stronger than before.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rebuilt by Christ first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I gave birth to my little boy in January, and adding a new human to the mix always makes things a little more chaotic, with a lot less sleep.

And then, in early March, I started having random, intense abdominal attacks and my doctor had no clue what was going on.

And then, I had the realization that my sweet baby boy had a vision impairment.

And then… the world shut down, bringing insecurities of every kind, but especially social isolation.

And so our family navigated multiple doctor’s appointments, meetings with specialists via Zoom, an ultrasound, scan, emergency hospital stay, unexpected surgery, MRI under anesthesia, diagnosis…

All during a pandemic.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was in “survival mode”, as I know many others have been.

I was overdrawing from my spiritual bank – taking out a whole lot more emotional strength than I was putting in at the time.

As it should be in times like that.

But a few weeks ago, I realized that the biggest storms had passed, and yet I was mentally still in a war zone.

My family is doing great now. Barrett has his diagnosis and resources to help him move forward. I’ve got one less organ in my body and I’m not in constant fear of another painful attack.

This is my time of peace. We are good.

But I haven’t been ramping up my spiritual protection as much as I should be.

Captain Moroni used his times of peace to fortify cities against future attacks.

You can’t really fortify during an attack – it’s all about the preparation.

And so now that my mental and physical “attacks” have subsided, I’m choosing to switch back into preparation mode.

I’m now hoarding all the spiritual experiences, the immersion in the scriptures, the special moments praying.

I’m putting it all into my spiritual bank.

I’m building up that fortress.

So that the next time I have to go to battle (because I know that difficult times are still ahead for me), I’ll have a wealth of knowledge and strength to draw on.

Because I have strengthened in my times of peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Strengthen in times of peace first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve thought about this question a lot.

As a mom, as a wife, as a disciple, as a writer and speaker…

Why do I do what I do each day?

Being able to go on mental autopilot is fantastic for some of my daily tasks.

But, in general, autopilot is the enemy of my “why”.

• Why did I choose to be a mom and take care of my two kids?
• Why do I try to make my husband a priority?
• Why do I spend a large portion of my personal time devoted to becoming more Christlike?
• Why do I take time to write my thoughts down and share them with others?

When I honestly consider each of these questions, I’m infused with purpose and joy.

Captain Moroni wrote his “why” on part of his coat and rallied others who resonated with his “why”.

And I try to “rally” myself to the remembrance of my “why” each day, too.

I need to take that time to center myself and be reminded of all the reasons I’m living the life I am right now.

And that gives me a little surge of adrenaline to keep going.

So what’s your “why” for each of your roles right now?

I challenge you to step out of autopilot for a second, and “rally the troops” sometime today.

(By the way, personal prayers are a fantastic time and way to do this!)

What would you wave on a flag and proudly share that gives you motivation and pride?

What’s your “why”?

Artwork by Walter Rane

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post What’s your why? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Things that are unexplainable, grand, and inspiring.

But I have found that most of the time, my success comes from my hard work, my desire to learn, and my application of knowledge.

… so is that taking God out of the equation to acknowledge that?

Let’s look at Captain Moroni’s battle against Zarahemnah’s Lamanite troops.

Moroni and Lehi had surrounded the Lamanites and were asking for their surrender. Moroni verbally expressed that he knew the Nephite armies had prevailed because of their faith in God.

Zarahemnah’s response as he was surrounded by Nephite armies?

“We do not believe that it is God that has delivered us into your hands; but we believe that it is your cunning that has preserved you from our swords. Behold, it is your breastplates and your shields that have preserved you.” (Alma 44:9)

In other words, “Moroni, it certainly wasn’t a god who helped you. You just wore armor and were very smart about your battle plans – that’s why you won!”

What Zarahemnah did not know is that Moroni had gone to the high priest Alma in order to find out where the Lamanite armies were going and how they should attack.

Moroni was cunning and brilliant with his battle plans – because he had faith in God who showed him what to do.

And that armor they wore? The Nephites traditionally always had better defensive wear than the Lamanites. So I’m sure Moroni used his God-given brilliance to continue those same preparations.

Zarahemnah was partially right in his argument.

Moroni won due to his cunning and armor.

But Zarahemnah missed the big, obvious connection that Moroni attributed his cunning and armor to the One who gave him breath.

Using my talent and intellect to find success in this life is exactly what God intends me to do with my gifts.

But He also wants to make sure I don’t lose sight, like Zarahemnah did, of where all of my power comes from.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Where does success come from? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.