I also remember him teaching me that when I was dunked under the water, it was as if I was being buried and then coming back to life, just like Jesus. ⁣

I thought that was pretty cool, because it’s as if we were acting out what was happening! ⁣

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that a lot of ordinances are accompanied with physical actions.⁣

Like when we take the bread and water for the sacrament.

But I’ve also learned that the action itself isn’t what causes me to make a covenant.⁣

Just eating bread and water itself isn’t what’s renewing my covenants each week.

Yes, ordinances are formal acts that are super important. ⁣

But we also have to make sure our mind is engaged with what we are actually promising.

Our heart and our mind have to be involved with some level of intention. ⁣

When Moses was instructing the children of Israel on how to perform the Passover to avoid their firstborn sons dying, he referred to the act of painting their door frames with lamb’s blood as an “ordinance”. ⁣

So the Passover was an ordinance for the children of Israel! ⁣

The physical act of what they did was so important… but so was what their hearts were doing at the same time. ⁣

Look at what they were thinking about as they reflected on this ordinance: ⁣

“It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt… And the people bowed the head and worshipped.” (Exodus 12:27)⁣

They worshipped. ⁣

I think it is so cool that so many ordinances have physical acts associated with them that can help us ponder even deeper on the covenants being made. ⁣

But I also know that just “going through the motions” isn’t what saved the firstborns during the Passover.⁣

And “going through the motions” isn’t what will help our hearts become molded to what the Lord wants them to be. ⁣

The sacred action + engaging our minds = true worship and lasting change!⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Why ordinances?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“That they may always have His spirit to be with them.”⁣

Like, this is my goal in life. ⁣

You know those people that you looked up to in your ward growing up, who just exuded kindness and love no matter what?⁣

Those people you meet now who seem so genuine and sincere in all they do?⁣

I think I’ve discovered the secret to what makes these people so awesome. ⁣

Really, there is a big connection that I’ve made: ⁣

They all attend the temple on a regular basis. ⁣

And I say “regular basis” because I have lived both near and far from temples, and these individuals all worship there “regularly”, whatever that means to them. ⁣

Try it out— talk to that person that just magnifies the Spirit in all they do, and bring up their thoughts on the temple. ⁣

Because I think they real key to always having the Spirit with us is to always be keeping our covenants. ⁣

And to keep them, we have to know them and ponder on them regularly. ⁣

King Abimelech noticed this quality about Abraham, someone who was very familiar with covenants:⁣

“God is with thee in all that thou doest”. (Genesis 21:22) ⁣

The Spirit is with those who draw priesthood power into their lives by keeping powerful and eternal covenants with God. ⁣

What have you covenanted to do?⁣

Those actions will keep the Spirit pouring into your life, in all that you do.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Always remember Him  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You know, that one they did at Stanford years ago where they placed a marshmallow in front of a kid and told them that if they didn’t eat it before the adult returned, they would get two marshmallows. ⁣

(For the record, my mom always said that I was the type of kid who would have waited for the two marshmallows, even from a super young age.)⁣

As I’ve studied about the famous covenant that God makes with Abraham, one thing that really caught my eye is that so many of the blessings of this covenant are for AFTER Abraham’s lifetime! ⁣

The Lord makes promises that Abraham’s seed will know God, and that “unto thy seed have I given this land”. (Genesis 15:18)⁣

His seed were promised land and great spiritual blessings, but most of this would not be during Abraham’s lifetime. ⁣

And yet Abraham still rejoiced in this covenant! ⁣

Not all of our covenant blessings are going to be fulfilled while we are here on the earth. ⁣

Some will, just like Abraham was still given a firstborn son. And certain covenants, such as our baptismal promises to always have His spirit to be with us, are being fulfilled constantly here on earth. ⁣

But there’s also a huge portion of our “reward” that we can barely even imagine right now. ⁣

Promises for our future posterity that won’t be fulfilled until after this life. ⁣

Promises about our own future that won’t be fulfilled until the eternities. ⁣

⁣Blessings of peace and rest that we can get glimpses of now, but that might not be fully realized until much later.

There is so, so, so much good that God gives us right now on the earth. ⁣

It’s like He is giving us one marshmallow and telling us we can enjoy it now. ⁣

But there is also another marshmallow waiting on the other side. ⁣

Probably a million more marshmallows, actually. ⁣

So are we willing to be patient? To look for the blessings filling our life now, but also to expect so much more in the future?⁣

Covenants are powerful and binding and real, and we can count on God to pour out the blessings when we fulfill our portion, even if that means practicing some delayed gratification. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Covenants and marshmallows first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I used to wonder why I should really even care about studying history.

I mean, I guess it’s cool to know, but it doesn’t really affect my life.

And if you think about it, that’s really what most scriptures are—

Collections of stories from people who lived a really really really long time ago.

The Title Page of the Book of Mormon gives one of the primary purposes of the book:

“Which is to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers. . . .”

Now THAT is a powerful reason that affects me.

God expects me to study and learn about the great things He has done for people in the past so that I can know what to expect from Him in the future!

He wants me to learn how He works.

The actual stories in the Book of Mormon may seem completely unrelated to what we are dealing with in our personal lives.

But there is so much to learn about how God interacts with people who make covenants with Him and remember Him.

There are so many great stories we will study this year.

And as we study each event, it helps when I pause and ask myself:

How would I have responded in this situation?

What would I have done or said or thought?

What are the emotions and principles here?

Simple questions like these help my brain figure out how the Nephites’ experiences with wars, secret combinations, and

evil kings can apply to my experiences with busy schedules, difficult people, and keeping the commandments.

Studying in the past can seem silly at face value.

But with an unchanging and immovable God, the patterns become meaningful and relevant.

I don’t study the scriptures just for the gripping plot lines and character development—

I study the scriptures to learn how God deals with His covenant children so that I know what I can expect as I create my own relationship with Him.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Why do we care about history?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When is a kite the most “free”?⁣

Growing up, we would go to the beach a lot. ⁣

If it was windy enough (and let’s be real, it’s always windy at the beach in Northern California), we would throw kites into the air, hold on to the spools, and slowly turn the handles until we could barely see the kites flying way up high! ⁣

I remember thinking that I was holding this kite back. ⁣

The string was restrictive!

I wanted to let go of that spool so the kite could fly as high as it possibly could.

That string was just tying the kite down. ⁣

But what happened when I let go of the spool?

The kite nose dived, crashing into the sand.

I wanted to “free” the kite by letting go of all restrictions.

And yet when the kite had nothing to hold onto, it fell to the ground and stumbled along in the wind. ⁣

It turns out, the tension of the string was exactly what was holding the kite up.

Sometimes, I hear people talking about how much more “free” they are without the commandments to follow. ⁣

And listen— sure, there is more literal freedom when you don’t “have to” follow this set of rules and commandments.

But I have learned that it is the “tension” and “restriction” from these commandments that Christ uses to truly let us be FREE.

There is not-so-obvious-to-others and undeniable-to-ourselves FREEDOM when we partner with Jesus Christ and willingly make covenants that bind us closer to Him.

Eternal, emotional, spiritual, peaceful, joyful freedom.

Christ knows our full potential, and He knows the “tensions” that we need in our life in order to actually keep us afloat, as much as we think we might be more “free” without them. ⁣

Bondage is NOT being tied by a string to a masterful kite-flyer.

Bondage is NOT having anything to pull us up, leaving us to be dragged every which way by the wind. ⁣

We are free BECAUSE we are bound to Christ.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The kite analogy  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Do you know what I think SHOULD be the easiest part of our baptismal covenants…

But is actually so difficult for our mortal brains?!

To ALWAYS REMEMBER Jesus.

That is WAY more difficult to do in practice than it may seem.

We have endless things our brains can dwell on: to-do lists, food, desires, TV shows, conversations, plans…

And yet, Jesus invites us to always remember Him.

I love the story of Peter walking on water for more reasons than I can say.

But I also love so much what happened when Peter starts to sink into the water.

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him”. (Matthew 14:30-31)

How quickly did Jesus react after Peter cried out to the Lord?

IMMEDIATELY.

Not immediately when Peter started sinking.

But immediately after Peter cried out for help.

I think Jesus is ready to help us. He wants to let us feel peace. He wants to take away our fears and anxieties.

But He won’t infringe on our agency.

Those who have made baptismal covenants know that we get the extreme privilege of having the constant companionship of the Spirit, a literal member of the Godhead who is ready to prompt and warn and guide and teach.

And what is our role?

What is the small action that we need to do in order to hold up part of our end of the covenant?

We need to always remember Jesus.

When we talk with a friend, while running errands, while putting your kid to bed, while going to youth activities, while planning out the week…

Always remember Jesus.

Because when we always remember Jesus, we are perfectly poised to call upon JESUS when we start to drown.

We don’t look back to the ship, we don’t ask our friends, we don’t try to trust our own strength.

We ASK for help from Jesus because He’s already been in our mind.

Cry out to Jesus for help, and He will immediately save in the exact way we need it.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

Artwork: “Hand of God” by Yongsung Kim

The post Always remember, and Jesus saves  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had this question come to my mind recently, and it has completely reframed how I, an already devoted Christian, have seen some issues in my life.

Do I really, really believe that following commandments, keeping covenants, and living by certain principles will make me a better person?

Or do I sometimes think that I know better?

We talk a lot about this idea of having the law “written upon our hearts”.

Really believing Jesus with our whole heart.

Jeremiah taught the same idea:

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)

But what does it really mean to have the law, the commandments, our covenants, written in our hearts?

I think it means being able to wholeheartedly answer that first question with a resounding YES.

Believing that 5 more minutes of being in the scriptures and communing with God is better for my life than 5 more minutes of sleep.

Trusting that taking that first awkward step toward reconciliation is better than sitting in contention.

Knowing that turning off that TV show will be better for my soul than the few fleeting moments of entertainment.

Hoping that attending the temple will far outweigh anything else I could be doing during that time.

I would bet that the majority of people “know” with our minds that it’s good to keep the commandments.

It’s good to follow God’s law and keep our covenants.

But Jeremiah is encouraging us to think…

Do we REALLY, deep down, in our hearts, believe that life is better with Jesus?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Better with Jesus? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Because every single time I do sit down to glance through it or I make time to read an article, I am always blown away by the content.

So when October’s magazine came in the mail, I found some time to flip through and I told myself I could pick one article to read.

Lo and behold, the first main article was one written by our beloved prophet, so of course I chose to read that one.

Now, throughout the Old Testament, but most especially in Isaiah, we see the strangely long word: LOVINGKINDNESS.

And this word is what President Nelson talked about for part of his powerful, super detail-oriented Liahona article.

Here are just a few snippets of what he said:

“All those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.

“In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called hesed.

“Hesed has no adequate English equivalent.

“Translators of the King James Version of the Bible must have struggled with how to render hesed in English.

“They often chose ‘lovingkindness.’

“Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.

“Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him.

“And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.”

In Isaiah 63:7, we read: “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.”

LOVINGKINDNESS is much more than kindness and love.

God wants to share this special kind of love and devotion with us, much like the unique love that we share with a spouse.

And to access that lovingkindness, we enter into special covenents with God.

So what are the covenants you have made with God?

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

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Even if I practice a piano piece for hours on end, I still might make a giant mistake in a performance.

Even if I do everything that I’m supposed to do and more, I still might not get that promotion at work.

Not much in this life is guaranteed.

It’s a tough life lesson to learn.

But what WILL always be guaranteed?

Covenants.

Any covenants that we make with God will be honored 100%.

Have you ever thought about what a blessing that is before?

We don’t have to wonder if God will be in a good mood that day, or if we will get the chance of possibly having a promise fulfilled– we can be TOTALLY sure that God will hold up His end of the bargain every single time.

Solomon wisely prayed before an altar of the Lord, saying:

“Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart.” (1 Kings 8:23)

I am so grateful for a covenant-keeping God!

It’s so calming to know I don’t have to worry about the things that I’ve been promised being taken away, or given to too many other people.

It’s always in reach.

So what I can focus on is being the best covenant-keeping saint that I can be, repenting every single time that I fall short, and recommitting again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Not much is guaranteed first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Did you know that if you’ve made a covenant with God under priesthood authority, then you have constant access to priesthood power in your own life as you keep up your end of the covenant?

From baptism to temple covenants, there are so many of us who have access to personal priesthood power in our life.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

When I access my own personal priesthood power:

I can get personal guidance.

I can receive specific inspiration for how to serve other people around me.

I can have the strength to overcome and endure.

My abilities can be magnified by gifts of the Spirit.

I can receive revelation to know how to fulfill the work I have been given to do.

I can have help and strength to become more like our Savior.

Those are just a few ways that personal priesthood power can create real blessings.

Aren’t those beautiful?

And in order to get all of these blessings, each of us needs to do a little better at keeping our end of the covenants we make.

Whether we hear them repeated at the sacrament table, or whether we are reminded of them in the temple, we need to know what our covenants are so that we can live up to them.

To me, this is what I think of when I hear the Lord teach:

“They are walking in darkness at noon-day.” D&C 95:6

Yes, people who commit intentional sin are blocking themselves out from all of the light available.

But… I bet a lot of us are still walking around in 5pm light.

We see the light. We can move around just fine.

But we aren’t receiving the fullness of what’s available to us.

We are living below our priesthood privilege.

We have access to so much more Godly power than we could even imagine.

There is guidance, peace, strength, inspiration, revelation, and gifts that I believe Heavenly Father is just waiting to pour down on us.

But we have to ask. We have to keep our small end of the bargain with endless retries through repentance.

When we make and keep covenants, we are endowed with priesthood power, and THAT is when I believe we are walking around in the brightest light of noonday.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Living below our priesthood privilege first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.