She made the big decision to be baptized into the Church.

She joined with her good friends, the Knights, down in Colesville, New York, along with other people in the area.

Emma was baptized!

But it seemed like as soon as this happened, the storms of the adversary blew in with full force.

Hecklers gathered around the baptism site.

They followed Emma, Joseph, and their friends back into the home.

The hecklers were so loud, rude, and disruptive that Emma and the others could not have the Holy Ghost conferred upon them.

Emma and Joseph tried running out to a different house, but Joseph was arrested and taken away.

Emma was afraid. She prayed with other women for her husband.

For two days.

And then finally, Joseph was released. They escaped back to Harmony, Emma still without the gift of the Holy Ghost.

She knew their family had felt opposition before, but this was a new level.

And she needed comfort.

Her desires to follow her heart and move forward with joining the Church seemed to cause intense and dramatic struggles.

And so Emma, through her husband, received a divine revelation. (Section 25)

She was called by her name.

Emma.

Her sins were forgiven.

She was told that she was an elect lady.

And she was told that as an elect lady, she had some duties and responsibilities:

To expound the scriptures
To exhort the church
To comfort her husband
To make a selection of hymns
To lift up her head and rejoice
To keep the commandments

God knew Emma.

He knew how difficult the past few months of her life had been.

And He knew how much more difficult it would become.

And so He comforted her. He promised her blessings.

And, He gave her things that only she could do in order to make a real difference.

Emma Hale Smith was an elect, chosen lady who handled the load she was given by relying on the Lord.

Because elect women suffer and struggle. They feel like every righteous effort is met with more opposition.

But elect women are also blessed beyond measure, even if the blessings don’t look like what they’d hope they would be.

And elect women have work to do.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post An elect lady first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(Side note: I think we can do better at reassuring our youth that feeling the Spirit is not the same thing as crying, even though many people experience both!)

But one sure way to get the tears flowing?

PLAY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.

When I sit down to watch a broadcast, as soon as the Tabernacle Choir starts singing a song, the tears start coming.

My absolute favorite way to bear my testimony is to play a piano solo of a hymn arrangement in church.

Or to sing with a choir, all united together in perfect harmony.

There is just something magical about music.

But it’s not just high-quality music that brings the Spirit, though.

The Lord asked Emma Smith to compile sacred hymns for the church, and then He told her in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12–

“For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart;

“yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me,

“and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”

God delights in our music.

Songs of righteous people are prayers.

And these song-prayers will be answered with blessings.

But the thing is…

I don’t think my musical training or abilities have much to do with my spiritual connection to music.

It doesn’t matter whether you can read a note or sing a melody.

No talent, audition or training required.

Songs, sung with an intentional devotion to God, are prayers.

And God delights in any sort of prayer or communion with Him.

And so I’m making sure to keep good, uplifting music in my life, to sing and play as often as I can.

Music is a prayer.

What is a song that has touched YOU most recently?

Just this weekend, I joined with a group of saints singing “Come, Come Ye Saints”, and felt a beautiful whisper from the Spirit that while the pioneers experienced tough trials, we are faced with completely different but still totally valid trials today. And that we can still find reasons to rejoice that “All is well!” 

️Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The song of the righteous first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.