It’s been a lot.

It’s hard every time to get the news that someone has passed on.

No matter how expected or unexpected, no matter how young or how old, no matter what they still had ahead of them or what they had already accomplished.

It’s hard to see someone pass on from this life.

And we’ve also had this unique experience to be able to see patterns throughout all of the services we’ve attended.

Each service has brought moments where I’ve cried. Where I’ve mourned things lost.

And each service has brought moments where I’ve felt the Spirit, filled with peace and hope for the future.

I’ve found peace and comfort in recognizing both parts.

And in recognizing how the Savior makes it all possible.

He rose from the grave so that the dark nights can turn into mornings.

“From sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day”. (Esther 9:22)

Life doesn’t end here.

Good days are coming.

Reunions and eternal life are ahead.

All thanks to Jesus Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Good days are coming first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Each time I’ve had to navigate a tricky decision with education, medical interventions, or social situations, this has been so comforting to me.

I’m not a perfect mom.

But I’m the perfect mom for my kids.

And I don’t even think that this means I’ll always make the perfect decisions with my kids.

It doesn’t mean that I already have the perfect knowledge for how to raise them.

But I am the perfect mom to receive personal revelation to give my kids the mortal experiences that they will thrive in best here on earth.

I’ve been prompted to follow my gut instincts.

I’ve had concepts come to my mind that I learned years ago in a child development class.

I’ve had promptings to ask other moms for their experiences and opinions.

I’ve pleaded with the Lord.

I think about Esther in that moment when she realized all her people, her friends, her family relations, were about to be put to death.

The pressure seems like too much. How could she do this? She wasn’t that uniquely special or qualified?!

And Mordecai’s comforting words to her?

“Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

He implied that she was in the perfect place with her unique experiences to solve the problem in front of her.

She was the perfect person to receive personal revelation from the Lord on what she should do and how she should do it.

She was the perfect person to act in the ways that she knew best.

And it all yielded the best results.

We aren’t perfect in any title that we claim.

There is only one person who was.

But when we turn to Him and plead for direction and promptings, we become the perfect people for the tasks placed in front of us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Perfect for the task ahead first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Haman was the epitome of being prideful.

Time and time again, he thought only of himself, he took personal offense to everything, and he felt like he needed to get revenge for any unfairness in his life.

And then we have Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, who seemed to be the epitome of humility.

He waited endlessly outside the palace doors to learn what his sweet cousin/adopted daughter was up to, he helped the king, he mourned with others when they received devastating news, and he humbly asked for Esther’s help.

So how does the story of Esther end up?

In Esther 8:2, we learn “the king took off his ring which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.”

Mordecai completely replaced Haman!

In other words, humility and selflessness completely replaced pride and selfishness.

Pride got Haman the immediate accomplishments and praise.

Humility got Mordecai the delayed awe and respect.

Pride told Haman that he deserved honor because of his title.

Humility taught Mordecai to do good works and not worry about the rest.

Pride taught Haman to take personal offense and to feel like he needed to teach others a lesson.

Humility taught Mordecai to fast and pray, to mourn and comfort others.

Pride is flashy, impressive, and usually results in immediate rewards and attention.

But humility always wins in the long-run.

How can you work today to grow your humility and selflessness so much that you kick out the pride?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Humility always replaces pride first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

We read in Esther 8:16 “The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.” (Esther 8:16)

What great qualities, right?!

Light. Gladness. Joy. Honor.

Do you feel any of those in your life right now?

The Jews certainly did. They were a happy and blessed people, and they showed that outwardly.

But guess what happened because of all this light and joy they were showing?

In that next verse, we learn, “And many of the people of the land became Jews”. (Esther 8:17)

Isn’t that cool?

Other people saw the light and joy that the Jews had, and it made them want to join in their faith.

This makes me wonder about my worshiping.

I really do feel a level of joy and peace in my heart, no matter what is happening around me.

But do I show the light, gladness, and joy that I feel from living gospel principles with others?

Do I let my light shine, or am I accidentally hiding it, wanting to fit in with the sadness, fear, and weight in the rest of the world?

Do I take the easier way out of just agreeing with the assumptions that I must be exhausted, frustrated, or scared?

Or am I brave enough to show that I feel peace and happiness right now, in this stage of life, and in this state of the world?

When we show the joy that we really feel, others can’t help but want to join in, too.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Brave enough to feel happy first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.