He preached the gospel fervently in Zarahemla.

He was kicked out but obediently returned when the Lord asked.

He shared his message while standing on a wall.

After he finished, some people got really angry and started throwing rocks and shooting arrows at him.

He knew he was being protected by the power of God.

But he also knew his mission was complete.

He jumped down from the wall and decided to just preach to his fellow Lamanites.

“They went forth to lay their hands on him, behold, he did cast himself down from the wall, and did flee out of their lands, yea, even unto his own country.” (Helaman 16:7)

What happened next:

There were MANY people who heard Samuel’s words and believed instantly.

They knew they needed to find the high priest, Nephi.

They found him and confessed their sins.

He baptized many of them and continued to teach them as they developed their testimonies. ⁣

Nephi got to see most of the fruits of Samuel’s labors!

There are different times and seasons of our lives where we might be like Samuel:

Laying the foundation for a reward we will never know about.

And there are other times where we get the huge blessing of being like Nephi:

Seeing the beautiful fruits of the efforts of others.

There are times and spaces for both.

Even though Nephi’s role feels a bit more rewarding in the moment, none is more essential in the big picture.

We can find patience and clarity when we realize that if we do our best, the Lord has the timing all taken care of, whether or not we are around to see it!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Samuel vs Nephi  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

I had been thinking about how Alma counseled that in the next life, everyone will “partake of the fruits of their labors or their works”. (Alma 40:26)

And it made me think:⁣

What am I laboring in right now?⁣

Would I be able to be clearly labeled as a Christian if someone was scrutinizing my life?⁣

I mean, yeah, I’ve got pictures of Jesus Christ in my home and I attend church each Sunday…

But I think the real conviction comes from how I conduct myself and interact with others. ⁣

Do I reflect Christ in my day-to-day living?⁣

When the restaurant forgets my order and it takes another 30 minutes? ⁣

When my toddler has a meltdown because she didn’t get to eat the crouton she wanted? ⁣

When I’m feeling left out from activities with friends?⁣

Do I still behave as a Christian would?⁣

Not that we know the clear, exact way Christ would handle any of those situations.

… But there are clear ways in which I deviate from the examples He showed. ⁣

And then, other times, I feel my entire will being melded with His. ⁣

When a gossipy conversation arrives, and I quietly excuse myself. ⁣

When I react to a tough situation with love and grace, instead of impatience and anger. ⁣

When I teach my kids about Jesus.

My labors are good. ⁣

Which means my fruit will be good. ⁣

But I know I can work on making my labors even better. ⁣

So everyone I interact with will know that I have a special relationship with my Savior.

Even if we never talk religion. ⁣

I hope that I can be the most obvious Christian.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post If I were accused… first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

You probably see that come through in the posts I write here.

I like to search the scriptures, find the lessons, and then apply them to my life.

It’s like the ultimate, creative math problem – finding new variables and new information that lead me to different results every day.

And I think that’s why I’m obsessed with this scripture that Christ speaks in 3 Nephi 14.

Because it just makes logical sense.

Truly good people live good lives and produce good results.

People with ulterior motives may speak eloquently, but by definition, they cannot produce goodness.

To be clear, the “results” are not equated with “success” in worldly terms – evil people become rich and famous, and good people have serious trials.

But good people emanate love.

We will listen to leaders speak at General Conference next week, and we will hear great words being spoken.

But we can also see evidence that these amazing men and women back up what they say with the good things that they do.

This is one of the ways that I KNOW this gospel is true.

Because following the teachings that I have learned has given me a taste of God’s love and allowed me to feel greater love for people around me.

It just makes sense!

But the trickiest part is sometimes showing that love.

Because others are looking at me and judging me by my fruits, too.

Am I putting good results out into the world? Am I sharing and spreading love? Do I live with integrity for the things I believe?

Will someone look at me and want to know more about what I believe in based off of my attitudes, love, and good deeds?

Or will I fade into the great and spacious crowd by slipping into the latest trends and digging into negative emotions?

Christ’s advice about judging by fruits is what has saved my testimony time and time again – and it’s what keeps me constantly analyzing if I’m letting my testimony shine through in the way I live.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post By their fruits first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.