This was a question asked during a Q&A held during our 5th Sunday lesson I attended recently.

There was a fantastic discussion that followed this question, including the ideas that we have to be acting and using all our resources to get rid of the bad habit, reaching out to others for help, and learning the doctrine behind the change we want to make. ⁣

But ultimately, someone shared:⁣

“God could absolutely take away your weakness right now. ⁣

“It is entirely up to whether or not that is His will. ⁣

“So have you prayed to ask what God’s will is with your bad habit?”⁣

What a tough thing, right?⁣

Doesn’t God want my trials to disappear? My bad habits to slide out of sight? My weaknesses to become strengths?⁣

Because that’s what most of MY prayers are focused on. ⁣

“Help me fix this.”⁣

But I can think of scriptural examples of prophets and other good people who did not get everything “fixed”.⁣

Who endured a “thorn in their flesh” their entire lifetime. ⁣

Whose weaknesses stayed as weaknesses. ⁣

Now of course, sometimes He does help to take these trials and bad habits away. ⁣

He could do absolutely anything. ⁣

So… have I followed up my pleas of “Please help me overcome this!”⁣

With, “But, what is THY will for this weakness”?⁣

It’s a small but powerful shift. ⁣

And I think I’m ready to be led to the answer. ⁣

“What is the will of the Lord…?” (D&C 125:1)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Weaknesses we can’t overcome  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Why do some suffer with cancer while others are cured?

Why do some struggle financially while others have abundance?

Why do some have difficult family relationships to navigate while others have such unity?

Why do some fail while others get accepted to every school they wanted?

Why were the faithful women of Ammonihah and their innocent children killed in the most brutal way, while a prophet of the Lord was told not to intervene?

Life can be infuriatingly unfair.

So, so, so unfair.

Elder Dale G. Renlund gave a talk in 2021 titled “Infuriating Unfairness” that shook me to the core, and I’ve quoted it often since.

I actually want to point you to this apostle’s words to answer this complicated and heartbreaking question.

Please go read or listen to that talk today.

But here are some of my favorite teachings he shared:

“I declare with all my aching heart that Jesus Christ both understands unfairness and has the power to provide a remedy. Nothing compares to the unfairness He endured.

“It was not fair that He experienced all the pains and afflictions of mankind. It was not fair that He suffered for my sins and mistakes and for yours. But He chose to do so because of His love for us and for Heavenly Father. He understands perfectly what we are experiencing.”

“In mortality, we can “come boldly” to the Savior and receive compassion, healing, and help. Even while we suffer inexplicably, God can bless us in simple, ordinary, and significant ways.”

“In the eternities, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will resolve all unfairness.”

(Go read his talk and share it with others you know are grappling with the same question.)

Life is inherently unfair, and while this unfairness is manifest in both insignificant and life-altering ways, God’s will always reigns supreme.

And Jesus PERFECTLY understands the unfairness you face.

I am sure that these righteous women and children in Ammonihah, surrounded by their beloved scriptures, praised God “even in the very act of perishing”.

Do we have the faith to praise God, despite the infuriating unfairness we have to face?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Why weren’t they saved?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But they had at least finally completed the temple.

This is what the Lord had been waiting for, right?!

He wanted them to build the temple, and sacrifice after sacrifice had resulted in this beautiful building they had now packed to the brim for the dedication.

This was going to be the turning point.

And when they thought about their poor sisters and brothers in Clay County, Missouri, who had lost so much of their property and possessions…

Their hearts were broken.

And so, in the dedicatory prayer, they cried:

“We plead before thee for a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke; Break it off, O Lord; break it off from the necks of thy servants, by thy power”. D&C 109:32-33

Break off that yoke.

Use thy power and completely deliver us.

Now is the time.

But… that wasn’t God’s will.

I’m sure His good and divine heart broke to hear what they wanted so desperately, but what He could not deliver to them because He had something better in store for the much bigger picture.

In less than 2 years all of the righteous saints would flee Kirtland and head to Far West, Missouri.

They would give up their beloved Kirtland temple.

The persecutions would get even stronger.

They would find temporary relief in the swampy town of Nauvoo and build up a beautiful city and temple.

The persecutions and lying and slander would get even worse.

Their prophet and his brother would be killed.

Plans to move west would be made.

Some had to spend a frigid and deadly winter in Winter Quarters, Nebraska.

Hundreds of miles walked.

And then, the Salt Lake Valley.

But so many of those original Kirtland saints didn’t make it that far. In their lifetime, the persecution never stopped.

But I believe that even though the lying and the slander may have never stopped, God was with them.

He may not have been able to grant that specific request, but I’m sure He answered countless other prayers and heartfelt cries.

Our will is not always God’s, but that doesn’t mean He’ll leave us alone.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Not God’s will first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.