Elder Holland says, “I testify … that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. ⁣

“… Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence.”⁣

Heavenly Father did NOT forget His Son.

In fact it seems crazy to think that Heavenly Father would even possibly forget Jesus, especially in His greatest time of need.

But do we ever feel like we have been forgotten by Heavenly Father?⁣

Do we feel like He isn’t answering our prayers? ⁣

Do we feel like our deepest desires are not being granted?⁣

Do we feel like we are doing everything right but missing out on promised blessings? ⁣

And yet, how absurd to think that OUR Father in Heaven would actually forget us! ⁣

ESPECIALLY in our greatest time of need!⁣

It is okay to THINK that God has forgotten us from time to time.

Life is really rough.

Things don’t go according to how we think they should. ⁣

We have to suffer a lot. ⁣

Our Savior asked this same question. ⁣

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

And yet, deep down, we know that we have not actually been forgotten. ⁣

We know that sometimes we have to endure awful things. ⁣

We acknowledge that we don’t understand the bigger picture. ⁣

I think that is true faith right there. ⁣

Even when others point to circumstances as evidence of “no God”, we push forward. ⁣

Even when things feel numb, we continue to show faith.

Heavenly Father did not forget His Son on the cross. ⁣

Heavenly Father does not forget you on your knees, praying. ⁣

Heavenly Father does not forget you, crying in the bathroom so no one else sees. ⁣

Heavenly Father does not forget His children.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God does not forget you  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This relationship, this love and devotion, has been weighing on my heart.

This is what matters more than anything.

To know Them. To love Them. To serve Them.

And I’ve probably felt this strong urge lately because I’ve also been bombarded with distractors.

Things that seem important to spend my spiritual energy on.

Things that invite me to use my mind to deal with other problems.

Things that are not bad in and of themselves, but things that certainly do not matter most.

I’ve been trying to simplify my testimony while also adding real depth.

And it all comes back to Jesus and my Heavenly Father.

I’ve felt this resolve to stand with Nehemiah and say:

“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”. (Nehemiah 6:3)

Not “down” to imply that I’m better than anyone else, but “down” to imply what my top priority is.

Nehemiah knew that his top priority was to focus on the walls of Jerusalem.

Meeting with Sanballat wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

It wasn’t a sin.

But it would have distracted him from his main focus, his top priority.

There are so many things to worry about, to defend, to explain, to understand.

But sometimes, we need to consolidate and focus on fostering what is most essential.

God. The Savior.

I’m doing a great work when I focus on Them and what my love for Them means.

And I will not stop.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I will not come down  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What would be gone if every child was raised with this knowledge?

Maybe hatred would disappear.

Maybe competition and jealousy.

Maybe self-loathing and criticism.

I know this won’t happen right now.

But I can control what my children learn.

How might they behave differently with this knowledge in their life?

Quin is a natural leader and quite brilliant.

I can see a future where she understands her divine destiny, as well as everyone else’s, and she teaches and leads with love and kindness.

Barrett loves to make people laugh and handles any vision impairment with naive bliss.

I can see a future where he understands who he really is, and uses humor to set a powerful example of being confident before others and the Lord.

Now who knows the path their life will really take, or the decisions that my kids will make, but I want to do my absolute best to ground them in this beautiful knowledge that I think can transform the world.

“Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.” -The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Do we teach this clearly enough to every young person we come in contact with?

Do WE believe it?

When we know that we have Heavenly Parents who love us, when we REALLY know this, I think we can change the world one person at a time.

Feeling loved and feeling important can change anyone.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Beloved children of heavenly parents first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I remember it was around middle school that religious differences between my friends and me started to become more obvious, and people became curious about what I believed and why I did or didn’t do certain things.

So one day at a friend’s house, one of my closest friends asked, “Cali, so what does your church believe?”

I felt like I had been preparing for this my entire life!

I decided to launch into an explanation about the Plan of Salvation, and I even remember drawing out the whole diagram with arrows, earth life, and ending with the three kingdoms of glory.

That moment was so powerful in my mind because I was totally on my own, having to explain my beliefs. I was proud of what I did.

But I also realized that what I was explaining wasn’t having the impact that I wanted.

I could tell I had lost their attention and their interest. (I’ve always been a very self-evaluative person.)

Should I have started with Joseph Smith instead? Or maybe the Book of Mormon?

This dilemma stuck in my mind for a long time. I wanted to find the right thing to start these conversations with, so that other people would really “get” our religion without me launching into obscure concepts right off the bat.

And then, years later, I saw the opening lesson in the Preach My Gospel manual.

It is a lesson on the First Vision, yes, but the first concept that is taught is:

“God is our loving Heavenly Father.”

That felt so right to me. That’s where I should begin.

And then I made the connection…

What’s that first Article of Faith I had learned all those years ago?

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father…”

We believe in God, and we know that God loves us.

That statement was much more simple than the answer I thought I had been looking for.

But that statement is also so much more powerful.

Do you believe in God?

And do you believe that God is a loving, eternal, Heavenly Father?

What a blessing that is to believe!

And I’ve found that when I share that joy and that belief with others, I am able to give them the quickest glimpse into what truly matters to me.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I believe in God first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Here’s a thought that’s been on my mind:

We know that we are going to be judged by our works.

And I hear people talking about this idea all the time:

That they feel like they are drowning because they just can’t seem to be consistent with their scripture study or prayer habits.

So if we are going to be judged by our works, that puts a lot of pressure on us when we feel like we are constantly falling short in the things we are able to do.

But here’s what we learn in D&C 137:9.

“For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”

Did you hear that last part? Yes, we are judged according to our works, but it is “according to the desire of their hearts”.

To me, this isn’t an excuse, but instead a beautiful showing of mercy.

How many times have I been stopped from going to welcome a new member at church by a kid who needed me immediately?

I missed out on some good works, but what was the desire of my heart?

Or how many times have I been trying to read my scriptures as my eyes keep closing after a long day?

I missed out on some good works, but what was the desire of my heart?

God sees and understands EVERYTHING.

He isn’t keeping track of your daily scripture study as tick marks for or against you.

He has just asked you to come closer to His Son, Jesus Christ, and He is happy to see any good works you choose to do to bring you closer.

And He also completely understands the desires of your heart when you fall short of what you wanted to do.

He sees both. The actions, and the desires.

How merciful is our God!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Works and desires first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

How does this connection work?!

Most people hear “be humble” and think about someone who is too proud to pray.

Someone who thinks they can do it all on their own, or that they need to do it all on their own.

But the opposite is true, too, right?

Someone who thinks they don’t deserve to ask for God’s help.

Someone who is afraid of what God thinks of them. Someone who thinks they need to repent or change before they start communicating with God.

As with most things in life, the answer lies perfectly in the Bible Dictionary definition for “Prayer”.

Even if you’ve read and loved this definition before, look at this portion through the lens of one of the most popular scriptures, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” D&C 112:10

Here we go:

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part.

“Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship.”

Prayer becomes difficult, unnatural, and ineffective when we forget who we are.

When we think we are too much for God, or when we think we are too little.

But when we remember exactly the relationship that we have with God, when we remember that He is our Father and that we are His children.

When we remember that we are loved eternally and authentically by Him.

When we remember that He is eager to forgive and full of mercy.

Then prayer becomes NATURAL and INSTINCTIVE.

And when prayer becomes a natural instinct to us, God is able to take us by the hand, to lead us, and to answer every prayer.

Not that He grants us every wish and whim, but He communicates because we are ready to hear Him.

So the key to receiving constant guidance and answers to prayers?

Be thou humble, and know exactly what your relationship is like with God.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Humility and answered prayers first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like… I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with this baby!

Wasn’t someone going to make sure she was being fed and tighten up her swaddles when they fell apart?!

Giving birth sure didn’t make me feel qualified to be a mother.

Talk about a trusting Heavenly Father right?!

My daughter is as much His daughter as I am, and yet I’ve been given the huge blessing of being her mother here on earth.

I have been given solemn stewardship over this daughter of God for the next little bit.

She is His, but He is giving me an opportunity to show what kind of a steward I can be.

Some stewardships, such as parenting, are pretty long-term.

But other stewardships, such as callings we receive or possessions that we own, are much more temporary.

And yet… everything is His.

The Lord taught in D&C 104:57: “But, verily I say unto you, I have appointed unto you to be stewards over mine house, even stewards indeed.”

We’ve all been appointed a little bit of stewardship over a corner of God’s house.

Stewardship does not mean ownership, but instead implies a solemn loan in which we get to show our responsibility, maturity, and agency.

Today, I invite you to reflect on the people and things that you currently have stewardship over.

Am I being a good steward?

Not a perfect steward, but a good one who is trying my best to take care of the things that are His?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I a good steward? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My roommates walked in with a slurpee and a soda for me to cheer me up.

But I wasn’t in the mood.

I was a grump for the next few days.

In my mind, my friends were asking too many questions and being too overwhelming.

I just wanted to be alone and deal with my emotions from the door that had just been shut in my life.

I kept being sad, and I didn’t want to stop.

I realized I didn’t want to be comforted yet.

A few days later, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

NOW I was ready for comfort and support from friends and family.

Now I was ready for treats and parties and talking about it.

Now I was ready to pray for comfort and to turn to the scriptures.

I’ve learned that we have to be ready for comfort from others.

I’m sure that as soon as something heartbreaking and difficult happens in our lives, our Heavenly Father is ready to send His Spirit as a comforter.

Sometimes, we are ready right away and crave that comfort.

And other times, we need some space before we are really ready to accept that comfort.

D&C 98:1 “Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, LET your hearts be comforted”.

We have a part to play in receiving comfort, in allowing our hearts to feel the comfort that God is willing to offer.

It’s okay if we aren’t ready yet.

But when we are, we can let our hearts feel the comfort that our kind Heavenly Father wishes to give to us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Let your heart feel comfort first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My Heavenly Father knows and loves everyone on this earth and directs everything.

Each event and each element and each person is in His loving care.

“The heavens and the earth are in mine hands” D&C 67:2

It’s powerful to think about the whole world being in God’s hands.

God is mighty and all-powerful.

But, right before declaring that the heavens and the earth are in His hands, He mentions to the groups of saints gathered:

“Whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.” D&C 67:1

He hears every prayer that I say.

He knows every single desire, every single yearning of my heart.

He knows things about myself that I haven’t told anyone else.

He knows what I really want and what I really fear, even if I’m not sure what I want or fear.

So the God of heaven and earth, who holds everything in His hands, ALSO knows my every desire.

And what does He do with this unfathomable power and this knowledge?

Holding the whole world while also knowing everything about me?

“The riches of eternity are mine to give.” D&C 67:2

He wants to pour out the riches of eternity upon me.

He’s got the whole world in His hand. He also knows my every personal desire and plea.

And He wants to bless me in ways that I can’t imagine.

“O ye elders of my church, who have assembled yourselves together, whose prayers I have heard, and whose hearts I know, and whose desires have come up before me.

“Behold and lo, mine eyes are upon you, and the heavens and the earth are in mine hands, and the riches of eternity are mine to give.” D&C 67:1-2

The riches of eternity are His to give to the whole world.

And thanks goodness I am in His hands.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post In His hands first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

… I like being comfortable.

I like making others feel comfortable, both physically and emotionally.

Comfort isn’t bad!

In fact, I’ve learned that my Heavenly Father is a God of comfort.

I’ve gone to Him when I’ve struggled or felt completely “less than”.

And He has just comforted me.

Comfort is beautiful and necessary.

But… God is also a God of improvement.

He wants me to change.

To be better than I was yesterday. To overcome that temptation even faster. To love my neighbors more.

To get outside my comfort zone.

Because I’m sure not going to become more like my Savior by staying comfortable.

This is what I see God capture so perfectly time and time again.

When speaking to Joseph, the Lord taught:

“Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things;

“but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.” D&C 29:3

Comfort. And then the encouragement to grow.

I feel many of these feelings when I partake of the sacrament each week.

A perfect mixture of comfort for what I’ve done right, and a push to improve and leave my sins behind.

Sometimes, I think I want comfort as I kneel down to pray. But instead I feel promptings for how I can step up my spiritual connection.

And other times I feel desperate for guidance, and instead I feel overwhelming love and comfort.

Both are important.

We can look for both from our perfectly loving Heavenly Father.

Comfort. And growth.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Comfort and growth first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.