Such joy, relief!⁣

Out of Babylon and back to the land of your ancestors to rebuild the great temple as a sign of devotion to God. ⁣

Good intentions to do good things. ⁣

But then⁣

SO MUCH OPPOSITION. ⁣

The work stops. ⁣

So heartbreaking!⁣

But the prophet says to keep going despite all the opposition. ⁣

Letters are written to the Persian king trying to “tattle” on the Jews, encouraging the king to use his power to stop their efforts. ⁣

So what does the great Persian king Darius do with all of his social status, influence, and power? ⁣

He says, “Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.” ⁣

He even then tells all these complaining neighbors to give the Jews any material they may need for the temple so that, “they be not hindered”. (Ezra 6:7-8)⁣

Darius didn’t know these Jews. He didn’t really know much about Jerusalem. ⁣

But he stood up for the people who were getting picked on and encouraged others to assist, too. ⁣

Elder Renlund, in his talk “Infuriating Unfairness” in April 2021, said:⁣

“Brothers and sisters, not throwing stones is the first step in treating others with compassion. The second step is to try to catch stones thrown by others.”⁣

You may not feel that you have the power and influence that Darius used for these Jews. ⁣

But how could you be a powerful example of love the next time someone starts gossiping?⁣

How could you be a powerful example of grace the next time someone starts criticizing? ⁣

How could you be a powerful example of inclusion the next time someone starts excluding? ⁣

Little by little, we can catch the stones meant for those around us, and share love and support instead!

“Let the work of this house of God alone…that they be not hindered.” (Ezra 6:7-8)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Catch the stones first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I hear this constantly from my kids.⁣

Sometimes they CAN do something by themselves and I get to see them grow in their development. ⁣

Buuuuut a lot of times they can’t really do it by themselves. ⁣

Or it would be so much easier or faster if they let me help. ⁣

Don’t we feel that same pressure as adults?⁣

“Oh no, I can do it all by myself.”⁣

Whether or not we actually can. ⁣

Or whether or not it would be easier or faster if we let someone help. ⁣

We don’t want to bother anyone. ⁣

“The thing that thou doest is not good. ⁣

“Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: ⁣

“for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.” (Exodus 18:17-18) ⁣

I’ve recently watched my ward family rally around someone in need in truly epic ways. ⁣

I think that’s one of the real purposes of small, local congregations. ⁣

To see the immediate, too heavy burdens, and to step in and mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. ⁣

I’ve had friends, family members, and ward members help to bear my burdens in too many ways for me to number. ⁣

There have been some beautiful experiences where the Lord has helped me release my pride and ask for or accept help that others selflessly give. ⁣

But even when others fail. ⁣

When people don’t help or support in the ways we wish. ⁣

The Savior is always there. ⁣

Saying, “You will wear away if you keep trying to do this all.⁣

“It’s too heavy for you alone. ⁣

“Let me help bear the burden with you.⁣

“Because I’ve already been through it alone.”⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I can do it all by myself!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When the first paper was due, the professor highly suggested we meet with the Teacher Assistants (TA’s) to go over it before turning it in. ⁣

I didn’t bother doing this; I was sure I could figure it out on my own. ⁣

And… when I got my grade on my final paper, I did not like it. ⁣

I realized I had misunderstood one portion of the paper prompt. ⁣

This poor grade on the paper brought my overall class grade down dramatically! ⁣

So guess what I did for the SECOND paper of the class? ⁣

When that second paper was almost due, I signed up to meet with a TA. ⁣

It was completely free, only took about 15 minutes of my time, and she told me exactly what to fix. ⁣

She also made note of my name so that when I turned my paper in, she would be the one to grade it. ⁣

It was literally such a painless and easy process.⁣

Guess what grade I got on that paper?⁣

A perfect score. ⁣

I was frustrated with myself for not meeting with a TA the first time around. Why had I left such simple, free help on the table?! ⁣

I imagine Enoch felt a similar exacerbation as he spoke to the wicked people. ⁣

In Moses 6:43 he says, “Why counsel ye yourselves, and deny the God of heaven?” ⁣

In other words, why are you trying to give each other counsel and figure it out yourselves, when you have a loving God who literally wants to tell you all of the exact right things to do to make it back to Him?! ⁣

We don’t have to guess. ⁣

God WANTS to help us each step of the way. ⁣

But we do have to ask and claim the help we’ve been offered.⁣

Are we leaving heavenly help on the table by forgetting to ask for it?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Going to the TA first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It was the expectation that my sisters and I would help set the table and get the food ready to be served. ⁣

The problem was… ⁣

They always asked me to come and help at the most inconvenient times.

I was always in the middle of some math problem, or writing an essay, or reading a book, or talking with a friend. ⁣

It was never a good time. ⁣

And so, more often than I care to admit, about five minutes later, the call would come up the stairs again, “Cali, we need your help! Come on down!”⁣

The thing about calls to service are that they rarely come at a convenient time. ⁣

Whether it’s your mom, your kid, your neighbor…⁣

I’m sure I’m always “in the middle of something”. ⁣

But what I’ve learned as I’ve matured, and thank goodness that teenage Cali matured, is that service isn’t about us. ⁣

My parents weren’t trying to inconvenience me and annoy me and make my life harder. ⁣

They just straight up needed help. ⁣

My mom or dad had already just made dinner for me (DEFINITELY did not appreciate that as much as I should have!), and they were asking for help getting everything ready to go on the table. ⁣

And my sisters who may had already gotten downstairs needed help with their tasks so it wasn’t all on them. ⁣

This was not about me and if I was in a convenient stopping point. At all. ⁣

It was about the people who needed help. ⁣

When the Lord called someone to serve in D&C 117:14, the reason given for him to come speedily to fulfill his assignment wasn’t just because the Lord wanted him to be rushed and inconvenienced. ⁣

It was “for the benefit of my people.”⁣

People around us need help. And when they ask for help or when we feel that prompting, it’s not about what works best for us. ⁣

(Although yes, I’m all for setting healthy boundaries when needed.)⁣

But ultimately, it’s all about the benefit of the person in need.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Inconvenient service first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Everyone was excited at first!

Mixing and stirring and pouring is fun.

But that excitement soon turned to boredom.

Listening to directions and putting away ingredients is not fun.

Eventually, I was all alone.

I put the pan in the oven.

When I took the pan out, the kids came running to my side immediately.

“I want to eat them! I want to eat them!”

I had to laugh as the story of The Little Red Hen popped into my head.

In this story, the little red hen decides to make some bread, but all her barnyard friends say, “Not I,” when she asks for help.

As soon as the bread is finished and the smell fills the air, though, she has a long line of people who would like to help eat that bread.

I, of course, still let my kids eat some of the brownies.

But I think it is interesting that the Lord reminded many of the early Church leaders:

“If you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.” (D&C 78:7)

In other words, if we want the reward, we need to put in the work.

Are we just dreaming of our mansions above?

Or are we waking up and doing something good?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post “Not I!” first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This is something I have internalized and believed for a long time.

Anyone else feel this way sometimes? ⁣

This idea that if I can’t handle taking care of my three kids in our comfortable home filled with good food and lots of toys, then I’m clearly not mentally strong enough. ⁣

And yet… that’s not even close to the message that the Savior teaches me. ⁣

David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was chastened by the Lord in D&C 30:1:⁣

“You have feared man and have not relied on me for strength as you ought.”⁣

The Lord WANTS me to rely on Him for everything that I do each day. ⁣

He doesn’t want me to feel like I have to do everything alone. ⁣

Because He knows that my life will improve as I turn to Him. ⁣

When I’m sitting in my comfortable air-conditioned house and I’m having to clean up the third spill in the last hour while another kid has a meltdown over I’m not even sure what…⁣

He wants me to rely on Him. ⁣

To send up pleading prayers, asking for guidance and comfort and peace. ⁣

Am I living up to my privilege?⁣

I feel like my life is already dripping with privilege, and yet I think I’m missing out on obtaining the full power of the most essential privilege of all. ⁣

The Savior is not disappointed when I have to ask for help. ⁣

He doesn’t think that I’m not strong enough. ⁣

Or that I’ve failed. ⁣

He is disappointed when I DON’T ask for help. ⁣

When I try to rely on my own strength. ⁣

So how can I make my Savior pleased with me?⁣

I can ask for help. I can rely on Him for strength. ⁣

I can realize that I cannot do it alone, but that when I invite His divine assistance into my life, we are unstoppable.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Do it on your own  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But I was still nervous. ⁣

It was my first time going into a real elementary school classroom as an assistant while I was earning my teaching degree. ⁣

Everyone kept saying that we should just jump in and help but… I still didn’t know what to do. ⁣

I spent way too long standing at the back of classrooms afraid that I would mess something up. ⁣

Years later, as I stood in front of 35 sixth graders and an assistant walked in to help me, it did not even cross my mind that my helper would “mess everything up”. ⁣

I just desperately needed help and was happy someone was there!

The Lord told Joseph, as Joseph was concerned about procuring the proper materials for the sacrament:⁣

“It mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, ⁣

“if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins.” D&C 27:2⁣

In other words, stop worrying about all those details. ⁣

Stop worrying about not understanding every aspect of that new calling you just received. ⁣

Stop worrying about that new position at work. ⁣

Stop worrying about getting all of the parenting techniques right. ⁣

And just get your heart in the right place. ⁣

That’s what the Lord wants when we take the sacrament, more than anything else. ⁣

Are we focused on Him?⁣

Then the details will work themselves out. ⁣

Then the details of that calling, that job promotion, and that tough parenting situation will work themselves out. ⁣

That doesn’t mean, of course, that we throw the details out of the window. We don’t use candy and soda for the sacrament every week for a good reason. ⁣

But when we let go of trying to get every single detail right, and instead focus on turning our hearts and desires to what matters the most…⁣

That’s when our hearts start to change.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Nervous teaching assistant  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

They were struggling for their lives. They were being slaughtered. Their peace was being destroyed. ⁣

And yet they didn’t call on God for help. ⁣

“They… did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them.” (Mormon 5:2)⁣

How could they not even ASK for help when they were struggling so much?! ⁣

Just a few weeks ago, I hit a real “low” when it came to my time management. ⁣

I have a lot going on, but I was dropping every single ball instead of at least keeping a few in the air. ⁣

I actually enjoy learning about time management and all sorts of productivity hacks, so I dug into research mode. ⁣

I was trying out new strategies, failing, learning more, trying it out, dropping all the balls again…⁣

I had this weird story in my head that Heavenly Father was really disappointed in me that I couldn’t handle everything right now, and that He needed me to use my own agency to figure it out. ⁣

Not because I felt that prompting from Him, but because I don’t enjoy asking for help and this was the story I had come up with. ⁣

I was struggling, and I wasn’t calling upon my God for any help. ⁣

I fall into this trap ALL OF THE TIME. ⁣

And then, finally, my scripture study reminded me of the importance of prayer. ⁣

I thought, “Maybe I should ask Him for help.”⁣

And bam. ⁣

Inspiration came. Doors were opened. My mindset changed. ⁣

So why do we do this to ourselves?!⁣

We struggle. With overwhelm. With spirituality. With time management. With grief. ⁣With real problems.

And sometimes we just don’t call upon the One who created us. ⁣

Maybe we feel like He is disappointed in us for needing help. ⁣

But He is ready and waiting. ⁣

He wants us to ask for help. ⁣

Instead of prayers filled with only gratitude and normal blessing requests, we can include sincere pleas for help. ⁣

It is okay to ask for help from the divine Being who wants to help us come Home.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Asking for help  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’m fine!

I can handle it!

Unfortunately, this habit also spills over to my prayers.

My brain thinks it is selfish to pray and ask for comfort.

It seems like such a frivolous thing to ask for.

I’m fine.

I can handle it.

And yet, I know that my Savior has said:

“I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you.” (2 Nephi 8:12)  

He wants to comfort me!

He’s there with the offer.

And I don’t need to be perfect or totally righteous to ask for this peace and love.

…But I do need to ask.

Do we trust that the Lord can actually comfort us?

And do we trust that asking for comfort isn’t selfish?

Even more than a good friend, I’ve learned that Jesus knows I often need support and love.

I just need to know that I’m not alone.

I want to feel divine rest.

And I need to know that I will get through my rough times.

Our Savior knows our experiences and feelings perfectly.

And He wants to give us comfort, if we just remember to ask.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I don’t need any help first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“How do you do that all alone? You are superwoman!”

We praise people for doing things all on their own, from toddlers to busy moms to leaders and everyone in between.

Of course, basic independence is great.

But we aren’t supposed to do it all alone.

We aren’t here on earth to glorify ourselves.

We are here to glorify Him.

“No matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies to an immortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through the Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement.” —Elder Paul V. Johnson

Being educated, brilliant, and strong are great qualities.

But they aren’t the ultimate goal.

Jeremiah, in his weakness, cried:

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved”. (Jeremiah 17:14)

We can’t heal ourselves.

We can’t save ourselves.

We can’t perfect ourselves.

We need Jesus.

We need His atoning sacrifice and we need covenants with Him.

We need His Spirit and we need His grace and mercy.

And I think we need to help each other a bit more in the process, too.

Life isn’t meant to be “figured out” alone.

Life is meant to turn us to Jesus time and time again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post All by yourself first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.