Because the adversary wants us to believe that if we forgive someone, we have said that what they did was okay, and that we are releasing them from all their consequences. ⁣

But that is just not true.⁣

Long after Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit and sold him as a slave, they were almost shocked to discover that Joseph had forgiven them. ⁣

Even YEARS later, after their father Jacob died, the brothers were afraid that Joseph had just been putting on an act for their dad.⁣

And that now he would retaliate. ⁣

Because who would actually forgive their brothers for doing something like they had done? ⁣

But Joseph dismissed their groveling after their father had died and said:⁣

“Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” ⁣(Genesis 50:21)

Can you imagine forgiving family members for saying terrible things about you, physically harming you, devaluing you, and literally removing you from the family for 22 years? ⁣

And yet, Joseph forgave. ⁣

That didn’t change how wrong the brothers had been.⁣

And it didn’t affect any divine consequences that our perfect Judge would dole out. ⁣

But it gave Joseph joy and peace. ⁣

We don’t know how much Joseph interacted with his brothers after they all moved to Egypt. ⁣

Maybe Joseph had strong boundaries with certain brothers, and kept a respectful distance. ⁣

Maybe Joseph felt prompted to fully embrace them and let them into his life. ⁣

But his words at the end of Genesis tell us that he was ready to comfort and nourish them as needed. ⁣

The adversary is so good at feeding us lies about forgiving those who have wronged us, even in very serious degrees. ⁣

But the Savior commands us all to forgive.⁣

Why? To find that internal peace, and truly turn it all over to God.

When have you seen blessings from forgiveness in your life?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Unimaginable forgiveness  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It seemed like every minute had some sort of planned-out commitment, and my brain was at capacity trying to keep track of it all.

And then, my daughter came home with a note in her backpack.

The note explained an upcoming dress-up day at school and an extra project she needed to finish at home. 

I felt like my world had just exploded.

I was barely hanging on, and now I had to add these new things into the mix?!

I immediately said to God, “Why?! Why can’t I get a break? I need a rest!”

Immediately, a surprisingly silly answer came into my mind… the actual answer doesn’t matter as much as the result:

It helped me realize how insignificant my current problems were in the grand scheme of things.

I was able to laugh, set some boundaries, and move forward while having fun during that busy week. 

Sometimes, I’m like Joseph of Egypt, who could clearly see his trials for what they were:⁣

“God meant it unto good”. (Genesis 50:20)⁣

And other days, I’m more like Joseph’s brothers who blamed God for every poor circumstance they found themselves in:⁣

“What is this that God hath done unto us?” (Genesis 42:28) ⁣

I think I’m going to give myself grace for the days that I feel like Joseph’s brothers. ⁣

I’m gonna pray a lot more, because boy, does God like to answer prayers in exactly the way I need them answered. ⁣

And I hope I can get better at sticking with Joseph of Egypt’s humble mindset. ⁣

It’s all for my good!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It’s all for my good  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Here’s the golden question though:⁣

What does it mean to “prosper”?⁣

I tend to get a very specific picture in my mind:⁣

An easy and happy life, money isn’t an issue…⁣

But that would mean all righteous Latter-day Saints should be rich with easy lives, right? ⁣

I could point to tons of examples of real-life, church history, and scriptural figures who prove that theory wrong. ⁣

So if God keeps His promises, how are people prospering?⁣

Let’s look at Joseph of Egypt. ⁣

After being almost murdered by his brothers, sold into slavery, and traded to Potiphar…⁣

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man”. (Genesis 39:2)

And then after being falsely accused of a terrible sin and being thrown into prison by someone who had grown to trust him…⁣

“The Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.” (Genesis 39:23)⁣

I have found that when I am the most righteous, most devoted, most spiritual and in-tune with God version of myself, I am prosperous in lots of things. ⁣

Prosperous in inner peace. ⁣

Prosperous in love for myself and others. ⁣

Prosperous in joy despite my circumstances. ⁣

Prosperous in worshipping. ⁣

Prosperous in clarity. ⁣

Prosperous in blessings that aren’t tangible. ⁣

I fully believe that we are blessed to prosper when we keep our hearts pointed toward God continuously. ⁣

But just like Joseph of old, I believe that we prosper in all the inner ways that truly matter most.

How do you feel that you are blessed to prosper?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How do you prosper?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.