Creating Zion requires multiple people each doing really good things.

I can’t just create Zion on my own. Right?

“The Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” (Moses 7:18)

But I think the real question is…

Am I doing my part to build Zion?

“Love and kindness are at the center of having Zion in our hearts and homes.” Quentin L. Cook

This is the essence of the gospel, right?

Love and kindness.

We say those words so often that sometimes I think I forget what they mean.

Love— like REAL love.

It’s easy to say, “I love everyone!”

It’s easy to think we love everyone from far away.

But I’ve noticed it’s really difficult to actually love someone if I don’t know them or if I haven’t prayed for them.

It’s a lot harder to love up close.

When I’ve needed to love a child more, I’ve prayed like crazy about them.

When I’ve needed to love an acquaintance more, I’ve asked them questions to get to know them better.

Kindness— another overused but such an important word.

Are my outward actions kind?

Even if they “deserved” the response they got?

Even if they made me annoyed?

Being kind to everyone is actually super difficult, especially when I’m running on empty.

Love and kindness.

It sounds too simple, and yet I’ve found it is pretty complicated.

But I’m working every day to be a bit better, to do my part to create Zion.

To lift up those who are poor in spirit and poor in circumstance around me.

Not because I am a perfect person, but because I know who the Perfect Person is.

I’m pointed toward Him, and I can help do my best to point others toward Him, too.

And I think that’s how I’m working to build Zion, a little bit of love and kindness at a time.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Creating Zion first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

For a Jesus who encourages, accepts, and loves.

For a Jesus who doesn’t shame, but who invites.

For a Jesus who is fair and understanding.

Jesus Christ visited Joseph and Oliver in the Kirtland temple just days after its dedication.

And the words He spoke to them are so telling of His character and nature.

“Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name.

“For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.” D&C 110:6-7

Love. Acceptance. Mercy. Power. Patience.

There are only limited words that I can read that I know my Savior spoke.

And these few messages and words that He spoke in the Kirtland temple that April day let me know that He is one and the same.

He is kindness and love and mercy.

I am so grateful for any opportunity I get to learn more about Jesus Christ.

To study His words and know that Jesus is my kind, wise heavenly friend.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I am grateful for a kind Jesus first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another.” – Joseph Smith, as quoted by Sharon Eubank

“God delights in mercy and does not begrudge its use.” – Dale G. Renlund

“Loving mercy means that we do not just love the mercy God extends to us; we delight that God extends the same mercy to others.” – Dale G. Renlund

From these quotes from Oct 2020 General Conference, I think we might need to extend more mercy to people right now than we ever have before.

I’ll be the first to admit that MERCY is where I feel most like a hypocrite.

I need it A LOT. But extending it to others in my life has not always been natural.

I know when I’m tired and overwhelmed and just need a break from normal responsibilities.

But letting other people “slack off”?! Much harder to do.

For the past three years or so, I’ve actively worked on showing mercy to the people around me as much as possible.

Letting go of “holding people accountable”, “they should know better”, and “how will they ever learn.”

Which is difficult, because those lessons are engrained pretty deeply within me.

But guess what I learned?

Showing mercy and extreme kindness to other people hasn’t changed their actions at all.

But it has completely changed my heart.

A loving God knows exactly when we need justice, and when we need mercy, and He doesn’t hesitate to dish out either.

And we mortals have to try and learn that perfect balance.

When does my daughter need me to stop the fun and enforce bedtime? And when does she need me to throw the rules aside and laugh with her a little more?

All I know is that I have never regretted erring on the side of mercy.

And I don’t think our Heavenly Father regrets His mercy, either.

He delights in sharing it with us.

Which means, in order to become like Him, we need to delight in indulging others with our mercy.

A tough thing to do in a world as tough as ours.

But a necessary step in order to soften our hearts and respond in kindness and mercy.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Kindness and mercy first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.