I had finished up my freshman year, and had to make the pretty dramatic decision, at least to a 15-year-old, about which school to attend.⁣

I knew my two options. ⁣

And I had faith in the power of prayer, so I prayed all summer long. ⁣

But… no answer. ⁣

But I knew the answer would come at some point, right? So I kept just praying. ⁣

Still… no answer. ⁣

My parents started to counsel me that I needed to get some more information about the two schools. ⁣

I needed to learn information, and that as I did, I would probably feel inspired for which school to attend. ⁣

I ended up getting course lists for both of the schools and mapping out my grad plan.⁣

And all of a sudden, one of the schools seemed like a way better fit. ⁣

I was drawn to their huge offering of elective classes that matched my interests, and it just seemed like the right way to go. It seemed obvious! ⁣

And that’s when I realized… that was my answer. ⁣

When Joseph and other leaders were trying to make a decision together, the Lord taught them to make their decision: “inasmuch as it shall be made known to him by the voice of the Spirit, and according to the counsel of the order, and by the voice of the order.” D&C 104:36⁣

Did you catch that? The Lord wanted them to come to their answer by listening to BOTH the voice of the spirit and the counsel of the people in the room. ⁣

President Nelson has even recently said: “I know that good inspiration is based upon good information”. ⁣

I’ve seen this time and time again since my teenage years. ⁣

Praying for inspiration AND learning from people who may know more than I do is the way that my mind is usually enlightened. ⁣

So, if you’ve been waiting for inspiration to strike, it might be worth it to start gathering information, and see where that takes you! ⁣

Have you had an experience like this before? Where good information or counsel led to better inspiration from the Spirit?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Information and revelation  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I KNOW a lot of religious things.

In fact, I could give a great lesson about how life is meant to be challenging.

I could teach about how prayers won’t always be answered right away.

And I could speak about how relying on our faith is essential.

But then in my real life…

When my prayers aren’t answered immediately, or when a big trial comes…

I feel like everything has gone wrong!

That “knowledge” doesn’t always translate perfectly.

That’s why I find beautiful comfort in this sweet statement that Mormon made:

“Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.” (3 Nephi 26:11)

The Lord wants to try our faith.

Intellectually, it makes sense that Jesus wants to try the faith of His people.

But when I allow that message to really sink into my heart, it is so peaceful to remember that absolutely nothing has “gone wrong” in my life.

When I let that knowledge transform into belief, my entire perspective shifts.

The good will always outweigh the bad.

Love will conquer.

And joy is available to anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ!

“Yes, God can provide miracles instantaneously, but sooner or later we can learn that the times and seasons of our mortal journey are His and His alone to direct.” – President Jeffrey R. Holland

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Knowledge vs. belief  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it?” (Mosiah 12:29)

They knew the scriptures.

They knew the commandments. ⁣

But they were still lazy and rude and evil. ⁣

Their knowledge didn’t change them. ⁣

Abinadi had the same knowledge of the scriptures and the law. ⁣

But he used that knowledge to open a channel of communication with the Lord, receive the personal revelation that he needed to preach repentance (twice!), and then followed through on the promptings. ⁣

Our knowledge can’t save us. ⁣

Knowing the scripture stories won’t save us. ⁣

Knowing the doctrine won’t save us. ⁣

Our actions will. ⁣

Studying the scriptures and then using that knowledge to change our actions. ⁣

Learning and connecting with the doctrine and then using that to propel us to become more Christlike. ⁣

King Noah, his priests, and Abinadi all had the same knowledge. ⁣

But their hearts were in completely different states.

“In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.” – Dallin H. Oaks

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Knowing versus acting first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I can picture righteous Jacob, trying to convince the Nephites more fully of Christ, just throwing his hands up at the end of his sermon. ⁣

“Just be mature and smart, and I won’t need to keep giving you directions on every little thing!”⁣

“O be wise; what can I say more?” (Jacob 6:12)

I feel like President Nelson can relate. ⁣

How exactly do we keep the Sabbath day holy?!

How do we gather Israel?!

How do we keep our covenants?!

Just be wise. ⁣

You have knowledge. Now, counsel with your Father in Heaven, and just make good choices. ⁣

I obviously don’t know exactly what the living arrangements in heaven will be like, but I like to picture myself living by righteous saints from all walks of life and all time periods!

Some kept the Law of Moses while on earth.

Some served missions for multiple years around the world.

Some saw Jesus.

Some had the Come, Follow Me program.

Some held church in a small isolated house. ⁣

There’s no single “right way” to do everything we are supposed to do. ⁣

Essentially, we have been told to “be wise”. ⁣

We use our knowledge of Sabbath day observance, scripture study, teaching principles, modern-day prophets, love of family, and so much more…⁣

And we apply those principles with as much spiritual maturity as we can. ⁣

This doesn’t mean perfection is our goal (or even attainable).

But we do our best to gather our knowledge and seek for wisdom.

We study correct principles, and then we figure out how they are going to realistically and wholeheartedly apply to our lives.

If we are doing this, then we are choosing to be wise.

And there’s not much more to say.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Just be wise!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

And it’s absolutely true.

“Be still, and know that I am God”. (Psalm 46:10)

But I can’t stop thinking about the second half of this phrase.

Like, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head all week.

“Know that I am God.”

Do we know who God is?

Do we know what it means for the God of the Universe to also be our loving Heavenly Father?

Do we know that God knows everything?

That He knows the end from the beginning?

He knows our divine worth and our weaknesses.

He creates.

He orchestrates.

He loves.

Do we know who God is, what He knows, what He does, and who He loves?

Because when I reflect on the glimpses of truth that I know about my God, I want to find even more still moments.

My problems don’t seem as big.

My priorities become sharpened.

My desire to share selfless love with others is strengthened.

My distractions seem silly.

Yes, it is vitally important for us to find stillness in the craziness of life.

But I think it’s even more important to know what to do during those quiet times.

Ponder.

Worship.

Love God.

Be still.

And know who God is.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Know who God is first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

And holding it separate from any other scriptures has made me realize just how MASSIVE it is.

So many people I have talked to have mentioned they feel excitement for a fresh start in the Old Testament, but they also feel that huge gap in knowledge as to what’s going on.

Have you felt that before?

Starting a new task, or a new book of scripture, or a new job, or a new parenting adventure, and you suddenly realize how LITTLE you know?!

I think Moses could relate as he talked to God on the mountain.

In Moses 1, God starts teaching Moses, humble sheep-herder, that there are “worlds without number”.

And the worlds are filled with numberless inhabitants.

In the grand scheme of things, there is so much that our Heavenly Father has not shared with us yet.

And I love Moses’ meek yet inquisitive response:

“Tell me, I pray thee, why these things are so…?” (Moses 1:30)

Why are there so many creations? Why so many worlds? So many people? Why are we here? What’s the purpose of it all?

You know, the BIG questions.

And what amazes me is that the Lord answers this question!

The Lord tells Moses what the big WHY really is for each creation, each trial, each life.

“For behold, this is my work and my glory–to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)

It’s for immortality and it’s for eternal life. For us.

That’s why we are here.

That’s why we have a veil and can’t remember anything from before.

That’s why Jesus is so important.

It’s all for our immortality and eternal life, and He’s got a plan to help us get there.

As we move through the Old Testament this year, you’ll have plenty of moments where you’ll realize just how little you know about this ancient book of scripture, or the people or doctrines contained in it.

But that’s okay. We don’t have to know it all right now.

In the big picture, we know the almost incomprehensible concepts of immortality and eternal life will be ours if we focus on the simple ways that we put God first in our life each day.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post There is so much we DON’T know! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

At my teaching job, my principal had reminded everyone of a task that was overdue at a staff meeting, and a lot of people seemed shocked.

Quick confession time: I always felt a little awkward in those situations because I absolutely hate sounding like a know-it-all.

I hate hate hate it. I don’t want anyone to think of me as condescending.

But… I also enjoy reading instructions and contracts.

No, not the “terms and conditions” on random things I buy, no one likes those.

But if I am starting a new job, taking on a new role, or joining a new group and there are extensive directions and expectations written up in a contract of some kind?

I read every single word and make sure I understand what it means.

It’s exciting to me, and I always love being completely “in-the-know”.

And so… I had read our principal’s email a couple weeks earlier and already completed my task.

(I also have 10000% empathy for teachers missing things in emails because have you seen a teacher’s inbox before?!)

The Lord reminds the members of the church in D&C 107:99:

“Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence.”

I find this fascinating because at the end of this super lengthy section about priesthood offices and duties, He reminds the saints:

Hey, YOU are each responsible for learning your own duty and then fulfilling it.

We are responsible.

In a new calling, we can be responsible and read what the handbook actually says we should be doing.

We can read the scriptures and study from modern words of prophets so that we know how to behave and act and so that we know our doctrine.

We can learn about how to help others who are struggling and then get out there and act.

We can figure out what our covenants actually mean and then go out there and fulfill our end of them.

We don’t have to wait for someone to tell us what to do.

In fact, we shouldn’t.

We need to learn, and then we need to act.

What is our duty?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post You are responsible for knowing! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Like literally, what do you picture in your head when you hear that phrase?

In some ways, this phrase is really big, and can encompass so many different actions.

But in other ways, this phrase is really vague and can easily not really translate to anything at all.

That’s how I’ve felt for the longest time.

What does it really mean to “worship Jesus”?

This is why I love Section 93 so so so much.

Because we are being taught more about the Savior.

Not just what He did on the earth, although that is important (head to the New Testament for all those beautiful details!).

But we are learning more about who He is, and how He grew, and what He is really really like.

We learn new titles for Him, we learn about different roles that He has played, and we learn about the power that He holds.

And SO MUCH MORE.

Why are we learning so much about Jesus?

In D&C 93:19, the Lord Himself tells us why in some of the most plain wording:

“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.”

Through studying these words, we learn HOW to worship, and we learn WHAT we worship when we worship the Savior.

The more we get to know Him, the more natural it is to worship.

For me, the more I know about His nature, His involvement, His power, the more I see Him everywhere.

In the physical world around me, yes.

But also in the small little miracles, the fun moments between friends, the magical moments with a child.

My worship becomes gratitude, love, passion, music, prayer, happiness, and service.

So if your mind drew a vague blank when I asked what it looks like to “worship Jesus Christ”…

Studying Section 93, in addition to any time we learn more about our Savior, can teach you.

It can teach you what you are worshipping, and how to do it.

Because the more we learn about Jesus, the better we can worship Him.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

I love learning new things, and so the prospect of walking across campus and sitting down in various classes to learn from people who are experts in these subjects was just fascinating to me.

Looking at a syllabus to see how we could fill an entire semester with hours of learning about different facets of one subject was exhilarating.

Call me a nerd, I know.

And it’s not like I totally loved the act of reading every assigned book and writing every research paper.

But ultimately, I felt the spirituality that was inherently intertwined with learning.

Gaining knowledge was spiritual to me.

The thing that made me sad though were some of my fellow classmates who learned from the same classes that I did and eventually reasoned their way out of their gospel beliefs.

Gaining knowledge had become a worldly pursuit that pulled them further from God.

“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” D&C 93:36

The ultimate glory of God is intelligence.

Intelligence is vital and it is championed by God.

And what is intelligence?

It’s not just knowledge. It’s not just getting a good test score.

Intelligence is light and truth.

Intelligence is the light of Christ, the presence of the Spirit, at the same time as the acquisition of truth.

It’s learning under the influence of the Spirit.

And then it leads to intelligent action that is completely congruent with what we’ve learned.

We are created to crave learning.

Maybe it’s math. Maybe it’s music. Maybe it’s recipes. Maybe it’s emotional strategies. Maybe it’s history. Maybe it’s education pedagogy. Maybe it’s public service. Maybe it’s the scriptures.

When we are truly aligned in our spirituality, when we are inviting the Spirit into our lives with every action and thought, I believe that our curiosity is ignited.

There is so much knowledge out there.

And God is looking for righteous, spiritual individuals who are going to learn and then act.

I want to hear— when YOU are aligned spiritually, what is an area you feel your curiosity is led toward?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Intelligent people first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One pattern that seems to be obvious over and over in the Doctrine and Covenants this year is this:

When we are studying and pondering on the scriptures, the Lord will reveal to us greater light and knowledge.

I saw this pattern when Joseph, at the age of 14, pondered on a scripture he read and said a single, humble prayer.

In Section 138, the final section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we’ll learn about Joseph F. Smith pondering on the scriptures and then receiving a glorious vision.

And this week, we learn about Joseph and Sidney reading and translating the Bible together, coming to the book of John, and realizing that the traditional notions of heaven and hell didn’t seem to fit with what they were studying.

I would assume Joseph and Sidney had some sort of discussion, and maybe many discussions, about this topic.

And then, these two men received a vision.

A vision that completely revolutionized how everyone thought about heaven.

And I don’t believe that this pattern is only reserved for the prophets.

Because I’ve seen it in my life.

My stewardship isn’t over the entire church, so the Lord would not reveal anything to me that was my duty to tell everyone.

But I’ve received further light and knowledge by gaining clarity on certain topics that I had previously spent a long time wrestling with in my mind.

I’ve received further light and knowledge on what actions to take in my life, even when the words are not directly written in the scriptures.

I’ve received further light and knowledge by feeling directed and pulled to other people that are experts in their field and that I feel prompted to trust.

I’ve received further light and knowledge by feeling an extreme confidence in my testimony of certain topics as being drawn to scriptures that continue to teach these principles.

I want to be in the scriptures.

And not just in them, but immersed in them.

Thinking, writing, asking, praying, reading, and thinking some more.

When I’m studying and pondering on the scriptures, the Lord reveals to me greater light and knowledge.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Further light and knowledge first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.