“The Lord is with thee”. (Judges 6:12)⁣

Aren’t we told this a lot too?⁣

God is aware of us. ⁣

His Spirit is with us. ⁣

The Savior walks with us. ⁣

But Gideon pushes back on this idea:⁣

“Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? ⁣

“and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of…?” (Judges 6:13)⁣

Doesn’t Gideon’s logic sound familiar, too??⁣

If the Lord is really with me, then why are all of these terrible things happening? ⁣

Where are the miracles you promised? ⁣

The angel doesn’t completely answer Gideon’s question in the moment, other than pointing him toward future blessings. ⁣

But how would you respond to Gideon’s question?⁣

I usually try to focus on one point in each post that I write, but I’ve had a lot of thoughts swirling around on this topic lately, so I’m going to share a few ideas and you can take the idea that resonates the most right now. ⁣

– The reward for being righteous always comes. Always. Usually not when we want it, and sometimes not even in this life. But we have to trust in God’s promise that it will come. ⁣

– The real blessing in the moment is peace and joy on the inside, despite turbulent circumstances. ⁣

– Life can’t just be perfect for those who believe in God and miserable for those who don’t. That would take away the element of faith, and would hinder agency. ⁣

– Although I 100000% relate to this feeling, I can also see how spiritually immature it is to just want blessings all the time. A spiritually mature individual loves God and Jesus with their whole heart, mind, and soul, and the circumstances literally don’t matter at all. ⁣

What do you think? How would you respond to Gideon?⁣

Because Gideon isn’t the only one asking this question.⁣

It’s everywhere. It’s on social media. It’s in our church classes. It’s being asked over and over in our minds. ⁣

And I think there is a whole new level of spiritual understanding available when we start to realize that the angel’s declaration of the Lord being with us IS the miracle we’ve been looking for all along.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post If the Lord be with us…? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

As the Israelites escaped from the Egyptians, they, “walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” (Exodus 14:29)⁣

There have been so many times in my life where dangerous and chaotic waters are swirling all around me. ⁣

Lost jobs, financial setbacks, or emotional trials have made it seem like everything is piling up. ⁣

It has seemed overwhelming. Like I’m just one step from it all crashing down. ⁣

And anyone else looking into my life would see how turbulent it is. ⁣

But yet…⁣

My feet have stayed on dry ground. ⁣

I have felt peace. ⁣

I’ve had others join me on the journey so that I feel supported. ⁣

I’ve focused on just taking that next step forward. ⁣

All because of Jesus Christ. ⁣

He is the one who makes it all possible. ⁣

The chaos and the swirling waters pile up sometimes. ⁣

But they don’t need to mean my destruction when I have faith in Jesus Christ. ⁣

When I keep looking forward and taking a step. ⁣

Even when that step forward means the waters around me are getting even higher and higher. ⁣

There is peace in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Walking on dry ground first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

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.

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.

I couldn’t wait!

Until the process started and I realized that we’d have to basically live upstairs with small children for the week.

The upstairs hallway was lined with snacks, drinks, toys, my laptop, puzzles, games, garbage bags… anything I could think of. ⁣

(Because of course it was also super rainy and cold for those days, so park visits were suddenly out of the question.)⁣

EVERYTHING WAS A MESS. ⁣

Upstairs, downstairs, the garage that had basically become a temporary storage unit for everything… all of it. ⁣

I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard plenty of times that it’s easier to feel the Spirit in clean and orderly places than messy ones. ⁣

This was the thought running through my mind one evening as I sat, exhausted, and looked at the chaos. ⁣

I just wanted a clean home where I could feel peace! ⁣

“Heavenly Father,” I pleaded. “There’s no way I can get this house clean right now.” ⁣

Almost immediately, I was filled with this calming peace. ⁣

I felt a strong spiritual presence, and I felt like everything was okay. ⁣

Here’s what I know: ⁣

God doesn’t wait until our house or our room is clean until He speaks to us. ⁣

When we see Jacob wandering in a wilderness and making a pillow out of stones, this is where the Lord visits him and blesses him with great power. ⁣

And Jacob’s response? “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” (Genesis 28:16). ⁣

The Lord is wherever His righteous people are, whether they are sleeping on stones, or whether their house is covered in dust, crumbs, and toys. ⁣

The Lord can be anywhere, as long as we take a moment to look for Him.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Can you feel the Spirit in a messy home? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Joseph Smith had the most essential gift of the Spirit with him:⁣

“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning;” (D&C 135:4⁣)

Abinadi. ⁣

Even Jesus Christ. ⁣

And I know there are others. ⁣

Beautiful examples of peace while heading toward certain death. ⁣

I most likely will not have to face this specific situation. ⁣

But something I CAN relate to?⁣

Calm even when everything from a mortal viewpoint is NOT going to be okay. ⁣

It takes a lot of faith. ⁣

It takes an eternal perspective. ⁣

It takes having the presence of the Holy Ghost. ⁣

It’s feeling peace even when other people think you should be falling apart. ⁣

But it also doesn’t mean needing to love the situation. ⁣

Joseph tried to escape as the mob attacked. ⁣

Abinadi kept preaching and trying to soften the hearts of his abusers. ⁣

Even the Savior asked if the cup could be removed from before Him. ⁣

It’s the moments when people say, “I’m so sorry. That sounds terrible.”⁣

And you say, “It has been really rough. But I’ve also surprisingly had these moments of peace that carry me through. I’ve felt so many blessings and so much strength while still having to endure this difficult circumstance.”⁣

Life is filled with rough mortal experiences. ⁣

And no amount of righteousness will ever excuse us from them. ⁣

But we can still endure and feel as calm as a summer’s morning.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Calm as a summer’s morning  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s easy to assume that life will be so much better when we get something new.

Or when we finally accomplish a big goal.

But then we discover that what we thought would solve our problems doesn’t bring us the happiness we are searching for.

I think the same thing applies to peace.

Peace doesn’t have to wait for some magical outside circumstance.

Joseph Smith received a similar message in the depths of Liberty Jail when the Lord said, “My son, peace be unto thy soul.” (D&C 121:7)

The Lord didn’t promise peace in the future.

Under those brutal circumstances, He told Joseph to feel peace right at that very moment.

Personal peace is a blessing available to each of us, no matter what our grass looks like right now.

No matter your kid’s choices.

No matter the diagnosis.

No matter the family drama.

No matter the financial struggle.

The answer can be found in one of my favorite songs:⁣

“When there’s no peace on earth,⁣

“There is peace in Christ.”⁣

Christ is the answer. ⁣

Christ is the answer to still feeling peace in our hearts.

Joseph found that peace while enduring months of confinement, starvation, and mental torture because true, lasting peace is found in Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post There is peace in Christ  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

She had a second home in Providence, was unmarried, enjoyed a lot of social clout, and earned quite a bit of wealth by her 40s.⁣

She obtained a copy of the “Mormon Bible” and read it, but was pretty indifferent to it. ⁣

Until one night, as she prayed, she had a “vision of the Book of Mormon”, and she felt she should ask if it was true scripture.⁣

She immediately received her answer. ⁣⁣

She traveled to Ohio to be baptized, and then returned to Boston to help missionaries establish a branch of the church. ⁣

About a year later, she said goodbye to Boston for good and headed to Ohio. ⁣

She freely gave of all her money to the church, and her giant $1400 contribution directly helped Joseph purchase land for the upcoming Kirtland temple. ⁣

And then Vienna was asked to move to Missouri. ⁣

“It is meet in mine eyes that she should go up unto the land of Zion, and receive an inheritance…⁣

“That she may settle down in peace inasmuch as she is faithful”. D&C 90:30-31⁣

Peace, rest, and a land of inheritance was being promised to her. ⁣

Literally a month later, mobs attacked the printing press in Missouri, scattering manuscript pages and tarring and feathering the Bishop. ⁣

Vienna knelt in the night, gathering as many pages of the Book of Commandments as she could. ⁣

When the saints finally arrived in Nauvoo and started to build up the great city, Vienna was present when the very first baptisms for the dead were performed. ⁣

She received her own endowment in the Nauvoo temple before being forced out yet again. ⁣

Where was her peace? Her rest? Her inheritance? Her blessing for consecrating her money to the Lord?⁣

She arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 and was given a city lot. ⁣

She called that her “inheritance” for the remainder of her 40 years left on earth. ⁣

She was a powerful scriptorian, fiercely independent, and self-sufficient. She loved the temple, she loved the prophet, and she had faith in Jesus Christ. ⁣

She died at the age of 96 and others said she was “strong and full of faith in the principles of the gospel”. ⁣

There is true power in faith, and Vienna Jaques lived that.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A case study on Vienna first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God”. ⁣(D&C 45:66)

Doesn’t that sound great?!⁣

But what does that mean for me right now?⁣

In President Nelson’s signature talk, “Let God Prevail”, he said something that stood out to me when I relistened recently: ⁣

“Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.”⁣

I know that my mind usually goes toward missionary work and temple work when I hear that statement. ⁣

But, it recently clicked that this has SO MUCH to do with my family and home RIGHT NOW. ⁣

Anything that I do in order to help my family members make and keep sacred covenants, helps to gather Israel. ⁣

Which means that I’m picturing my home becoming a place exactly like the Lord described in verse 66. ⁣

A land of peace. A city of refuge. A place of safety. ⁣

As I work to create this type of environment in my home (peace, refuge, and safety), I am participating in the gathering of Israel in a truly essential way. ⁣

So that’s what I’m pondering on today. ⁣

How can I create more peace in my home?⁣

Not just “keeping the peace”, but actually creating true, sublime peace. ⁣

How can I ensure my home is a refuge?⁣

Keeping it different from the rest of the world, purposely. ⁣

How can I make my home feel like safety?⁣

Filling it with so much love, that any outside harm doesn’t find a place to stay. ⁣

If you are a parent, teen, young adult, or grandparent creating peace, refuge, and safety in your own home, then you are helping to gather Israel and create Zion.

“One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds.” – Richard G. Scott

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The surprising place to build Zion  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

They tell me about a dramatic, heartbreaking event in their lives.

I offer condolences and empathy.

And then they tell me something like:

“I actually don’t really feel that sad about it.

“I thought that this would be worse, but I just feel this sense of peace.”

And I say:

“YES! I know exactly what you mean!”

Because I’ve also had not-so-great things happen in my life.

And even though logic would tell me that I should be in deep despair, I have felt an underlying undeniable peace.

And this, my friends, is what I’ve learned is the true blessing of the gospel.

The true blessing of the gospel isn’t that we will be healed when we get sick.

It isn’t that we will have amazing jobs.

It isn’t that loved ones won’t die.

It isn’t that our bank accounts will stay full.

The true blessing is described beautifully here:

“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.” (D&C 19:23)

That is the perfect blessing that Jesus offers.

Not perfect lives, but perfect PEACE that comes with being a follower of Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Peace in Christ first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.