“I just can’t stay focused while I’m reading! My mind goes everywhere!”⁣

First, I get it. I know that when my mind wanders to the grocery list or the laundry pile, I need to refocus.

I’ve got lots of tips I’ve shared about reading comprehension tips like taking notes, giving a purpose to scripture study, and being in a good physical environment. ⁣

But also…⁣

Letting your mind wander more might be exactly what you need to make your scripture study better. ⁣

Joseph F. Smith let his mind wander. ⁣

He was reading the scriptures. ⁣

And then he got caught up in thinking about how good God is. ⁣

And then he started thinking about some other scriptures and decided to turn there and read them. ⁣

And then he let his mind wander more on that topic. ⁣

And THEN he received one of the greatest revelations of the 20th century. ⁣

For me, my best scripture study looks like me reading the scriptures only about 50% of the time. ⁣

The other time is a mix of writing notes…⁣

And a mix of me just staring and thinking. ⁣

I intentionally let my mind wander when it wants to (as long as we are at least staying somewhat gospel-related or uplifting).⁣

I’m thinking about that Sunday School lesson where the teacher told us that story about this principle here in the scripture. ⁣

Or I’m pretending I’m teaching a class about this scripture and I’m just getting on my soap box in my head and talking about it. ⁣

Or I’m thinking about other scriptures or scripture stories this reminds me of.⁣

Or I’m wondering what that sentence really means and just letting my mind play around with some options. ⁣

Or I’m thinking about my friend, and realizing that this scripture gives me a bit of clarity on how to help her out more. ⁣

Obviously, off-topic ungrounded mind wandering isn’t usually super helpful, and there are tools to assist.

But forcing our minds to only stay focused on only reading might be keeping us from the wandering and the pondering that could lead to marvelous revelation!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Let your mind wander first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Living the gospel can be fun and simple.

And you really can study a scripture in just a minute each day.

I totally stand behind this!

But also…

This gospel is everything.

It is big.

It can’t be entirely summed up into little tips and tricks.

It is so, so important.

The Lord taught the Saints the message they were to deliver to the whole world.

“Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds. Be sober. Keep all my commandments.” (D&C 43:34-35)

We are asked to ponder the eternities and treasure eternal truths in our hearts.

This is serious.

This “Plan of Salvation” that we draw cute pictures and diagrams of is actually intense and powerful.

It is everything.

It can be difficult to find time to just ponder about this, though.

The Lord invites us to let these solemn things rest in our minds.

It takes so much effort to sit still and let my mind ponder on the eternities.

But when I do this, I am centered on Jesus Christ and am reminded why I’m coming up with all those little tips and tricks in the first place.

So give it a try today:

Set some time aside and just think, as seriously and as solemnly as you can, about the big picture of it all.

And see what the Spirit teaches you.

“In a world that increasingly demands more of our time, it is essential that we take time to ponder in our homes, so that we may understand divine doctrine and its principles.” – Walter F. Gonzalez

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  No fun tips and tricks today  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I searched all the usual suspect places.

I asked my kids.

I looked in unusual places.

And then I did what I think most of us have learned to do in these types of situations:

I said a quick prayer and kept searching.

The Spirit loves action, right?!

Surely I’d be led to my keys now.

But……… nothing.

And I really had to leave to go somewhere.

I decided to say another prayer, but this time, I was going to be really sincere and then pause to listen for promptings.

I was surprised that when I prayed and paused, a calm but certain thought came to my mind that I WASN’T going to find my keys.

I knew that I needed to find another way to get where I was going.

When David Whitmer struggled, the Lord gave him this advice:

“You are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received.” (D&C 30:3)

Yes, we need to ask and inquire as we say prayers.

But we also need to ponder!

I was so sure that the Spirit would help me find my keys as I searched…

That I forgot to wait and listen for an answer.

And there have been other situations in my life when I’ve prayed, pondered, and then had my mind brought to an earlier conversation that suddenly seemed like an answer.

The Lord answers prayers when we ask.

But sometimes, and more often than I’d like to admit,

It’s possible I’m missing the little answers, the nudges, or the guidance because I’m not leaving time to ponder and listen.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The lost keys first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Growing up in Northern California, I felt like we were always taking road trips.

Whether it was across Nevada to visit family, down south to Disneyland, or just to the mountains.

I learned from a young age that I like to just stare out the window of a car.

My mom would get really fun activities for my sisters and me…

But I would still find myself spending half the day just staring out my window, thinking.

Does this make me weird?

Probably.

But I love just letting my mind wander!

My life is much busier now, so it takes a lot more effort to find time to be still and think.

But making time to ponder has completely transformed my relationship with God.

Moroni counsels us to, “. . . receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.” (Moroni 10:3)

All of my moments of transformation have come from letting my mind think on things.

When I’ve made big decisions, when I’ve had greater resolve to keep a commandment, when I’ve received impressions of which relationships to pursue and which to let go, and even when I’ve grown my testimony…

I’ve been pondering.

Because when I stop everything and let my mind run free, I find that God speaks.

“Being still is an act of faith and requires effort.” – L. Todd Budge

At the busiest time of year, how can you show an act of faith and WORK to stand still and ponder on the simple truths of the doctrine of Christ?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Staring out a window first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Let my mind wander.

It’s hard, because I used to be so focused on trying to keep my brain focused and NOT letting it wander.

But then I realized that “wandering” was often the time when my brain was digesting information, receiving little bits of inspiration, and thinking about stuff that had happened that day.

In other words, I was pondering.

Even if I felt like my brain was wandering “off-topic”, I have found that if my scriptures are open and I have sincere intent, even the most random place me brain wants to explore might lead me exactly where the Spirit needs to inspire or enlighten.

So I intentionally build in time to let my mind wander.

(Side note: setting a time limit to study instead of just doing “a chapter a day” helps give your brain permission to wander more too!)

But this is often really tricky because who has extra time to just sit there and let their mind wander on purpose?!

Our days are filled to the brim with other priorities.

We place value on “getting things done.”⁣

So if I’m just sitting there with my scriptures, staring off into space, and thinking, what am I actually accomplishing?⁣

Did you happen to notice what Nephi did in order to allow the voice of the Lord to speak to him and give him great power?⁣

“And it came to pass as he was thus pondering. . . .” (Helaman 10:3)

Nephi pondered, too!

He took the time as he traveled to be quiet.

He thought about previous miracles and revelations he had received in his life.

And that quiet pondering is what led the Lord to give him amazing power. ⁣

Are we making quiet moments?

It’s so tricky.

But if the Lord is going to speak, if His Spirit is going to inspire, even with the simplest of messages, They need space to work.

Taking that powerful step to ponder opens us up to God’s power, allows us to obtain personal revelation, and gives us the chance to feel real peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Ponder this first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

She asked me how I found time to self-reflect all of the time. ⁣

I was caught off guard by her question.⁣

What was she talking about?!

She said she admired how I took time to reflect on my actions and attitudes and adjust them so often. ⁣

When did I self-reflect?

I pictured some kind of meditation, or mindful journaling…

I didn’t think that I did that.

I tried to think about the last time I had intentionally thought about my actions.

And suddenly, my morning prayer popped into my mind!

I had self-reflected when I was giving my thanks, asking for strength in upcoming obstacles, and asking for forgiveness for my previous bad attitudes or poor judgments.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that King Benjamin’s counsel in Mosiah 4:30 to  “. . . watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds. . .” is built into our religious habits!

We are asked to pray constantly.

We are asked to study the scriptures and ponder on their words.

We even partake of the sacrament weekly as a more formal self-inventory.

I think part of the purpose of these habits is to get us out of autopilot!

They shake us from just going with our natural emotions, and getting caught up in all the “stuff”.

They teach us to slow down.

They invite us to reflect.

They encourage us to connect with God.

And they help us intentionally decide the best ways to change.

I’m grateful for all of the opportunities I have to watch my thoughts, built into my religious routines.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The self-reflecting religion  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

A few years ago, I consciously decided that I was ready to have a spiritual experience every single day when I opened the scriptures.

I wanted to invite the power that I knew I could claim into my scripture study.

So I started asking “So what?” when I read. ⁣⁣

Instead of just reading powerful verses and stories and thinking “cool” — I would ask, “So what can I do in my life right now because of what I just read?”⁣⁣

And if you’ve been following this account for any amount of time, you know that is the entire premise of everything that I write and share. ⁣⁣

Lehi told his family all about his extensive dream and vision. ⁣⁣

For Laman and Lemuel, they were confused for a bit and then moved on.

But Nephi turned to the Spirit.

I imagine that he asked his own version of, “So what?”

And he was filled with the desire to experience the vision himself.

He heard the dream and decided to act – and his action was to request the vision for himself. ⁣⁣

“For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord…” (1 Nephi 11:1)

Asking “So what?” has truly transformed my scripture study experience. ⁣

Instead of reading and thinking, “Wow, that was cool!” and then never thinking about it again (or even worse, but still common, “I got NOTHING out of that”)…⁣⁣

… I’m trying to think more and more, “What does the Spirit want me to learn from this?”⁣

Nephi KNEW that the Holy Ghost would give him that personal instruction, and our current prophet has continued to make that his theme song.⁣⁣

“The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating.” – President Nelson, Oct 2019

The Holy Ghost will be our personal tutor. He will teach us exactly what WE need to know from everything we go through.

BUT – we have to give him a chance to teach us. We have to ask for his help.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Asking and pondering first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Every time I would think about it, I would get panicky or sad or frustrated.

So I just tried not to think about it.

I kept pushing it down.

But it kept bubbling up and making me frustrated and overwhelmed all over again at very inconvenient times.

I was on edge.

And I didn’t have any time to deal with it.

Then one night, I couldn’t sleep.

I was feeling in a real funk, so I decided to pull up the scriptures on my phone and start reading a bit.

I honestly could not even tell you which book of scripture I pulled up.

Because as my eyes scanned the words and my finger scrolled, my mind wandered.

It wandered back to my big concern.

But this time, it felt different.

I gave myself permission to just think about it.

I thought about my concerns in detail, I cried over what I was sad about, I logically thought through different options and paths forward.

I formally addressed Heavenly Father every once in a while, but my mind just kept going for the most part.

I just… pondered.

And then I fell asleep.

And the next morning, I felt so… calm.

So content. So peaceful. Even, happy.

It didn’t make sense though.

The concern was technically still there.

I didn’t have a clear answer, an obvious path forward, an elimination of every tough part.

But I truly, deep down, felt content.

“Pondering often precedes contentment.” —Neal A. Maxwell

I believe that with all my heart.

It’s something I can’t really explain very well. It probably doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world.

“Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

Pondering.

Without distraction, in communion with God, inviting the Spirit…

It is powerful.

And pondering has changed my life.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Unexplainable pondering first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One of the most common “confessions” I hear from people goes something like this:

“I just can’t stay focused while I’m reading! My mind goes everywhere!”

First, I totally understand what you are saying, and if you think my mind never wanders to my grocery list or laundry pile, you would be completely incorrect.

I’ve got lots of tips I’ve shared about reading comprehension tips like taking notes, giving a purpose to scripture study, and being in a good physical environment.

But also…

Letting your mind wander more might be exactly what you need to make your scripture study better.

Joseph F. Smith let his mind wander.

He was reading the scriptures.

And then he got caught up in thinking about how good God is.

And then he started thinking about some other scriptures and decided to turn there and read them.

And then he let his mind wander more on that topic.

And THEN he received one of the greatest revelations of the 20th century.

For me, my scripture study looks like me reading the scriptures only about 50% of the time.

The other time is a mix of writing notes…

And a mix of me just staring and thinking.

I intentionally let my mind wander when it wants to (as long as we are at least staying somewhat gospel-related or uplifting).

I’m thinking about that Sunday School lesson where the teacher told us that story about this principle here in the scripture.

Or I’m pretending I’m teaching a class about this scripture and I’m just getting on my soap box in my head and talking about it.

Or I’m thinking about other scriptures or scripture stories this reminds me of.

Or I’m wondering what that sentence really means and just letting my mind play around with some options.

Or I’m thinking about my friend, and realizing that this scripture gives me a bit of clarity on how to help her out more.

Obviously, off-topic mind wandering isn’t usually super helpful, and there are tools to help there.

But forcing our minds to only stay focused on only reading might be keeping us from the wandering and the pondering that could lead to marvelous revelation!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post In praise of mind wandering! 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.