Probably about 5 years ago, I was reading the comments on one of these posts. I think it was about an old man who had given a candy to some lady’s son and it was an answer to her prayer.

Many of the comments said essentially the same thing:

“If only everyone was a little more like this old man!”

But one comment stood out to me.

“Everyone keeps commenting ‘if only everyone in the world was like this’ but there is no use in hoping everyone else would be nicer unless we all decide to be a little nicer. And that starts with you. When you see these types of stories, use them to reflect on how YOU can change, how YOU can be a better person, or be more like the person in the story. Don’t use them as chances to wallow in pity that everyone else isn’t more like them.”

BOOM.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this random Facebook comment changed my life.

In fact, I would challenge you to find a post that I’ve written where I call out OTHER people for how they should be different.

Ever since then, I have focused every lesson, every scripture study, every lesson I’ve taught on how I can learn.

I think the scripture application is pretty clear.

It is so much easier to read through the scriptures and see how they relate to other people in the world around us.

It takes a lot more spiritual maturity and practice to CONSTANTLY think about the sins in ourselves that are being described in the scriptures, and find ways to change.

In 3 Nephi Chapter 6, the near-perfect civilization was broken apart by pride.

Pride is pretty easy to see in other people. Disobedience, anger, contention, selfishness, grudges, defensiveness, low self-esteem, divisiveness.

But I encourage you to give your mind a break from trying to point out the sins in everyone around you, that you see on social media, or even that you hear about in the news.

And start looking inside.

Instead of wishing the world was less prideful, because we know that it’s only going to get worse…

Let’s try to become less prideful. More loving. More meek. More humble.

More Christlike.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Finding the pride inside first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The people in Nephi and Lehi’s prison were surrounded by darkness.

“They were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear.” (Hel. 5:28)

Darkness.

And then Aminadab remembered something from his youth.

Someone.

Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ dispels darkness.

And so he told the others to cry until they had faith in Christ.

The cloud of darkness was dispersed.

And they were all encircled by a pillar of fire.

“They were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.” (Hel. 5:44)

Calling upon Christ dispelled darkness in the most literal sense.

And calling upon Christ can dispel every kind of darkness that we have.

But the cool part is that he doesn’t just dispel the darkness.

He replaces the darkness with light and power.

With unspeakable joy and unexplainable peace.

We feel like singing and shouting with the armies of heaven.

It’s that feeling that you just can’t prove to anyone else when you feel it.

And unfortunately, we can sometimes later convince ourselves we never felt it in the first place.

But it is as undeniable in the moment as if fire literally surrounded us and we conversed with angels.

It’s the full presence of the Spirit of God.

And so when we feel that darkness closing in and weighing us down, we need to remember where to turn in order to see again.

And that is toward Jesus Christ.

He dispels the darkness and gives us an abundance of his Spirit in its place.

Artwork by Brent Borup.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Darkness to light first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The smell of fresh trees is literally one of my favorite smells ever.

The red-ish brown bark of the trees, the bright green leaves, the sharp gray rocks.

It was just beautiful and peaceful.

Quin kept saying, “The blue sky is so beautiful!”

I couldn’t help but just stare at the trees and think, “This has to be a gift from God.”

There is too much beauty. Too much design. Too much life.

It’s the most obvious sign I can think of that a loving Heavenly Father and Savior exist.

All things denote there is a God.

So if you’ve been feeling a little disconnected from God lately –

If you’ve been wanting to ask God for a sign that He is there – not in the prideful way Korihor did, but in the faith-filled, “I really need a reminder that you are there and you love me” way –

Give nature a try.

Nature is His sign.

And maybe that’s why I love the smell of the trees so much.

Because it reminds me of other times when I’ve been in the forest, away from distractions and obligations, completely surrounded by pure, untouched creations.

And I’ve felt His Spirit and His love.

Need a sign? Need some proof?

 Head outside. 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God gives us signs first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Did anyone else notice this?

Mormon then follows that with, “and also men”. But let’s be real, when was the last time virtually anywhere, but especially the scriptures, where “women” are listed before “men”, if they are mentioned at all?!

To me, this JUMPED off the pages this read-through. The “men” part sounded like an afterthought.

Korihor affected women the most.

He appealed to their pride.

He caused them to commit sin, thinking of no consequence.

He turned them against their religious traditions.

Women were extremely susceptible to Korihor’s wicked teachings.

And now, thousands of years later, I fully believe that women are in the same, powerful position.

Women are influencers, on their families and on the world.

And we’ve been asked to step up and use our influence for good.

We’ve been asked to detect deception in all of its forms. To recognize the same exact teachings that Korihor shouted, but in our media, news, apps, entertainment, and conversations.

We’ve been asked to stand up when something that is a societal norm or even a part of “church culture” doesn’t sit right with us. To receive personal revelation and then lead with confidence and love.

For me, this leads to some reflection. Have I let any sins become “acceptable” in my life? Have I become lax, or indulged in pride?

How can I better take a stand?

Because we have been promised that in these final days, the good women of the world will be drawn to the Church because of the example of strong, righteous women.

We need to be seen calling out sin and standing up for what is right.

Instead of being the first to fall away into temptingly easy and pleasurable paths…

We can use our influence to bring others to Christ.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Leading away women first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Ever since Barrett was born, I’ve gazed into his bright blue eyes and said, “Wow! Isn’t it crazy how much newborns’ eyes move?! I forgot how they look around all the time!”

When Barrett turned two months old, it hit me one day.

His eyes never stopped moving.

They would scan the room and jerk back and forth. But they never stayed still.

It was in that moment that I knew.

I brought it up to his pediatrician, and we were referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist, who diagnosed Barrett with congenital nystagmus, the most common serious eye disorder.

But in order to make sure his nystagmus was not actually a sign of a neurological issue, his doctor recommended a brain MRI.

There’s a reason I’m only sharing this now on my page – because I knew that my emotions needed some hindsight and distance before I could properly write them down.

I’d love to share more of my emotions throughout this journey in future posts, but as I read Alma’s pleadings this week, I couldn’t help but think of my sweet Barrett.

“I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.” (Alma 29:3)

As our family prepped for Barrett’s MRI that would give us some answers as to whether this was just a vision issue he would deal with his whole life, or if it was a sign of much larger and scarier issues…

I honestly felt guilty if I tried to pray that his brain would show up normal.

Because shouldn’t I be happy with whatever God’s plan for Barrett is? Shouldn’t I have enough faith to accept God’s will, no matter the outcome?

Should I really be praying for a specific result, or should I be submitting myself to His will?

I honestly felt great peace, but I still didn’t know what I should be praying for. Would I be sinning or prideful or ungrateful if I prayed for a clear scan?

And then some familiar words echoed in my head.

“If it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matt. 26:39)

Jesus Christ, my perfect example, did BOTH.

He asked for his desire.

But he also completely yielded himself to his father’s will.

And that gave me a lot of comfort.

I don’t think it’s a true sin to have a righteous desire for something different. It wasn’t a sin for Christ to not want to endure endless, unspeakable suffering. It wasn’t a sin for Alma to wish to be an angel, declaring the gospel of repentance without restriction. And it wasn’t a sin for me to want my little baby boy’s brain MRI to be clear.

As long as the will of God is always where we have our true faith.

Christ atoned for our sins anyways. Alma played his mortal role anyways. (And hey, maybe he got that angel wish at a later point!)

And I yielded up the MRI results to God, no matter where they would lead our family.

After watching my little 5-month-old get a brain MRI under general anesthesia, which I don’t think many moms picture doing with their precious newborn, we got the results.

No irregularities. A clear brain scan.

He’ll have vision problems his whole life, and we won’t know the extent until he can tell us more or give us more evidence. But there aren’t any serious, underlying brain-related causes that are giving him the nystagmus.

Even though we are a few weeks past getting these results, I’m really trying not to romanticize my feelings with the perspective I now have. I would have felt peace no matter the answer we received. And I feel pretty confident saying that.

I learned that we don’t have to feel guilty for praying for certain results, as long as those prayers are accompanied by a total submission to God’s will.

They don’t have to be at odds with each other.

Let this cup pass. NEVERTHELESS not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Am I ungrateful? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Which is why the reunion in Alma 17 seems so sweet.

After fourteen years apart, Alma runs into Mosiah’s sons while traveling on the road.

Fourteen years ago, these boys caused chaos together, and then had a miraculous conversion together.

And then, 14 years later, they ran into each other again!

How random!

Except, we know that God doesn’t do random.

God does “divine design”.

Although this might have seemed random to Alma, the sons of Mosiah were actually desperate to find a home for the newly converted Anti-Nephi-Lehies that they were leading away from the rest of the Lamanites.

They needed help, and God put Alma in their path.

“You and I may call these intersectings ‘coincidence.’ This word is understandable for mortals to use, but coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God.” – Neal A. Maxwell

Running into a friend at the store is never random.

Connecting with someone over Facebook is never random.

Seeing a job opportunity, applying, and getting it is never random.

Moving to a new place is never random.

My current life has been created by thousands of little puzzle pieces, each one seeming to connect with another by sheer coincidence.

I still often refer to starting this Instagram account and website as “random” decisions I made after a prompting, but I’m working on changing that mindset.

Because each little puzzle piece is designed by a God who knows everything and who loves me. He even knows how I’m going to use my agency.

He sees the big picture, and He makes sure each little piece will build off of the previous one.

Because God doesn’t do random.

Share your favorite “no such thing as random” story below, and take some time today to reflect on the small “coincidences” that have shaped you.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God doesn’t do random first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

For some reason, I get a little emotional when I think about the angel who visited Alma and told him to return to Ammonihah.

Because we get a small glimpse of this unknown angel’s emotions.

This angel praises Alma in a way that only someone who sees the “big picture” can do.

He tells Alma to lift up his head and rejoice, because he has stayed faithful and kept the commandments. And not to let his head hang down because of perceived “failures”.

And then I can hear the hint of pride and love in the angel’s words as he reminds Alma that he was the same angel who had appeared to him during his first life-changing vision.

But I have a feeling Alma didn’t need the reminder of who the angel was.

What a cool privilege for this angel – to be the one to twice visit Alma and guide his paths.

I imagine that this small encounter outside of Ammonihah was an emotional one.

And has the day of angels ceased today?

Absolutely not.

Angels, both seen and unseen, are still sent to guide us on our path and bring comfort.

I believe that it is a sacred and special spiritual gift for some to be able to recognize their presence more than others.

But we are also surrounded by mortal friends and family members who can act as literal angels as they listen to promptings and respond.

Ultimately, God will not leave us alone and unaided.

Whether he can use a loving mother, an inspired friend, or send a literal angel’s presence, we will not be alone when we trust that God will provide.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Is there anything worse than taking a woman with plans of launching her new study guide, writing posts, getting everything organized for the week, and sticking her in a hospital room without visitors and a dying cellphone?!

Guess what I’ve had to do these past few days as I’ve dealt with the unexpected hurdles and hospital stay?

Slow down.

Say no.

Let things go.

I was touched when I read about Alma dealing with his two jobs – one as the high priest of the church, and the other as the chief judge over the land.

He said that he felt very sorrowful with everything he had to deal with.

But the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him.

He knew he had to draw boundaries and set priorities with his time and mental resources.

So he gave up the judgment seat to someone who was very qualified, and he kept the role of high priest.

And guess what that meant for Alma?!

He was suddenly able to do so much MORE!

By saying no to one thing, he was able to travel the land and be the best high priest that the people needed.

What a simple but powerful lesson that I keep learning!

Sometimes, whether by choice or by emergency surgery to remove a terrible, useless organ, I get reminded that when I say no to some priorities, I’m able to actually do more.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Gallbladders and priorities first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

It’s the word that we always find accompanying “fasting” in the scriptures.

Prayer.

When we pray in true faith, we are able to secure blessings for ourselves and for others that are conditional upon our asking.

So why would we couple this with fasting?

Fasting is a principle of the gospel that helps us develop spiritual strength.

It is literally a physical manifestation of our desperate intent to commune with the Father and request certain blessings.

It is turning our desires for a basic human need over to God.

It is feeling just a small portion of suffering that our Savior felt.

It is humbling us to realize how quickly we would crumble with no strength if it weren’t for His constant blessings and mercy.

It is unifying when done with others for the same purpose.

It is powerful. And it is real.

When we fast and gain that spiritual strength and maturity, we couple it with prayer, and the spiritual power available is mighty.

Blessings require some sort of work on our part.

And prayers and fasting are the most humble and pure forms of work that we can show.

It is not “nothing”. It is not just to feel good.

Fasting and praying bring real, true, powerful blessings.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Fasting and praying first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.