That line is: “With great power comes great responsibility.”⁣

Spider-Man could have discovered his powers, realized what he could do, and then chosen to sweep it under the rug. ⁣⁣

I mean, does he really have to stop what he’s doing everytime there’s a distress call in his neighborhood? (Or the galaxy?!)

He’s got stuff to do, too! ⁣

It could be easy to ignore what he had to blend in with everyone else and try to live a normal life. ⁣

Life without his powers would be much simpler for young Peter. ⁣

But instead, he was reminded that with this great power, he can choose to take great responsibility, too. ⁣

Because other people’s lives would be much worse off if he chose to do nothing. ⁣

If he could save people’s lives, then his morals, guided by his uncle’s advice, led him to believe that he needed to help. ⁣

In D&C 82:3, the Lord gently reminds Joseph and the other leaders in Missouri that: ⁣

“Unto whom much is given much is required.”⁣

If you have a testimony of Jesus Christ.⁣

If you’ve made covenants in the holy temple⁣

If you know of prophets and scriptures that have made your life easier…⁣

Then you have been given a whole lot.⁣

It can be tempting to want to hide away from any consequences of that, though. ⁣

Can’t I just have an awesome, comfortable life, and everyone else can go on their own journey?⁣

The Lord teaches us that that’s not the way He’d like it to go. ⁣

If we’ve been given a lot, then there is a lot required of us. ⁣

Now, I don’t think we have to physically risk our lives every day. ⁣

But we are asked to risk our comfortable environments to repent, to share the good news with others, and to serve as He would serve. ⁣

With great power, comes great responsibility.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Spider-man’s spiritual thought  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But. . . he could try his best.

And that’s exactly what he was asked to do.

Angel Moroni promised Joseph,

“If I [Joseph] would use all my endeavors to preserve them . . . they should be protected.” (JS-H 1:59)

Joseph had to try his absolute best to keep the plates from being stolen by the many curious neighbors who attempted to view these ancient records multiple times, sometimes even with extreme violence.

As long as Joseph kept his efforts up, God would make sure they were not discovered.

I’ve seen this time and time again in my life.

I make a tiny, imperfect effort to improve my prayers…

And then I can feel God’s strength being added to mine.

I start telling my kids a scripture story, and then someone is distracted because they need a snack.

But I can still feel my Savior’s grace magnifying my efforts.

God didn’t say that He would protect the gold plates if Joseph carelessly left them on his front porch.

And God’s not going to step in and teach my kids what I’m deliberately neglecting to do.

But when we give Him an inch, He takes a mile in the best way possible.

“God magnifies those He calls, even in what may seem to you a small or inconspicuous service.” – President Eyring

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Joseph wasn’t powerful enough first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Does being dunked underwater cleanse your soul?

Does someone placing their hands on your head remove sickness from your body?

No!

These actions mean absolutely nothing…

Without the power of Jesus Christ.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to partake of the sacrament and have our sins forgiven.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to be baptized and have our souls cleansed.

It is our Savior’s atoning sacrifice that allows us to receive a blessing that can heal us.

And that same power has been given to people here on earth to allow all of God’s children the opportunity to repent, be cleansed, be healed, and so much more.

We know this as priesthood power.

It was a quiet day in May of 1829 when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were the first people in this dispensation to receive this now-restored priesthood power.

The Restoration Proclamation teaches: “The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins.”

This simple priesthood restoration would eventually flood the earth.

“Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth.

“Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality.

“But no other organization can and will influence your life after death.” – President Russell M. Nelson

What a miracle it is to be alive when God’s priesthood power is available to each of us to cleanse, heal, and empower us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Does bread have power?  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When I read the history of the Jaredites, there seems to be one common theme that is the root of all of their problems:

Power.

“And he gave battle unto Shule the king, in which he did obtain the land of their first inheritance; and he became a king over that part of the land.” (Ether 7:16)

These men wanted power.

They wanted power over other people so that they could make them do whatever they wanted.

They wanted power to give themselves more privilege and leniency.

They were willing to do whatever it took, including destroying families and friends, to grab power and to keep it.

What a contrast to Jesus.

He was the perfect example of humble “servant-leadership”

— Someone who gains authority by SERVING others. ⁣

Now, not many of us are seeking high positions of power.

But all of us have had some kind of leadership positions…

Whether in church callings, in work, and even as parents.

So what’s our leadership style?

Do we assume that our title gives us power, and we look for ways to get even more?

Or do we take leadership roles as a chance to serve those “beneath” us so much that we build our own loving authority and influence?⁣

Good leaders see opportunities of greater responsibility as a chance to do even greater service!

“The world teaches that leaders must be mighty; the Lord teaches that they must be meek.” – Stephen W. Owen

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Zeniff’s people had to fight against the Lamanites.⁣

Zeniff helped his people become good, righteous, and industrious. ⁣

And still, the Lamanites came. ⁣

He armed them with all sorts of weapons. ⁣

And still, people died. ⁣

And each day, on large and small scales, we are facing battles. ⁣

No matter how righteous we are. ⁣

No matter how much we have prepared and defend ourselves. ⁣

Real damage is done to our lives from these battles of all sizes that we are up against. ⁣

The ultimate difference between the wicked Lamanites and the righteous people of Zeniff?⁣

“God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might”. (Mosiah 9:18)

The people of Zeniff went forth with God’s might. ⁣

Both groups experienced the battle. ⁣

But only one had God’s might and power with them. ⁣

I find this so comforting when going through all of my personal battles, both physical and emotional. ⁣

I have God on my side. ⁣

To strengthen me.

To make the damage not quite as bad as it could be.

To help me prepare even more. ⁣

The trials are still there, but I don’t ever want to face them without the calm and peace that come from going forth with the Lord’s might.

“We are not and never need be alone. We can press forward in our daily lives with heavenly help.” — David A. Bednar

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Battling with the Lord’s might  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I mean, he has always been a great speaker.

But there was something different about how he spoke now.

I could feel this spiritual power behind the words that he said.

A friend reminded me that what I was noticing was the mantle of his calling which gave him new authority to speak and prophesy to the entire world.

After Jesus gave His beautiful Sermon on the Mount, the people listening to Him were astonished because He taught with authority. ⁣

“For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:29)

I’m not the prophet, and I’m certainly not Jesus.

But can I speak with authority, too?

I’ve spent a lot of time recently pondering on and studying about priesthood power.

What is priesthood power?

And how can I access more of that priesthood power— God’s holy power— in my own life?

The Church General Handbook says:

“God’s priesthood power flows to all members of the Church —female and male —as they keep the covenants they have made with Him.”

Priesthood power comes through covenants.

So accessing priesthood power means actively keeping my covenants.

What can I do with my priesthood power?

I can act with authority in my callings at church, within my home, and when seeking revelation for my own life.

Covenant keepers have access to priesthood power.

It’s an area I’ve been living below my means in, and I’m ready to step up and humbly claim the power that God is already willing to allow me to use in order to speak and act with authority when it comes to those I have stewardship over.

And in my own small but confident way, I can also speak with a new level of power and authority because I am keeping covenants.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Accessing my priesthood power  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The atonement isn’t some event that had its own power that we worship and revere.

Instead, it’s all about the Savior!

It is the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.

He is the one who made the amazing, selfless sacrifice and chose to atone for our sins.

We worship the Savior, not “the atonement”!

Now I was recently at our stake conference where our visiting general authority taught us that President Nelson has also started teaching about another angle of this same truth, all focused on:

The temple!

I love the temple.

But we often mistakenly attribute the power of the temple to the temple itself.

As if the building has power because it is a temple.

But why are temples so amazing?

It’s because they are the literal houses of the Lord!

Jesus Christ’s spirit is even more present in the temple walls, and that is what the “special spirit of the temple” is really all about.

Isaiah taught us in Isaiah 2:3:

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths”.

The temple is where we go to learn about Jesus, to be taught by Jesus, in the home of Jesus.

It’s all about Jesus.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The temple’s power first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight”. (Genesis 2:9)

I think of God, and Jesus, and Adam, and possibly others using their powers of creation to bring plants, trees, oceans, stars, birds, and so much more into existence.

And yet, we have been given the power to create, too.

And not just with a canvas and a paintbrush, because honestly, I don’t do great creating there.

Being “creative” is usually seen as the composer, the drama teacher, the artist, the quilter, the chef…

But we each have so much that we are able to create each day.

We can create what our attitude is like.

We can create the family culture in our home.

We can create love and acceptance where there wasn’t any before.

We can create strong testimonies by studying areas we wish we knew more about.

We can create time to make God a priority in our life.

We can create memories with those we love.

We can create stronger relationships by choosing to serve others.

We can create peace even when surrounded by chaos.

We can create laughter while doing hard work at the same time.

We can create unity where there was judgment and division.

Creation is powerful.

It’s the opposite of being a victim of your circumstances, and realizing that you have the power to create intangible, but no less real, results in your life.

“Our campfire of faith can encourage us to find joy in wholesome creativity. There is joy in imagining, learning, doing worthwhile new things.” (Gerrit W. Gong)

And it can all be tied back to faith.

Faith, placed correctly in Jesus Christ, can give us the courage and the strength to create these moments and these feelings each day.

The great Creator can even guide us in what to create, and when.

So, what have you created today?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Creators together! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My sisters and I all got brand new kites, and we spent the day flying them on the always-windy beaches in Northern California.

My dad would run and throw the kite up, and if it caught the wind correctly, I would have to dig my feet into the sand in order to hold the kite.

It always amazed me how tight I had to hold on to my handle.

As I would turn the handle and give the kite more string, the kite would fly higher and higher, until the string stopped.

And, as a kid, I would look up and think, “Man, this string is just holding the kite back from flying even higher.”

It seemed like that string was restrictive.

The kite could fly so much higher without me.

And so, one time, I let go.

The kite turned every possible way before nose-diving into the sand far down the beach.

It turns out, the string that I thought was so restrictive was actually the only thing helping the kite reach its highest point.

This is what the commandments look like to many people, right?

People are shocked when they find out we give 10% of our income as tithes. That we abstain from alcohol. That we don’t do playdates on Sundays.

What foolish ways to bind ourselves down! Just like a silly, restrictive kite string!

And yet, I have found that while these “restrictions” look like they would hold us back, they create the perfect amount of tension to let us reach our highest potential.

In D&C 95:11, the Lord promises the saints who didn’t think they could build a temple: “If you keep my commandments you shall have power to build it.”

The commandments were going to give them power.

And the commandments continue to create power in our lives.

So to me, this “restrictive” religion is actually creating the greatest freedom I can imagine!

And I’m grateful for the tension on the string, even if others view it as holding myself back.

Because I know that without it, my “freedom” wouldn’t help me get to become the person I know I can be.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The kite analogy and power first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Did you know that if you’ve made a covenant with God under priesthood authority, then you have constant access to priesthood power in your own life as you keep up your end of the covenant?

From baptism to temple covenants, there are so many of us who have access to personal priesthood power in our life.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

When I access my own personal priesthood power:

I can get personal guidance.

I can receive specific inspiration for how to serve other people around me.

I can have the strength to overcome and endure.

My abilities can be magnified by gifts of the Spirit.

I can receive revelation to know how to fulfill the work I have been given to do.

I can have help and strength to become more like our Savior.

Those are just a few ways that personal priesthood power can create real blessings.

Aren’t those beautiful?

And in order to get all of these blessings, each of us needs to do a little better at keeping our end of the covenants we make.

Whether we hear them repeated at the sacrament table, or whether we are reminded of them in the temple, we need to know what our covenants are so that we can live up to them.

To me, this is what I think of when I hear the Lord teach:

“They are walking in darkness at noon-day.” D&C 95:6

Yes, people who commit intentional sin are blocking themselves out from all of the light available.

But… I bet a lot of us are still walking around in 5pm light.

We see the light. We can move around just fine.

But we aren’t receiving the fullness of what’s available to us.

We are living below our priesthood privilege.

We have access to so much more Godly power than we could even imagine.

There is guidance, peace, strength, inspiration, revelation, and gifts that I believe Heavenly Father is just waiting to pour down on us.

But we have to ask. We have to keep our small end of the bargain with endless retries through repentance.

When we make and keep covenants, we are endowed with priesthood power, and THAT is when I believe we are walking around in the brightest light of noonday.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Living below our priesthood privilege first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.