Heading out on the first mission for the tiny church. ⁣

Heading west, with a strong end goal, but not sure how the details would play out. ⁣

They were going to share the Book of Mormon with the Native American tribes west of Missouri. ⁣

And the Lord told them He would be in their midst. ⁣

And that if they decided to let God prevail in their personal lives, that He would prevail against any obstacles they met. ⁣

And within a few months, they would return back home…⁣

WITHOUT converting a whole bunch of Native Americans to the restored gospel. ⁣

A failed mission. ⁣

So… where was God?⁣

Why had they failed if God said that He would prevail?⁣

Because their mission resulted in the doubling of church membership. ⁣

DOUBLE. ⁣

It wasn’t the Native Americans. ⁣

It was the people they visited in Ohio along the way. ⁣

It was Sidney Rigdon. It was Edward Partridge. It was countless other faithful new Saints who were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. ⁣

God most certainly prevailed. ⁣

Because not ONLY did church membership double, but the next location for all the Saints to travel to was established. ⁣

A place that would be home to numerous essential revelations. ⁣

A place that would house the first temple of the Lord in this dispensation. ⁣

A place where the Savior, Jesus Christ Himself, would visit. ⁣

The Lord most certainly prevailed on the sacred mission that these four men faithfully embarked on. ⁣

But we can’t define “prevailing” as accomplishing the end goal that we had in mind. ⁣

I mean, even the Lord told them that their mission was to the native tribes!⁣

But how else would He had gotten these four faithful men to His beloved children in Ohio who were ready to hear the gospel?⁣

It wasn’t a failure. Not by a long stretch.⁣

When we let God prevail in our personal lives, nothing will prevail over us.

“I myself will go with them and be in their midst… and nothing shall prevail against them.” (D&C 32:3)

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

Not gonna lie, this question has crossed my mind a time or two recently. 

Why is there so much opposition?

Not even just good vs. evil, although there certainly is a lot of that.

But just the mortal struggles that each of us has to deal with at different times.

We’ve all heard the platitude that we need the hard times in order to grow.

But what does that really look like?

Because sometimes it just feels like the hard times make things hard, and that’s it.

“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” (Genesis 32:24)

“Jacob wrestled with a serious challenge.

“His agency was tested.

“Through this wrestle, Jacob proved what was most important to him.

“He demonstrated that he was willing to let God prevail in his life.” -President Russell M. Nelson

I’m not sure about all the intricacies of “why” we have to go through the hard things, especially the draining and the mundane and the painful.

But I have learned that each struggle is an opportunity for us to choose to let God prevail.

Will we still say our prayers when life is tough? When we are in pain? When we are tired? When we are overwhelmed?

Will we still find ways to show gratitude and to think of our Savior?

Will we be willing to let God’s will prevail, even when that means enduring even more?

I’m not perfect at this.

But luckily, I get lots of different chances to wrestle with different things.

And each time, I get to try to show God again that He will always prevail.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Wrestle and let God prevail first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Heading out on the first mission for the tiny church.

Heading west, with strong end goal, but not sure how the details would play out.

They were going to share the Book of Mormon with the Native American tribes west of Missouri.

And the Lord told them He would be in their midst.

And that if they decided to let God prevail in their personal lives, that He would prevail against any obstacles they met.

And within a few months, they would return back home…

WITHOUT converting a whole bunch of Native Americans to the restored gospel.

A failed mission.

So… where was God?

Why had they failed if God said that He would prevail?

Because their mission resulted in the doubling of church membership.

DOUBLE.

It wasn’t the Native Americans.

It was the people they visited in Ohio along the way.

It was Sidney Rigdon. It was Edward Partridge. It was countless other faithful new Saints who were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God most certainly prevailed.

Because not ONLY did church membership double, but the next location for all the Saints to travel to was established.

A place that would be home to numerous essential revelations.

A place that would house the first temple of the Lord in this dispensation.

A place where the Savior, Jesus Christ Himself, would visit.

The Lord most certainly prevailed on the sacred mission that these four men faithfully embarked on.

But we can’t define “prevailing” as accomplishing the end goal that we had in mind.

I mean, even the Lord told them that their mission was to the native tribes!

But how else would He had gotten these four faithful men to His beloved children in Ohio who were ready to hear the gospel?

It wasn’t a failure. Not by a long stretch.

When we let God prevail in our personal lives, nothing will prevail over us.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Did God really prevail? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.