My sister was playing with a toy that I wanted, and I took it out of her hands. ⁣

Immediately, I knew I had done something wrong, and I felt so badly! ⁣

I had already messed up.

I had made a promise at baptism to always remember Jesus, and now I had forgotten. ⁣

Aaaaand I’m pretty sure this was the evening after I got baptized, so I hadn’t lasted very long at all. ⁣

The Israelites made such an eager promise when Moses read what the Lord had taught him: ⁣

“All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.” (Exodus 24:7) ⁣

Spoiler alert: the Israelites did NOT keep this promise. ⁣

They broke it many times, just as each of us break the promises and covenants that we have made. ⁣

But the good news? ⁣

Repentance and the sacrament make it possible to re-commit to those promises.

So have you re-committed recently? ⁣

Have you thought about what covenants you’ve made, and decided to keep them again?⁣

Do you trust in the Savior’s ability to really cleanse?⁣

And can you draw on the Savior’s strength to re-commit over and over?⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My sin after baptism  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I was a really good parent before I gave birth!⁣

Come to my home now at any time of day and you’ll see dried mac and cheese, cracker crumbs, yogurt or any other assortment of foods hidden somewhere on my kids’ faces. ⁣

Now don’t get me wrong, I still want my kids to have clean faces. ⁣

I’ve just changed my expectations of what “clean faces” looks like. ⁣

It doesn’t look like constantly clean faces.⁣

Instead, it looks like constantly washing dirty faces. ⁣

“Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.” (D&C 133:5⁣)

Being clean before the Lord seems like an impossibly high standard. ⁣

Because I’m getting “dirt” on me all the time. ⁣

A little splash here. ⁣

A little fleck there. ⁣

Staying clean constantly isn’t what I’m shooting for. ⁣

Instead, I’m deciding to never give up on washing the spots off. ⁣

I’m scrubbing here and wiping off there. ⁣

I’m taking full showers whenever I need.

That’s what real repentance and change look like!⁣

Not staying spotless, but committing to becoming spotless as soon as we realize we’ve gotten a bit dirty. ⁣

“Repentance is not an event; it is a process.” – Russell M. Nelson

My kids vary greatly in how clean they are each day.⁣

But I’m never going to give up on helping them get clean once again.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Dirty kid faces first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The thought came into my mind. ⁣

Again. ⁣

“Yes, yes, I definitely need to. Let me do that later.”⁣

Is what I said back to my mind. ⁣

Again. ⁣

A few weeks later, I was chatting with a friend. ⁣

She started to tell me about the coolest experience she had recently—⁣

She had reached out to a mutual acquaintance (the person for whom I kept ignoring the prompting), and had served her. ⁣

She told me how unexpectedly emotional it ended up being. ⁣

How the two of them had really bonded and raw feelings had been shared. ⁣

She mentioned that she really felt like she was literally being an answer to this sister’s prayers. ⁣

And the pit in my stomach grew and grew as she talked. ⁣

I had missed out. ⁣

I had delayed the prompting for so long that the Lord had found someone else to replace me in the service. ⁣

The Lord warned David Patten, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve:⁣

“Inasmuch as there are those among you who deny my name, others shall be planted in their stead”. (D&C 114:2⁣)

God has a great work to do. He has countless people to bless and serve and minister to…⁣

And we are often His hands to get the work done. ⁣

So if we aren’t going to be the answer, then He will find someone else with a willing heart. ⁣

But I have to finish my story from earlier. ⁣

Because after the pity party that I threw myself while my friend was telling me what she assumed was an uplifting story, I had another thought:⁣

“You can still serve her.”⁣

I realized she still needed help. She still needed friendship. ⁣

I may have missed a big opportunity, and I felt the good guilt from ignoring that prompting. ⁣

But I still had a chance to repent and serve. ⁣

Repentance is real. ⁣

If we aren’t doing what we should, God will find others to serve instead. ⁣

But our Savior’s atoning sacrifice makes it possible to try again the next time, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post My missed opportunity first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

D&C 82:7 says:⁣

“Unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.”⁣

Whew. ⁣

That honestly does not sound very hopeful. ⁣

So if I repent for losing my patience with my kids, and then I lose my patience again, it’s like I never repented in the first place?!⁣

AND I’ve added back in all the previous times I tried to repent for losing my patience, too?⁣

This has never really seemed to fit in with everything else I’ve learned about Jesus Christ. ⁣

So, I want to share my personal perspective on this scripture. ⁣

President Nelson has really emphasized lately that repentance means change. To turn away from sin. ⁣

So when I raise my voice and lose my patience, I often feel sorry afterwards. ⁣

I may feel remorse, and I often feel the Spirit prompting me to want to repent.⁣

But… if I’m not changing, then I’m not truly truly truly repenting.⁣

I’m just feeling remorse, but I’m not changing. ⁣

So it’s not so much a vengeful God saying “Ha, you messed up again so now you have all the weight from all the times you’ve committed this sin!”⁣

And instead more of: “Hey, you may have thought that you had really repented and changed. But you’ve still got some work to do before that one can be wiped clean.”⁣

Does that make sense? ⁣

Now, before THAT sounds too depressing, I also think that it’s good to recognize that there are different variations or even degrees of sins. ⁣

So if I’m losing my patience in a very explosive way but I repent of that, and then the next time, I start say a few sharp things before I stop myself, then I believe I am in that repentance process! ⁣

I’m improving. ⁣

In small ways, with small steps, but I’m improving and not committing the same intensity of the sin each time. ⁣

But the sweetest reminder of all is that no matter what’s going on: whether I keep going back to the same sin even though I think I’ve “repented”, or whether I’m actually improving in little baby steps…⁣

As long as I want the opportunity to change, the Savior will give me as many chances as I need.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Repent over and over  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“We all sin.”⁣

All of us. ⁣

Me. You. The last person you spoke to. The person you think that has a perfect life. Your loved one. Your church leader. The prophet. ⁣

Save our Savior, every single person on the earth has sinned and commits sins. ⁣

So… what sets righteous people apart?⁣

There’s a giant spectrum of righteousness, so how do we move closer and closer to our Elder Brother’s example, if we are all sinning anyway?⁣

Saints are sinners who repent. ⁣

People who feel remorse from a sin and then have a desire to never do that again.

And their desire is so strong… that they change their nature. They refine that rough edge just a little bit more. ⁣

As Joseph was returning from his mission to Missouri, there was drama and contention between some of the men. ⁣

And, in a surprisingly transparent moment, the Lord told the men about Joseph:⁣

“He has sinned.” D&C 64:7⁣

It interesting to see that written out about the prophet of the Lord, huh?⁣

Joseph sinned. ⁣

But what allowed Joseph to still hold the keys of the kingdom and not be removed?⁣

“Nevertheless, he has sinned; BUT verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, forgive sins unto those who confess their sins before me and ask forgiveness”. (D&C 64:7⁣)

So what made Joseph unique?⁣

He would sin. And then he would bring that sin to the Lord through confession. And then he would ask for forgiveness. ⁣

The Lord wants to help us to change, so this sounds like the ideal situation. ⁣

He asks us to talk about sin with Him in our prayers. ⁣

And then He asks us to leave that sin behind as we ask for forgiveness in return. ⁣

Everyone sins. ⁣

So do we let the sin fester? ⁣Do we enjoy and indulge?

Or do we immediately confess and ask for forgiveness?⁣

Because, I think that that decision makes all the difference.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post We all sin!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” (D&C 58:42)

It seems like an exaggeration, right?

But… what if He really does forget my sin because I am no longer the person who sinned?

When I am truly and fully repenting with my whole heart and soul, I am actually changing.

I am becoming a new person.

There has been a shift in who I am and what I want.

And so my perfect Heavenly Father isn’t going to hold something over my head that I no longer am!

That is the true beauty of repentance.

When I sincerely and humbly decide that I am ready to become a more spiritually mature individual, then I can.

This is only because my Savior already paid the price of justice.

Through His suffering, I am free to change!

I can use His power to mold and mend who I am, so judging me based on my past seems completely irrelevant.

Sometimes, I have a harder time forgetting those sins myself.

But it is so freeing to realize that if I am repenting the best I can, there is no point in beating myself up over past mistakes because I am no longer that person.

I am someone who is more Christlike, someone with a softer heart, and someone who is changed forever!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A fresh perspective on repentance first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The first time I heard this question, it made my heart drop a bit.

I mean, I want my home filled with peace and love.

I want everyone to be kind.

I want smooth routines.

I want a clean kitchen before I go to bed. (Most of the time…)

But am I accidentally sending messages to my family members:

“You better not have any sins or weaknesses that rock the boat!”

Life is messy.

My kids need to be able to make mistakes.

My husband needs to be able to have a bad day.

I need to battle my weaknesses.

So, is my home a safe place for all this messiness?

Does everyone feel like they are allowed to change?

Is forgiveness modeled?

Is repentance openly embraced?

The Lord taught Oliver and David exactly what His perspective is:

“And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.” (D&C 18:12)

The Lord is joyful when He hears that we want to change!

He allows us to feel the consequences of our actions and learn from our mistakes, but He is ready to look forward.

So, am I creating an environment where I can model this exact approach to repentance and forgiveness in my home?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Safe to change first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Shoutout to Jansport for making the most durable backpacks ever.

Because that black with purple and blue polka dotted backpack went through A LOT in those 9 years.

Countless heavy textbooks, notebooks stuffed with papers and assignments, lunchboxes, water bottles, a laptop…

I just look at that backpack (which I still have and use for travel now)…

And my back starts to ache.

So heavy.

I’m guessing I’m not alone when I say that I grew up viewing repentance as a punishment—

Something you “have to do” after messing up.

Repentance seemed like a complicated list of steps I had to endure each time I sinned.

It seemed that repentance was like putting ON a heavy backpack. 

I have been so happy to learn, though, that repentance is really a positive change that brings me closer to the Savior.

The Lord spoke to Joseph:

“And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me. . . .” (D&C 5:21) 

Did you catch that?

When Joseph repents, then he can walk more UPRIGHTLY.

Repentance isn’t a heavy backpack— it is what removes that heavy backpack so that we can walk more uprightly.

I picture that heavy load of guilt and pain all bundled up in a large backpack being lifted off of weary shoulders so that Joseph could stand up straight and get back to work.

Instead of waiting until that backpack of rocks becomes unbearable before I decide to take it off, I try to now practice the habit of daily repentance.

It has been life-changing.

I’m changing and turning back to the Lord a little bit more each day.

I’m taking that heavy backpack off.

And it is such a relief to be able to stand up just a bit more straight as I take off the load of sin.

Don’t forget— repentance is taking the backpack off.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post An ode to my backpack first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” (D&C 1:31⁣)

Of course not. ⁣

Because immediately after telling us this in verse 31, the Lord gives us the most tender, personal, and hopeful principle in verse 32:⁣

“Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;”⁣

Sometimes I wonder, “How am I ever going to be good enough?”⁣

I’m repenting of the same things over and over. ⁣

I’m trying to figure out a life filled with messy relationships in the most Christlike way that I can. ⁣

I’m trying to do what’s right, and I keep falling short. ⁣

But when I’m in the scriptures, I feel these tender little reminders often:⁣

“You are good enough.”⁣

“You are trying.”⁣

“You are keeping the commandments the best you can.”⁣

“You are trying to change every day.”⁣

I write these statements in the margins of my scriptures pretty often, because I think the Spirit needs me to remember these often. ⁣

I will make mistakes. I will fall short. ⁣

But all that I need to do in order to enter the presence of the Lord…⁣

All that I need to do in order to be in the presence of my God and Savior…⁣

Is to just try. ⁣

To keep the commandments. ⁣

And when I fall short – I just have to want to sincerely change. ⁣

And that’s it. ⁣

It’s difficult. And it’s a lifelong process – no matter how long we’ve got here on earth. ⁣

But to be able to dwell in the presence of my God?⁣

I’ll keep going.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post No sign of sin anywhere! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

What did Nephi feel when Jesus Christ looked directly at him and asked why Nephi hadn’t written about the fulfillment of a certain prophecy in his records?

My first thought is that Nephi would feel so guilty for this error!

The perfect Savior of the world pointing out something that you specifically did incorrectly?!

Yikes.

We don’t know why Nephi didn’t include the record.

Maybe he had purposely chosen to write about different prophecies instead.

Maybe he had meant to write that in later.

Maybe it honestly had slipped his mind as he recorded their history. ⁣

But… maybe I’ve got it wrong.

Maybe Nephi wasn’t mortified.

Because I have a feeling that looking directly into the Savior’s eyes as He corrects you and invites you to change would actually be a really loving experience.

Because Jesus wasn’t trying to guilt trip Nephi.

Jesus wasn’t trying to hurt Nephi’s feelings.

Jesus wasn’t trying to show that He was better than Nephi.

All Jesus wanted was for this missing prophecy to be recorded!

“And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded.” (3 Nephi 23:13)

That’s it.

Nephi fixed the record.

Problem solved.

When I make a mistake or sin, it can be tempting to wallow in self-pity and feel embarrassed, rehashing the situation in my mind over and over.

But I don’t think Jesus wants that for us.

He just wants us to fix the mistake and move forward.

That’s it!

I love you, just make this change in your life so you can become even more spiritually mature.

And then we feel the love, feel the remorse, make the change, and move forward, a little better than we were before.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Nephi messed up  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.