I hear people saying something similar to this whenever we read the scriptures on a specific study schedule.

(Looking at you, Come Follow Me…)

Here’s my favorite advice I always share with people who are concerned:

Stop trying to catch up and just join us where we are!

My reasoning?

The gospel is so repetitive.

You will NOT miss some big essential gospel truth you would never have learned about if you didn’t read one particular chapter.

If you missed the scriptures talking about personal revelation and asking questions last week, you will most certainly hear about it again soon.

I think about Joseph experiencing the Angel Moroni coming to his room three times in one night and telling him the same words, and then appearing to him the next day to remind him to tell his father.

“. . . He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father.”(JSH 1:49)

I imagine Joseph then going to the Hill Cumorah, only to be told that he can’t take the plates yet but needs to return the next year.

And then the next.

And then the next.

This gospel is so repetitive in the best way possible!

We can learn about charity and service as a little kid…

And then the principle can take on new meaning as we learn a lesson on charity in a Young Women class…

And then after a loved one passes away, a scripture about charity takes our understanding to an even deeper level.

“Repetition is a law of learning”. – President Gordon B. Hinckley

Just be in the scriptures each day, and the Lord will take care of the rest!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post  I’ve fallen behind! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Really? I’m supposed to read the Book of Mormon AGAIN?”

“Another lesson about faith? We talked about this a few months ago!”

“Eh, I’ve already been to the temple. I’ve heard it all before.”

I think we all understand that repetition is essential when it comes to gospel principles.

We need repetition.

And thank goodness!

At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, we read many different testimonies and witnesses of people teaching us that they know the Book of Mormon is a book of God.

Testimony of Joseph Smith.

Testimony of Three Witnesses.

Testimony of Eight Witnesses.

“Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken. . . .”

Why do we need so many people telling us this book is true?

Our mortal brains need the power of REPETITION.

It truly is a blessing that God knows our minds need repetition for us to receive inspiration and knowledge.

Why are we asked to attend the temple over and over?

Why do we read the same scriptures?

Why are General Conference talks given on the same subjects year after year?

I think those are great questions to think about this week.

Really— why do we need that repetition?

What are the blessings of divine repetition?

When has your testimony been impacted by repetition?

Instead of becoming prideful and turning up our noses at “the stuff we’ve already heard before…”

We can humble ourselves.

We can embrace the repetitiveness of the gospel.

And we can use our growing spiritual maturity to capture the messages our souls crave.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The Book of Mormon again?! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“I’ve totally fallen behind on the assigned readings! I feel so overwhelmed/inadequate/frustrated!”

Sound familiar to anyone out there?!

You are NOT alone if you have ever fallen behind – whether it’s one week or many months.

Like… not alone at all!

But here’s my favorite advice that I always share to those who fall behind that you may or may not agree with:

Stop trying to catch up, and just join us where we are!

My reasoning?

The gospel is so repetitive.

You are NOT going to miss some big essential gospel truth that you never would have learned about if you didn’t read one particular chapter!

If you missed us talking about personal revelation and asking questions last week, you will most certainly hear about it again pretty soon.

I think about Joseph experiencing the Angel Moroni coming to his room 3 times in one night and telling him the same words.

And then appearing to him the next day to remind him to tell his father.

And then Joseph going to Hill Cumorah, only to be told that he can’t take the plates yet, but needs to return the next year. And then the next. And then the next.

This gospel is so repetitive in the best way possible!

We can learn about charity and service as a little kid.

And then it can take on new meaning as we learn a lesson on charity in Young Women’s.

And then after a loved one passes away, those charity lessons become even sweeter.

Repetition is the way we learn.

Secular lessons. Spiritual lessons. Life lessons.

So I’m working on feeling more gratitude for repetition.

Instead of, “Well, another lesson about Sabbath day observance.”

I’m trying, “Sweet. I’m so grateful I get to learn this at a deeper understanding than I ever have before!”

The gospel is repetitive. Thank goodness.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

“Really? I’m supposed to read the Book of Mormon AGAIN?!”

“Another lesson about faith?! We talked about this a few months ago!”

“Eh, I’ve already been to the temple. I’ve heard it all before.”

Right?!

This gospel is ALL about REPETITION. 

Thank goodness. 

We have become accustomed to it. We expect it. 

In the “Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” we learn that Moroni visited young Joseph three times in the middle of the night and then once more after he fainted in the field by his father. 

Each time, Moroni said the same thing to Joseph Smith. 

BUT Joseph Smith also noted some small differences in Moroni’s messages to him. 

He was informed of great calamities to come on the 2nd visit. Moroni added a caution on the 3rd visit. Moroni commanded he talk to his father on the 4th visit. 

WHAT IF Moroni actually said the same thing to Joseph Smith all 4 times? And it took 4 repetitions before young Joseph finally was able to capture enough information to do what he needed to do?  

WHAT IF this is the power of repetition? That our earthly minds are so imperfect, that we NEED the repetition in order to get what we actually needed all along?

I challenge you to ponder this week about why we repeat so many things in this church.

Why are we asked to attend the temple over and over? Why do we read the same scriptures? Why are General Conference talks given on the same subjects year after year?

How has YOUR life been blessed from being exposed to the same things over and over again?

Let’s embrace the repetitiveness of the gospel and use our growing spiritual maturity to capture the new messages our souls crave! 

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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