“I just can’t stay focused while I’m reading! My mind goes everywhere!”⁣

First, I get it. I know that when my mind wanders to the grocery list or the laundry pile, I need to refocus.

I’ve got lots of tips I’ve shared about reading comprehension tips like taking notes, giving a purpose to scripture study, and being in a good physical environment. ⁣

But also…⁣

Letting your mind wander more might be exactly what you need to make your scripture study better. ⁣

Joseph F. Smith let his mind wander. ⁣

He was reading the scriptures. ⁣

And then he got caught up in thinking about how good God is. ⁣

And then he started thinking about some other scriptures and decided to turn there and read them. ⁣

And then he let his mind wander more on that topic. ⁣

And THEN he received one of the greatest revelations of the 20th century. ⁣

For me, my best scripture study looks like me reading the scriptures only about 50% of the time. ⁣

The other time is a mix of writing notes…⁣

And a mix of me just staring and thinking. ⁣

I intentionally let my mind wander when it wants to (as long as we are at least staying somewhat gospel-related or uplifting).⁣

I’m thinking about that Sunday School lesson where the teacher told us that story about this principle here in the scripture. ⁣

Or I’m pretending I’m teaching a class about this scripture and I’m just getting on my soap box in my head and talking about it. ⁣

Or I’m thinking about other scriptures or scripture stories this reminds me of.⁣

Or I’m wondering what that sentence really means and just letting my mind play around with some options. ⁣

Or I’m thinking about my friend, and realizing that this scripture gives me a bit of clarity on how to help her out more. ⁣

Obviously, off-topic ungrounded mind wandering isn’t usually super helpful, and there are tools to assist.

But forcing our minds to only stay focused on only reading might be keeping us from the wandering and the pondering that could lead to marvelous revelation!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Let your mind wander first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

One pattern that seems to be obvious over and over in the Doctrine and Covenants this year is this:⁣

When we are studying and pondering on the scriptures, the Lord will reveal to us greater light and knowledge. ⁣

I saw this pattern when Joseph, at the age of 14, pondered on a scripture he read and said a single, humble prayer.⁣

In Section 138, the final section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we’ll learn about Joseph F. Smith pondering on the scriptures and then receiving a glorious vision. ⁣

And this week, at about the halfway point, we learn about Joseph and Sidney reading and translating the Bible together, coming to the book of John, and realizing that the traditional notions of heaven and hell didn’t seem to fit with the nature of God.

I would assume Joseph and Sidney had some sort of discussion, and maybe many discussions, about this topic. ⁣

And then, these two men received a vision. ⁣

A vision that completely revolutionized how everyone thought about heaven. ⁣

And I don’t believe that this pattern is only reserved for the prophets. ⁣

Because I’ve seen it in my life.

My stewardship isn’t over the entire church, so the Lord would not reveal anything to me that was my duty to tell everyone. ⁣

But I’ve received further light and knowledge by gaining clarity on certain topics that I had previously spent a long time wrestling with in my mind. ⁣

I’ve received further light and knowledge on what actions to take in my life, even when the words are not directly written in the scriptures. ⁣

I’ve received further light and knowledge by feeling directed and pulled to other people that are experts in their field and that I feel prompted to trust. ⁣

I’ve received further light and knowledge by feeling an extreme confidence in my testimony of certain topics and being drawn to scriptures that continue to teach these principles. ⁣

I want to be in the scriptures. ⁣

And not just in them, but immersed in them. ⁣

Thinking, writing, asking, praying, reading, and thinking some more. ⁣

When I’m studying and pondering on the scriptures, the Lord reveals to me greater light and knowledge.

“Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.” – Richard G. Scott

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Packets of light first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

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.

“No way, not me! I’m not starting an account. That seems like a big commitment. Is that something I could even do?”⁣

And just as quickly as I came up with my objections, I heard the Lord speak in my mind:⁣

“It is not meet that I should command in all things… Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness”. (D&C 58:26-27)⁣

Boom. ⁣

The Lord put the ball in my court, and I went for it. I started the account and shared my testimony each day of what I was learning. ⁣

But why did D&C 58:26-27 pop into my mind?⁣

Because I had just studied those scriptures that morning. ⁣

I had just been in the scriptures, studying these words that the Lord had previously spoken. ⁣

He didn’t speak to me in foreign, unfamiliar words. ⁣

He used the words that I had just given Him. ⁣

And that’s what He did for young Joseph. ⁣

The Lord wanted to give Joseph a special message. ⁣

He knew of Joseph’s confusion around religion. He knew of the turmoil that swirled in his head. ⁣

And the Lord wanted to tell Joseph that he could just ask for help. ⁣

But the way He told Joseph this required action from the young boy. ⁣

Joseph had to be in his scriptures. ⁣

And then, he read the words. ⁣

James 1:5. ⁣

And the Lord used those words to speak directly to Joseph. To give him direction for his next step. ⁣

This is why I love studying the scriptures. ⁣

I want Him to be able to get any message through to me, because He has plenty of scriptural words, fresh in my mind, to pull from. ⁣

I want to expand the Lord’s vocabulary in my life.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

All 3 kids were excited to get started.

We were reading about Jesus visiting the Nephites and blessing the little children and looking at pictures.

“Why is Jesus crying?”

“No, it’s my turn to read, you just went!”

“There are angels!”

“Did Jesus create all the United States?”

“She’s making me laugh!”

“If we were there, we would have been part of that group of kids too!”

A little all over the place, which is pretty normal for a 2, 4, and 6 year old.

We did our best, and it was all good.

Then it was time for family prayer and all three kids wanted to pray.

So we literally had all 3 kids say the family prayer, one after the other.

It was chaotic but also so sweet.

Young kids are often a lot of work. Frustrating. Impatient. Constantly in need.⁣

But other times, I catch a glimpse of their pure and powerful spirits.

My kids are real people. They’ve got a full mortal life and a spiritual forever ahead of them.

And although they need to mature developmentally…⁣

They have faith now. ⁣

They have pure, simple faith. They believe Jesus really did visit the children of the Nephites with all their heart.

And I think that’s why Christ wept when He was with the little children. ⁣

His joy was full because of their great faith. ⁣

President Henry B. Eyring once shared that he felt frustrated with a son who was jumping on the bed. ⁣

He grabbed his son by his shoulders, and immediately the Spirit spoke to him:⁣

“You are holding a great person.”⁣

Children are not easy to raise. They are not always obedient, kind, and willing to share. They are not perfect in that sense. ⁣At all.

But they are perfect in their faith. ⁣

It is unwavering. It is pure. ⁣

And that is what filled Christ with such joy that He wept. ⁣

I like to reflect on whether or not I’ve lost that Christlike faith. If I’ve become just a touch too cynical or conditional or “realistic”.

I want my faith to become more childlike and pure, so that I can make my Savior’s joy full. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A glimpse into our family study  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

“Search, ponder, and pray.”

I’ll admit that the first verb, “SEARCH”, is sometimes the trickiest for me.

Mormon, the author and compiler of 3 Nephi, counsels:

“And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them.” (3 Nephi 10:14)

But what does it mean to search the scriptures?⁣

When I’m preparing a church lesson, I often search through the scriptures for something related to my topic.

But I’ve discovered that there are other ways to search the scriptures, too.

I can search for manifestations of God’s love.

I can search for personal revelation.

I can search for calm.

For motivation.

For hope.

For peace.

Reading the scriptures just to cross them off my list is a good first step to creating a good relationship with them.

But it is so powerful to feel the freedom and excitement of opening the scriptures with a question or intent in mind and then searching for an answer that I know and EXPECT will come!

“Just as a road map not read, the scriptures not searched are of little value to us in providing directions.” – L. Lionel Kendrick

What are some ways that you SEARCH the scriptures?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post SEARCH the scriptures first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Let my mind wander.

It’s hard, because I used to be so focused on trying to keep my brain focused and NOT letting it wander.

But then I realized that “wandering” was often the time when my brain was digesting information, receiving little bits of inspiration, and thinking about stuff that had happened that day.

In other words, I was pondering.

Even if I felt like my brain was wandering “off-topic”, I have found that if my scriptures are open and I have sincere intent, even the most random place me brain wants to explore might lead me exactly where the Spirit needs to inspire or enlighten.

So I intentionally build in time to let my mind wander.

(Side note: setting a time limit to study instead of just doing “a chapter a day” helps give your brain permission to wander more too!)

But this is often really tricky because who has extra time to just sit there and let their mind wander on purpose?!

Our days are filled to the brim with other priorities.

We place value on “getting things done.”⁣

So if I’m just sitting there with my scriptures, staring off into space, and thinking, what am I actually accomplishing?⁣

Did you happen to notice what Nephi did in order to allow the voice of the Lord to speak to him and give him great power?⁣

“And it came to pass as he was thus pondering. . . .” (Helaman 10:3)

Nephi pondered, too!

He took the time as he traveled to be quiet.

He thought about previous miracles and revelations he had received in his life.

And that quiet pondering is what led the Lord to give him amazing power. ⁣

Are we making quiet moments?

It’s so tricky.

But if the Lord is going to speak, if His Spirit is going to inspire, even with the simplest of messages, They need space to work.

Taking that powerful step to ponder opens us up to God’s power, allows us to obtain personal revelation, and gives us the chance to feel real peace.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

It’s a question that I have been asked variations of over and over again.

And I have some great suggestions to share that I’ve learned on my own.

⁣But in many of the messages, I actually hear my own concerns from a few years ago echoing in their words:⁣

“I just can’t seem to do consistent scripture study, and this means I am failing.”

In our church, reading the scriptures and praying every day are preached so often, that sometimes we mistakenly start to think that salvation comes through their repetition. ⁣

It’s like reading our scriptures becomes the goal.

We will make it if we can just read our scriptures every day!

But I want to look at what the Anti-Nephi Lehies had so wisely figured out:

“They did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ.” (Alma 25:16)

Keeping the commandments and reading our scriptures every day are not part of the checklist we need to complete in order to earn salvation and get into heaven.

We keep the commandments and read our scriptures BECAUSE these actions strengthen our faith in the Savior.

Salvation comes only in and through Jesus Christ.

And everything He asks us to do is to point us to Jesus even more.

That is what God really wants us to do.

The goal isn’t to study our scriptures every day; the goal is to be totally focused on Jesus Christ as the center of our salvation, and scripture study is one of the easiest ways to focus us.

Don’t misinterpret here— I’m not saying “the law” or scripture study isn’t important.

I quite literally think effective scripture study can change lives, and it’s a worthy habit to develop.

But consistent scripture study isn’t the endgame.

Feasting on the scriptures daily is important BECAUSE it so naturally points us toward Jesus Christ.

Salvation doesn’t come by keeping the “law,” but the “law” helps us to become more Christlike if we keep willing and sincere hearts.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Failing at scripture study first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

The truth is…

I have no clue which scripture it was.

I know that I was reading a specific verse when I got an answer to resign from teaching.

But I’ve never been able to find that specific verse again.

⁣I KNOW that the words of Christ found in the scriptures and through the words of His prophets can tell me everything.

Literally everything. ⁣

⁣But how is this possible?⁣

⁣There aren’t any stories in the scriptures about deciding to be a stay-at-home mom. There aren’t any stories about deciding where to move with your family when you have many great options. There aren’t any stories about combating loneliness or laziness in the way that I encounter them. ⁣

So where am I getting these very real answers to these very real questions in my life? ⁣

⁣”The power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.” (2 Nephi 33:1⁣)

⁣Nephi didn’t know what business decisions I would need to make when he was writing.

But Heavenly Father, my Savior, and the Holy Ghost do. ⁣

⁣And the Spirit’s purpose is to bring Their personalized message straight to me. ⁣

⁣I just have to hold up my end: ⁣

⁣-I read the scriptures. With real intent. As consistently as possible. ⁣

-I do things to invite the Spirit. Be as worthy as I can. Listen for Him. ⁣

⁣And when I do these things, a powerful communication channel is opened. ⁣

⁣It doesn’t mean that I get the answer that I think I want straight away.⁣

⁣Many times, I read scriptures and get the answers: Not yet. You need more time. Just wait. ⁣

⁣Other times, I get small promptings: Communicate with someone. Go to the temple. Follow this prophet’s example from a completely different situation. ⁣

⁣And then other times, the heavens are opened. ⁣

⁣The scriptures are not confined by their words. ⁣

⁣When we read them WITH the spirit, there is no stopping the heavenly communication that can happen.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post No scriptures about quitting  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I knew immediately what my topic would be.

But here was the catch—

We could ONLY use scriptures or quotes from General Conference talks as the “research” for our paper.

No outside thinking.

No other books.

No commentaries.

No blog posts. ⁣

Our professor wanted us to get very clear on what the DOCTRINE was behind whatever topic we had chosen. ⁣

Just the scriptures and General Conference talks (which are our most modern scriptures).

Pure doctrine. ⁣

This was LIFE CHANGING.

I pushed all of the internet’s random well-intentioned thoughts and speculations aside about my topic.

And I really dove into what the doctrine was. ⁣

And honestly, my mind was opened to some nuances and doctrinal points that were different than what I had previously thought. ⁣

I could see the pure truths beneath all of the confusion. ⁣

The “philosophies of men, mingled with scripture” are not always from ill-intentioned people trying to lead us astray.

Most of the time, they look like honest conversations with friends where no one is quite clear on the doctrine and it turns into speculation.

Or a social media post from an acquaintance who is putting their opinion out there, and you think, “yeah, that sounds right!”

But when we turn to the PURE doctrine and what the SCRIPTURES say (which includes modern revelation), we discover that they are the best source of LEARNING and for our PROFIT. ⁣

“I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.” (1 Nephi 19:23)

It was a long process to gather relevant quotes and scriptures and connect them all together.

But I honestly cannot overstate the clarity that came from stepping back from “things I had heard” and jumping into the original source.

Likening the scriptures, both ancient and modern, unto ourselves is NOT JUST a nice thing to do to make our scripture study more exciting. ⁣

It is ESSENTIAL if we are going to comb through the cacophony of voices and find true clarity.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Religion research paper  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.