There are a few examples of the opposite that have always stood out to me.

(I’m not talking about bad examples, I promise! I mean a different kind of opposite…)

After Alma and Amulek watched one of the most tragic events imaginable, here’s what happened:

“The judge stood before them, and said: Why do ye not answer the words of this people? Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames?

“And he commanded them to speak;

“but they answered nothing.” (Alma 14:19)

Silence.

They said nothing.

I think of Jesus and the times when He chose not to verbally respond to people.

Speaking up is important.

Defending our beliefs is important.

I can think of countless times in the scriptures and in modern-days when people have been moved to speak up.

In fact, we are often explicitly asked to speak up.

But sometimes the Spirit can move us to just be silent. ⁣

Maybe it’s because the Spirit warns us that saying anything wouldn’t help.

Maybe it’s because the Spirit knows we can be a better example through our actions than our words.

Maybe it’s because we need to be quiet and listen to someone else’s perspective.

“Jesus Christ, the only perfect person to ever walk the earth, taught us through quiet example to say nothing or to be silent in stressful times in our lives rather than to spend time and energy bashing for whatever purpose.” – Marvin J. Ashton

Talking and sharing are so important.

But sometimes the best way to share our testimony is through silence.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The opposite of teaching  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Down south to Disneyland, across Nevada, or just to the mountains.

But I learned from a young age that I like to just stare out the window of a car.

My mom would always get fun activities for my sisters and me to do, we’d check out books from the library…

But I would often find that I would spend half the day just staring out the window, thinking.

And when I learned how to drive, I remember learning that all my friends had carefully curated playlists on their iPods for driving.

And I preferred driving in silence.

I liked that time to just let my mind wander. To think on nothing and everything at the same time. To tell stories in my head, relive funny or amazing moments in the past, think about big picture questions.

And slowly but surely throughout the years, I’ve filled my time with things to do.

Productive things. Fun things. Meaningful things. Wasteful things.

I’ve given birth to two children who like to occupy a lot of my time, too.

And all of a sudden, I have to intentionally create time to ponder.

In fact, my decision to focus on pondering while I read the scriptures is what sparked my intense passion for them a few years ago.

Setting time limits to study instead of verse numbers to study transformed (and I can’t use that word strongly enough!) my experience with the word of God.

But I’m still trying to ponder more. To turn things off. To not turn a show on and scroll through my phone at the same time.

To give my brain a break and to just… let my mind wander.

Why?

Not just because I enjoy quiet time and thinking.

It’s because all of my moments of transformation have come from letting my mind think on things.

My decisions. My resolve to follow certain commandments better. My feelings of which relationships to pursue and which to let go. My analysis of my performance in jobs or callings.

And ultimately, my testimony.

Because when I stop everything and let my mind run free, I find that God speaks.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Pondering in silence first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Alma and Amulek didn’t say a thing after watching the believing saints being burned.

They were questioned and mocked and imprisoned.

But they didn’t say anything.

I think of Jesus Christ, and the times that he chose to not respond verbally to people.

Sometimes, he chose to be silent.

Speaking up is important. Defending our beliefs is important. I can think of countless times in the scriptures and in modern-days when people have been moved to speak up. In fact, we are often explicitly asked to speak up.

But sometimes, the Spirit can move us to just be silent.

I have felt this a few times in my life.

Sometimes, it’s been because saying anything wouldn’t change their mind. Although I enjoy teaching and sharing new perspectives, sometimes I feel that little prompting that tells me not to continue with the conversation.

Other times, it’s because I can be a better example through my actions than my words. When someone starts speaking rudely about another person with me, sometimes I feel like the best way to stop the gossip is to just not respond or react to what the person is telling me.

And other times, I need to be silent for my personal improvement. When talking with other people, I often start formulating a response or opinion in my head. But sometimes I get the quiet thought that tells me to just stop and listen.

Talking, sharing, speaking. Those are all important.

But sometimes, saying nothing is the best way to make the biggest impact.

Sometimes, we can share our testimony through silence.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Saying nothing first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.