Whether it’s an EFY group, a Sunday School class, a youth group, or Primary kids…

I’ve had moments when I am filled with this powerful love and perspective.

They are so important.

Each of them.

Many times when I’ve had this experience, I’ve tried to tell the people in the room about it right then.

But words can’t really convey how I can tell the Lord feels about them.

My explanation feels clunky, but the love I can feel for them is real.

They are each so valued to our Heavenly Father.

But then…

I think about when I’ve had a leader stand up and say something similar—

That they feel great love for each of us in the room.

And for some reason, it’s a little harder to feel that same divine love coming from the other direction.

The Lord teaches us to “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” (D&C 18:10)

It can often be easier to understand that God loves the people around us than to truly feel His love for us individually.

Did you know that YOUR soul is great?

Did you know that many people likely have looked at you and felt that glimpse of God’s love for you?

Great people surround you.

But don’t ever forget that YOU, you yourself, are great, too.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post You are great!  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

This writing included some of my thoughts on various gospel topics.

There were a lot of things that I was really impressed that I had written, and I was very proud of past-Cali!

But there were other things that I thought and wrote that made me literally cringe.

Some judgmental things, superficial things, things that I clearly had not really thought through but was just repeating what I had heard…

It was honestly a little weird to read some things.

And the reason it seemed so weird to me is because I have changed and grown so much on a spiritual level!

My soul has been stretched and refined and my testimony has gained more depth and love.

And looking at my words I had written years ago, I had this solid proof of just how far my spiritual maturity has come.

When I read the words of Psalm 66:16, I can’t help but add my testimony to it:

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”

How has God changed you from who you were 10 years ago? 5 years ago? 1 year ago? Last week?

What has He forgiven you of?

What understanding has He given you?

What refining has He done?

What questions has He answered?

What love has He put into your heart?

What has God done for your soul?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post God has changed my soul first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

God loves us so much.

He wants us to become more like Him and His Son.

That can seem a bit vague and overwhelming, so He also gives guiding commandments that help keep us on the right path of truth.

Most of us start our gospel journey because we realize how much we love God.

Whether you realized that as a young child, learned it as an adult, or anything in between, most of us have felt love and wanted to give love.

So then we start keeping the commandments to make sure that our “love” is actually developing us closer and closer into the Divine.

And then we sometimes get stuck here.

Keeping the commandments.

Just keep the commandments.

Tick those boxes. Get a perfect score.

Ahhh, totally fell off the track there. Try to keep the commandments even better.

And we slowly start to lose sight of the WHY.

Why are we keeping commandments?

Why are we given commandments?

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)

He wants our heart. He wants our soul. He wants our might.

But only if we are ready to willingly give them to Him.

Just to be clear, commandments are amazing and absolutely necessary, and doing our best to keep them is essential in molding our character.

But we’ve gotta keep that WHY in mind.

Does your heart really want to do what Jesus asks you to do?

Does your whole soul desire to be able to enter God’s presence?

Do you use all your might to listen to the Spirit and follow revelation and commandments?

THESE  are my life goals. To be able to firmly answer “YES” to all three of these questions.

It’s a huge, lifelong task, but what God really wants is my heart.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The commandment pattern first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Life has so much more to offer than usefulness.

I believe we are meant to truly enjoy it.

To find beauty in the sunsets (and in Arizona, oh boy do we have the best).

To savor the delicious chocolate cake.

To dance to the background music.

To literally stop and smell the roses.

This is hard for me.

Because I’m a practical person.

I like things to have a purpose, a meaning.

But I’m getting better at selling my loaf of bread to buy a beautiful bouquet of hyacinths. Just because.

To get from point A to point B on a swirly twirly pathway, instead of sprinting.

Because one way of traveling leaves me refreshed and renewed. And the other way leaves me exhausted.

In D&C 59:18, the Lord so gently reminds us that things on this earth were made:

“Both to PLEASE the eye and to GLADDEN the heart”.

And in the next verse:

“To strengthen the body and to ENLIVEN the soul.”

The earth was created.

We aren’t living in a brown and gray abyss that will “work just fine” for living arrangements.

Instead, our Savior spent time creating beauty and intricacies.

Why?

He probably enjoyed creating it. He probably enjoyed the challenge and the beauty of the process.

But of course, He also wanted us to feel this joy.

To have our souls enlivened and gladdened and pleased.

Life is tough. There are lessons to be learned and trials to be endured.

But life is also beautiful and miraculous and delicious and harmonious and transcendent.

We need bread for our body.

But we also need hyacinths for our soul.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Hyacinths for the soul first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

They are all signs of the Second Coming, as described in Doctrine and Covenants Section 29.

Hailstorms will destroy all of our crops, flies will eat our flesh, and beasts will devour us up.

Sounds awesome, right?!

And there are even more crazy and frightening signs through this Section.

Now, I’m gonna be real.

Usually, when people start talking about signs of the Second Coming, with all their doom and gloom, I start to tune out.

I am all about PRACTICAL application of gospel principles.

(In case you haven’t noticed.)

So honestly, it’s been difficult for me to figure out how knowing these signs can actually change my life right now.

But here is one reason I’ve been thinking about recently when it comes to WHY we should know about the Second Coming—

So much of what we have is temporary.

I don’t know exactly how the Second Coming is going to play out and look in real time, or whether or not I will even be here on the earth to see that time.

But I have a feeling that a lot of my possessions aren’t going to matter.

My hairstyle isn’t going to matter.

The color of my walls in my living room isn’t going to matter.

Which means I’ve gotta focus on what I CAN take with me.

No matter the hailstorms, flies, or whether or not I am gone before then.

My mind.

My heart.

My soul.

What am I doing to nourish those things today?

What am I doing to educate, to soften, to stretch, to show love, and above all, to become more Christlike?

Because that is what will matter in the end.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Why does this matter? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.