This is something I have internalized and believed for a long time.

Anyone else feel this way sometimes? ⁣

This idea that if I can’t handle taking care of my three kids in our comfortable home filled with good food and lots of toys, then I’m clearly not mentally strong enough. ⁣

And yet… that’s not even close to the message that the Savior teaches me. ⁣

David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was chastened by the Lord in D&C 30:1:⁣

“You have feared man and have not relied on me for strength as you ought.”⁣

The Lord WANTS me to rely on Him for everything that I do each day. ⁣

He doesn’t want me to feel like I have to do everything alone. ⁣

Because He knows that my life will improve as I turn to Him. ⁣

When I’m sitting in my comfortable air-conditioned house and I’m having to clean up the third spill in the last hour while another kid has a meltdown over I’m not even sure what…⁣

He wants me to rely on Him. ⁣

To send up pleading prayers, asking for guidance and comfort and peace. ⁣

Am I living up to my privilege?⁣

I feel like my life is already dripping with privilege, and yet I think I’m missing out on obtaining the full power of the most essential privilege of all. ⁣

The Savior is not disappointed when I have to ask for help. ⁣

He doesn’t think that I’m not strong enough. ⁣

Or that I’ve failed. ⁣

He is disappointed when I DON’T ask for help. ⁣

When I try to rely on my own strength. ⁣

So how can I make my Savior pleased with me?⁣

I can ask for help. I can rely on Him for strength. ⁣

I can realize that I cannot do it alone, but that when I invite His divine assistance into my life, we are unstoppable.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Do it on your own  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

First:

I was in a church class where everyone commiserated about how difficult it is to read their scriptures every day.

Many people confessed how often they forget to read.

Now, studying scriptures is a habit that is pretty solid in my life and their study is a skill that comes pretty naturally to me.

So I started thinking about how I must be doing a great job!

Second:

I was in a group discussion where everyone started talking about how they’ve learned to be good ministering sisters.

Everyone was sharing about great opportunities they’ve had to reach out and connect in divine ways.

I wasn’t doing all the great thing these sisters were doing.

I started thinking that I was completely inadequate and failing at living the gospel.

What was wrong with BOTH of these situations?!

For better and for worse, I was judging and justifying my own righteousness based solely on what other people around me were or weren’t doing.

But what does Moroni advise us?

“Come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.” (Mormon 9:27)

Before who?

Before HIM.

We are asked to humbly and sincerely work out our own salvation directly with the Savior.

Our salvation isn’t worked out by comparing ourselves to what our neighbors are doing.

I may have a lot of room to improve on my scripture study, regardless of the struggles of people around me.

I may be doing the absolute best ministering that I can do right now, regardless of the strengths of the people around me.

Or maybe not.

But the people around me don’t affect my salvation.

And I want to do better at working out my own salvation directly before the Lord.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post I am the best… and the worst first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I have… in the last week!

Arizona summers always baffle me.

I’ve lived here for eight years now, and most of the summer is marked by heat.

Like, extreme heat.

That sweat-dripping-down-your-back, blindingly bright, oppressive heat of the summer.

One of my favorite feelings is walking into my air-conditioned house and feeling that dramatic difference.

And then every once in a while (although this summer, more than usual), a monsoon moves through the desert.

Often without warning, high winds, thick dust storms, pounding rain, roaring thunder and constant lightning crash through the valley.

Trampolines and trees everywhere, roads flooded.

Just a few days ago, I sat inside my home as a monsoon roared through, filled with gratitude for walls, windows, and roofs that were strong enough to hold the danger outside.

I couldn’t help but notice the familiarity of these two phrases that Isaiah writes about the Lord:

“For thou hast been … a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat”. (Isaiah 25:4)

A refuge from the storm.

There are some summer monsoons that are small, and some that are destructive and deadly.

But He is there as a refuge during those storms.

Giving me peace to endure. Peace with whatever the outcome is. Peace when everything else is chaotic.

And He’s a shadow from the heat.

That oppressive, all-encompassing uncomfortable heat.

He has been that relief. Making my load feel a little lighter. Giving me comfort.

And yet my mortal mind still forgets to turn to Him sometimes.

I’ll be out wandering in the intense heat, or trying to endure a powerful storm, and I forget to ask for help.

I forget that He is the refuge and the shadow that my soul so desperately needs.

But as soon… AS SOON as I remember Him, that protection and that relief is there.

He is my refuge and my shadow.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Refuge and shadow first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

For very good reason!

But can you remember the kids at your school who were always picked first?

The one that everyone always wanted for dodgeball because that meant you’d be less likely to get hit yourself?

Or maybe you were that kid.

On the other hand, I was the kid everyone wanted on their team for review games in math class.

I was pretty cool.

I also think about when I had my first baby.

I had some amazing baby showers with such kind and thoughtful gifts from the people that I love.

I felt the power of all the people who were on my side.

I also think of other times in my life where I’ve been struggling and it feels like no one notices.

It’s like no one was really on my team or taking care of me.

Well in the grand scheme of life, guess who you have on your team?

He’s the most coveted, most powerful, smartest, kindest, and friendliest person.

He’s the one that everyone wants.

He’s the one that’s going to guarantee that you win in the end, even if you may get hit a few times here and there.

“The Lord is on my side”. (Psalm 118:6)

He’s got you.

You can breath a sigh of relief now.

You’ve got the one you were hoping for.

The Lord is on your side!

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post The Lord is on my side  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I could write out a whole list.

Some things, you would probably say are very well justified.

Other things probably seem much larger to me than they really are.

Regardless, I’ve found a lot of things that have piled up in my mind.

Getting everything done or handling everything with grace seems… well, impossible to me.

It’s all impossible.

And so this question has not been able to leave my head:

“Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)

Because it sure seems too hard for me to handle.

But here’s a beautiful connection I’ve recently made:

If my Lord can handle it all,

And if He has promised to take my yoke and bear my burdens,

Then nothing is impossible for me when I partner with the Lord.

Sarah and Abraham both laughed when they heard they were getting a son, when it was biologically impossible.

Impossible.

And yet, it happened.

The Lord can make miracles happen all on His own.

I’ve had a few, tender, sacred moments in my life where I have seen these truly impossible miracles occur.

But more often, I see it more as a partnership.

A very, very, unfair and unequal partnership.

Where my load seems quite impossible. Mentally; physically; emotionally.

But I know that nothing is too hard for Him.

And so I rely on Him even more. I invite Him in. I tell Him the intricacies of what I’m facing.

And the cliche is true— the burdens are still there. The load is still as big as ever.

But I’m able to feel those moments of peace and relief as I endure.

With God, nothing is impossible.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post It all seems too hard first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I’ve wondered a lot this week about why Enoch was the guy who created this literal Zion city here on earth.

There have been so many mighty prophets and righteous people beforehand and since, and I don’t think that Enoch was objectively THE most righteous.

But what was his special gift, his spiritual superpower that made him perfect for this particular role of creating a Zion community?

And the word COMPASSION couldn’t help but jump out as I read Moses 7.

This guy wept when he learned of terrible destruction that would happen.

He wept when he saw the Savior crucified.

He wept when he saw latter-day destruction.

But he didn’t just cry and feel sad about these things:

He always tried to do something about it.

He saw Noah’s flood?

Enoch wept, and he also pled with the Lord to make a covenant to bless Noah’s seed who would remain on earth.

He saw even more destruction?

Enoch wept and asked the Lord when our poor Mother Earth would get relief from having to bear the pains of mankind.

He saw more wickedness and the Savior being slain?

Enoch asked if the Lord would come again to bring peace.

What a fantastic example of compassion, right?!

He saw the suffering of others, whether it was his fellow man, the Earth, or the Savior.

And he wept because of the pain they were enduring.

And THEN, he did what he could to try to relieve their suffering, or to at least learn about what would relieve it.

We don’t get many details about what Enoch actually did in his city with the righteous people who lived there.

But I imagine this pattern was repeated day in and day out.

Tough times would happen. Someone would come to battle against them. Someone would lose a loved one. Someone would mentally and emotionally have a rough day.

And people would notice, mourn, and do what they could to help.

Over and over.

Compassion. Enoch showed it, the Lord shows it, and each member of a Zion community shows it, too.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Enoch’s compassion first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

But my biggest hang up has been “how”?

How do I know what to keep and what to eliminate?

I’ve heard the fantastic advice about “good, better, and best”.

But even that can feel a little vague at times.

How do I actually know what things are “good” and which are “better”?

One word really stood out to me as I read the account of the Creation that has never popped out before:

YIELD

The Lord is constantly talking about what various fruits or vegetation will yield.

And everything is intended to yield something similar to what it is— trees yielding fruit that will produce new fruit trees; grains yielding seeds that will produce the same plants.

What a simple way to see what is good and what is not!

What does this action or activity YIELD in my life?

Does it yield a closer relationship to God or not?

Does it yield a better relationship with my husband and kids or not?

Does it yield personal development that uplifts me?

Those are the things I want to keep.

And, admittedly, sometimes I have to look at the long-term yield.

Family scripture study with a 4 and 2 year old doesn’t always produce an awesome short-term yield.

But I know I’m sowing seeds for a much delayed harvest on that one, so I’ll keep it (although we’ll probably play around with what it looks like to make sure it’s working alright).

So I think I’ll focus on weeding out some of the stuff that isn’t yielding what I’d like.

Or maybe it’s only yielding temporary fruits that are clearly taking way too much of my time and energy to cultivate for such little payoff.

God only created living creatures and plants that could multiply and yield after the manner that they are.

I’ve only got a limited amount of time in this life, and I want to make sure my good intentions and my divine potential are yielding results that are just as good and divine as I am.

What am I yielding?

Happy Studying!

–Cali Black

The post Yielding and priorities first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I had zero intention of hiking down into the canyon and was very content staying up on the rim and taking nice shuttle rides around the park.

But there are warnings EVERYWHERE for those who are intending to hike down into the canyon.

Every brochure, every sign, every trailhead.

They say, basically, “Do you have a realistic plan?

“Lots of people hike down into the canyon and are unprepared for how difficult it is.

“We have to do a lot of rescues, either by ranger or by helicopter.

“Make sure you really know what you are getting yourself into, and that you are extremely physically fit to do this hike.”

I can only imagine the kinds of stories that have caused these warnings to be plastered everywhere.

Physically active people who choose to hike down into the canyon (the easy part), and then get caught off guard doing the uphill climb while they are already exhausted.

And then realize they completely miscalculated their abilities.

And that they need a lot of help.

And the park service has to spend a lot of manpower and expenses to get them out.

Thanks goodness the Lord is with us to the end, right?!

Sometimes, life is like a walk down into the Grand Canyon.

But other times, it seems like we’ve been asked to hike out of a giant hole in the ground in scorching noonday Arizona heat.

(Or maybe we are just riding the shuttle around in the rim, with air conditioning.)

But literally no matter what our pathway is, our Lord is with us to the end.

“I will be with them even unto the end.” D&C 75:13

For those who ask for the Lord to travel with them, He will be there the entire time.

He isn’t rolling His eyes when He has to come rescue us again. He isn’t frustrated that He has to stop what He’s doing to give help in a situation you got yourself into in the first place.

He’s just there. Whenever we ask.

What a kind, wise Heavenly friend.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post A kind, wise heavenly friend first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

He had felt a pull to this young Joseph, and wanted to help him financially.

He went on a journey of “proof” to find professors in New York who could verify the ancient letters.

He felt like he needed to volunteer to scribe for Joseph.

And his wife thought this was all one big deception.

And the two of them temporarily moving into the Smith home for the translation just made things worse.

She was skeptical, sneaky, and just a not-so-great guest.

And so Martin had an idea after his wife returned back home:

If he could just show her some of these beautiful messages that he had been writing down, he could change her mind toward this whole operation, and ultimately, restore his image in her eyes.

But the Lord said no.

But… did the Lord really understand how embarrassing this might be for Martin to continue helping Joseph while his wife spiraled?

Did the Lord get that people were making fun of Martin for giving Joseph money?

Did the Lord know that Martin’s life would be a whole lot harder if there wasn’t any proof?

Of course the Lord did.

Because the Lord asks us to do really hard things.

He asks us to put Him above all.

Above being popular. Above being stylish. Above being funny. Above being well-respected. Above being rich. Above having power.

Above being liked.

Above everything we often crave.

And it’s easier said than done.

But it’s the most important choice we learn to make –

Out of the Lord or our peers, who do we want to “save face” with more?

Whose opinion matters more right now?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Does He realize how difficult this is? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.