“I’m just a disorganized person.”

“I couldn’t stay calm any longer.”

“I completely messed up.”

Life is messy, and we often act pretty messily, too!

In Luke 3:5, we learn that through Christ, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth.”

If the Savior can make mountains to be brought low, He probably can take away bad habits or annoyances that we have too. ⁣

Jesus can help us become more patient.

He can make up for the awkwardness we feel when talking to someone new.

He can help us have compassion instead of constantly criticizing.

He can help us kick that habit of gossiping.

Every little crooked and rough way on our souls will eventually be made smooth!

But just like a river carving its way through a mountainside…

This process takes time.

These changes usually happen inch by inch.

Day by day.

Even year after year.

Are we willing to stick with the Lord through the entire process?

The “way that we are” isn’t how we will stay because mountains constantly change.

But we can trust and have faith that eventually, one day, in this life or the next, all of our rough ways will be made smooth.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Rough ways made smooth  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I love this!

I’m very aware of all my weaknesses and struggles.

And I love working to improve them!

But again… I’m VERY aware of all my weaknesses and struggles.

And I think this is why I love Enoch so much.

The Lord called him to preach repentance to those around him.

Enoch’s first response?

“He bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying:

“Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31)

Isn’t Enoch all of us?

We get asked to serve.

Maybe it’s an official calling that’s extended to us.

But maybe it’s a general calling from the Lord that we feel when someone gives a talk about missionary service, or ministering, or temple service, or family history.

Or maybe it’s a unique calling you feel the Spirit has told just you.

It’s easy to immediately go to all of our shortcomings.

“I’m too young!”

“I’m not that popular.”

“That’s not something I’m good at.”

Do you think God doesn’t already know all this? The loving Creator and Father of our souls?

He’s not looking for servants who think of every reason they can’t serve.

He’s looking for His children who will get to work.

Despite their age. Despite their lack of talent. Despite their fears. Despite their limitations and busy schedules. Despite their pride.

He’s looking for people who aren’t concerned with the HOW.

He’s just looking for people who are ready to serve in their own imperfect way, with God as their guide.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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

I sometimes think about how I could literally do anything I wanted to right now.

I could take off running down the street and never come back. I could lay in bed all day. I could order any food that I wanted and eat it. I could drive anywhere. I could stop doing things that I’m doing right now.

I could also call someone right now and catch up with an old friend. I could make a treat and drop it on someone’s doorstep. I could immerse myself in General Conference talks. I could make a goal and take a step to achieve it. I could clean something. I could listen to some good music.

Like… isn’t it overwhelming the amount of freedom that we have every single day?!

Obviously, I don’t have freedom from any consequences, but I can do literally anything that I want at anytime.

Which was what I thought of when I read Moroni’s warning exhortation to us in Moroni 10:8:

“Deny not the gifts of God”.

I know that there are some spiritual gifts that I’ve been given.

And I’m also very aware of my imperfections.

So… what if I asked God to give me gifts of the Spirit that will help turn my imperfections into glorious strengths?!

I have the agency to ask that.

And Elder Dallin H. Oaks encouraged us to do just that:

“We should seek after spiritual gifts. They can lead us to God. They can shield us from the power of the adversary. They can compensate for our inadequacies and repair our imperfections.”

We can ask.

We can pray and ask for more personal revelation. We can pray and ask for a stronger testimony. We can pray and ask to understand the scriptures better. We can pray and ask to behold angels in our lives. We can pray and ask to be better teachers.

And when I fall into the ever-popular, “That’s just who I am!” – I am denying gifts from God.

I am deciding that I am not good enough for a gift. Or I don’t need it.

Which, unfortunately, is a choice I totally can make with my agency.

But I don’t want to.

I want to ask. Humbly, meekly, with the intent to serve others and grow closer to the Divine.

I want to ask for the spiritual gifts that will strengthen my imperfections and bring me closer to my Savior.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post How do you deny a spiritual gift? first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

Prophets can have terrible writing or speaking skills.

It’s all normal.

In church, we like to say, “Nobody’s perfect”.

We say it matter-of-fact, throw it into every lesson and talk, and sometimes even chuckle while we say it.

But then we have to actually interact with each other.

And those imperfections can become roadblocks ranging from frustrating to full-on impossible to work with.

This is life.

But Moroni reminds us of the important element to dealing with imperfections in other people:

We are not to CONDEMN others because of their imperfections.

I also read this as not nitpicking or defining others as their imperfections.

Have we labeled other people by their weakness as a way to subtly put them down?

The annoying neighbor, the socially-awkward Bishop, the selfish child…

Or we do we refuse to “define… [people] by the worst thing [they’ve] ever done”? (Kevin R. Duncan)

We talk about the neighbor who is always ready to have a conversation, and is filled with a heart for service.

We talk about the Bishop who is really good at bringing the Spirit when he speaks, and who probably makes close ties with the people he speaks with one-on-one.

We talk about the child who is learning letters, improving in eating, and loves playing with her blocks.

We have imperfections. We know this.

We will naturally notice imperfections of the people we interact with.

But what Moroni pleads with us (TWICE) to avoid is discovering those imperfections, and then using them to condemn and define other people.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Nobody is perfect! first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.