A group of saints gathered at Mary’s house to pray. ⁣

There was a knock on the door, and young Rhoda went to see who it was.

She heard Peter’s voice!

Rhoda was SO GLAD that she ran back inside without opening the door for him. ⁣

She told everyone: Peter is right outside the gate!⁣

And these saints,

who are all gathered around, praying intently that Peter would be saved and set free,

tell Rhoda that she is crazy. ⁣

Anyone else see the irony there?

Do we sometimes pray and plead for answers and miracles in our lives…

and then ignore the small signs that the answer is right there?!

And then dear, excited, sweet Rhoda stands her ground.

She doesn’t second guess what she just experienced.

She doesn’t defer to the older people in the room.

But she also doesn’t argue or make a scene. ⁣

“But she constantly affirmed that it was even so.” (Acts 12:15)

Instead, she CONSTANTLY AFFIRMED that it was Peter. ⁣

Personal spiritual experiences and personal revelation are so interesting because they are just that – personal.

Nobody else is experiencing exactly what you are experiencing. ⁣

Sometimes well-meaning church members, family members, or close friends shed some doubt on our spiritual experiences. ⁣

“Well that’s an interesting decision for you!”

But Rhoda did not crumble or doubt.

She didn’t make a fuss or a scene.

She just CONSTANTLY AFFIRMED what she had heard. ⁣

THIS is what softened their hearts enough to go check the door themselves and eventually experience that same witness for themselves.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Constantly affirming with Rhoda and Peter first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

(We were talking about the 4 gospel writers with their similarities and differences.)

“Wouldn’t it just have been easier if Jesus Himself wrote down everything that He did and said?!?”

I had to laugh.

I mean… YES.

Can you imagine?!

Jesus writing down what He actually did and experienced and said?

Honestly, I think we couldn’t really comprehend it.

It would be too much.

But I got this kid’s point.

Why don’t we have more clear facts about Jesus?

A cohesive timeline about what He did?

A plethora of details that are missing from every story in the four gospels?

That would be so nice for my little mortal logical brain to have and to study.

But we don’t get that.

We get lots of messy, possibly mis-translated accounts from a couple thousand years ago.

Now Anna and Simeon had one of the coolest experiences ever:

They got to SEE baby Jesus at the temple.

But… I guess a lot of people technically probably saw this little infant that Mary and Joseph had with them.

But Anna and Simeon had a testimony-building experience where they witnessed of the Messiah’s divinity.

“She coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)

“Anna and Simeon were eyewitnesses to the infant, but… their knowledge of his divine mission came through the witness of the Holy Ghost.” -Dallin H. Oaks

That’s the cool part.

We don’t actually have to see baby Jesus.

We don’t actually need an itemized list of what He did and when.

In order to KNOW Him and TESTIFY of Him.

The Spirit can witness to us of Jesus’ reality and divinity.

And we can go and share.

We can have the same experience that Anna and Simeon had in the temple that day in Jerusalem.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Anna and Simeon first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I loved those days.

I knew each talk like the back of my hand, and I felt so close to each of the apostles and other general leaders.

A few of my favorites from that time were:

Elder Holland’s counsel to: “Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.” (April 2016)

That talk always widened my perspective when I was stuck in the day-to-day craziness.

Elder (at the time) Nelson’s counsel to make the Sabbath a delight was life-changing in getting me to really consider my choices each Sunday in a much more mature way. (April 2015)

Elder Bednar’s perfect talk about meekness that made a bunch of Christlike principles click in my mind. (April 2018)

My General Conference listening isn’t quite as consistent anymore, but I will tell you one thing that has not changed.

I have a testimony that the apostles are special witnesses of Jesus Christ.

And as we learn in the parable of the wheat and tares, as explained in D&C section 86:

“the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed”. D&C 86:2

The apostles sow the seeds.

They sow really good seeds.

I used to view the apostles as the guys in the highest leadership positions in the church.

But now I view them a lot more like 15 men who have been called to serve and bear testimony of Jesus Christ, with the entire world as their responsibility.

They are servants who are sowing good seeds with every new place that they travel and every talk that they give.

We are almost exactly halfway in between Conferences right now.

And I think we can still do some heart-softening and some Conference-listening and some testimony-strengthening.

The apostles are different.

Their priesthood duty is to hold all of the priesthood keys and to bear special witness of Jesus Christ.

They don’t point us to how awesome they are.

Instead, they point us straight to Him.

I’d love to hear: What is something you’ve heard from an apostle recently that has really “sowed a good seed” into your life?

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Sowers of the seed first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

When they said their name I thought, “Oh that’s a memorable name! I will definitely remember that one!”

And then as soon as my husband asked what her name was after the conversation, I completely forgot.

Anyone else have this problem?!

Even though I THINK I will remember important things, my memory is not always awesome.

President Henry B. Eyring said in his 1989 address, “Remembrance and Gratitude”, that:

“The Holy Ghost brings back memories of what God has taught us.”

It’s one of my favorite roles that the Holy Ghost has, but it’s one I don’t think we talk about quite as much.

He can help us REMEMBER important things that have happened to us!

David Whitmer was a new acquaintance to Joseph Smith.

The Smiths were now living at the Whitmer home in Fayette, New York.

In this revelation to David, the Lord tells him in verse 8 that:

“You shall receive the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance, that you may stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see”.

I truly believe that we see the Hand of God everywhere, every day.

We are surrounded by miracles and tender mercies.

Flooded and overwhelmed with blessings.

And yet, even if I think, “Oh, what a beautiful tender mercy that I needed!” during the day, I find myself getting to bedtime and thinking that nothing special happened that day.

But the Holy Ghost can help me remember.

I can remember the things that I have seen and that I have heard.

And when I remember, I am filled with gratitude.

And then I can stand as an accurate and grateful witness of the miracles that I have seen and heard each and every day.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Remembering and witnessing first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.