I remember flying kites at the beach when I was a kid.

My sisters and I all got brand new kites, and we spent the day flying them on the always-windy beaches in Northern California.

My dad would run and throw the kite up, and if it caught the wind correctly, I would have to dig my feet into the sand in order to hold the kite.

It always amazed me how tight I had to hold on to my handle.

As I would turn the handle and give the kite more string, the kite would fly higher and higher, until the string stopped.

And, as a kid, I would look up and think, “Man, this string is just holding the kite back from flying even higher.”

It seemed like that string was restrictive.

The kite could fly so much higher without me.

And so, one time, I let go.

The kite turned every possible way before nose-diving into the sand far down the beach.

It turns out, the string that I thought was so restrictive was actually the only thing helping the kite reach its highest point.

This is what the commandments look like to many people, right?

Korihor argued that the Nephites were being bound down. That they were being yoked with foolish things.

And today, people are shocked when they find out we give 10% of our income as tithes. That we abstain from alcohol. That we don’t do play dates on Sundays.

What foolish ways to bind ourselves down! Just like a silly, restrictive kite string!

And yet, I have found that while these “restrictions” look like they would hold us back, they create the perfect amount of tension to let us reach our highest potential.

They create humility, gratitude, time-management skills, abundance, faith, and patience, just to name a few.

So to me, this “restrictive” religion is actually creating the greatest freedom I can imagine!

And I’m grateful for the tension on the string, even if others view it as holding myself back.

Because I know that without it, my “freedom” wouldn’t help me get to where I really want to go.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

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10 Responses

  1. What a blessing it is to have such understanding! I love the way you liken the scriptures to our understanding in the here and now of life and help us remember to be both grateful and steadfast in following our beloved Savior. Thank you for sharing!

  2. I really like your Insight and comments each week. After reading the kite analogy I was wondering if you recall “The Parable of the Kite | ComeUntoChrist.org “. If you do not recall it you may want to go to YouTube and watch it. You may not be old enough to recall it, but your story seems highly influenced by it.

    1. Haha I’ve never seen that before! But it looks like we were both on the same wavelength! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  3. Dear Sister Cali Black, you really make the scripture come alive; the way you relate it to my daily life. As a new convert in the church l feel so happy to be attached to your page. Infact l have being so blessed by your writing. Please keep it up

    1. Thank you so much! I honestly love sharing my testimony and writing about it – so thanks for reading along! <3

  4. Thank you so much for the analogy of the kite. I have often tried to explain this to people and it didn’t make sense to them now I have a way.

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