What if we chose the conditions into which we were born?

What if we deliberately chose the circumstances, the culture, and the family we were given—with all their traditions, wounds, and generational struggles?

What if we chose not to have an easy life, so we could be given the opportunity to discover the path… the gospel?

What if we selected this life because of the challenges we knew we would face—the heartbreaks, the pain of abandonment—not as punishment, but as tools for growth? What if we knew those very experiences would shape us, strengthen us, and stretch us toward our fullest potential?

What if we chose all of it to maximize our spiritual growth, to mold our character, and to prepare us for the people we are meant to become?

And what if Heavenly Father allowed us to choose… because He knew it was the best path for us?

"O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it."
— 2 Nephi 9:20

Nothing is by chance. He stands on the Balcony of Eternity, watching the parade of our lives. From that vantage point, He sees the beginning and the end.

What if all we need to do… is trust Him?
Trust that the timing of our trials is perfect.
Trust that each challenge is tailored for our growth.
Trust that every moment is part of something far greater than we can see.

I still remember my first week on my mission. My companion, Elder Saenz, asked me where I wanted to go knock on doors. As we walked down the street—its pavement still slick from a recent rainstorm—we passed a puddle where a little boy joyfully splashed in the mud. I instinctively shook my head and pointed down a cleaner sidewalk, but Elder Saenz stopped me.

“Don’t judge by what they look like,” he said gently. “Everyone needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Taking his advice to heart, we rang the doorbell of the nearest house. Two weeks later, twenty-two people from that very home were baptized. Three months after I left the area, they were still baptizing new friends and family who had been referred by that household.

It’s all too easy in this world to judge others by outward appearances—by race, wealth, geography, or upbringing—but judgment is always shortsighted. As members of the Church, we believe every person is a literal spiritual son or daughter of our Heavenly Father, which makes us all brothers and sisters. Society may divide us by success or social status, but at the end of our journey, none of that matters. We take with us only our good deeds and our memories, and above all, the love we’ve shared.

Todavía recuerdo mi primera semana en la misión. Mi compañero, el élder Sáenz, me preguntó a dónde quería ir a tocar puertas. Mientras caminábamos por la calle —el pavimento aún resbaloso por una reciente tormenta— pasamos junto a un charco donde un niño pequeño chapoteaba alegremente en el lodo. Instintivamente negué con la cabeza y señalé una banqueta más limpia, pero el élder Sáenz me detuvo.

“No juzgues por las apariencias,” me dijo con suavidad. “Todos necesitan escuchar el Evangelio de Jesucristo.”

Tomando su consejo en serio, tocamos el timbre de la casa más cercana. Dos semanas después, veintidós personas de ese mismo hogar se bautizaron. Tres meses después de que me fui del área, aún seguían bautizando a nuevos amigos y familiares referidos por esa familia.

Es muy fácil en este mundo juzgar a otros por las apariencias externas —por su raza, riqueza, lugar de origen o crianza—, pero el juicio siempre es limitado. Como miembros de la Iglesia, creemos que cada persona es un hijo o hija espiritual literal de nuestro Padre Celestial, lo que nos convierte en hermanos y hermanas. La sociedad puede dividirnos por el éxito o el estatus social, pero al final de nuestro camino, nada de eso importa. Solo nos llevamos nuestras buenas obras y nuestros recuerdos, y por encima de todo, el amor que hemos compartido.

¿Te gustaría que lo adapte a un tono más formal, informal o para una charla específica?