My Wish

by Diana Monson

He could have wished for arms and legs that work. Instead, he revealed the kind of soul that would have recognized the mortal Savior.

I have had the opportunity to work in rehabilitation with many people who have suffered seriously disabling conditions. Many are teens who are confined to a wheelchair with little use of their legs and arms or who suffer from communication problems. If they could have a wish come true, they might choose to play basketball, football, baseball, or soccer. They might wish to go to the prom or lead the cheers for the team. But some wishes go to the depths of the heart.

With that in mind, I would like you to consider this story written by a young man I work with. He does not have the use of his arms and legs and has speech challenges. He was assigned to write a paper for his high school English class on the topic “My Wish.”

If I could have one wish, I would wish for my parents to be active in the Church. This would bring our family together, and my dad would be able to have the priesthood. We would have family prayer, read scriptures, and have family home evenings. We would go to church together as a family. We would have a better knowledge of the Church because we would read scriptures together and go to Church activities. My parents would get along better. They would pray and talk things over more.

The wish would have some advantages for me. I would be able to go to church with my parents and not another family. I could learn more about the gospel at home, and I would have a better feeling about myself.

If this wish were to happen, I would probably start crying because I would be so excited. Then I would sit down and talk with my parents and tell them how happy I would be and all the feelings I’ve had. I would have a feeling of rejoicing in my heart. I would pray to Heavenly Father and say thanks to him for helping this wish to happen.

I would love to have this wish come true. It has been my goal for many years. It would be hard to have my parents become active in the Church because they would have to change many things in their lives.

You might be surprised with this young man’s wish. He could have wished for legs and arms that readily obeyed his command or for the ability to communicate easily. Instead, his desire comes from his love for his family and the absence of selfish desires, just the things that Jesus Christ taught. This young man reminds me of one who might have been along the path where Jesus walked and would surely have recognized the Savior as the Son of God.

Illustrated by Robert T. Barrett