“Letting the Lord Guide Your Life,” Liahona, Sept. 2022.
Young Adults
Letting the Lord Guide Your Life
I couldn’t always see how things would work out, but when I acted in faith, the Lord blessed me.
Religion wasn’t popular in my household when I was growing up—although my parents had been very religious for most of their lives, my father’s terminal diagnosis, among other trials, led them to leave the religion they were raised in. I was four when he died of cancer and was also the youngest of 13 children, and my widowed mother just couldn’t believe that God would let something like this happen to our family.
But when I was 14 years old, I felt something was missing from my life. I wondered if I had a greater purpose that I wasn’t aware of. I felt like Joseph Smith, as “my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness” (Joseph Smith—History 1:8). Although I had never heard of Joseph Smith at that time, I began a search very similar to his as I attended many churches in hopes that I would find truth.
And I did, one day, when I saw two young men in suits going to my neighbor’s home. I was curious and asked them if I could come to their appointment. After getting my mother’s approval, I began the missionary discussions and eventually joined the Church.
Joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped me find my purpose, especially in my young adult years when I had to make a lot of decisions that the people around me didn’t agree with. But even though I had a purpose and direction, I wasn’t always sure how things were going to work out.
However, as I faced unknowns and uncertainties and so many changes, Heavenly Father’s guidance was constant as I turned to Him. I learned some ways to rely on Him and on my faith that helped me move forward and continue finding my purpose.
Moving Forward with a Mission
At the age when most of my peers were preparing to go to college, I was figuring out how I was going to go on a mission. In Chile, everyone must take a test before they go to university. It’s only offered once a year, so if I went on a mission, I would not only be delaying my education for two years but also have to wait an additional year to go to school after that.
My family, especially my mother, was opposed to a mission. It was very important to her that I receive a college education. But I believed that the Lord would help me do what was necessary, so I prayerfully started preparing anyway.
When my bishop came to my house with my finished mission paperwork and asked for my mother’s signature, she was surprised; I hadn’t told her I was moving forward with the process. It took quite a bit of convincing, but the Lord softened her heart and helped her understand that I wanted to serve.
The gospel gave me the assurance that I was doing the right thing, but it was only by going forward, step by step, with faith—even with all my questions and uncertainties—that I kept progressing.
Following Revelation after Revelation
Returning home from my mission also meant returning to uncertainty. As I sought guidance from Heavenly Father through prayer and fasting, I received revelation that I needed to move to the United States and attend Brigham Young University, which seemed like a nearly impossible task.
I did the best I could and took the next best steps. Sometimes I felt like I was going nowhere—I was working as hard as I could, but I didn’t know for sure that my efforts would help me reach my goals. However, my main goal was to follow what the Lord wanted me to do, and that goal was precious to me.
As I made those efforts, one day I felt inspired to reach out to my good friend who was from the United States and living in my hometown. I didn’t know how things would turn out at the time—I reached out simply because the Spirit had directed me to—but my friend and his father ended up being instrumental in helping me know what to do to apply and get the visa I needed to study at BYU. With their help and with tremendous sacrifices made by my mother to pay for my travel, I made it there. It was a miracle.
My life kept progressing in the same way. I would do my best and then receive inspiration, one thing at a time, for what I should do next. In that manner, I got a job at the missionary training center, found ways to pay for my tuition, decided on a major, eventually graduated, and got married.
The answers I received weren’t always immediate and I never got a perfectly detailed plan, but I received assurances that the Lord was pleased with the direction I was headed in.
When Revelation Doesn’t Make Sense
A few years later, I learned how essential sacrifice is to living the gospel. If we want the Lord to give us purpose and direction, we have to be willing to take that direction.
After school, things didn’t go according to plan with the company I was working for, so my wife and I had two choices: stay in the United States or return to Chile. We both clearly felt that we needed to return to Chile. It might seem normal to want to return home, but this was at a very difficult time. There weren’t a lot of jobs in Chile. I was having trouble selling our home. Financially and logistically, it was not the most intuitive thing to do; even our families thought we were being unwise.
What do you do when revelation comes into conflict with common sense? Although it was hard, my wife and I knew what to do. We reminded ourselves that the gospel had gotten us this far. Without the Lord, I wouldn’t have had the inspiration that helped me serve a mission, receive my education, and meet my wife. We just had to trust that whatever the reasons were, we were needed in Chile.
We left our house to our bishop so it could be rented until he could sell it, and we moved away. It was difficult, but we experienced so many blessings and miracles when we heeded the Lord’s call. The Lord knows where we are needed and where we can best serve His purposes, and He blesses us for our obedience.
Finding Solutions with the Lord
I hope that young adults today will follow the example of the brother of Jared. Although the Jaredites knew that they needed to travel to the promised land, they weren’t sure exactly how they were going to make it there. When the brother of Jared “did call upon the name of the Lord” (Ether 2:15), He offered him a few solutions. The Lord told him to build barges and gave him guidance on how to provide air for those in the barges.
But then the Lord asked the brother of Jared this question: “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (Ether 2:23). Instead of telling the brother of Jared exactly what to do, the Lord asked him to go and find his own solution.
That’s how my life has worked. Sometimes the Lord gives me clear instructions. Other times He waits for me to come to Him with my own ideas. Either way, however, it’s essential that I involve Him in the process. Fasting, praying, and counseling with the Lord are necessary steps for anyone trying to make decisions about their lives.
For any young adults looking for increased purpose, I offer this counsel: Turn to the Lord for personal revelation. Refer frequently to your patriarchal blessing. And be willing to sacrifice the less important things in your life if the Lord tells you that He has a greater purpose for you.
I love the Lord. The gospel is everything to me. I know that the Lord sees your potential and wants to help you achieve your divine purpose.