Boyd K Packer said, “The plan of redemption, with its three divisions, might be likened to a grand three-act play. Act I is entitled “Premortal Life.” The scriptures describe it as our First Estate. (See Jude 1:6; Abr. 3:26-28) Act II, from birth to the time of resurrection, the “Second Estate.” And Act III, “Life After Death or Eternal Life.
In mortality, we are like one who enters a theater just as the curtain goes up on the second act. We have missed Act I. The production has many plots and sub-plots that interweave, making it difficult to figure out who relates to whom and what relates to what, who are the heroes and who are the villains. It is further complicated because you are not just a spectator; you are a member of the cast, on stage, in the middle of it all!” (from The Play and the Plan – May 7, 1995)
So - Shakespeare was right. The world is a stage and we are but players. The truth is our lives ARE a three act play. Act I IS the pre-existence – the spirit world from which we came. Act II is our life on earth – where too many people expect to live the happy ever after fairy tale. But the truth is, you don’t have “happy endings’ in the second act. Act III is our life after death – THAT is the happy ending we are all seeking.
Our job is to “seek” happiness. In order to find happiness here on earth, we need to re-evaluate what makes us happy. Make a list of what you think makes you happy. How is that going for you? If you think riches and power will make you happy, you will never be happy. Happiness is closer than you think. Your happiness lies within your reach. It is the people who surround you that can and should be your source of happiness.
To get closer to those people, you need to change your focus from “how can they make me happy?” to “what can I do to make THEM happy?” If everyone did that, we’d ALL be happy. (or, as George Bernard Shaw once said, "We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it." Amen.)
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