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On LDS.org you can read: Quote:Our hope and happiness lie in knowing who we are, where we came from, and where we can go. We are eternal beings, spirit children of an eternal God. Our lives can be compared to a three-act play: premortal life (before we came to earth), mortal life (our time here on earth), and postmortal life (where we go after we die). God has had a plan for our lives since the beginning of the first act—a plan that, if followed, provides comfort and guidance now, as well as salvation and eternal happiness in our postmortal life.
Understanding the following can help us live a happier life now and in eternity.
– God is our Father
– We lived with God
– Earth life is part of God’s Plan
– Jesus Christ is the way
– We can find happiness
– We can live with God again
What does this mean to you and do you agree that knowing this plan is helpful for you? Why or why not?
Well, for starters, the second act is always the most boring of any play, movie, or book. Makes sense, considering that I doubt taking out the trash or going to the dentist is part of either the first or third act. I’ll add my thoughts, but this will be from a non-believer point of view entirely, so my perspective is different from many here.
When I lost my faith, the hardest part for me was the loss of a sense of purpose. There is a lot of strength in believing that you are part of God’s plan.
As I’ve said here before, I am an atheist. So, I don’t believe any of it literally. I’m less happy than I was when I did believe. A particular fallout of being an atheist is the belief that this life is it. My belief is that we woke up in act 2 and in spite of all the wonderful things we’ve heard about the play, we will miss act 3. I hate that. Like many of you, I’ve lost a close family member, and that is very bitter when you believe there is no plan, no purpose, and nothing after. I’m jealous of those who have an assurance of an afterlife.
I posted the following on another thread several weeks ago: Quote:At one point he asked me how I felt about the plan of salvation? I told him that I was in favor of it and then asked if he could be more specific. He asked if my testimony of the plan was stronger, weaker, or about the same as it was before we lost our daughter. I told him that my knowledge and certainty was gone, but that I did have hope and faith (which is a hope for things unseen).
Talk about “the Plan” can be difficult because it means different things to different people. Some may feel that because God knows all things then all things are according to His plan. More common in the church is that bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man is the Plan with the church playing a major role. Some others may use this as reference to the eternal nature of the soul (that is a key part of “the Plan”).
What was my bishop trying to ascertain by asking me about my testimony of “the Plan.” I regurgitated the same terms back to him without having a clear understanding of exactly what he meant by it.
That there is a purpose to human existence that is somewhat or largely outside our understanding – and that such a purpose is gracious in nature. In my view, I think the fact it says it is “Heavenly Father’s Plan” says it all. What it means to me is there is nothing I can do about it. What is going to happen will happen regardless of my opinion of it so I might as well make the best of the situation. And I am gratified that such a being would share his intentions with me. That is somewhat helpful. Plans help provide orientation and gives you some idea what to expect, but I think that is all it really does for us. I’m not sure where we go after this life anymore. I feel that now, I am trying to suck the most I can out of every day with achievement, time with family where possible, and getting my work done. Once you start taking everything you hear at church with a grain of salt, it all unravels. No longer can you trust that the spirit world is as described in Joseph F. Smith’s vision (if he was the one who saw, it, I can’t remember).
The honest answer is that the POS doesn’t mean much to me anymore. It is not a source of comfort or hope, it is the unknown after this life.
I have to agree with what others have said about individuals really having no control over the plan – which actually flies in the face of LDS doctrine and free agency. I don’t think the points made in the Heber’s quote are erroneous and in fact I believe they are part of the gospel. The basic idea that life has a purpose, or from another point of view that we each have a purpose, is valid IMO, BUTfiguring out that purpose is more than a little tricky and I wonder whether most of us actually do figure it out.
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