The Dalai Lama was in Colorado just recently, and a man asked him, “What is the meaning of life?” His reply was, “The meaning of life is happiness.” Than he added that the hard question that all humans ask is “What makes happiness? Money, a big house, friends, accomplishments? Or…compassion and a good heart?
President Thomas S. Monson expanded on that theme by saying, “Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved. We can turn from the paths which would lead us down and, with a song in our hearts, follow a star and walk toward the light. We can quicken our step, bolster our courage, and bask in the sunlight of truth. We can hear more clearly the laughter of little children. We can dry the tear of the weeping. We can comfort the dying by sharing the promise of eternal life. If we lift one weary hand which hangs down, if we bring peace to one struggling soul, if we give as did the Master, we can—by showing the way—become a guiding star for some lost mariner.”
I can add to that a little by expressing the plan, the great plan of the Father. I have wondered and probably every person living who has ever thought somewhat deeply about life has wondered what life is all about. Where did we come from and why are we here? The answer to those questions and similar questions come from the scriptures. We are the literal offspring of God, and we were created spiritually before we came here. Our spirit body looked much the same as we do physically. We progressed and learned as spirits to a point that our Father decided it was time for us to advance to the next phase of our existence. In making that preparation, the earth was organized to provide that place where we might progress and grow as is our destiny. In order to provide bodies for His spirit children, both male and female, the Father instituted marriage between a man and a woman. The Book of Genesis describes that event this way: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 2:27) “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 1:24) Latter-day scripture enlightens us even more as it was revealed that: “…marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation; And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.” (D&C 49:15 -17)
“The meaning of life” is purpose and progress that we might fulfill our destiny as the children of God. The Plan of Progression was ordained of God for His children to live on this earth and to grow and progress in preparation for the next school in the eternal round. The above may sound like our purpose or meaning is all hard work and school. Not so. As we fulfill our purpose, we are to experience great joy as described by Nephi: “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) The meaning of life is for us to marry and reproduce that the earth might be filled with the measure of man, and while doing so, we will experience great joy. While doing all of these things, we should have, as the Dalai Lama suggested, happiness, as it is derived from “compassion and a good heart.”