The creation of the Earth is the first topic in the book of Genesis. The idea of creationism has been debated even among those that agree there is an intelligent designer behind our presence in the universe.
The most popular Biblical account is that God created the world in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. The details of each of these creative periods is described in the first chapter of Genesis, however, I would like to briefly review them.
On the first day, God created light and divided it from darkness (Genesis 1:3-5). On the second day, God created a firmament which he called heaven (Genesis 1:6-8). On the third day, God caused the dry land to appear separate from the sea, and then created plants and trees on the earth (Genesis 1:9-13). On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14-19). On the fifth day, God created fish, whales, and every winged fowl (Genesis 1:20-23). On the sixth day, God made every animal on the land, and then made mankind in his own image. He gave man dominion over all the earth and everything upon it (Genesis 1:24-28).
Many believers will leave it at that. Especially when the very first verse of the next chapter indicates that "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." (Genesis 2:1) He immediately talks about resting on the seventh day from all his work of creation.
What has often stood out to me is the next verses appear to give another version of creation that most Christians in my experience, including Latter Day Saints, tend to skip over. These passages are, in my opinion, of vital importance.
As we continue reading, we see that "every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew" (Genesis 2:5). Further in the chapter, we read "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). There are then several passages about God planting and creating a garden we know as Eden (Genesis 2:8-17). Skipping ahead we see that "And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." (Genesis 2:19) Finally, at the end of the chapter, Eve is created from Adam (Genesis 2:21-23).
An LDS perspective describes this version of the creation as a natural creation as opposed to the spiritual creation that is represented by the six creative periods that are famous in Genesis (Moses 3:5). This is consistent with the idea that in one set of creation, man (both male and female) are created by God (Genesis 1:26-27) prior to the creation of Adam from the dust of the Earth in Genesis 2.
Another important conclusion that can be drawn is that if God created every plant of the field before it was in the earth, would this not also mean that God created every man and woman before they were naturally on the earth also? The point is that every person lived before their birth on this world.
This concept is not a revolutionary idea to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We already have an understanding that we lived with God before we were born, and that in this existence, our identity was distinct from others of God's creations: we were the children of God himself.
The idea that we lived before we came to earth is important in providing purpose to life. God has a plan for his children. There is a reason we are here.
In the end though, that reason does not matter if there is no life after death. In fact, if there is nothing after this life, then not even the power of the sacrifice of Christ himself for our sins is meaningful. Why save someone that will live a few years and then cease to exist?
Perhaps even more important than understanding the place from which humanity came is understanding that humanity has a destination that is largely determined by us here and now. If there is nothing more, then all ethics and values are relative and thus, relatively unimportant. Theft, deception, adultery, murder... these concepts are only truly negative in the context of something more than this life. Only if good truly triumphs over evil can justice truly be administered. Otherwise there will always be a system of which advantage can be taken by cunning dishonest men.
Fortunately, there is good news. The quest for immortality does not require that we find the Holy Grail, or that we master alchemical formulae. Immortality is a gift, given by Jesus Christ.
Though there were enemies that mocked him saying that he saved others, but could not save himself (Matthew 27:42), in truth, he did save himself. He took up his body and gave himself eternal life. In doing so, he made it possible for all the other descendants of Adam and Eve that had been cursed to die to be raised again with the same power.
The hope of life beyond death gives potency to the purposes that God gave to men before the world was. Salvation and exaltation were not spur-of-the-moment ideas... and truly, God has patiently invited people in every generation as much as possible to fulfil their purpose. Immortality and Eternal Life is available to those that heed the council of His Majesty Jesus Christ: "whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).
