6 Lessons from the Creation to Help You Create the Life of Your Dreams
Do you ever feel like life is just a game of chance? The Creation can teach you to purposely create the life you want.
Do you feel like you have control of your life? Over what you will eventually have and become?
Because we cannot control everything that happens to us, it’s easy to view life as a game of chance—that our futures are based on luck. That is not God’s plan for us! In God’s plan, Jesus Christ is the central figure, and His Atonement on our behalf opens up eternal possibilities, opportunities, and choices for each of us.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles recently reminded us that we are “not simply objects to be acted upon.” We are children of God who are meant to act and—with His help—shape our futures and destinies.
But how can you know what decisions to make? When Jesus Christ created the earth, He gave us the perfect example of how to create the life of our dreams. Here are six lessons to guide our own creation process:
1. Create Your Life Under the Direction of Heavenly Father
Modern prophets have taught that Jesus Christ created the earth under the direction of Heavenly Father. We should also create our lives under our Father’s direction. He wants us to be happy. He knows what is best for us and how different decisions will affect us.
We can speak with Him directly through prayer and talk with Him about our opportunities, our fears, and our feelings. His promise is that He will answer all who seek, ask, and knock (see Matthew 7:7–8).
2. Define Your Objectives and Make a Plan
The Lord has clearly defined His purpose: “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Having a clearly defined purpose gives direction to all that God does.
Then, He “created all things … spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth” (Moses 3:5). In other words, to help bring about the immortality and eternal life of Man, God created all things in a spiritual form prior to the physical creation.
We also need to have a purpose, or an end goal, for our lives. And making plans to help us reach that goal can protect us from spending our time on unwanted or unneeded effort.
Here are some questions to consider in your planning:
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What do I want to have and become?
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Have I spent time planning my life with divine inspiration?
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What are the different pieces of life that will get me to my end goal (school, family, dating)?
3. Do Things in the Right Order
In the scriptures and temple, we learn the “order” of the Creation. Though different accounts have slight variations, the Lord created water before fish, land before plants and animals, and the air before mankind (see Genesis 2, Moses 3). It may not seem significant, but creating in the right order is actually crucial to the survival of all life!
There was a reason for this—having an order to creation ensured the life and viability of each new creation.
Similarly, many things in our lives need to be done in a divine order to help us have the most joy. What happens when you get life out of order? It usually kills the joy of the thing. For example, sexual relations before marriage complicate relationships. Spending money we don’t have incurs crushing debt that takes the joy out of the purchase.
There is wisdom in doing things in order.
4. Fill Your Life with Beauty and Variety
The Lord intentionally added beauty and variety to His creation so that we could enjoy it (see Moses 3:9). He didn’t need to create so many varieties of landscapes, trees, or beetles, but He did with the purpose of bringing joy to our lives.
Questions to help us fill our lives with more beauty and variety:
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How do I add beauty and variety to my life?
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Is my home a beautiful place to live? Should I add plants or artwork?
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Do I have variety in my activities, foods, clothing, and friendships?
5. Plan a Day of Rest
Just as the Lord created a day to rest (see Moses 3:3), we need to do the same. He created the Sabbath as “a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:10).
Questions to help you rest and draw closer to God:
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Have I made time for daily rest and recreation?
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Are my Sabbath day habits designed to increase my connection with Heavenly Father?
6. Create Relationships
The Savior intentionally created our time on the earth as a group activity because it’s not good for man to be alone (see Moses 3:18). He provided Eve and Adam for each other. And He placed people around us on purpose.
It’s easy to isolate ourselves without meaning to. But most people are seeking for more connection. Be brave, reach out to people, and invite human interaction into your days.
And consider this question:
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What am I doing to protect myself from isolation and loneliness in this digital age?
The Creation story is more than just ancient history; it contains principles that each of us can use in our lives right now.