The 8th day of creation?

Disclaimer: This post contains speculation as I think about some deep scriptural ideas. I'm merely fleshing out thoughts, not taking a definitive position about what I believe.

We all have a pretty good understanding of the six days of creation as recorded in Genesis 2 and Moses 2, followed by a day of rest.  The imagery is beautiful and the words are becoming increasingly familiar to me as I study them in multiple translations. I also look at the original Hebrew, too, and have posted many times about insights that come from that effort.

This post explores a question that came to me recently as I pondered the concept of tilling. Stisa and I have both posted about how often a covenant people are said to have tilled the land. (Here's a recent example from Stisa and here's an old example written by me.) As I pondered all of these examples, I thought about how it is said in Genesis that God "planted" a garden:

8 ¶ And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. (Genesis 2)

That led me to ask this question: When did God plant the garden? From Genesis 2:8, it seems clear the Garden was planted after the man was formed (though I'm the first to admit that thinking about these deeply symbolic stories with a linear timeline in mind is problematic), but it couldn't have been on the seventh day because we know He rested on that day (see Genesis 2:3). It's probably not technically sound to interpret these verses in this way. With that caveat in mind, I'll proceed.

I really like the symbolism of the 8th day of creation. This day of creation continues in some ways.  It is the "today" referred to by Christ:

23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.

24 For after today cometh the burning—this is speaking after the manner of the Lord—for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.

25 Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while it is called today. (Doctrine & Covenants 64)

And by Jacob:

5 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.

6 Yea, today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will ye die?

7 For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire?

8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you? (Jacob 6)

"Planting" is a possible common link between these two passages and the Garden of Eden narrative. In Jacob 6, Jacob is explaining the extending allegory, which is rife with "planting" imagery. In Jacob 6:7, Jacob makes it clear that the covenant people are the plants He intends to "nourish" and "bring forth fruit."   In Doctrine & Covenants 64, by contrast, those who believe are commanded to "labor," similar to God's commandment in Genesis 2:15. 

I like this concept -- that the work of God's glory continues on the 8th day. This is the covenant process taking place on the earth -- in which those people in the fallen world who will hearken to the words of God's messengers voluntarily embark on the covenant path and remove the curse from the earth, converting barren wasteland back into the Garden of Eden.