From a previous post, words of Stephen E. Robinson. . . .
Also, I believe there is an indisoluble link between labor and happiness, a law that says something like “You can have only as much joy as you are willing to sweat for.” Our eternal nature as children of God may be such that our capacity for joy is increased by work (opposition in all things) emphasis added). . . continuing. . .
After all, couch-potatoes miss a lot of happiness in this life; perhaps in the eternities spiritual couch-potatoes miss something that might otherwise have been theirs with more effort.
If we want to be like God, we must remember that God works: he works very hard. And if God’s work and glory are to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of his children, then to avoid his work is also to miss his glory.
Finally, sons and daughters of the house do the chores of the house. Just as Christ did “the works which the Father hath given” him (John 5:36) so we, in imitating him, also do the chores he has given us: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also” (John 14:12). My own son, Michael, doesn’t obey me at home and do his chores in order to become my son. I don’t say, “Gee, Mike, if you do your chores really well you just might be my boy someday. He is already my son, and he knows it; that happened years ago. Conversely, were I to instruct the Karlsven kids across the street to mow my lawn, they probably wouldn’t do it, because I’m not their dad and it’s not their lawn. They don’t owe me any chores. Michael obeys me because he’s my son, for the sake of a relationship that already exists, and which he values. He obeys to affirm that he willingly accepts the terms of sonship and his rightful place in our family. Michael cannot with any amount of work, service, or obedience become my son because he is already my son (though he could by calculated disobedience reject the relationship and damage it to the point that it was mere biological fact and nothing more). Because both of us treasure the relationship and because we love each other, I try to be an understanding parent and he tries to be an obedient son. In the same spirit and for the same reasons, we sons and daughters of the kingdom do the works our Heavenly Father has given us to do. If we want to continue, to endure, in that glorious relationship, then to the best of our abilities we do our chores. ~Stephen E. Robinson, Following Christ (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019) (349-352 Dwarsligger edition)
