For my part, I don't feel that strife of any sort is
necessary to make me enjoy life; of all things it is what makes
me miserable. I grant you that effort and struggle add
immeasurably to the enjoyment of life, but those I look upon as
labor, not strife. There may be whole worlds for us to help bring
into order and obedience. And I suspect there must be no end of
work in which is strife enough--and that of a kind hard to bear.
There must be millions of spirits in prison that want preaching
to; and whoever goes among them will have that which is behind of
the afflictions of Christ to fill up. Anyhow there will be plenty
to do, and that's the main thing. Seeing we are made in the image
of God, and he is always working, we could not be happy without
work."
"Do you think we shall get into any company we like up there?"
said Joseph. "I must think a minute. When I want to understand, I
find myself listening for what my father would say. Yes, I think
I know what he would say to that: 'Yes; but not till you are fit
for it; and then the difficulty would be to keep out of it. For
all that is fit must come to pass in the land of fitnesses--that
is, the land where all is just as it ought to be.'--That's how I
could fancy I heard my father answer you."
"With that answer I am well content," said Joseph.--"But you
don't want to die, do you, Mary?"
"No; I want to live.
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