Work is more than the residual requirement of the expulsion from Eden. The gospel of work is tied, therefore, not only to human circumstances in which work is an economic necessity, but to human nature in which work is a spiritual necessity. It has been said that work is love made manifest. For us to develop and to employ our talents requires us to be employed both vocationally and in the service of others. Our instincts for service would be frustrated if idleness were pervasive. Thus, the curse of idleness is not some arbitrary penalty imposed upon man, but arises out of our very nature. There are both observable reasons why we must be especially careful about idleness (along with wealth and power), and transcendental reasons why these conditions are a special challenge for “almost all.” It is important to distinguish between the basic principles involved in the gospel of work and the frantic, heedless busyness that some engage in, which crowds out contemplation and which leaves n
Through normal activity each day, you and I lose a substantial amount of the water that constitutes so much of our physical bodies. Thirst is a demand by the cells of the body for water, and the water in our bodies must be replenished daily. It frankly does not make sense to occasionally “fill up” with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping. Are you and I daily reading, studying, and searching the scriptures in a way that enables us to hold fast to the rod of iron—or are you and I merely clinging? Are you and I pressing forward toward the fountain of living waters—relying upon the word of God? These are important questions for each of us to ponder prayerfully. David A. Bednar, "A Reservoir of Living Waters", BYU 2007 https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/david-a-bednar/reservoir-living-water/