If God is omnipotent, would that mean He would be able to create a universe with all the benefits of hardship, such as spiritual growth, without actually including hardship?

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Yes, he could.

the problem with this line of thought is that this world isn’t here to help us grow spiritually. That’s just an added bonus for those who happen to become interested.

What this world is here for us to allow us to find a strong, durable identity that can survive in the afterlife. Hardship is one of the best ingredients to that formula there is. Eternal life is only as our motivation to explore and enjoy it.