Adaptations

When a book gets adapted into a movie or television show, often the people who are most critical are the ones who most loved the book. These are the ones who saw so clearly with their mind's eye and were upset when the filmed adaptation deviated from the vision that they had. But that doesn't mean any one version of the story is more "correct" than another. We are all born with the capacity to imagine and to get caught up in a story, but if we were all able to effortlessly display the visions we have in our heads to one another, we would probably be shocked at how different each of our interpretations are from each other. I think the most beautiful thing about the gospel is that it allows for millions of different adaptations as we all take the same light and truth and try to adapt it to our lives. One person's version of tithing or fasting or temple worship will look much different than another's. An activity that one family has ruled inappropriate for the Sabbath Day, may be the exact activity that allows another family to draw closer to each other and the Lord and especially honor the Sabbath Day. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, different talents, different perspectives and visions on how to follow the Savior and while all of them are in their own ways imperfect and may seem to others to be flat out wrong, nevertheless if we go forth with faith and give heed to the promptings of the Spirit, each of our adaptations of the gospel will be the right ones for us. God wants us to realize our vision and our version of the Plan of Salvation. Each of our versions make up the Marvelous Work and Wonder.