Izikhiye neGunya lobuPhristi

YiGosa uDallin H. Oaks

WomGwamanda wabaPhostoli abaliShumi Nambili

IGosa uDallin H. Oaks

Izikhiye zobuphristi ziqondisa abesifazane ngokunjalo nabesilisa, futhi izimiso zobuphristi negunya lobuphristi kuhlangene nabesifazane nabesilisa.

I.

Kulomhlangano sesibone ukukhululwa kwabanye abafowethu abathembekileyo, futhi seseseke ukubizwa kwabanye. Kulokhu kushintshisana—okwejwayelekile kuleliBandla— “asehli” uma sikhululwa, futhi “asikhuphuki” uma sibizwa. Akukho “ukwenyuka noma ukwehla” emsebenzini weNkosi. Kukhona “ukuya phambili noma emuva” kuphela, futhi lowo mehluko uncike ekutheni silwemukela kanjani ubizo nokukhululwa kwethu futhi yikuphi esikwenzayo emveni kobizo nasemveni kokukhululwa kwethu. Ngake ngaphatha kukhululwa umongameli wesikhonkwane owayesamncane owayezinikele kulomsebenzi iminyaka eyisishiyagalolunye futhi manje owayesejabulela ukukhululwa kwakhe nobizo lwakhe olusha yena nomkakhe ababesanda kubizelwa kulo. Base bebizelwe ukuba ngabaholi babantwana ewadini labo. Kukuleli Bandla kuphela lapho lokhu nakho kungabukeka kuhloniphekile!

II.

Ekhuluma emhlanganweni wabesifazane, umongameli weNhlangano yoSizo yabesiFazane uLinda K. Burton wathi, “Sifisa ukufaka isifiso kithi sonke sokubuqonda kangconywana ubuphristi.”¹ Leso sifiso sisithinta sonke, futhi ngizosilandela ngokukhuluma ngezikhiye negunya lobuphristi. Njengoba lezi zihloko zithinta abesilisa nabesifazane ngokulinganayo, ngiyajabula ukuthi lezi zinkulumo zisakazelwa futhi zikhishelwe wonke amalungu eBandla. Amandla obuphristi asibusisa sonke. Izikhiye zobuphristi ziqondisa abesifazane ngokunjalo nabesilisa, futhi izimiso zobuphristi negunya lobuphristi kuhlangene nabesifazane nabesilisa.

III.

UMongameli uJoseph F. Smith wachaza ubuphristi “njengamandla kaNkulunkulu athunyelwe kubantu besilisa lapho umuntu wesilisa engakwazi ukusebenza emhlabeni asebenzele insindiso yabo bonke abantu.”² Abanye abaholi basifundise ukuthi ubuphristi “bungamandla amakhulu lapha emhlabeni. Bungamandla okwadalwa ngawo umhlaba.”³ Imibhalo engcwele isifundisa ukuthi “lobu buPhristi, obabukhona ekuqaleni, buyoba khona nasekupheleni komhlaba futhi” (uMose 6:7). Ngakho-ke, ubuphristi amandla esiyovuswa ngawo kwabafileyo sesiqhubekela empilweni yaphakade.

Ukuqonda esikufunayo kuqala ngokuqonda izikhiye zobuphristi. “Izikhiye zobuphristi ziyigunya uNkulunkulu alinike [abaphethe] ubuphristi ukuba baqondise, balawule, futhi baphathe ukusetshenziswa kobuphristi Bakhe emhlabeni.”⁴ Zonke izenzo noma isimiso esenziwayo kuleliBandla zenziwa ngaphansi kwegunya lalowo ophethe izikhiye zalowo msebenzi. Njengoba iGosa uM. Russell Ballard wasichazela ethi, “Labo abanezikhiye zobuphristi … benza wenzeke ngempela ukuthi bonke abasebenza ngokwethembeka ngaphansi kwabo ukuba basebenzise igunya lobuphristi ukuze babe nelungelo lokusebenzisa amandla obuphristi.”⁵

Ekulawuleni ukusetshenziswa kwegunya lobuphristi, umsebenzi wezikhiye zobuphristi wukukhulisa nokukhawulisa. Zikhulisa ngokuthi zenze igunya lobuphristi nezibusiso kutholwe yibo bonke abantwana bakaNkulunkulu. Zikhawulisa ngokuthi ziqondise ukuthi ngubani ozonikwa igunya lobuphristi, ngubani ozobekwa esikhundleni sabo, nokuthi amalungelo namandla abo azonikwa kanjani. Isibonelo, umuntu onobuphristi akakwazi ukudlulisela isikhundla sakhe noma igunya lakhe komunye ngaphandle uma enikeziwe imvumo yokwenza lokho yilowo onezikhiye. Ngaphandle kwaleyo mvumo, ukugcotshelwa kuleso sikhundla kuyoba ngaphandle komthetho. Lokhu kuyisizathu sokuthi kungani indoda enobuphristi—noma ngabe ikusiphi isikhundla—ingekwazi ukugcobela esikhundleni ilungu lomndeni wayo noma inike isidlo esingcwele emzini wayo ngaphandle kwemvumo yalowo onezikhiye ezifanelekile.

Ngaphandle kwemisebenzi engcwele eyenziwa abesimame phakathi ethempelini ngaphansi kwezikhiye zomongameli wethempeli, engizoyichaza emva kwalokhu, yilowo onesikhundla sobuphristi okwazi ukuphatha umsebenzi wokwenziwa kwesimiso sobuphristi. Futhi zonke izimiso zobuphristi ezigunyaziwe ziqoshwa phansi emibhalweni yeBandla.

Ekugcineni, zonke izikhiye zobuphristi ziphethwe yiNkosi uJesu Kristu, ubuphristi obungobakhe. Nguye okhipha isinqumo sokuthi yiziphi izikhiye ezinikwa abantu basemhlabeni nokuthi lezo zikhiye zizosetshenziswa kanjani. Sijwayele ukucabanga ukuthi zonke izikhiye zobuphristi zanikwa uJoseph Smith eThempelini laseKirtland, kodwa imibhalo engcwele ithi konke anikwa kona kulelo thempeli “izikhiye zaloluhlelo lokwengamela” (IMf&V 110:16). Emhlanganweni omkhulu weBandla eminyakeni eminingi edlule, uMongameli uSpencer W. Kimball wasikhumbuza ukuthi zikhona ezinye izikhiye zobuphristi ezingakanikwa abantu basemhlabeni, njengezikhiye zokudala nezovuko.⁶

Ukukhawulisa ngokuphathelene nokusetshenziswa kwezikhiye zobuphristi kuveza kahle umehluko phakathi kwezinqumo ezithathwayo ezithinta ukuphathwa kweBandla ngokunjalo nezinqumo ezithathwayo ezithinta ubuphristi uqobo. UbuMongameli bokuQala noMkhandlu wobuMongameli bokuQala kanye noMgwamanda wabayiShumi naMbili, okuyibo abengamele iBandla, banikwe amandla okuthatha izinqumo eziningi ezithinta izinqubo nezindlela zokwenza izinto kuleliBandla—njengalapho kwakhiwa khona izakhiwo zeBandla ngokunjalo neminyaka yalabo abayokwenza umsebenzi wokushumayela ivangeli. Kodwa noma ngabe lezi ziphathimandla ziphethe futhi zikwazi ukusebenzisa zonke izikhiye ezinikwe amadoda kulesi sikhathi, azigunyaziwe ukushintsha lokho okuyalelwe phezulu ukuthi ngamadoda kuphela angabekwa ezikhundleni zobuphristi.

IV.

Manje sengingena esihlokweni segunya lobuphristi. Ngiqala ngemigomo emithathu esesikhulume ngayo: (1) ubuphristi amandla kaNkulunkulu anikwe amadoda ukuba enze okuthile ukuze kusindiswe abantu amhlabeni, (2) igunya lobuphristi liphethwe yilabo abanobuphristi abanezikhiye zobuphristi, nokuthi (3) njengoba imibhalo engcwele isho ukuthi “bonke abanye abasemagunyeni noma ezikhundleni ebandleni bayizengezo kulobu buphristi [bukaMelkisedeki]” (Mf&V 107:5), konke okwenziwe ngaphansi kwalezo zikhiye zobuphristi kwenziwe ngegunya lobuphristi.

Ngabe-ke lokhu kubathinta kanjani abesifazane na? Enkulumweni eyayibhekiswe kwiNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane, uMongameli uJoseph Fielding Smith, owayenguMongameli woMgwamanda wabaPhostoli abaliShumi Nambili ngaleso sikhathi, wathi: “Njengoba abesimame benganikeziwe ubuPhristi, lokho akusho ukuthi iNkosi ayibanikezile igunya. … Umuntu anganikwa igunya, noma owesimame naye anganikwa ingunya, ukwenza izinto ezithile eBandleni ezibophayo futhi ezibaluleke kakhulu ngokuphathelene nensindiso yethu, njengomsebenzi abesimame abawenzayo eNdlini yeNkosi. Banikwe igunya ukuze benze izinto ezinkulu nezimangalisayo, ezingcwele eNkosini, futhi ezibopha ngokuphelele njengalezo zibusiso ezinikwa ngamadoda anobuPhristi.”⁷

Kuleyo nkulumo edumile, uMongameli uSmith washo ephindelela ukuthi abesimame banikeziwe igunya. Kwabesimame wathi, “Ningakhuluma ngegunya, ngoba iNkosi ubeke igunya kini.” Waphinda wathi iNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane “inikezwe amandla negunya lokwenza izinto eziningi ezinkulu . Umsebenzi abawenzayo wenziwa ngegunya laphezulu.” Futhi-ke, vele, umsebenzi owenziwe abesimame nabesilisa eBandleni, noma ngabe kusethempelini noma emawadini noma kumagatsha, wenziwe ngaphansi kokuqondiswa yilowo onezikhiye zobuphristi. Ngesikhathi ekhuluma ngeNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane, uMongameli uSmith wachaza wathi, “[INkosi] ibanikeze lenhlangano enkulu lapho benegunya khona lokuletha usizo ngaphansi kokuyalelwa ngababhishobhi basemawadini … begcwalisa izidingo zomoya nezenyama zabantu bethu.”⁸

Ngalokho-ke, kuliqiniso okushiwoyo ngeNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane ukuthi ayisilona igumbi nje lapho abesimame behlanganela khona, kepha bangabaleyo nhlangano—isengezo kubuphristi esisungulwe ngokwaphezulu.⁹

Asijwayele ukukhuluma ngokuthi abesimame banegunya lobuphristi obizweni lwabo lweBandla, kepha kungaba yiliphi elinye igunya na? Ngesikhathi owesimame—omncane noma omdala—ehlukaniselwa ukuthi ayoshumayela ivangeli njengomfundisi zikhathi zonke, usuke enikwe igunya lobuphristi ukuthi enze umsebenzi wobuphristi. Kuliqiniso futhi uma owesimame ehlukaniselwa ukusebenza njengosikhundla noma uthisha enhlanganweni yeBandla ngaphansi kwesiqondisi salowo onezikhiye zobuphristi. Noma ubani osebenza esikhundleni noma obizweni oluphuma kulowo onezikhiye zobuphristi usebenzisa igunya lobuphristi ukuba enze imisebenzi anikwe yona.

Noma ngubani osebenzisa igunya lobuphristi kumele akhohlwe amalungelo akhe agxile esibophweni sakhe. Lowo umgomo odingekayo emphakathini jikelele. Umbhali odumile waseRussia u-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn ucashuniwe ethi, “Kuyisikhathi … sokuvikela hhayi kakhulu amalungelo abantu njengezibopho zabantu.”¹⁰ AbaNgcwele bezinsuku zokuGcina babona kahle ukuthi ukufaneleka ukuphakanyiswa akusikho ukufakazela amalungelo kodwa ukufeza imithwalo yezibopho.

V

INkosi iqondisile ukuthi abesilisa kuphela abazogcotshwa kwizikhundla zobuphristi. Kodwa, njengoba abaholi beBandla abaningi becacisile, abesilisa abasibo “ubuphristi.”¹¹ Abesilisa banobuphristi, nomsebenzi ongcwele wokuthi babusebenzise ukubusisa bonke abantwana bakaNkulunkulu.

Amandla amakhulu kaNkulunkulu awanike amadodana Akhe akakwazi ukusetshenziswa ngaphandle kokuzwana nomunye wamadodakazi Akhe, ngoba yikumadodakazi Akhe lapho uNkulunkulu enikeze amandla “okudala imizimba … khona uhlelo lukaNkulunkulu kanye neCebo eliKhulu kungahlangana ngokukhululeka.”¹² Lawo amazwi kaMongameli uReuben Clark.

Waqhubeka: “Lena yindawo yamakhosikazi ethu kanye nomama bethu kwiCebo laPhakade. Abasibo abathwali bobuPhristi, abanikiwe ukuba benze imisebenzi yobuphristi, futhi abathwele imithwalo yabo, bangabakhi nabahleli ngaphansi kwamandla abo, nabahlanganyeli ezibusisweni zabo, bathole ukuhambiselana emandleni obuPhristi futhi baphethe umsebenzi onobizo olungcwele, obaluleke ingunaphakade endaweni yawo njengobuPhristi imbala.”¹³

Ngalawo mazwi agqugquzelayo, uMongameli uClark wayekhuluma ngomndeni. Njengoba kubekiwe kwisimemezelo somndeni, ubaba uyengamela emndenini futhi yena nomama banemisebenzi eyahlukene, kodwa “babophezekile ukuthi basizane njengabahlanganyeli abalinganayo.”¹⁴ Eminyakeni ngaphambilini kwesimemezelo somndeni, uMongameli uSpencer W. Kimball wanikeza le ncazelo egqugquzelayo: “Uma sikhuluma ngomshado njengokubambisana, masikhulume ngomshado njengokubambisana okugcwele . Asifuni abesimame bethu abaNgcwele eziNsukwini zokuGcina ukuthi babe abalingani abathuli noma abalingani abavinjelwe esabelweni saphakade! Sicela ube umlingani ofaka isandla futhi ngokugcwele .”¹⁵

Emehlweni kaNkulunkulu, noma ngabe iseBandleni noma emndenini, abesifazane nabesilisa bayalingana, nemisebenzi yabo ihlukene.

Ngivala ngamanye amaqiniso mayelana nezibusiso zobuphristi. Izibusiso zobuphristi ziyatholwa abesifazane nabesilisa ngemigomo efanayo, okungafani nezikhiye zobuphristi kanye nokugcotshwa ubuphristi. Isipho sikaMoya oyiNgcwele kanye nezibisiso zethempeli zingumfanekiso ojwayelekile zaleliqiniso.

Enkulumeni yakhe eqondisayo eBYU Education Week ngehlobo eledlule, iGosa uM. Russell Ballard wanika lezi zimfundiso:

Imfundiso yeBandla lethu ibeka abesifazane belingana kodwa futhi behlukile kwabesilisa. UNkulunkulu akabheki ukuthi kukhona ubulili obungcono noma obubalulekile okwedlula obunye. …

“Uma abesilisa kanye nabesifazane beya ethempelini, bayahlanganiswa ngamandla afanayo, okungamandla obuphristi. … Ukufinyelela emandleni nasezibusisweni zobuphristi kutholwa yibo bonke abantwana bakaNkulunkulu.”¹⁶

Ngiyafakaza ngamandla nezibusiso zobuphristi bukaNkulunkulu, ezitholwa amadodana namadodakazi Akhe ngokufana. Ngiyafakaza ngegunya lobuphristi, elisebenza kuzo zonke izikhundla nasemisebenzini yeBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina. Ngiyafakaza ngomsebenzi oholwa ngokungcwele wezikhiye zobuphristi, ezibanjwe zasetshenziswa ngokugcwele ngumphrofethi/umongameli, uThomas S. Monson. Okokugcina futhi okubalulekile, Ngiyafakaza ngeNkosi yethu noMsindisi, uJesu Kristu, Okungubuphristi Bakhe lobu, osiyizisebenzi zakhe thina, egameni likaJesu Kristu, ameni.

Imithombo okuthathwe kuyo lemfundiso

1. uLinda K. Burton, “Priesthood: ‘A Sacred Trust to Be Used for the Benefit of Men, Women, and Children’” (Brigham Young University Women’s Conference address, May 3, 2013), 1; ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/transcripts.php.

2. uJoseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 139.

3. uBoyd K. Packer, “Priesthood Power in the Home” (worldwide leadership training meeting, Feb. 2012); lds.org/broadcasts; bheka futhi uJames E. Faust, “Power of the Priesthood,” Ensign, ngoMeyi 1997, 41–43.

4. Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010), 2.1.1.

5. uM. Russell Ballard, “Men and Women in the Work of the Lord,” New Era, ngo-Ephreli 2014, 4; Liahona, Apr. 2014, 48; bheka futhi Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 138.

6. Bheka inkulumo kaSpencer W. Kimball, “Our Great Potential,” kwi Ensign, yangoMeyi 1977, 49.

7. uJoseph Fielding Smith, “Relief Society—an Aid to the Priesthood,” Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1959, 4.

8. uJoseph Fielding Smith, “Relief Society—an Aid to the Priesthood,” 4, 5; bheka futhi Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith (2013), 302.

9. Bheka inkulumo kaBoyd K. Packer, “The Relief Society,”kwi Ensign, yangoMeyi 1998, 72; bheka futhi Daughters in My Kingdom, 138.

10. u-Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “A World Split Apart” (inkulumo eyisingeniso eyathulwa eNyuvesi yaseHarvard, ngoJuni 8, 1978); bheka futhi uPatricia T. Holland, “A Woman’s Perspective on the Priesthood,” Ensign, ngoJulayi 1980, 25; Tambuli, Juni 1982, 23; Dallin H. Oaks, “Rights and Responsibilities,” Mercer Law Review, vol. 36, no. 2 (winter 1985), 427–42.

11. Bheka uJames E. Faust, “You Are All Heaven Sent,” Ensign noma iLiahona, Nov. 2002, 113; M. Russell Ballard, “This Is My Work and Glory,” Ensign noma iLiahona, yangoMeyi 2013, 19; Dallin H. Oaks, “Priesthood Authority in the Family and the Church,” Ensign noma iLiahona, Nov. 2005, 26. Ngesinye isikhathi siyasho ukuthi iNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane “ibambisene nobuphristi.” Kuyobe kunenjiwe ukuthi emsebenzini weNkosi iNhlangano yokuSiza yabesiFazane kanye nabesifazane beBandla “bangabalingani nabaphathi bobuphristi.”

12. uJ. Reuben Clark Jr., “Our Wives and Our Mothers in the Eternal Plan,” Relief Society Magazine, ngoDisemba 1946, 800.

13. uJ. Reuben Clark Jr., “Our Wives and Our Mothers,” 801.

14. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign noma iLiahona, Nov. 2010, 129.

15. uSpencer W. Kimball, “Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, 106.

16. uM. Russell Ballard, New Era, Apr. 2014, 4; Liahona, ngo-Ephreli 2014, 48; bheka futhi uSheri L. Dew, Women and the Priesthood (2013), ikakhulukazi isahluko sesithupha, ngencazelo ebalulekile yemfundiso ebekiwe la.