Intokozo Yokuphila Impilo Egxile KuKristu
nguRichard J. Maynes
WobuMongameli bangamaShumi ayisiKhombisa
Izimpilo zethu kumele zigxile ngokuyikho-du kuKristu uma sizothola intokozo yangempela nokuthula kulempilo.
Umhlaba esiphila kuwo ucindezela kakhulu abantu abalungile yonke indawo ukuba behlise noma balahle imigomo yokuphila ngokulunga. Kepha, noma kukhona ububi nezilingo ezisikakileyo usuku nosuku, singakwazi ukuyithola futhi sizoyithola intokozo yangempela namhlanje ekuphileni impilo egxile kuKristu.
Ukugxilisa izimpilo zethu kuJesu Kristu nevangeli Lakhe kuzoletha ukusimama nenjabulo ezimpilweni zethu, njengoba lezi zibonelo ezilandelayo zikhombisa.
IGosa uTaiichi Aoba wabangamaShumi ayisiKhombisa, ohlala edolobhaneni elisentabeni eShikoku, eJaphani, wacelwa ukuba afundise ekilasini kwingqunquthela yentsha. Umusho othi “Yimani Ezindaweni Ezingcwele” wakhethwa ukuba ube yindikimba yengqungquthela. Emuva kokuyicabanga indikimba nalokho ayezokufundisa, iGosa u-Aoba wakhetha ukusebenzisa umsebenzi wakhe njengethuluzi lokufundisa. Umsebenzi wakhe ukwakha izitsha zobumba.
IGosa u-Aoba ulanda ukuthi ikilasi lakhe lentsha laba nokuphaphama ngesikhathi bebona indlela akwazi ngayo cishe njengomlingo ukushintsha isimo sobumba ezandleni zakhe kube amapuleti, izitsha, nezinkomishi. Emuva kwesikhombiso sakhe, wababuza ukuba ukhona yini kubo owayefuna ukuzama. Bonke baphakamisa izandla.
IGosa u-Aoba wadedela intsha embalwa ukuba ize ngaphambili ukuzozama umnako wabo omusha. Bacabanga ukuthi, emva kokumbukela, lokhu kwakuzoba yinto elula. Kepha, akekho noyedwa owaphumelela emizamweni yabo ukuba akhe ngisho isitsha esilula. Basho bathi: “Angikwazi ukukwenza lokhu!” “Kungani lokhu kunzima kangaka na?” “Kunzima kakhulu lokhu.” Lokhu kuphawula kwenzeka ngesikhathi ubumba lundiza egunjini lonke.
Wayibuza intsha ukuthi kungani babebhekene nobunzima obungaka ekwenzeni izitsha zobumba. Baphendula ngezimpendulo ezahlukahlukene: “Angikaze ngikwenze lokhu ngaphambilini,” “Angikaze ngiqeqeshwe,” noma “Anginaso isiphiwo.” Ngenxa yalomphumela, konke ababekushilo kwakuyiqiniso; kepha, isizathu esibalulekile kakhulu sokuba bangaphumeleli kwakungukuthi ubumba lwalungagxilile esondweni. Intsha yayicabanga ukuthi yayibeka ubumba phakathi nendawo, kodwa ngokubuka kukampetha, kwakungekona phakathi nendawo ngqo. Wase ebatshela ukuthi, “Asikuzame futhi lokhu okokugcina.”
Kulokhu, iGosa u-Aoba wabeka ubumba phakathi nendawo ngqo esondweni wase eqala ephendula isondo, enza imbobo maphakathi nobumba. Intsha embalwa yaphinde yazama. Kulokhu wonke umuntu waqala washaya izandla ngesikhathi bethi: “Hhayi bo, akunyakazi,” “Ngingakwenza lokhu,” noma “Ngikwenzile!” Vele, izimo zobumba zazingalungile ngokuphelele, kepha umphumela wawuhluke kakhulu kunalokho ababekuzamile ngesikhathi beqala. Isizathu sempumelelo yabo ukuthi ubumba lwalugxile ngendlela eyiyo esondweni.
Umhlaba esiphila kuwo ucishe ufane nesondo likambumbi eliphendukayo, futhi isivinini salelo sondo siyakhuphuka. Njengobumba esondweni likambumbi, nathi kumele sigxile. Impakathi yethu, umongo wezimpilo zethu, kufanele kube nguJesu Kristu nevangeli Lakhe. Ukuphila impilo egxile kuKristu kuchaza ukuthi sifunda ngoJesu Kristu nevangeli Lakhe bese silandela isibonelo Sakhe futhi sigcine imiyalelo Yakhe ngokuyikho ngqo.
UmProfethi wasemandulo u-Isaya wathi, “Kodwa manje, Simakade, unguBaba; thina siyibumba, wena ungumbumbi wethu, sonke singumsebenzi wesandla sakho.”1
Uma izimpilo zethu zigxile kuJesu Kristu, angakwazi ukusibumba ngendlela eyimpumelelo sibe yilokhu esidinga ukuba yikho ukuze sibuyele ebukhoneni Bakhe noBaba oseZulwini embusweni isilestiyali. Intokozo esiyizwayo kulempilo izohambisana ngqo nokugxila kwezimpilo zethu ezimfundisweni, isibonelo, nomnikelo ohlawulayo kaJesu Kristu.
Bafowethu nodadewethu, ngazalelwa emndenini onezizukulwane eziningi zabaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina, ngakho-ke, izibusiso nentokozo yokuba nevangeli likaJesu Kristu njengesisekelo samasiko omndeni wethu kwaba yimpilo yansuku zonke. Yingesikhathi ngizinikele kwimishini yesikhathi esiphelele njengensizwa lapho ngabona khona umthelela omuhle ngokumangalisayo wokuphelela kwevangeli likaJesu Kristu kulabo abangakaze ngaphambilini bezwe izibusiso zalo ezimpilweni zabo. Leli vesi kuMathewu likhombisa indlela abaguqukela kwivangeli likaJesuKristu abahamba kuyo: “Umbuso wezulu ufana nengcebo efihlwe ensimini, umunutu wayifumana, wayithukusa; wahamba ethokozile, wathengisa ngakho konke anakho, wayithenga leyo nsimu.”2
Ake nginitshele ngesibonelo esitholakala eNcwadini kaMormoni esikhombisa ukuthi oyedwa oguqukileyo wayezimisele ukukhokha ini ukuze athole intokozo ehambisana nengcebo akhuluma ngayo uJesu Kristu emfanekisweni wengcebo efihlwe ensimini.
Khumbula encwadini ka Alima isahluko 20, u-Amoni noLamoni babeya edolobheni eMidoni ngenhloso yokuthola nokukhulula umfowabo ka-Aroni ejele. Endleleni yabo bahlangana noyise kaLamoni, owayeyinkosi yamaLamani ezweni lonke.
INkosi yayiphatheke kabi kakhulu ukuthi indodana yayo uLamoni yayihamba no-Amoni, umfundisi wevangeli ongumNefi, yona eyayimthatha njengesitha. Yayibona ukuthi indodana yayo kwakumele ngabe yahambela umcimbi omkhulu eyayiwenzele amadodana ayo nabantu bayo. Inkosi yamaLamani yayiphatheke kabi kangangokuthi yayala indodana yayo uLamoni ukuba ibulale u-Amoni ngenkemba. Ngesikhathi uLamoni enqaba, inkosi yakhipha inkemba yayo ukuze ibulale indodana yayo ngenxa yokungalaleli; kepha, u-Amoni walamula ukusindisa impilo kaLamoni. Wagcina eyinqoba inkosi futhi wayengakwazi ukuthi ayibulale.
Nakhu okwashiwo yinkosi emva kokuzithola isesimweni esiphakathi kokuphila nokufa: “Uma nje ungangisindisa ngizokunika noma ngabe yini ozoyicela, ngisho ngabe yingxenye yombuso.”3
Ngakho-ke inkosi yayizimisele ukukhokha inani lohhafu wombuso ukuze isindise impilo yayo. Kufanele ukuba inkosi yathuka ngesikhathi u-Amoni ecela kuphela ukuba idedele umfowabo u-Aroni nabangani bakhe ejele nokuthi indodana yenkosi uLamoni igcine umbuso wayo.
Emva kwesikhathi, ngenxa yalokhu okwenzeka, u-Aroni umfowabo ka-Amoni wakhishwa ejele laseMidoni. Emva kokuba esekhishiwe wezwa enentshisekelo yokuba aye lapho kwakuphethe khona inkosi yamaLamani. U-Aroni walethwa enkosini wathola nethuba lokuyifundisa imigomo yevangeli likaJesu Kristu, okubalwa kuyo isu elikhulu lokuhlengwa. Izimfundiso zika-Aroni zayithinta kakhulu inkosi.
Impendulo yenkosi ezimfundisweni zika-Aroni itholakala evesini 15 lencwadi ka-Alima isahluko 22: “Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi emva kokuthi u-Aroni esezichazile lezi zinto, inkosi yathi: Ngingenze njani ukuze ngibe nalokhu kuphila okuphakade osukhulume ngakho na? Yebo, ngingenze njani ukuze ngizalwe ngokukaNkulunkulu, lomoya omubi usiphulwe uphume esifubeni sami, futhi ngamukele uMoya wakhe, ukuze ngigcwaliswe ngenjabulo, ukuze ngingalahlwa ngosuku lokugcina na? Bheka, kusho yona, ngizodela konke enginakho, yebo, ngizowushiya nombuso wami, ukuze ngamukele lenjabulo enkulu.”
Okumangazayo ukuthi, kunokunikela ngohhafu wombuso ukusindisa impilo yayo, inkosi yamaLamani manje yayisizimisele ukunikela ngombuso wayo wonke ukuze ithole lentokozo etholakala ngokuliqonda, ukulemukela, nokuliphila ivangeli likaJesu Kristu.
Umkami uNancy, naye ungoguqukele kuleliBandla. Usengitshele ezikhathini eziningi ngentokozo ayizwile empilweni yakhe ngenxa yokulithola, ukulemukela, nokuliphila ivangeli likeJesu Kristu. Okulandelayo yimicabango kaDade uMaynes ngokwamehlela uma ebheka emuva:
“Njengosekhulile ngisaqala iminyaka yama-20, ngase ngisesikhathini empilweni yami lapho ngase ngazi ukuthi kwakufanele kube khona engikushintshayo ukuze ngibe ngumuntu ojabule kakhulu. Ngangizizwa sengathi ngangintanta nje ngingenanhloso futhi ngingazazi ukuthi ngiyaphi, futhi ngangingazi ukuthi ngiye ngakuphi ukuyithola leyo njabulo. Ngangazi ukuthi uBaba oseZulwini wayekhona futhi lapha nalapha empilweni yami ngangikhuleka, ngizwa sengathi wayelalele.
“Ngesikhathi ngiqala ukucinga kwami, ngaba khona emabandleni ambalwa kepha ngangihlezi ngiba nemizwa efanayo njalo kanye nokudumala. Ngizizwa ngibusiseke kakhulu ngoba umkhuleko wami ngicela indlela nenhloso empilweni wagcina uphenduliwe, futhi ivangeli likaJesu Kristu eliphelele lalethwa empilweni yami. Ngaqala ngazizwa sengathi nganginenhloso, futhi nesu lenjabulo laletha intokozo yangempela empilweni yami.
Okunye okwenzeka eNcwadini kaMormoni kukhombisa ngokucacile ukuthi impilo egxile kuKristu ingasigcwalisa kanjani ngenjabulo enkulu noma sizungezwe ubunzima obukhulu.
Emuva kokuba umprofethi uLehi nomndeni wakhe beshiye iJerusalema eminyakeni engama-600 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, bahamba cishe iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ehlane ngaphambi kokuba bafike endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi iNala, eyayiseduzane nogu lolwandle. UNefi uchaza impilo yabo enobunzima ehlane ngalendlela: “Sase sihlushwe eziningi izinkathazo kanye nobuningi ubunzima, … ngisho kangangokuthi singeke sakubhala konke.”4
Ngesikhathi behlala eNala, uNefi wanikezwa yiNkosi umsebenzi wokwakha umkhumbi owawuzobawelisa ulwandle baye ezweni lesethembiso. Emuva kokuba sebefike ezweni lesethembiso, imibango eminingi yakhula phakathi kwabantu ababegxilise izimpilo zabo kuKristu nalabo ababengakholwa, ababelandela izibonelo zikaLamani noLemuweli. Ekugcineni, ubungozi bodlame phakathi kwalamaqembu amabili baba bukhulu kangangokuthi uNefi nalabo ababelandela izimfundiso zeNkosi bazihlukanisa futhi babalekela ehlane ukuze baphephe. Ngalesi sikhathi, emuva kweminyaka engama-30 uLehi nomndeni wakhe bashiya iJerusalema, uNefi wenza umbhalo obhalwe kahle ngokumangalisayo, kakhulukazi emuva kokubhala emibhalweni engcwele ngezinhlupho nobunzima ababhekana nakho isikhathi eside. Yilawa amazwi akhe: “Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi [saphila] ngendlela yokujabula.”5 Noma babebhekene nobunzima, bakwazi ukuphila ngendlela yokujabula ngenxa yokuthi babegxile kuKristu nevangeli Lakhe.
Bafowethu nodadewethu, njengobumba esondweni likambumbi, izimpilo zethu kufanele zigxile ngokuyikho-du kuKristu uma sizothola intokozo yangempela nokuthula kulempilo. Izibonelo zenkosi yamaLamani; umkami, uNancy; nabantu abangamaNefi zonke ziyawusekela lomgomo oyiqiniso.
Ngiyafakaza namhlanje ukuthi nathi singakuthola lokho kuthula, leyo njabulo, naleyo ntokozo yangempela uma sikhetha ukuphila izimpilo ezigxile kuKristu, egameni likaJesu Kristu, amen.