Ningakhathazeki
Yibani nesibindi, bafowethu nodadewethu. Yebo, siphila ezikhathini ezimbi, kodwa uma siqhubeka emzileni wesivumelwano, akudingeki ukuba sesabe.
Nginezela ubufakazi bami emyalezweni kaMongameli uRussell M. Nelson neGosa uQuentin L. Cook osanda kudluliswa nje ngobunye nobumbano bomKhandlu wobuMongameli bokuQala nomGwamanda wabaPhostoli abayiShumi namBili. Ngiyazi ukuthi lezi zimemezelo eziyizambulo ziwumqondo nentando yeNkosi futhi zizobusisa, futhi ziqinise umuntu ngamunye, imindeni, kanye neBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina izizukulwane ngezizukulwane ezizayo.
Eminyakeni ethile edlule, omunye wamadodakazi ethu ashadile nomyeni wakhe wangibuza nginodade uRasband lo mbuzo obaluleke kakhulu, nothinta impilo: “Ingabe kusaphephile futhi kuwukuhlakanipha ukuzala abantwana kulelizwe esiphila kulo elibonakala lilibi futhi lesabeka?”
Lowo kwakuwumbuzo obalulekile owawungadingidwa umama nobaba nabantwana babo abashadile nabathandekayo. Wawuzwa ukuthi banovalo nokwesaba ezinhliziyweni zabo. Sabaphendula ngesiqiniseko sathi “Yebo, kuyinto enhle kakhulu,” ngesikhathi sixoxa nabo ngezimfundiso eziyisisekelo zevangeli nemibono yethu esuka ekujuleni kwenhliziyo, nezinto esidlule kuzo.
Ukwesaba akuyona into entsha. Abafundi baJesu Kristu, besoLwandle LwaseGalile, besaba “umoya, namagagasi” ezinzulwini zobusuku.1 Njengabafundi Bakhe namuhla, nathi kunokwesaba esinakho. Labo abakhulile abangashadile phakathi kwethu besaba ukuzibophezela okunjengokungena emshadweni. Abasebasha abashadile, njengezingane zethu, bangesaba ukukhulisa izingane kulelizwe eliya ngokuya liba libi. Abefundisi besaba izinto eziningi, ikakhulukazi ukuxoxa nabantu abangabazi. Abafelokazi besaba ukuqhubeka nempilo bebodwa. Intsha isaba ukuthi ngeke yamukelwe; abasafunda esikoleni basaba usuku lokuqala ekilasini; abafundi basenyuvesi besaba imiphumela yesivivinyo. Sesaba ukwehluleka, ukwaliwa, ukudumazeka, nezinto esingazazi. Sesaba iziphepho, ukuzamazama komhlaba, nemililo eshisa umhlaba ungqongqe futhi ishintshe nezimpilo zethu. Sesaba ukungakhethwa, kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi, sesaba ukukhethwa. Sesaba ukuthi esikwenzayo akwanele; sesaba ukuthi iNkosi angeke isibusise. Sesaba uguquko, futhi ukwesaba kwethu kungaphenduka uvalo. Ngabe sengikhulume ngawo wonke umuntu?
Kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo, ukwesaba kuye kwathiya umbono wabantwana baNkulunkulu. Ngiyayithanda indaba ka-Elisha kweyesibili incwadi yamaKhosi. Inkosi yaseSiriya yayithumele amabutho ‘afika ebusuku, akaka umuzi nxazonke.’2 Inhloso yawo kwakuwukuthumba nokubulala umphrofethi u-Elisha. Sifunda ukuthi:
“Isikhonzi somuntu kaNkulunkulu sesivukile ekuseni, saphuma, bheka, impi enamahhashi nezinqola yayiwukakile umuzi. Yayisithi inceku kuye: “Maye, nkosi! Sesiyakwenze njani?”3
Yayikhulunyiswa ukwesaba.
“[U-Elisha] wathi: ‘Ungesabi, ngokuba abanathi baningi kunabanabo.’”4
Kodwa akaphelelanga lapho.
“U-Elisha wakhuleka, wathi: ‘Jehova, ake uvule amehlo ayo ukuba ibone. UJehova wavula-ke amehlo aleyo nceku, yabona; bheka, intaba yayigcwele amahhashi nezinqola zomlilo nxazonke zakhe u-Elisha.”5
Singebe nazo izinqola zomlilo ezithunyelwa ukuzoqeda ukwesaba kwethu nokunqoba amadimoni ethu, kodwa isifundo sisobala. INkosi inathi, iyasinaka futhi iyasibusisa ngezindlela Zayo kuphela. Umthandazo ungabiza amandla nesambulo esisidingayo ukuze sigxilise imiqondo yethu kuJesu Kristu nomnikelo Wakhe ohlawulayo. INkosi yayazi ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi siyofikelwa ukwesaba. Kwake kwangifikela nami lokho, nawe ngokunjalo, okuyingakho imibhalo igcwele iseluleko seNkosi esithi:
“Yibani nenjabulo, futhi ningesabi.”6
“Bhekani kimi ngayo yonke imicabango yenu; ningangabazi, ningesabi.”7
“Ningesabi, mhlambi omncane.”8 Ngiyawathanda amagama anesihle athi “mhlambi omncane.” Kuleli Bandla kungenzeka simbalwa uma kubhekwa indlela izwe elibheka ngayo amaqembu anomthelela, kodwa uma sivula amehlo ethu angokomoya, “abanathi baningi kunabanabo.”9 UMelusi wethu onothando, uJesu Kristu, ube seqhubeka ethi: “Umhlaba nesihogo makuhlangane kumelane nani, ngokuba uma nakhele edwaleni lami, ngeke banqobe.”10
Ukwesaba kuxoshwa kanjani? Leya nsizwa, yayimi eceleni kuka-Elisha uqobo, umphrofethi kaNkulunkulu. Nathi sinesethembiso esifanayo. Uma silalela uMongameli uRussell M. Nelson, uma sisilalela iseluleko sakhe, sisuke simi nomphrofethi kaNkulunkulu. Khumbula amagama ka-Joseph Smith: “Manje, emva kobufakazi obuningi osebunikiwe ngaye, nabu ubufakazi, ekugcineni kwako konke, esibunikayo ngaye: Ukuthi uyaphila!”11 UJesu Kristu uyaphila. Ukumthanda kwethu nevangeli Lakhe kuyakuqeda ukwesaba
Isifiso sethu ‘sokuba noMoya wakhe njalo’12 sizoqhelisa ukwesaba ukuze sibe nombono waphakade wokuphila kwethu emhlabeni . UMongameli uNelson usexwayisile wathi, “Ezinsukwini ezizayo, ngeke kube nendlela yokusinda ngokomoya ngaphandle kwethonya eliqondisayo, eliyalayo, eliduduzayo, nelihlezi likhona njalo loMoya oNgcwele.”13
Ngokuphathelene nezinhlupho eziyosibekela umhlaba futhi zenze izinhliziyo zabaningi zibe lukhuni, iNkosi yathi, “Abafundi bami bayokuma ezindaweni ezingcwele, futhi ngeke banyakaziswe.”14
Emva kwalokho sithole lesi seluleko esivela eNkosini: “Ningakhathazeki, ngokuba, uma zonke lezi zinto sezenzeka, anokwazi ukuthi izethembiso ezenziwe kini ziyogcwaliseka.”15
Manini ezindaweni ezingcwele—ningakhathazeki—futhi izithembiso ziyogcwaliseka. Ake sizibheke lezi zeluleko ngazinye ngokuphathelene nokwesaba kwethu.
Okokuqala, manini ezindaweni ezingcwele. Uma sima ezindaweni ezingcwele—emakhaya ethu anokulunga, izindawo zethu zokukhonza ezinikelwe, amathempeli angcwelisiwe—sizwa uMoya weNkosi unathi. Sithola izimpendulo zemibuzo esikhathazayo noma ukuthula bokuyibuyisela eceleni. Lokho nguMoya usebenza. Lezi zindawo ezingcwele embusweni kaNkulunkulu osemhlabeni kufanele sizihloniphe, sihloniphe nabanye, senze konke okusemandleni ukuphila ngevangeli, nethemba lethu lokubeka eceleni ukwesaba kwethu futhi sifune amandla aphilisayo kaJesu Kristu ngeNhlawulo Yakhe.
Ayikho indawo yokwesaba kulezi zindawo ezingcwele zikaNkulunkulu noma ezinhliziyweni zabantwana Bakhe. Yingani? Ngenxa yothando. UNkulunkulu uyasithanda—njalo—futhi nathi siyamthanda. Ukuthanda kwethu uNkulunkulu kunqoba konke ukwesaba, futhi uthando Lwake lugcwele ezindaweni ezingcwele. Cabanga ngalokho. Uma sibamba siyeka ekuzibophezeleni kwethu eNkosini, uma siphambuka endleleni Yakhe eya ekuphileni kwaphakade, uma sithandabuza noma singabaza ngokubaluleka kwethu kwicebo Lakhe, uma sivumela ukwesaba kuvule indawo yokungena kwazo zonke izinto ezihambisana nakho—ukudumazeka, intukuthelo, ukukhungatheka, ukudikibala—uMoya uyasishiya, sisale singenayo iNkosi Uma wazi ukuthi lokho kunjalo, uyazi ukuthi akuyona indawo enhle ukuba kuyo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma sima ezindaweni ezingcwele, singezwa uthando lukaNkulunkulu, futhi “uthando olupheleleyo luxosha konke ukwesaba.”16
Isithembiso esilandelayo sithi “Ningakhathazeki.”17 Noma ngabe kugcwele ububi nesiyaluyalu okungakanani emhlabeni, sithenjiswa ngokholo lwethu kuJesu Kristu lwansuku zonke ukuthi sizothola “ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu okudlula ukuqonda konke.”18 Futhi ngesikhathi uKristu eza ngawo wonke amandla nenkazimulo, ububi, ubumbuka, nokungalungi kuzophela.
Ezikhathini zasemandulo, umPhostoli uPawulu waphrofetha ngezikhathi zethu, ethi kuThimothewu owayesemusha:
“Kepha yazi lokhu ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina kuzakuvela izikhathi ezinzima.”
“Ngokuba abantu bazakuba ngabazithandayo, nabathandimali, nabazigabisayo, nabazidlayo, nabahlambalazayo, nabangalaleli abazali, nabangabongiyo, nabahlazisayo, …
“… nabathanda injabulo kunokuthanda uNkulunkulu.”19
Khumbula, ukuthi “abanathi” nhlangothi zombili nesisitho, labo abathanda iNkosi ngenhliziyo yonke, ngamandla, ngengqondo, nangokuqina, “baningi kunabanabo.”20 Uma sithembela ngokuqinile eNkosini nezindlela Zayo, uma senza umsebenzi Wayo, ngeke sizesabe izindlela zezwe noma sikhathazeke ngazo. Ngiyaninxusa ukuba nibekele eceleni amathonya ezwe nezingcindezi zalo futhi nifune ukugxila okholweni empilweni yenu yansuku zonke. Thandani okuthandwa yiNkosi—okuyimiyalelo Yayo, izindlu Zayo ezingcwele, izivumelwano zethu ezingcwele Nayo, isidlo esingcwele njalo ngeSabatha, ukukhulumisana kwethu Nayo ngomkhuleko—lapho-ke ngeke nikhathazeke.
Iphuzu lokugcina: thembela eNkosini nasezethembisweni Zayo. Ngiyazi ukuthi zonke izethembiso Zayo zizogcwaliseka. Lokhu ngikwazi njengoba ngiqiniseka ukuthi ngimi phambi kwenu njengamanje kulomhlangano ongcwele.
INkosi yembulile yathi: “Ngokuba labo abahlakaniphile futhi abemukele iqiniso, futhi abemukele uMoya oNgcwele waba ngumqondisi wabo, futhi abangakhohlisekanga—ngiqinisile ngithi kini, ngeke bacekelwe phansi baphoswe emlilweni, kodwa bayomelana nalolo suku.”21
Yingakho kungafanele sikhathazwe isiyaluyalu sanamuhla, yilabo abasesakhiweni esikhulu nesivulekile, yilabo abagcona umzamo oqotho nomsebenzi wokuzinikela eNkosini uJesu Kristu. Ukuba nethemba, isibindi, ngisho nomusa kusuka enhliziyweni engasindwa yizinkathazo noma isiyaluyalu. uMongameli uNelson, “onethemba elihle lesikhathi esizayo,” usikhumbuzile wathi, “Ukuze sibe nethemba lokuhlukanisa inqwaba yamazwi nemibono yabantu ehlasela iqiniso, kufanele sifunde ukwamukela isambulo.”22
Ukuze sithole isambulo somuntu siqu, kufanele kube semqoka ukuthi siphile ngevangeli futhi sikhuthaze ubuqotho nokugxila okholweni kwabanye kanye nakithi uqobo.
USpencer W. Kimball wayengomunye wabaphrofethi ngisakhula. Kule minyaka embalwa edlule, ngemuva kokubizwa njengomPhostoli, ngithole ukuthula kumyalezo wakhe wokuqala emhlanganweni omkhulu wango-Okthoba ngonyaka ka-1943. Wayezizwa enokukhathazeka ngobizo lwakhe; ngiyazi ukuthi lokho kunjani. Igosa uKimball wathi: “Ngicabange futhi ngakhuleka kakhulu, futhi ngazila ngabuye ngakhuleka. Ingqondo yami yayigcwele imicabango eshayisanayo—amazwi ayethi: ‘Awukwazi ukwenza lo msebenzi. Awufanelekile. Awunalo ikhono—futhi njalo ekugcineni kwakufika umqondo onqobayo othi: ‘Kufanele uwenze umsebenzi onikwe wona—kufanele ukwazi futhi uzenze ufaneleke.’ Futhi impi yaqhubeka.”23
Ngithola isibindi kulobo bufakazi obumsulwa balomPhostoli owayezoba nguMongameli weshumi nambili waleli Bandla elinamandla. Wabona ukuthi kwakufanele abeke ukwesaba kwakhe eceleni ukuze “enze umsebenzi ayenikwe wona” nokuthi kwakufanele ancike eNkosini ukuze athole amandla okuzenza ‘afaneleke futhi akwazi.’ Nathi singenza okufanayo. Izimpi zizoqhubeka, kodwa sizobhekana nazo ngoMoya weNkosi. ‘Ngeke sikhathazeke’ ngoba simi neNkosi futhi siphilela izimfundiso Zayo nohlelo Lwayo lwaphakade, simi emhlabeni ongcwele.
Manje, kuthiwani ngendodakazi nomkhwenyana abasibuza loya mbuzo onzima, osuka ekujuleni kwenhliziyo, kodwa owawunokwesaba eminyakeni eminingi edlule? Bacabangisisa ngengxoxo yethu ngalobo busuku; bakhuleka futhi bazila ukudla base bathatha izinqumo zabo. Okujabulisayo kubo nakithi, ugogo nomkhulu, wukuthi manje babusiswe ngabantwa abahle abayisikhombisa besaqhubeka okholweni nasothandweni.
Yibani nesibindi, bafowethu nodadewethu. Yebo, siphila ezikhathini ezimbi, kodwa uma siqhubeka emzileni wesivumelwano, akudingeki ukuba sesabe. Ngiyanibusisa ukuthi ngesikhathi nenzenjalo, ngeke nikhathazwe yilezi zikhathi esiphila kuzo noma yizinkathazo enihlangabezana nazo. Ngiyanibusisa ukuba nikhethe ukuma ezindaweni ezingcwele futhi ninganyakaziswa. Ngiyanibusisa ukuba nikholwe yizithembiso zikaJesu Kristu, ukuthi uyaphila nokuthi usibhekile, uyasinakekela futhi uyasisekela. Egameni leNkosi nomSindisi wethu, uJesu Kristu, amen.