2010–2019
Awofoɔ ne Nkwadaa
October 2018


Awofoͻ ne Nkwadaa

Yɛn Soro Agya anigyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ kɛseɛ no kyerɛ wo nipa su a woyɛ ne wabrabͻm botaeɛ.

Anigyeɛ a ɛyɛ sɛ yɛwͻ saa amansan nhyiamu foforͻ fa a Asͻre no mu mmaa a wͻadi boro mfeɛ nnwͻtwe ka ho. Yɛatie kaseɛbͻ afiri President Eyring hͻ. Y’ani gye sɛ yɛyɛ adwuma wͻ President Russell M. Nelson nan ase, na yɛrehwehwɛ sɛ ͻde ne nkͻmhyɛ kaseɛ no bɛbrɛ yɛn.

I.

Nkwadaa yɛ y’akyɛdeɛ a ɛsom boͻ a ɛfiri Nyankopͻn hͻ —yɛn ɛnniawieɛ mfasoͻ. Nanso, yɛwͻ mmerɛ a mmaa doͻ no bɛnya a nkwadaa awoͻ ne wͻn nteteɛ mu no, wͻannya kyɛfa wͻm. Mmabunu pii twentwɛn awareɛ kͻsi sɛ wͻbɛyna ahodeɛ ansa. LDS mma mfeɛ a wͻde ware no wͻatom boro mfeɛ mmienu, na mma dodoͻ a Asͻremma woͻ no nso wͻate so. United State ne aman binom rekͻ daakye bi mu a nkwadaa ketewa bi na wͻbɛnyini abɛsi mpanimfoͻ nan mu. 1 Nkwadaa a wͻwo wͻn United States mu ͻha nkyɛmu boro 40 na wͻnni agyanom. Saa nkwadaa yi yɛ mmrɛ. Deɛ ɛrekͻ so yi mu biara tia Nyankopͻn nkwagyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ kronkron no.

II.

Nna a-ɛdiakyire Ahotefoͻ mmaa teaseɛ sɛ ɛnayͻ yɛ wͻn ahiasɛm kɛseɛ, wͻn anigyeɛ mapa. President Gordon B. Hinckley se: “Mmaa pii hunu sɛ ɛyɛ wͻn botaeɛ a wͻahyɛ no ma, wͻn anigyeɛ kɛseɛ wͻ efie ne abusua mu. Nyankopͻn de adeɛ kronkron bi adua mmaa mu a ɛda ne ho adi wͻ ahoͻden kakra mu, deɛ ɛho apͻ mu, papayɛ mu, suban pa mu, nokorɛ ne ͻdͻ mu. Na saa nnepa a ɛsͻ ani yi da adi nokorɛ ne ͻmee mu wͻ baatanyͻ mu.”

Ↄtoaa so: “ Adwuma kɛseɛ a ͻbaa biara bɛyɛ ne sɛ ɛbɛtete na wakyerɛ na watena ase na wahyɛ ne mma nkoran wͻ teneneeyɛ ne nokorɛ mu. Biribiara nni hͻ a wͻbɛtumi de atoto yei ho, ɛmfa ho ne deɛ ͻyɛ biara.”2

Ɛnanom, nuammaa adͻdoͻ, yɛdͻ mo wͻ nnipa a moyɛ ne deɛ moyɛ ma yɛn nyinaa.

Wͻ 2015 kasakyerɛ a ɛho hia a na wato din, “ Me Nuammaa Koto srɛ,” President Russell M. Nelson kaa sɛ:

“Nyankopͻn ahennie no nnwie na ɛntumi nwie pɛ yɛ a mmaa a wͻayɛ apam kronkron na wͻdi soͻ, mmaa a wͻtumi de Nyankopͻn tumi kasa nka ho!

“Ɛnnɛ, …yɛhia mmaa a wͻnim sɛdeɛ wͻbɛyɛ ama nneɛma a ɛho hia asie ɛnam wͻn gyedie so ne wͻn a wͻwͻ akokoͻduro bͻ nneyɛɛpa ne mmusua ho ban wͻ wiase a ɛyare-bͻne mu. Yɛhia mmaa a wͻatu wͻn ho asi hͻrehwɛ Nyankopͻn mma so wͻ apam kwan a ɛrekͻ mpagya mu; mmaa a wͻnim sedeɛ wͻnya adiyisɛm, wͻn a wͻte tumi ne asomdwoe a ɛwͻ tɛmpol ayɛyɛdeɛ mu; mmaa a wͻnim sɛdeɛ wͻsu frɛ soro tumi debͻban na wͻhyɛ nkwadaa ne mmusua den; mmaa a wͻkyerɛ adeɛ a wͻn nsuro.”3

Saa nkanyan nkyerɛkyerɛ yi nyinaa gyina “Abusua No: Dawubͻ ma Ewiase,” mu a Asͻre a wͻasane de ama yi hyɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ ne adeyɛ a ɛgyina Ↄbͻadeɛ no nhyehyɛeɛ so ansa na Ↄrebͻ asase.

III.

Seesei mekasa kyerɛ atiefoͻ nkumaa a wͻwͻ ha. Me nuammaa nkumaa, ɛnam mo nimdeɛ wͻ Yesu Kristo nsɛmpa a wͻasan deaba nti, moyɛ soronko. Mo nimdeɛ bɛboa mo ama mo atumi ayɛ akͻduru na mo adi ͻhaw a ɛwͻ enyini mu so. Efiri mo mmͻfram, mo ayɛ nnwuma ne nhyehyɛeɛ a aboa mo adesua, kasa, nhyehyɛeɛ ne subanpa, bio sɛ mobɛgyina nͻhwɛ a ɛtwa torͻ, ɛyɛ sisie, korͻnobͻ, anaa sɛ nsaden ne nnubͻne nom.

Soronko a moyɛ no daa adi wͻ University of North Carolina nhwehwɛmu a wͻyɛ defaa America nkwadaa a wͻnnii mfeɛ duɛsom ho.nwͻtwe ne. A Charlotte Nhwehwɛmufoͻ bi krataa a wato din “Mormon Mmabunu di yie: Nhwehwɛmu kyerɛ sɛ wͻdi kan wͻ sɛdeɛ mmbabunu si hwɛ wͻn ho so wͻ enyini berɛ mu.” Saa krataa yi kͻwiee sɛ,” Asͻremma dii yie sɛ wͻtwe wͻn ho firi suban a ɛde kͻ ͻhaw mu, sukuu mu mmͻdemmͻ ho, ne adwenepa a ɛfa daakye ho” Nhwehwɛmufoͻ baako a ͻtotoo yɛn mmabunu no ano, kaa sɛ, “ Wͻ ͻfa biara a wͻhwɛɛ mu no, na adeɛ baako na ɛda adi: Asͻremma na wͻdikan.”4

Adɛn nti na motumi di yie wͻ ͻhaw a ɛwͻ enyini mu? Mmabaa, ɛfiri sɛ mote Soro Agya no anigyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ kɛseɛ no ase. Yei kyerɛ mo nnipasuo a moyɛ ne moabrabͻ mu botaeɛ no. Mmabunu a wͻwͻ saa nteaseɛ yi dikan wͻ ͻhaw - pomasiberɛ mu, ne akandifoͻ wͻ nokorɛdie mu. Mo nim sɛ mobɛtumi anya Awurade mmoa wͻ enyini mu haw sodie so.

Adeɛ baako nso a ɛma moyɛ hyɛ ne sɛ mo teaseɛ sɛ mo yɛ Soro Agya no mma a ͻdͻ mo. Megyedi sɛ monim yɛn dwom titire “Mmͻfra a Mo somboͻ, Nyankopͻn Bɛn Mo.” Ↄfa a ɛdikan a yɛn nyinaa atͻ pɛn na yɛgyedie:

Mmͻfra a Mo somboͻ, Nyankopͻn Bɛn Mo,

Ↄhwɛ mo so awia ne anadwo,

N’ani gye sɛ ͻde mo na ͻhyira mo

Sɛ mo bͻ mmͻden yɛ deɛ ɛyɛ a.5

Adekyerɛ mmienu na ɛwͻ saa ͻfa no mu: Deɛ ɛdikan, yɛn Soro Agya bɛn yɛn na ͻhwɛ yɛn so awia ne anadwo. Dwene ho! Nyankopͻn dͻ yɛn, na ͻhwɛ yɛn so. Deɛ ɛtͻ so mmienu, N’ani gye sɛ ͻhyira yɛn “sɛ yɛbͻ mmͻden yɛ deɛ ɛyɛ a.” Hwɛ awerɛkyekyerɛ a ɛwͻ yɛn dadwene ne akwansideɛ mu!

Aane, mmabaawa, wͻahyira mo na moyɛ soronko, mo ne Soro Agya mma nkaeɛ no nyinaa yɛ pɛ wͻ mmͻden a “morebͻ sɛ mobɛyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ.”

Mɛtumi ama mo afotuo wͻ neɛma bebree ho, nanso mmienu pɛ na mɛka ho asɛm.

M’afotuo a ɛdikan fa sɛɛl foonso ho. Nhwehwɛmu a wͻyɛɛ wͻ United States nnansa yi kyerɛ sɛ mmabunu no emu fa kaa sɛ wͻsɛe mmerɛ pii wͻ wͻn sɛɛl foonso ho. Ↄha nkyɛmu boro 40 se ɛyɛ wͻn anibere berɛ a foon afiri wͻn ho. 6 Na mmaa no dͻͻso sene mmarima wͻ yei ho. Menuammaa nkumaa— ne mmaa mpanimfoͻ nyinaa —mo abrabͻ bɛyɛ nhyira sɛ mo susu de mo ho to foon so ne sɛdeɛ mo si de di dwuma.

M’afotuo a ɛtͻ so mmienu koraa na ɛho hia paa. Monyɛ ayamyɛ ma afoforͻ. Ayamyɛ yɛ adeɛ a yɛn mmabunu dodoͻ no reyɛ dada. Mmabunu akuo bi wͻ yɛn mpͻtam a wͻakyerɛ yɛn kwan no dada.Yɛn mmabunu ayɛmyɛ nneyɛɛ a wͻde dͻͻɛ na wͻboaa wͻn a wͻhia ͻdͻ ne mmoa akanyan yɛn. Wͻ akwan pii so moayɛ mmoa na moakyerɛ dͻ ama mo ho mo ho. Yɛ susu sɛ oibara bɛdi mo nhwɛsoͻ yi so.

Berɛ korͻ no ara, yɛnim sɛ ͻtanfoͻ no sͻ yɛn nyinaa hwɛ sɛ ayamnwonofoͻ, yeinom pii nhwɛsoͻ wͻ hͻ, mpo wͻ mkwadaa ne mmabunu mu. Ayamnwono a ɛrekͻ soͻ no wͻ edin ahodoͻ, te sɛ ahunahuna, mpammorͻ, nkabͻm a wͻde po afoforͻ. Saa nhwɛsoͻ yi hyɛda de yeaadie brɛ asukuufoͻ ne nnamfoͻ. Menuammaa adͻfoͻ, ɛnsͻ Awurade ani sɛ yɛyɛ atirimͻden, anaa sɛ ayammͻnwono akyerɛ afoforͻ.

Nhwɛsoͻ nie. Menim abarimaa bi, tukͻtenani wͻ Utah ha, a wͻtweetwee no sɛ waka ne kurom kasa na na mmabunu yi boa wͻn ho ano hyɛɛ no abufuo maa ͻyɛɛ deɛ ɛmfata nti ͻkͻdaa afiease nna 70 na wͻsusuui sɛ wͻbɛsane de no akͻ ne kurom. Mennim deɛ ɛkaa saa mmabunu kuo yi, a dodoͻ no yɛ Nna a ɛdi-Akyire Ahotefoͻ te sɛ mo, nanso metumi hunu wͻn atirimmͻden yi ho nsunsuasoͻ, suahunu a ɛyɛ hu wͻ Nyankopͻn mma no mu baako ho. Atirimmͻden ketewa biara tumi nya nsunsuansoͻ bͻne kɛseɛ.

Berɛ a metee saa asɛm yi , mede totoo deɛ yɛn nkͻmhyɛni, President Nelson, kaa wͻ amansan mmabunu nhyiamu ase. Deɛ ɛbɛma mo ne mmabunu nkaeɛ nyinaa bɛboa wͻ Israel ano boaboa mu: “Yi wo ho firi mu; da nso wͻ ewiase mu. Me ne mo nyinaa nim sɛ ɛwͻ sɛ moyɛ wiase hann. Enti, Awurade hia sɛ mo sɛ, nkasa, yɛ, na mo siesie mo ho te sɛ Yesu Kristo akyidifoͻ nokwafoͻ.”7

Mmabunu asrafoͻ kuo a President Nelson ato nsa afrɛ sɛ mo mmɛka wͻn ho nnyɛ atirimmͻdefoͻ mma wͻn ho wͻn ho. Wͻbɛdi Agyenkwa no nkyerɛkyerɛ so atwe abɛn afofoͻ na wͻadͻ wͻn anya ahummͻborͻ ama wͻn ho, mpo wͻbɛdane afono baako a aka ama berɛ a obi afom yɛn.

Wͻ amansan nhiamu bi ase bɛyɛ berɛ a na wͻawo mo mu dodoͻ no ara, President Gordon B. Hinckley Kamfoo “mmabaawa ahoͻfɛfoͻ a wͻrebͻ mmͻden adi nsɛmpa no so.” Ↄkaa wͻn ho asɛm sɛdeɛ mepɛ sɛ me ka mo ho asɛm yi ara:

“Wͻn nsam yɛɛ mmerɛ maa wͻn ho wͻn ho. Wͻhyɛɛ wͻn h wͻn ho den. Wͻyɛ animuonyam ma wͻ awofoͻ ne afie a wͻfiri mu. Wͻrekͻ wͻn mpanin mfeɛ so na wͻde nne pa yi a ɛhyɛ wͻn nkorane yi bɛtwa wͻ abrabͻ nyinaa.”8

Sɛ Awurade somfo, me se mo mmaa nkumaa, yɛn wiase hia mo papayɛ ne mo dͻ. Monyɛ ayamyɛ ma mo ho mo ho. Yesu kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛnnͻ yɛn ho yɛn ho na yɛnyɛ mma afoforͻ sɛdeɛ yɛpɛ sɛ wͻyɛ ma yɛn. Berɛ a yɛrebͻ mmͻden ayɛ ayamyɛ no, yɛtwe bɛn No ne Ne dͻ nsunsuansoͻ no.

Me nuammaa, sɛ mo wͻ kyɛfa wͻ atirimmͻden anaa deɛ ɛho nhia biara mu — sɛ ankorankorɛ anaa mo ka ekuo ho—mu sakyera nnɛ na hyɛ afoforͻ nkorane sɛ wͻnsakyera. M’afotuo nie, na mede ma mo sɛ Awurade Yesu Kristo somfoͻ ɛfiri sɛ Ne Honhom no na ahyɛ me sɛ menkasa mfa saa asɛmhia yi ho nkyerɛ mo. Wͻ Yesu Kristo din mu, amen.

Notes

  1. See Sara Berg, “Nation’s Latest Challenge: Too Few Children,” AMA Wire, June 18, 2018, wire.ama-assn.org.

  2. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 387, 390; see also M. Russell Ballard, “Mothers and Daughters,” Liahona, May 2010, 18 (in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society [2011], 156).

  3. Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to My Sisters,” Liahona, Nov. 2015, 96; see also Russell M. Nelson, “Children of the Covenant,” Ensign, May 1995, 33.

  4. The study was published by the Oxford University Press as Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (2005).

  5. “Dearest Children, God Is Near You,” Hymns, no. 96.

  6. See “In Our Opinion: You Don’t Need to Be Captured by Screen Time,” Deseret News, Aug. 31, 2018, deseretnews.com.

  7. Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” (worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018), 8, HopeofIsrael.lds.org.

  8. Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Liahona, May 2006, 60–61.