Asɔre no din papa no

Titenani Russsell M. Nelson

Sɛ yɛyi Yesu Kristo din firi N’asɔre mu a, na yɛpɛ sɛ yɛyi No firi hɔ sɛ yɛn abrabɔ mu fapem?

Me nuanom adɔfoɔ, yɛne mo di ahurusie bom wɔ nhyira a Awurade de adom yɛn wɔ Homeda fɛfɛ sei mu. Yɛn anisɔ mo adanseɛ a mo wɔ fa Yesu Kristo asɛmpa a wasan-de-aba no ho, ahofama a mo wɔ sɛ mobɛtena ana mobɛsan aba N’apam kwan no so, ne atohoakyɛ som a mo dema N’asɔre.

Ɛnɛ ɛhyɛ me so sɛ me ne mo nsusu ahiasɛm kɛseɛ bi ho. Nnawɔtwe kakra ni, Mede nkrasɛm bi too dwa fa nsiesie a mepɛ ɛba wɔ Asɔre no din mu.¹ Me yɛɛ saa ɛnam adiiyie a Awurade de maa me fa edin a Ɔno ahyɛ sɛ yɛn mfa mfrɛ N’asɔre, mpo Yesu Kristo Asɔre a Ɛwɔ hɔ ma Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ ²

Sɛdeɛ monim no, nyiano ahodoɔ pii na aba saa nkrasɛm ne akwankyerɛ yi ho.³ Asɔremma pii na ayɛ nsiesie wɔ asɔre no din ho wɔ ‘intanet’ akwanya ahodoɔ nyinaa so. Ɛbinom nso adwene yɛ wɔn sɛ, adɛn nti na ɛho hia sɛ yɛbɛyɛ adeɛ a “ɛho nhia saa” wɔ ɛnɛ wiase yi mu. Na ɛbinom nso aka sɛ ɛnyɛ yie, nti adɛn nti na yɛɛha yɛn ho? Moma me nkyerɛ deɛnti a ɛyɛ ahiasɛm ma yɛn. nanso mɛdikan akyerɛ deɛ saa anammɔntuo yi nyɛ:

• En yɛ edin sesa.

• En yɛ foforɔ,

• En yɛ afɛɛfɛdeɛ

• En yɛ adehunu bi.

• Na ɛnyɛ adeɛ a ɛso nni nsunsuasoɔ.

Mmom, ɛyɛ nsiesie. Enyɛ Joseph Smith na ɔtoo asɔre a ɛnam ne so baaɛ no din; ɛnyɛ Mormon nso. Agyenkwa no ankasa na Ɔkaa sɛ, “Na sei na wɔbɛfrɛ m’asɔre no wɔ nna ɛdi akyire no, mpo Yesu Kristo Asɔre a Ɛwɔ hɔ ma Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ.”⁴

Kanee tete, wɔ AD 34 berɛ mpo, yɛn Awurade a na wawuasɔre no maa N’asɔre mma akwankyerɛ korɔ noara berɛ a Ɔkɔ sraa wɔn wɔ America no. Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn saa berɛ no sɛ:

“Momfrɛ asɔre no medin mu  …

“Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na ayɛ m’asɔre gye sɛ wɔde me din frɛ no? Na sɛ wɔde Mose din to asɔre bi so a na ɛyɛ Mose asɔre; anaasɛ sɛ wɔde nipa din to so a na ɛyɛ nipa asɔre; na mmom sɛ wɔde me din frɛ no a na ɛyɛ m’asɔre.”⁵

Ɛno nti, akyennyeɛ biara nni asɔre no din ho. Berɛ a Agyenkwa no aka no pefee ɛdin a yɛn mfa frɛ N’asɔre na Ɔde nsɛm “Na sei na wɔbɛfrɛ m’asɔre no,” bɛdikan no, na ɛyɛ anibre so. Na sɛ yɛma kwan ma wɔde mfeɛdin binom to so, anaa sɛ yɛn ankasa boa pene saa mfeɛdin ahodoɔ so a, ɛhyɛ Ne abufuo.

Ɛdeɛn na ɛwɔ din mu anaa, mfeɛdin mu? Sɛ ɛba no asɔre no mfeɛdin ahodoɔ tesɛ “LDS Asɔre,” “Mormon Asɔre no,” anaa “Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ Asɔre” no a, mfomsoɔ kɛseɛ paa ɛwɔm ne sɛ yɛyi Agyenkwa no din firi mu. Sɛ yɛyi Awurade no din firi Awurade no asɔre mu a, ɛyɛ nkunimdie kɛseɛ ma Ɔbonsam. Sɛ yɛyi Agyenkwa no din totwene a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ yɛato deɛ wayɛ ama yɛn nyinaa atwene—mpo Ne mpata no.

Dwene ho sɛdeɛ Agyenkwa no hu no: Ansa na yɛɛba ha no, na Ɔyɛ Yehowa, Apam Dadaa no Nyankopɔn. Wɔ Agya no tumi aseɛ no, Ɔbɔɔ wiase yi ne deɛ ɛka ho nyinaa. ⁶ Ɔde ne ho hyɛɛ Agya no apɛdeɛ aseɛ na Ɔyɛɛ adeɛ bi maa Nyankopɔn mma nyinaa a na obiara ntumi nyɛ! Ɔfaa nipa tebea bɛyɛɛ Agya no Ba Kro pɛ wɔ honam mu, wɔtan no, sii no atweatwe, tee ntasuo guu ne so, na wɔyɛɛ no ayayadeɛ. Wɔ Gethsemane Trom no, yɛn Agyenkwa no faa adasamma nyinaa bɔne, yeaw ɔhaw ne amane nyinaa of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore.⁷ Saa nkonnua no nyinaa kɔwie wɔ Calvary asɛnnuano so berɛ a wɔkuu no.

Ɛnam ɔyeaa suahunu ne Ne wuosɔreɛ--Ne daapem Mpata— no so, Ɔde daa nkwa ama yɛn na wagye yɛn afiri bɔne ho nsunsuansoɔ ho sɛ yɛbɛsakra a.

Wɔ saa amaneɛ no nyinaa mu ne Ne wuosɔreɛ mu—Ne daapem Mpata—Wama yɛn nyinaa nkwa a ɛni awieɛ na Wagye yɛn mu biara afiri bɔne akatua ho sɛ yɛbɛsakra a. Agyenkwa no wuosɔreɛ akyi ne N’asomafoɔ no nso wuo akyi no, ɛwiase kɔɔ sum mu mfeɛ pii. Afei wɔ afe 1820 mu, Nyankopɔn Agya no ne Ne Ba, Yesu Kristo, yii wɔn ho adi kyerɛɛ Nkɔmhyɛni Joseph Smith sɛdeɛ Awurade Asɔre no bɛsan aba bio.

Deɛ wafam nyinaa akyi—deɛ wayɛ ama adasamma nyinaa—wɔ nnuhuu kɛseɛ mu, mahu sɛ yɛyɛ mfomsoɔ kɛseɛ sɛ yɛbɛma kwan sɛ wɔnfrɛ Awurade Asɔre a wasan-de-aba no edin biara kɛkɛ a ne nyinaa yi Yesu Kristo din kronkron no fi mu!

Kwasiada biara sɛ yɛfa adidiekronkron no a, yɛhyɛ yɛn bɔhyɛ no mu kena kyerɛ yɛn Soro Agya sɛ yɛwɔ ɔpɛpa sɛ yɛbɛfa Ne Ba, Yesu Kristo din ato yɛn ho so ⁸ Yɛhyɛbɔ sɛ yɛbɛdi N’akyi, asakra, adi Ne mmransɛm so na yɛakai no daa.

Sɛ yɛyi Ne din firi N’Asɔre mu a, na yɛreyi No afiri hɔ sɛ yɛn abrabɔ mu fapem?

Sɛ yɛde Agyenkwa no din bɛto yɛn ho so kyerɛ sɛ yɛbɛka na yɛadi ho adanseɛ akyerɛ afoforɔ--wɔ yɛn kasa ne yɛn neyɛɛ mu—sɛ Yesu ne Kristo no. Yɛsuro sɛ yɛbɛhyɛ obi a wafrɛ yɛn “Mormon” abufuo nti yɛantumi annyina Agyenkwa no akyi, mpo wɔ edin a Ɔde ato N’Asɔre so?

Sɛ yɛbɛnya tumi a ɛwɔ Yesu Kristo mpata no mu sɛ nnipakuo ne ankorɛnkorɛ--de ate yɛn ho na asa yɛn yareɛ, de ahyɛ yɛn den na ayɛ yɛn kɛseɛ, na nekorakora no de apagya yɛn--ɛwɔ sɛ yɛgye Ne tom sɛ Ɔno na saa tumi no yɛ no dea. Yɛbɛtumi afiri aseɛ afrɛ N’Asɔre no edin a wahyɛ yɛn no.

Ɛwiase mu nnipa dodoɔ noara na wɔhu Awurade no Asɔre sɛ “Mormon Church.” Nanso yɛn a yɛyɛ Awurade Asɔremma no nim deɛ ɔyɛ Asɔre no ti: Yesu Kristo Ankasa. Deɛ ɛhadwene ne sɛ, wɔn a wɔte asɛm Mormon Mormon no bɛdwene sɛ yɛsom Mormon. Ɛnte saa! Yɛde nnidie ne obuo ma tete Amerika nkɔmhyɛni kɛseɛ yi. ⁹ Nanso yɛnyɛ Mormon aakyidifoɔ. Yɛyɛ Awurade akyidifoɔ.

Ɛwiase mu nnipa dodoɔ noara na wɔhu Awurade no Asɔre sɛ ”Mormon Church” neMormonfoɔ¹⁰ yɛ nsɛm a egu fi—atirimuɔden nsɛm, ɔyea nsɛm—na wahyehyɛ sɛ wɔde bɛyi Nyankopɔn nsa afiri Yesu Kristo Asɔre a was an de aba wɔ nna ɛdi akyire yi mu.¹¹

Anuanom mmaa ne mmarima, wiase akyinnyeɛ pii na ɛkasa tia sɛ yɛbɛsan de Asɔre no din ankasa bɛba. Ɛnam sɛ abɛɛfo ‘intanet’ aba wiase na ama nneɛma hwehwɛ ayɛ merɛ no nti—Asɔre no ho asɛm ka ho bi—akyinnyeɛgyefoɔ bi ka sɛ nsiesie no ho nhia. Ebinom nso ho no sɛ wɔnim asɔre no sɛ “Mormonfoɔ ne “Mormon Asɔre,” nti yɛmmfa no saa.

Sɛ anka wai yɛ nkɔmmɔ a ɛfa nnipa kuo bi adwuma ho a, anka saa adwenkyerɛ no bɛyɛ adwuma. Nanso wei yɛ asɛmhia kɛseɛ, yɛhwɛ Ɔno a Asɔre no yɛ Ne dea na yɛgyetom sɛ Awurade akwan ɛnyɛ na ɛntumi nso ɛnyɛ nipa akwan da. Sɛ yɛbɛnya ntoboaseɛ na ayɛ yɛafa mu deɛ yie a, Awurade no bɛboa yɛn. yɛnim sɛ Awurade boa wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔyɛ N’apɛdeɛ, sɛdeɛ Ɔboa Nefae maa no yɛɛ suhyɛn de twaa ɛpo no.¹²

Ɛhobɛhia sɛ yɛbɛnya ntoboaseɛ wɔ nsiesie a yɛpɛsɛ aba no ho. Nsɛmtwerɛfoɔ papa bɛte yɛn asrɛdeɛ no aseɛ.

Wɔ amansan nhyiamu bi a atwam no, Ɛlda Benjamin De Hoyos kasa faa tebea bi a ɛtesɛ wei. Ɔkaa sɛ:

“Mfeɛ bi a atwam berɛ a na meyɛ adwuma ma Asɔre no wɔ Mexico, [asɔre no ne ɔmanfoɔ nkitahodie nnwuma]. Wɔtoo nsa frɛɛ me ne deɛ ɔka me ho kɔɔ kasafidie bi so. … ,[ ɔpanyin baako] bisaa [sɛ], ‘Adɛn nti na Asɔre no din wa saa? …

“Me ne deɛ ɔka me ho no seree wɔ asɛmmisa no ho na yɛyii ano sɛ, ɛnyɛ nipa na ɔtoo Asɔre no din. Agyenkwa no na Ɔde maaɛ. … Ɔpanyin no de anidie buaɛ sɛ, ‘yɛde anigyeɛ bɛfrɛ no saa pɛpɛɛpɛ.”’ ¹³

Saa abasɛm yi ma yɛn akwankyerɛ. Ɛbɛhia sɛ obiara bɛbɔ mmɔden sɛ yɛbɛsiesie mfomsoɔ a aba wɔ mfeɛ pii mu no.¹⁴ Ebia ɛwiasefoɔ bɛtie, eebi nso a wɔn ntie. Nanso ɛnyɛ papa mma yɛn sɛ wiasefoɔ frɛ asɔre no ne asɔremma no din a ɛnyɛ papa a, yɛn nso yɛbɛyɛ bi.

Sɛdeɛ yɛasesa nneɛma no bɛboa. Ɛkyerɛ sɛ: “Yɛbɛpɛ sɛ wɔde Asɔre no din nyinaa, ‘Yesu Kristo Asɔre a Ɛwɔ hɔ ma Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ’ bɛfrɛ yɛn. Sɛ wɔpɛ din tiawa nso a, yɛpɛ ‘Yesu Kristo Asɔre’ anaa ‘Asɔre no’. ‘Yesu Kristo Asɔre a wasan-de-aba’ no nso yɛ, yɛpɛ.” ¹⁵

Sɛ obi bisa sɛ, “Wo yɛ Mormonni?” a wobɛtumi aka sɛ, “Sɛ wobisa sɛ meyɛ Yesu Kristo Asɔre a Ɛwɔ hɔ ma Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ a, aane, meyɛ bi!”

Sɛ obi bias wo sɛ, “Wo yɛ Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ɔhoteɛni?”¹⁶ a wobɛtumi ayi ano sɛ, “Aane meyɛ. Megyidi wɔ Yesu Kristo mu na meyɛ N’Asɔre ba.”

Menuanom mmaa ne mmarima, mehyɛ mo bɔ sɛ sɛ yɛbɔ mmɔden ma Awurade Asɔre din papa no yɛ adwuma a, Ɔno a N’asɔre nie no de Ne tumi ne Ne nhyira bɛgu Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ no so,¹⁷ wɔ kwan sononko so a yɛn nhuu bi da. Yɛbɛnya nimdeɛ ne tumi wɔ Nyankopɔn mu ma aboa yɛn de nhyira a ɛwɔ Yesu Kristo asɛmpa a wasan-de- aba no akɔ amanaman, kasahodoɔ ne nnipa kuo nyinaa mu na yɛde asiesie wiase atwɛn Awurade no Mmaeɛ a Ɛtɔ so Mienu.

Nti ɛdeɛn na ɛwɔ din no mu? Sɛ ɛba Awurade Asɔre no din a, mmuaɛ no ne sɛ “Biribia!” Yesu Kristo akyerɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmmfrɛ Asɔre no wɔ Ne din mu efisɛ ɛyɛ N’Asɔre, Ne tumi ahyɛ mu ma.

Menim sɛ Nyankopɔn tease, Yesu ne Kristo no. Ɔdi N’Asɔre anim ɛnɛ. Medi ho adanseɛ wɔ Yesu Kristo din kronkron mu, amen.

Notes

1. “The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so. Additional information about this important matter will be made available in the coming months” (Russell  M. Nelson, in “The Name of the Church” [official statement, Aug. 16, 2018], mormonnewsroom.org).

2. Preceding Presidents of the Church have made similar requests. For example, President George Albert Smith said: “Don’t let the Lord down by calling this the Mormon Church. He didn’t call it the Mormon Church” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1948, 160).

3. See “Style Guide—The Name of the Church,” mormonnewsroom.org.

4. Doctrine and Covenants 115:4.

5. 3 Nephi 27:7–8.

6. See Moses 1:33.

7. See Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.

8. See Moroni 4:3; Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, 77.

9. Mormon was one of the four major writers of the Book of Mormon, the others being Nephi, Jacob, and Moroni. All were eyewitnesses of the Lord, as was its inspired translator, the Prophet Joseph Smith.

10. Even the word Mormonites was among terms of derision that were employed (see History of the Church, 2:62–63, 126).

11. Other epithets seem to have occurred in New Testament times. During the Apostle Paul’s trial before Felix, Paul was said to be “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). Regarding the use of the phrase “of the Nazarenes,” one commentator wrote: “This was the name usually given to Christians by way of contempt. They were so called because Jesus was of Nazareth” (Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Acts of the Apostles [1937], 313).

    Similarly, another commentary states: “As our Lord was contemptuously called ‘The Nazarene’ (Matt. xxvi. 71), so the Jews designated his disciples ‘Nazarenes.’ They would not admit that they were Christians, i.e. disciples of the Messiah” (The Pulpit Commentary: The Acts of the Apostles, ed. H. D. M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell [1884], 2:231).

    In a related vein, Elder Neal A. Maxwell observed: “Throughout scriptural history, we see recurring efforts to demean prophets in order to dismiss them—to label them in order to diminish them. Mostly, however, they are simply ignored by their contemporaries and by secular history. After all, early Christians were merely called ‘the sect of the Nazarenes.’ (Acts 24:5.)” (“Out of Obscurity,” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 10).

12. See 1 Nephi 18:1–2.

13. Benjamín De Hoyos, “Called to Be Saints,” Liahona, May 2011, 106.

14. While we have no control over what other people may call us, we are in complete control over how we refer to ourselves. How can we expect others to honor Asɔre no Din Papa No if we as its members fail to do so?

15. “Style Guide—The Name of the Church,” mormonnewsroom.org.

16. The term saint is used often in the Holy Bible. In Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, for example, he used the word saint at least once in every chapter. A saint is a person who believes in Jesus Christ and strives to follow Him.

17. See Doctrine and Covenants 121:33.