2010–2019
The Correct Name of the Church
October 2018

Nnen-nnen Enying eke Ufok Abasi

Iko otode President Russell M. Nelson

Jesus Christ eteme kpukpru nnyin ete ikoot Ufok Abasi ke enying Esie koro edi Ufok Abasi Esie, emi oyohode ye odudu Esie.

Ndima ndito-eka mi iren ye iban, ke ediye usen Sabbath emi nnyin idara otokiet ke ediwak edidiong nnyin emi otode Abasi. Nnyin imekom mbufo ke iko ntiense emi mbufo enyenede eno iko Abasi Jesus Christ, ke nwaidem emi mbufo enamde ndidu mme ndifiak nka usung ediomo Esie, ye nsin-ifik utom mbufo ke Ufok Abasi Esie.

Mfin ami nyom ndineme ye mbufo kabanga se idi ata akpan-nkpo. Esisit udua ifang emi ekebede, ami mmeting ukpeb mbanga ndinehede nkot enying Ufok Abasi.1 Ami nam emi sia Abasi eteme mi abanga ufon enying oro. Enye ama asiak enying Ufok Abasi Esie, nte The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.2

Nte mbufo ekekerede, ema efiak ebuaha enyung ese ido ndausung ye iboro emi ekenode iko emi. 3 Ediwak members esop enehede enying Ufok Abasi ke nde blogs ye social media.mmo. Mbon efen, ekere nsidi ntak, ye ofuri se itibede ke ererimbot, idotke ndiyiri ke nkpo eke “minyeneke ufon.” Ndien ubak ete owo ikemeke ndinam, ntre ntak oyomde ndinam? Yak ami nam anwanga ntak eke nnyin ikerede okposong ibanga nkpo emi. Edi akpa yak ami nwut se nkpo emi midaha ino:

  • Enyeidigeukpuho enying.

  • Enyeidigendifiak nam.

  • Enyeidigeufiongo-nkpo.

  • Enyeidigeusop-usop uma.

  • Inyungidigeanana-ufon.

Ke ntre, enye edi edinehede. Enyeedi ewuho Abasi. Joseph Smith ikesiake enying Ufok Abasi emi ekefiakde-eda-edi oto ke enye; nko Mormon ikenamke. Edi Andinyanga ke Idemesie eketing ete, “Ntem ke edikot enying Ufok Abasi Mi ke ukpere edem ini emi, kpa The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”4

Kpa ke eset, ke AD 34, Obong nnyin emi ekesetde ama ono mbon Ufok Abasi Esie mbiet item oro ke ini Enye ekekesede mmo ke Americas. Ke ini oro Enye eting ete:

“Mbufo edi-kot Ufok Abasi oro ke enying Mi. …

“Ndien oro ekeme didie ndidi Ufok Abasi Mi ke mikotke ke enying Mi? Koro edieke ekotde Ufok Abasi ke enying Moses; mme ndikot ke enying owo ntem oro edi ufok Abasi owo; edi edieke ekotde ke enying Mi ntem oro edi Ufok Abasi Mi.”5

Ntem, enying Ufok Abasi idige se edodiomo. Ke ini Andinyanga asiakde se enying Ufok Abasi Esie edidide, onyung otongo mfiori Esie ye, “Ntem ke edikot Ufok Abasi Mi, “Enye owut akpan-nkpo. Ndien edieke nnyin inyimeke ekot ke mme enying-ntik inyung inyime mme idikpeme enying-ntik oro ke idem nnyin, Enye ayat esit.

Nso isine ke enying, mme ke enying-ntik? Ke ini esede mme enying-ntik Ufok Abasi, oruk nte, “Ufok Abasi LDS,” “Ufok Abasi Mormon,” mme Ufok Abasi eke mbon Latter-day Saint,” ata akpan-nkpo ke mme enying oro edi unana enying eke Andinyanga. Ndisio enying Obong mfep ke enying Ufok Abasi Esie edi akpan edikan ono Satan. Ke ini nnyinisiode enying Andinyanga ifep, ke nkari nnyin ibatkeofuri nkpo se Jesus Christ akanamde ono nnyin—mme ekpedi Erisio-isop Esie.

Ekere-ebanga emi ke se Enye edi: Ke ererimbot spirit Enye ekedi Jehovah, Abasi eke Akani Ediomi. Ke idak ndausung eke Ete, Enye ekedi Andibot ererimbot emi ye mme ererimbot efen. 6 Enye emek ndisuk-ibuot nno uduak eke Ete Esie nnyung nam nkpo nno ofuri ndito Abasi emi owo efen mikpenamke! Ndisuhore ndi ke isong nte Ikpong-ikpong Eyen emi Ete Obonde ke obukidem, ema esungi, esak Enye, eto-etap, enyung emia Enye. Ke Inwang Gethsemane, Andinyanga nnyin emenofuriubiak, ofuri idioknkpo, ye ofuri ndutuho ye ufen emi akananam afo ye ami ye kpukpru owo emi ekedude mme ekedi-dude odori ke Idemesie. Ke idak akwa-ubiak mbiomo emi, iyip oworo Enye ke ofuri ndudu-idem.7 Ofuri ndutuho emi ekekure ke nte ekewotde Enye ke cross ke Calvary.

Otode ke akwa-ubiak emi—anana-utit Erisio-isop Esie—Enye ono kpukpru owo uwem unana-mkpa, onyung osio-isop ufen idioknkpo ono nnyin kiet-kiet, mme nnyin iyekabare esit.

Nditiene Ediset Andinyanga ye mkpa eke mme Apostle Esie, ererimbot ama oduo oduk ekim ke ediwak isua. Edikem ke isua 1820, Abasi Ete ye Eyen Esie, Jesus Christ, ema edise Prophet Joseph Smith man etongo Ndifiak-nda Ufok Abasi Obong ndi.

Ke ofuri se Enye okoyode—ke ofuri se Enye akanamde ono ubonowo—ami nkut ye akamba mkpefiok nte ke nnyin imeyik-inyime ekot mfiak-nda-ndi Ufok Abasi Obong ke mme enying efen, enying kiet-kiet emi osiode edisana enying Jesus Christ efep!

Ofuri Ederi nte nnyin idiade udia-Obong, nnyin imenam obufa enwongo ino Ete ke Heaven ke nnyin imeduak ndida enying Eyen Esie, Jesus Christ ndori ke idem nnyin.8 Nnyin inwongo nditiene Enye, ntua-mkpofiok, nim mbet Esie, nnyung nti Enyekpukpru ini.

Nnyin ima isio enying Esie ifep ke Ufok Abasi Esie, nnyin ndien imesio Enye nte akpan-nkpo ifep ke uwem nnyin.

Ndida enying Andinyanga ndori ke idem nnyin esine nditing nnyung ndi ntiense nno mbon efen—oto ke utom ye ke iko nnyin—ke Jesus edi Christ. Nte ndik omum nnyin kendisua-nno owo emi okotde nnyin “mbon Mormon” ke nnyin imetrendikpeme Andinyanga ke Idemesie, ndida nno Enye mme ekpedi ke enying emi ekotde Ufok Abasi Esie?

Edieke nnyin nte mme owo ye nte owo kiet-kiet ikpenyeneke usung ndibo odudu Erisio-isop Jesus Christ—man eyet onyung okok nnyin, osongo onyung anam nnyin ikpon, ndien ke akpatre emenede nnyin ke enyong—akpana nnyin ikom Enye nte ntongo odudu oro. Nnyin imekeme nditongo ke ndikot Ufok Abasi Esie ke enying emi Enye okowukde.

Idahaemi, ediwak owo ke ererimbot, ekot Ufok Abasi Obong nte “Ufok Abasi Mormon.” Edi nnyin nte mbon Ufok Abasi Obong imediongo enye emi adade nte ibuot: Jesus Christ ke Idemesie. Ke ndudue, ediwak owo emi ekopde iko emiMormon ekeme ndikere ke nnyin ituak-ibuot ino Mormon. Idige ntre! Nnyin imema akwa prophet eke Amierica eset emi. 9 Edi nnyinidige mbet eke Mormon. Nnyin idi mbet Obong.

Ke idaha akpa ini Ufok Abasi, ema esiwak ndikot mme oruk iko emiUfok Abasi Mormon ye mbon Mormon10 nte iko mmen-nwut—nte iko mfiomo, iko isungi—etingde man etre ubok Abasi ke ndifiak nyak Ufok Abasi ke ekpere edem usen emi. 11

Ndito-eka iren ye iban, odu ediwak efanga ke ererimbot ebanga nditre edi-kot nnen-nnen enying Ufok Abasi. Otode ke digital world emi nnyin idude, ye osongo search engine emi anwamde ofuri nnyin ndisop nkut iboro emi iyomde—ke esit edide iboro kabanga Ufok Abasi Obongemi mbon efanga edoho ete ke ndinehede enying idige eti nkpo ke ini emi. Mbon efen ekere koro enehede ediongo nnyin nte “mbon Mormon ye nte “Ufok Abasi Mormon,” akpana nnyin ikere ntre.

Edieke emi ekpedide nneme kabanga ndinim-idiongo ke nka emi owo enyenede, ekpenyime mme efanga oro. Edi ke ata-akpan nkpo, nnyin ise Enye emi Ufok Abasi emi edide eke Esie inyung idiongo ke usung Abasi idige, ndien idinyung idige, usung owo. Edieke nnyin inyeneke ime inyung inam utom nnyin ofon, Abasi eyeda nnyin usung ke akpan ubiong-utom emi. Ke ntre, nnyin imediongo ke Abasi esinwam mmo emi eyomde ndinam uduak Esie, ukem nte Enye akanwamde Nephi man okure utom ndibop ubom ada akanga akpa-inyang-ibom.12

Nnyin iyeyom ndifon-ido nnyung nnyene ime inam utom nnyin ndinehede mme ndudue emi. Nti media eyenyene mbom ke ndiboro ebenge nnyin.

Ke akwa mbono emi ekebede, Elder Benjamín De Hoyos eketing iko abanga oruk nkpo emi. Enye ete:

“Esisit isua emi ekebede kini imo ikenamde utom ke itie-utom public affairs eke Ufok Abasi ke Mexico, ema ekot [imo ye nsanga imo] ete edibuana ke edinam uting-iko ke radio. … [Kiet kotu adausung edinam oro] obup [nnyin] ete, ‘Nsinam Ufok Abasi enyenede oruk anyan enying emi? …

“Ami ye nsanga mi isak ke oruk inem mbume oro ndien itongo ndinam-anwanga ke idige owo ekemek enying Ufok Abasi oro. Ke Andinyanga okono enying oro. … Usop-usop Adausung edinam eting ye ukpono ete, ‘Nnyin iyekot enying oro ye ata inemesit.’”13

Etop oro ama asiak usung. Ntem, edi iyom nti utom nnyin nte owo man enehede ndudue emi ekedibede oduk ke mme isua emi ekebede.14 Mbon ererimbot ekeme nditiene enyung ekeme nditre nditiene ndausung nnyin ke ndikot nnyin ke nnen-nnen enying. Edi ifonke nnyin ndikop esuene edieke mbon ererimbot ekotde Ufok Abasi ye members esie ke idiok enying edieke nnyin inamde ukem oro.

Usung ntongo ndausung nnyin anwam. Eting ete: Ke akpa edikot, enyime ekot ofuri enying eke Ufok Abasi nte: ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ Edieke eyomde ekot ke [udiana] ibio-ibio enying, enyime ekot ke iko oro ‘Ufok Abasi’ mme ‘Ufok Abasi Jesus Christ.’ Enyime onyung enen ndikot “mfiak-nda-ndi Ufok Abasi Jesus Christ.”15

Edieke owo ekpebupde mbufo ete, “Afo edi owo Mormon?” afo emekeme ndiboro ete, “Edieke afo obupde mme ami ndi owo Ufok Abasi Jesus Christ eke Latter-day Saints, ihn, ami ndi ntre!”

Edieke owo obupde mbufo ete, “Afo edi owo Latter-day Saint?”16 afo emekeme ndiboro ete, “Ami ndi ntre. Ami mmenim ke Jesus Christ ndien ndi owo mfiak-nda-ndi Ufok Abasi Esie.”

Ndima ndito-eka mi iren ye iban, ami nnwongo nno mbufo nte edieke nnyin inamde ata ukeme nnyin ndi-kot nnen-nnen enying Ufok Abasi Obong, emi Enye enyenede Ufok Abasi emi, eyenwanga odudu ye edidiong Esie odori ke ibuot mbon Latter-day Saints,17 oruk eke nnyin mikutke akpa. Nnyin iyenyene ifiok ye odudu Abasi ndinwam nnyin man ida edidiong mfiak-nda-ndi iko Abasi Jesus Christ ika ofuri idut, oruk, usem, ye owo nnyung mbenge ererimbot nno Edidi Obong oyoho Ikaba.

Ntre, nso idu ke enying? Ke ini itingde ibanga enying Ufok Abasi Obong, iboro edi “Ofuri-nkpo!” Jesus Christ eketeme nnyin ete ikoot Ufok Abasi ke enying Esie koro edi Ufok Abasi Esie, emi oyohode ye odudu Esie.

Ami mmediongo ke Abasi odu uwem. Jesus edi Christ. Enye ada Ufok Abasi Esie usung mfin emi. Ami nting iko ntiense emi ke edisana enying Jesus Christ, 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 the correct name of the Church 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.