Nkukut Erifak mme Akpa-mkpa

Iko otode President M.  Russell Ballard

Acting President eke Eboho mme Apostle Duopeba

Ami nting iko ntiense net ke nkukut emi President Joseph F. Smith okobode ekedi akpaniko. Ami ndi ntiense nte ke kpukpru owo ekeme ndidiongo ke oro edi akpaniko.

Ndito-eka iren ye iban, ema ewet iko mi ke esisit ini mbemiso edima nnwan mi Barbara ebe efeb. Ami ye ufokemana mi imekom mbufo ke ima ye mfonido mbufo. Ami mbenge Abasi odiong mi ke nte ntingde iko nno mbufo ke usenubok emi.

Ke October 1918, ke isua Ikie emi ekebede, President Joseph F. Smith ama obo eti nkukut. Esisit akayak ndisim isua Ata-ye-ition esie ke nti utom nno Abasi ke Ufok Abasi Jesus Christ eke Latter-day Saints, ye esisit udua ifang mbemiso mkpa esie ke November 19, 1918, enye eketie ke ubet-ufok esie ekere-abanga nwaidem erisio-isop Christ onyung okot nte Apostle Peter ekewetde abanga utom Andinyanga ke obio-ekpo ke ema ekewot Enye ke Cross.

Enye ewet ete: “Nte ami nkotde ami mma nkop ata inem.… Nte ami nkerede mbanga nkpo emi  … , enyin ifiok mi atara, ndien Spirit Abasi odoro mi ke idem, ami nnyung nkut udim mme akpa-mkpa.”¹Ewet ofuri iko nkukut oro ke Doctrine ye Covenants section 138.

Yak ami nno ubak ntongo man otodo nnyin ikeme nditim ma ini uwem mbenge idem eke Joseph F.’s man obo inem eriyarare emi.

Ke ini enye edide President Ufok Abasi, enye ama aka Nauvoo ke 1906 onyung ekere nkpo-editi emi enye ekeneyenede ke ini enye edide isua ition kpot. Enye ete: “Emi edi ata ukem nde eke ami nkedade ke ini [Joseph, uncle mi, ye ete mi, Hyrum] ekewatde ke usung mmo ndika Carthage. Ke odoride ke horse ete mi anyanare ke ifimitie esie onyung emen mi okpong isong. Enye otim mi inua ete tie-sung ndien afiak osuk mi ke isong ndien ami nkut nte enye awatde ebe.”²

Ini efen emi Joseph F. okutde mmo, eka esie, Mary Fielding Smith, emenede enye man enye okut nte mmo emi enade ye kiet eken ke ema ekewot mmo ke Carthage Jail ke June 27, 1844.

Isua iba kiso, Joseph F., asanga ye ufokemana ye eti eka esie, Mary Fielding Smith, eworo-ekpong ufok esie ke Nauvoo eka Winter Quarters. Okposuk nte misimke isua Itiaita kanga, ana nte Joseph F. awat kiet kotu oxteams oto ke Montrose, Iowa, aka Winter Quarters ndien edikem awat aka Salt Lake Valley, edisim ke ini enye ekperede ndidi isua Duop. Ami nkere ke mbufo ndito-iren ye mkparawa emekop ndien eyefiok ubiong ye utom emi ekenode Joseph F. ete anam kini uyen esie.

Ke ufang isua inang, ke 1852, kini enye edide isua Duopeta, edima eka esie ama akpa—okpong Joseph ye ndito-eka esie nte ndito-akpa.³

Ema ekot Joseph F. edika mission ke Hawaiian Islands ke 1854 kini enye edide isua Efut. Mission emi, ekebighide akan isua ita, ekedi ntongo utom esie ke Ufok Abasi.

Ke enye onyongde edi Utah, Joseph F. odo-ndo ke 1859.⁴ Ke esisit isua ifang eken, uwem esie okoyoho ye utom, utom ufokemana, ye ndika mission akang mbiba. Ke July 1, 1866, ke edide isua Edip-ye-itiaba, uwem Joseph F. okpuho ke nsinsi kini President Brigham Young ekemekde enye nte Apostle. Ke October isua andikitiene, ekot enye esin ke Esop mme Apostle Duopeba.⁵ Enye ama edi onoitem eke Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, ye Lorenzo Snow mbemiso edidi President eke Ufok Abasi ke idemesie ke 1901. ⁶

Joseph F. ye nnwan esie Juliana ema enyene akpa eyen mmo, Mercy Josephine, esin ke ufokemana.⁷ Enye ekedi isua iba ye ubak kini enye akpade. Esisit ini ebede, Joseph F. ediwet ete, “Mkpong ekesim ofiong kiet tongo nte… edima Josephine mi akakpa. O! nte ami mkpekemede ndinyanga enye man okori ekesim nnwan. Ami mmetaba enye kpukpru usen ndien ami ndi ikpong. … Abasi fen nno ke ndudue mi edieke edide idiok ke ndima mkpri ndito mi ke nte ami mmade mmo.”⁸

Kini uwem esie, President Smith ama anana ete, eka, eyeneka eren kiet, ndito-eka iban iba, nnwan esie mbiba, ye ndito duopeta. Enye ama enehede okut ukut ye ndinana mbon ima esie.

Kini eyeneren esie Albert akpade, Joseph F. ewet ono eyeneka esie nnwan Martha Ann ete ke imo imebenge Abasi ete anyanga imo onyung obup ete, “Ntak emi edide ntre? O. Abasi nsidi ntak edide ntem?”⁹

Kesioho akam esie kini oro, Joseph F. ikeboho iboro ke nkpo emi.¹⁰ Enye odoho Martha Ann ete ke “mme heavens [ebiet] brass ke enyong ibuot nnyin” kabanga ibuot-iko eke mkpa ye obio ekpo. Nte ededi, mbuotidem esie ke nsinsi enwongo Abasi ama atuak-ada onyung osongo.

Ke edikem ini Abasi, mme iboro efen, idongesit, ye ndifiok mbanga obio ekpo emi President Smith okoyomde ama edi ono enye oto ke eti nkukut emi enye okobode ke October 1918.

Isua oro ekedi ata ubiak ono enye. Enye ama ofuho oto ke ibat mkpa eke Great World War emi ekekade iso ndiwak tutu akan owo million Edip se ekewot. Ke ndidian do, udongo-efiomnsa odukde ererimbot, owot ediwak owo awakde ekesim nte million Ikie.

Ke isua oro, nko President Smith ama anana nti mbon ufokemana esie ita efen. Elder Hyrum Mack Smith eke Eboho mme Apostle Duopebao, akpa eyeneren esie ye ete-ete mi, ekekpa usop-usop oto ke appendix ndibomo.

President Smith ewet ete: “Ami ntingke iko—[ibikpai] anam mfuho! Esit mi obungo; onyung enyek ke nsinsi!… O! Ami mmema enye! Ami nyema enye mbighe ke nsinsi. Ndien edi ntre onyung edi ntre ke nsinsi ye kpukpru ndito iren ye iban mi, edi enye edi akpa eyeneren mi, akpa eyen emi okonode mi nsinsi idara ye idorenyin eke anana-adanga, enying ukpono kotu mme owo. … Otode ke uyuho esit mi ami mmekom Abasi nno enye! Edi … O! Ami mmoyom enye! Ofuri nnyin imeyom enye! Enye ama enyene ata ufon ono Ufok Abasi. … Ndien idahaemi, … O! nso ke mkpenam! O! Abasi yanga mi!”¹¹

Ke ofiong efen andikitiene, ebe eyen President Smith, Alonzo Kesler, akpa oto idiok unomo usung-isang.¹² President Smith ewet ke journal esie ete, “Ata idiok ye iduoesit unomo emi, afiak ono ufokemana mi unana idorenyin.”¹³

Ke ufang ofiong Itiaba efen, ke September 1918, anwan eyen President Smith ye eka-eka mi, Ida Bowman Smith, akpa ke ama akaman oyoho eyen ition esie, Uncle mi Hyrum.¹⁴

Ndien nko ekedi ke October 3, 1918, ke ama okokut akwa ukut otode ata ediwak owo emi ekekpade ke ererimbot oto ekong ye udongo nko ye mkpa eke mbon ufokemana esie, President Smith edibo eriyarare oto heaven emi efiokde nte “nkukut erifak mme akpa-mkpa.”

Enye ama eting abanga eriyarare oro ke edem usen oro ke akpa ikpehe akwa mbono eke October. Idem ikosongke President Smith aba, edi eketing esisit iko ete: “Ami nditreke, ami ndidomoke, ndinam ediwak nkpo emi odude mi ke esit ke usenubok emi, ndien nyesuho nim tutu ini iso, ke Jehovah enyimede, ke ami ndidomo ndisian mbufo ubak se idude ke ekikere, ye ke esit mi. Ami nnamke nkpo ikpong ke mme ofiong ition emi [ebede]. Ami ndu ke spirit akam, mkpe-ubok, mbuotidem ye ubiere; nnyung nkaka-iso nnyene nneme ye Spirit Abasi.”¹⁵

Eriyarare emi enye okobode ke October 3 ama odong enye esit onyung oboro ediwak mbume esie. Nnyin nko imekeme ndibo ndongesit inyung ikpeb ofon kabanga ini iso nnyin kini nnyin ye mbno ima nnyin ikpade inyung ika obio ekpo ke ndikot eriyarare emi nnyung nkere ufon esie ke usung emi nnyin idude uwem nnyin kpukpru usen.

Kotu ediwak nkpo emi President Smith okokutde ekedi nte Andinyanga akakade ekese nti owo ke obio ekpo ke Enye ama akakpa ke cross. Otode nkukut oro ami nte:

“Edi sese, kotu mme ndinen owo, enye onim mbon ekong ye edimek isung-utom esie, emi enyenede odudu ye unen, ndien eteme mmo ete eworo eka enyung eda unwana iko Abasi esok mmo oro edude ke ekim, esok spirit ofuri iren [ye iban];¹⁶ ntre ke ekekworo iko Abasi eno mme akpa-mkpa. …

“Ema ekpeb mmo ndinyene mbuotidem ke Abasi, ndikabare-esit ke idioknkpo, ndinam baptism nno mmo man efen idioknkpo, ndibo eno Edisana Spirit ke ndot-ubok,

“Ye ofuri ukpebnkpo iko Abasi efen emi anade mmo ediongo man edot ndida ke ikpe nte edikpede ino mme owo ke obukidem, edi edu uwem etiene Abasi ke spirit. …

“Sia mme akpa-mkpa ekebat edibighe-ini ubahare unana spirit mkpong obukidem mmo nte nkpokobi.

“Jesus ekekpeb mme nkpo emi, ndien ono mmo odudu ndiset, ke enye ama ekeset ke mkpa, man eduk ke obio-ubong Ete esie, man eno mmo ikpokidem unana-mkpa ye uwem nsinsi,

“Enyung eka iso ke utom mmo nte Jehovah ekenwongode, ndien ebuana ke ofuri edidiong emi ekenimde eno mbon emi emade Enye.”¹⁷

Ke nkukut oro, President Smith ama okut ete esie, Hyrum, ye Prophet Joseph Smith. Ekedi isua 74 tongo nte enye okokut mmo akpatre nte eyeneren ke Nauvoo. Nnyin imekeme ndikere idara esie ke ndikut edima ete ye uncle esie. Ekeme ndidi enye ama enyene ifiok-spirit ye idongesit ndidiongo ke ofuri spirit enyene mbiet ikpokidem mmo ndien ke mmo ese ebet usen ediset mmo emi ekenwongoke nditibe. Nkukut oro enehede ayara akwa uduak emi Ete ke Heaven enyenede ono ndito Esie ye ima ufak eke Christ ye anana-mbiet odudu Erisio-isop Esie.¹⁸

Ke sanga-sanga usoro isua Ikie emi, ami ndoho mbufo nte enehede enyung ekere ekot eriyarare emi. Nte mbufo enamde ntre, yak Abasi odiong mbufo man efiok enyung ekom Abasi ke ima ye uduak erinyanga ye inemesit Esie kabanga ndito Esie.

Ami nting iko ntiense nte ke nkukut President Joseph F. Smith emi edi akpaniko. Ami ndi ntiense ke ofuri owo ekeme ndikot oro enyung edifiok kedi akpainko. Mbon eke miboho ifiok emi ke uwem emi eyedi-diongo akpaniko oro ke ini kpukpru owo edidi-simde obio ekpo. Do, ofuri owo eyema enyung etoro Abasi ye Obong Jesus Christ ke akwa uduak erinyanga ye edidiong Ediset emi ekenwongke ndino ke ini ikpokidem ye spirit inikiet-efen afiakde edi kiet, ndien idiangakere aba.¹⁹

Ami mmenem esit ke ndidiongo ebiet osongurua Barbara mi odude ndien ke nnyin iyefiak idu otokiet, ye ufokemana nnyin, ke ofuri nsinsi. Sung-sung akam mi edi yak emem Abasi ekpeme nnyin idahaemi ye ke nsinsi ke enying Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes

1. Doctrine and Covenants 138:6, 11.

2. Joseph F. Smith, in Preston Nibley, The Presidents of the Church (1959), 228.

3. See Joseph Fielding Smith, Life of Joseph F. Smith (1938), 13.

4. He married Levira Clark in 1859, Julina Lambson in 1866, Sarah Richards in 1868, Edna Lambson in 1871, Alice Kimball in 1883, and Mary Schwartz in 1884.

5. Joseph F. Smith was called as an additional counselor in the First Presidency (Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Daniel H. Wells). He also served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency to three Church Presidents: Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow.

6. Joseph F. Smith served as a counselor to the First Presidency during Brigham Young’s administration and served as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency during the administrations of John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow. He was the first Church President to have served in the First Presidency before being called as the President.

7. Mercy Josephine, Joseph F.’s firstborn child, was born on August 14, 1867, and died on June 6, 1870.

8. Joseph F. Smith, journal, July 7, 1870, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.

9. Joseph F. Smith to Martha Ann Smith Harris, Aug. 26, 1883, Church History Library; see Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and David M. Whitchurch, My Dear Sister: The Letters between Joseph F. Smith and His Sister Martha Ann (2018), 290–91.

10. In many instances, the Lord directed Joseph F. Smith in his personal life and in his ministry as an Apostle and President of the Church through inspired dreams, revelations, and visions. Often these precious gifts from the Lord were recorded in his journals, sermons, reminiscences, and official records of the Church.

11. Joseph F. Smith, journal, Jan. 23, 1918, Church History Library; spelling and capitalization modernized; see Joseph Fielding Smith, Life of Joseph F. Smith, 473–74.

12. See “A. [P.] Kesler Is Killed in Fall from a Building,” Ogden Standard, Feb. 5, 1918, 5.

13. Joseph F. Smith, journal, Feb. 4, 1918, Church History Library.

14. See “Ida Bowman Smith,” Salt Lake Herald-Republican, Sept. 26, 1918, 4.

15. Joseph F. Smith, in Conference Report, Oct. 1918, 2.

16. See the reference to “our glorious Mother Eve” and the “faithful daughters who … worshiped the true and living God” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:39).

17. Doctrine and Covenants 138:30, 33–34, 50–52.

18. The text of the vision first appeared in the November 30, 1918, edition of the Deseret News, 11 days after the passing of President Smith, on November 19. It was printed in the December Improvement Era and in January 1919 editions of the Relief Society Magazine, the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, the Young Woman’s Journal, and the Millennial Star.

19. Although sons of perdition will be resurrected, they may not give love and praise to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as will those who receive a kingdom of glory. See Alma 11:41; Doctrine and Covenants 88:32–35.