UKristu: Ukukhanya Okukhanya Ebumnyameni
Uma uzwa ukuthi isibani sobufakazi bakho siphelelwa amandla futhi ubumnyama buyasondela, yima isibindi. Gcina izethembiso zakho kuNkulunkulu.
Ihhovisi lami Esakhiweni seNhlangano yoSizo libuka kahle iThempeli laseSalt Lake. Njalo ebusuku, ngokujwayelekile kuhle okwewashi, izibani zethempeli zangaphandle ziyakhanyisa kusihlwa. Ithempeli liyisibani esiqinile, esiqinisekisayo ngaphandle kwewindi lami.
Ngobunye ubusuku kuloFebhuwari owedlule, ihhovisi lami lahlala lifiphele ngokukhethekile ngesikhathi ilanga lishona. Ngesikhathi ngibuka ngewindi, ithempeli lalimnyama. Izibani zazingakhanyiswanga. Ngazizwa ngiphatheke kabi ngokushesha. Ngangingayiboni imicu yethempeli engangiyibona njalo kusihlwa iminyaka.
Ukubona ubumnyama lapho ngangilindele ukubona ukukhanya khona kwangikhumbuza ukuthi esinye sezidingo ezibalulekile esinazo ukuze sikhule ukuhlala sixhumene nomthombo wethu wokukhanya—uJesu Kristu. Ungumthombo wamandla ethu, Ukukhanya Nokuphila Kwezwe. Ngaphandle kokuxhumana okuqinile Naye, siqala ukufa ngokomoya. Ngokwazi lokho, uSathane uzama ukusebenzisa izingcindezi zezwe sonke esibhekana nazo. Usebenza ukufiphaza ukukhanya kwethu, ukuphazamisa uxhumano, ukunqamula ukunikezwa kwamandla, asishiye sodwa ebumnyameni. Lezi zingcindezi yizimo ezivamile empilweni yasemhlabeni, kodwa uSathane usebenza kanzima ukusihlukanisa futhi asitshele ukuthi yithi kuphela esibhekene nazo.
Abanye Bethu Bakhutshazwe Usizi
Lapho sehlelwa yizinhlekelele, uma impilo ibuhlungu kakhulu singakwazi ukuphefumula, uma sishayiwe njengendoda eyayisendleleni eya eJeriko futhi yashiywa ukuba ife, uJesu uyeza athele uwoyela emanxebeni ethu, asiphakamisele phezulu ngobumnene, asiyise endlini yezihambi, asinakekele.1 Kulabo bethu abasosizini, Uthi, “Ngizoyenza… ibe lula imithwalo ebekwe phezu kwamahlombe enu, ngendlela yokuthi ngisho nani ngeke niyizwe emihlane yenu, … nokuthi nazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi mina, iNkosi uNkulunkulu, ngiyabahambela abantu bami ezinkathazweni zabo.”2 UKristu welapha amanxeba.
Abanye Bethu Bakhathele Kakhulu Nje
IGosa uJeffrey R. Holland wathi: “Akuhloselwe ukuthi sigijime kakhulu ukudlula amandla esinawo. … Kodwa [ngaphezu] kwalokho, ngiyazi … iningi lenu ligijima [kakhulu,] kangangokuthi [amandla] nokuhlinzekwa kwemizwa kwesinye isikhathi kufinyelele eduze nokungabi nalutho.”3 Lapho okulindelwe kusisinda, singabuyela emuva sibuze uBaba waseZulwini ukuthi yini okufanele siyidedele. Ingxenye yesipiliyoni sethu sempilo ukufunda okungafanele sikwenze. Kodwa noma kunjalo, kwesinye isikhathi impilo ingakhathaza. UJesu uyasiqinisekisa, “Zanini kimi nina nonke enikhatheleyo nenisindwayo, mina ngizakuniphumuza.”4
UKristu uzimisele ukuhlanganyela nathi ejokeni futhi adonse ukuze enze imithwalo yethu ibe lula. UKristu ungukuphumula.
Abanye Bethu Sinomuzwa Wokuthi Asikufanelekeli Ukubunjwa Kwendabuko
Ngezizathu ezahlukahlukene, asizizwa samukelwa noma samukelekile. ITestamente Elisha libonisa imizamo emikhulu uJesu ayenza ukufinyelela kuzo zonke izinhlobo zabantu: abanochoko, abathelisi, izingane, abaseGalile, izifebe, abesifazane, abaFarisi, izoni, amaSamariya, abafelokazi, amasosha amaRoma, iziphingi, labo abangcolile ngokwesiko. Cishe kuzo zonke izindaba, ufinyelela kumuntu owayengamukeleki ngokwesiko emphakathini.
NgokukaLuka 19 ulandisa ngendaba yomthelisi omkhulu eJeriko ogama lakhe linguZakewu. Wagibela esihlahleni ukuze abone uJesu edlula. UZakewu waqashwa nguhulumeni waseRoma futhi wayebhekwa njengokhohlakele nesoni. UJesu wambona ephezulu esihlahleni futhi wambiza, wathi: “Zakewu, shesha wehle; ngokuba namuhla ngimelwe ukuhlala endlini yakho.”5 Futhi lapho uJesu ebona ubuhle benhliziyo kaZakewu nezinto azenzela abanye, wamukela umnikelo wakhe, wathi, “Namuhla insindiso ifikile kule ndlu, [ngoba] naye eyindodana ka-Abrahama.”6
U-Kristu ngesisa watshela amaNefi, “Nginiyale ukuthi kungabi bikho namunye wenu ohambayo.”7 UPetru wayenalokho kuqonda okunamandla Encwadini yeZenzo 10 lapho ethi, “uNkulunkulu ungitshengisile ukuba ngingasho nangoyedwa [umuntu] ukuthi unechilo nokuthi ungcolile.”8 Kuyimfuneko engashintshi kubafundi abangamaKristu nabaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina ukubonisa uthando lweqiniso komunye nomunye.9 UJesu usinika isimemo esifanayo naleso asinika uZakewu: “Bheka, ngimi ngasemnyango, ngiyangqongqoza: uma [uzwa] izwi lami, avule umnyango, ngiyakungena ku[we], ngidle na[we], na[we] [u]dle nami.”10 UKristu uyasibona esihlahleni sethu.
Abanye Bethu Sihlukaniswa Ngemibuzo
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ngangisindwa futhi ngicasulwa yimibuzo engangingazitholi izimpendulo zayo. Ekuseni ngomunye uMgqibelo, ngaba nephupho elincane. Ephusheni ngangibona igazebo, futhi ngaqonda ukuthi kufanele ngiyokuma kuyo. Yayinezikhothamo ezinhlanu eziyizungezile, kodwa amafasitela ayenziwe ngamatshe. Ngangikhononda ephusheni, ngingafuni ukungena ngaphakathi ngoba kwakuminyene kakhulu. Ngase ngifikelwa umcabango wokuthi umfowabo kaJarede ubelokhu encibilikisa amatshe ewenza ingilazi ekhanyayo. Ingilazi yitshe eliguqulwe isimo. Lapho iNkosi ithinta amatshe amfowabo kaJarede, akhuzimula ngokukhanya ebumnyameni bemikhumbi.11 Ngokushesha ngagcwaliswa ngesifiso sokuba kuleyo gazebo ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi enye indawo. Kwakuyiyona ndawo—okuwukuphela kwendawo—engangikwazi “ukuyibona” ngempela. Imibuzo ebingikhathaza ayizange isuke , kodwa okukhanyayo engqondweni yami kwakuwumbuzo ngemuva kokuba ngivuke: “Uzolukhulisa kanjani ukholo lwakho, njengomfowabo kaJarede, ukuze amatshe akho aphendulwe abe ukukhanya?”12
Izingqondo zethu ezifayo zidalelwe ukuba zifune ukuqonda kanye nencazelo ngezinyanda ezincane. Angizazi zonke izizathu zokuthi kungani isembozo sokufa sisikhulu kangaka. Lesi akusona isigaba sokuthuthuka kwethu kwaphakade lapho sinazo zonke izimpendulo khona. Yisigaba lapho sakha khona isiqinisekiso sethu (noma kwesinye isikhathi ithemba lethu) ebufakazini bezinto ezingabonwa. Isiqinisekiso siza ngezindlela okungelula ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuzihlaziya, kodwa kukhona ukukhanya ebumnyameni bethu. UJesu wathi, “Ngiwuku khanya kanye nokuphila kanye neqiniso lomhlaba.”13 Kulabo abafuna iqiniso, kungahle kubonakale ekuqaleni kuwukuminyana okuwubuwula kwamawindi enziwe ngamatshe. Kepha ngokubekezela nangemibuzo ethembekile, uJesu angaguqula amawindi ethu amatshe abe yingilazi nokukhanya. UKristu ungukukhanya ukuze sibone.
Abanye Bethu Sinomuzwa Wokuthi Asoze Sifaneleke Ngokwanele
Umbala obomvu weTestamente eliDala wawungagqamile nje kuphela kodwa wawunombala ongaphumi, okusho ukuthi umbala wawo ogqamile wawunamathele eboyeni futhi wawungeke ushabalale noma ngabe wawuwashwa kangaki.14 USathane usebenzisa lokhu kucabanga njengeklabhu: uboya obumhlophe obunamabala abomvu ngeke bubuyele ekubeni mhlophe. Kepha uJesu Kristu uthi, “Izindlela zami [ziphakeme] kunezindlela zenu,”15 futhi isimangaliso somusa waKhe ukuthi lapho siphenduka ezonweni zethu, igazi lakhe elibomvu lisibuyisela ebumsulweni. Akunangqondo, kodwa nokho kuyiqiniso.
Isithombe sivela ku iStock.com/iinwibisono
“Noma izono zenu zibomvu kakhulu, ziyakuba mhlophe njengeqhwa; noma zibomvu njengokububende, ziyakuba njengoboya.”16 INkosi isho ngokugcizelela: lowo “ophendukile… ezonweni zakhe, nguye lowo othethelelwe, futhi mina, iNkosi, angibe ngisazikhumbula.”17 Ngokuyinhloko: Woza, sixoxe ndawonye.18 Wenze amaphutha; sonke siyasilela.19 Woza kimi futhi uphenduke.20 Ngeke ngisasikhumbula isono.21 Ungabuyela futhi ube ngophelele.22 Ngikuphathele umsebenzi okufanele uwenze.23 UKristu wenza uboya bube mhlophe.
Kodwa yiziphi izinyathelo ezingokoqobo? Siyini isihluthulelo sokuxhuma kabusha emandleni kaJesu Kristu lapho sicisha khona? UMongameli Russell M. Nelson wakusho kalula kakhulu: “Okusemqoka ukwenza nokugcina izivumelwano ezingcwele. … Akuyona indlela eyinkimbinkimbi.”24 Yenza uKristu obaluleke kunakho konke empilweni yakho.25
Uma uzwa ukuthi isibani sobufakazi bakho siphelelwa amandla futhi ubumnyama buyasondela, yima isibindi. Gcina izethembiso zakho kuNkulunkulu. Buza imibuzo yakho. Ncibilikisa itshe libe yingilazi ngokubekezela. Phendukela kuJesu Kristu, osakuthanda namanje.
UJesu wathi, “Nginguku khanya okukhanya ebumnyameni, futhi ubunyama abukuqondanga.”26 Lokho kusho ukuthi noma ngabe buzama kangakanani, ubumnyama abukwazi ukucisha lokho kukhanya. Nanini. Ungathemba ukuthi ukukhanya kwaKhe kuzoba nawe.
Thina, noma abantu esibathandayo, singase sibe mnyama okwesikhashana. Endabeni yeThempeli laseSalt Lake, umphathi wezakhiwo, uMfowethu uVal White, wathola ucingo cishe ngokushesha. Abantu babeqaphele. Yini eyayingalungile ngamalambu ethempeli na? Okokuqala, abasebenzi bazifikele mathupha kuwo wonke amaphaneli kagesi ethempelini bese bekhanyisa izibani ngesandla. Ngemuva kwalokho bafaka amabhethri afakwa ekuhlinzekweni kukagesi okuzenzakalelayo bese bewahlola ukuthola ukuthi yini ehlulekile.
Kunzima ukubuye ukhanyise isibani sakho ngokwakho. Sidinga abangane. Siyadingana. Njengabasebenzi basethempelini, singasizana ngokuba sibe khona mathupha, sivuselele amabhethri ethu angokomoya, silungise okungahambanga kahle.
Ukukhanya kwethu kungafana negilobhu elilodwa lokukhanya esihlahleni. Kodwa sisaqhubeka sikhanyisa isibani sethu esincane, futhi sonke ndawonye, njengeTemple Square ngesikhathi sikaKhisimusi, siheha izigidi zabantu endlini yeNkosi. Okuhle kunakho konke, njengoba uMongameli uNelson akhuthaza, singazilethela ukukhanya kukaMsindisi kanye nabantu ababalulekile kithi ngesenzo esilula sokugcina izivumelwano zethu. Ngezindlela ezahlukahlukene, iNkosi ivuza leso senzo sokwethembeka ngamandla nangenjabulo.27
Ngiyafakaza ukuthi uyathandwa. INkosi iyazi ukuthi uzama kangakanani. Uyathuthuka. Qhubeka. Ubona yonke imihlatshelo yakho efihlekile futhi uyibala ukuze kuzuze wena nalabo obathandayo. Umsebenzi wakho awulona ize. Awuwedwa. Kwalona igama lakhe, u-Imanuweli, lisho ukuthi “uNkulunkulu unathi.”28 Ngokuqinisekile unawe.
Thatha ezinye izinyathelo ezimbalwa endleleni yesivumelwano, noma ngabe kumnyama kakhulu ukubona kude kakhulu. Izibani zizobuye zikhanyise. Ngifakazela iqiniso emazwini kaJesu, futhi agcwaliswe ngokukhanya: “Sondelani eduze kwami futhi nami ngizo sondela eduze kwenu; ngifuneni ngokukhuthala futhi nizongi fumana; celani futhi nizophiwa, ngqongqothani, futhi nizovulelwa.”29 Egameni likaJesu Kristu, amen.