“Yizani, Ningilandele”
UJesu Kristu uyasimema ukuthi sithathe indlela yesivumelwano ebuyela ekhaya kuBazali bethu baseZulwini futhi sibe nalabo esibathandayo.
Bafowethu nodadewethu abathandekayo, umkami uWendy kanye nami siyakujabulela ukuba nani kulokusa kweSabatha. Kuningi osekwenzekile kusukela ngomhlangano omkhulu odlule. Amathempeli amasha anikelwe eNkosini eConcepcion, Chile; Barranquilla, Colombia; kanye nase Rome, e-Italy. Sezwa ukuthi uMoya oNgcwele wawukhona kulemicimbi engcwele.
Ngibongela abaningi besifazane (kanye nabesilisa) abasandʼ ukufunda iNcwadi kaMormoni kamuva nje, bese bethola injabulo kanye nengcebo efihliwe. Kuyangikhuthaza ukuzwa ngemibiko yezimangaliso ezenzeka.
Kungihlaba umxhwele ukubona abafana abaneminyaka eyi‑11, abangama dikoni, abadlulisa isidlo esingcwele njalo ngeSonto ngokufanelekile. Baya ethempelini kanye namantombazane ethu aneminyaka eyi‑11, afunda ngokulangazelela futhi asiza njengamaBeehives. Bonke labafana namantombazane bashumayela amaqiniso evangeli ngokucaca kanye nokuqiniseka.
Ngijabula nabantwana kanye nentsha esiza ukufundisa ivangeli emakhaya ngesikhathi besebenzisana nabazali ukulandela izifundo ezigxile ekhaya, ezisekelwa yiBandla.
Sathola nasi isithombe sika Blake oneminyaka emine, okwathi ekuseni ngomGqibelo, wathatha incwadi yeBandla wamemeza wathi, “Ngidinga ukondla umoya wami!”
Blake, sijabula nawe nabanye abakhetha ukondla imimoya yabo ngokuzitika ngamaqiniso evangeli elibuyisiwe likaJesu Kristu. Futhi siyajabula ukwazi ukuthi baningi abathola amandla kaNkulunkulu ezimpilweni zabo ngesikhathi bekhonza futhi besiza ethempelini.
Njengoba abaningi benu bazi, umndeni wethu udlule esimweni esibucayi ezinyangeni ezintathu ezedlule ngesikhathi indodakazi yethu uWendy ehamba kulempilo yasemhlabeni. Ezinsukwini zakhe zokugcina zokulwa nesifo somdlavuza, ngabusiseka ngethuba lokuba nenkulumo kayise nendodakazi yokumvalelisa.
Ngabamba izandla zakhe futhi ngamtshela ukuthi ngimthanda kangakanani kanye nokuthi ngijabule kangakanani ukuba nguyise wakhe. Ngathi: “Washada ethempelini futhi wahlonipha izivumelwano zakho ngokwethembeka. Wena kanye nomyeni wakho namukela abantwana abayisikhombisa ekhaya lenu futhi nabakhulisa ukuthi babe abafundi abazinikele baJesu Kristu, amalunga eBandla anamandla, kanye nezakhamuzi ezizinikelayo. Futhi nabo bakhethe abalingani abasezingeni elifanayo. Uyihlo uyaziqhenya kakhulu ngawe. Ungilethele enkulu injabulo!”
Waphendulela phansi wathi, “Ngiyabonga, Baba.”
Kwakuwumzuzwana onezinyembezi kithi. Ngesikhathi seminyaka engama-67 yakhe, sasebenza ndawonye, sacula ndawonye, futhi sadlala ndawonye. Kodwa ngalobo busuku, sakhuluma ngezinto ezibalulekile kakhulu, njengezivumelwano, izimiso, ukulalela, ukholo, umndeni, ukwethembeka, kanye nempilo yaphakade.
Siyayikhumbula kakhulu indodakazi yethu. Kepha, ngenxa yevangeli elibuyisiwe likaJesu Kristu, asikhathazekile ngaye. Uma siqhubeka ukuhlonipha izivumelwano zethu noNkulunkulu, siphila ngokulangazelela ukuba naye futhi. Okwamanje, sisiza iNkosi lapha futhi yena uyisiza lapha—epharadisi.1
Eqinisweni, umkami nami savakashela ePharadisi ekuqaleni kwalonyaka—ePharadisi eseCalifornia. Njengoba kwenzeka, safika lapho emahoreni angaphansi kwama 40 emva kokuhamba kwendodakazi yethu kulomhlaba. Sihamba neGosa uKevin W. Pearson kanye nomkakhe uJune, abaNgcwele besiKhonkwane sase Chico California basisekela kakhulu. Safunda ngokholo lwabo olukhulu, ukusizana, kanye nezimangaliso ezenzeka phakathi kokulahlekelwa ngenxa yomlilo obhubhisayo emlandweni wase California.
Ngenkathi silapho, sakhuluma kakhulu nephoyisa eliselisha, uJohn, owayengomunye kwabaningi bokuqala ababa nesibindi sokusiza. Wakhumbula ubumnyama obukhulu okwehlela iPharadisi ngoNovemba 8, 2018, ngenkathi amalangabi egijima edolobheni, eqeda impahla kuhle komlilo oqothulayo kungasali lutho ngaphandle komlotha nensalela.
Ngama hora ayi-15, uJohn washayela kobukhulu ubumnyama obabugcwele amalangabi asabisayo ngesikhathi esiza abantu ngabantu nemindeni ngemindeni ukuba iphephe—ekwenza konke lokhu esengozini yena uqobo. Kodwa ngesikhathi salobu bunzima, okwakuthusa uJohn kakhulu umbuzo owawumuxakile owawuthi: “Ukuphi umndeni wami na?” Emva kwamahora amaningi amade, nasabisayo, wakwazi ekugcineni ukuthola ukuthi uphephile.
Umlandiso kaJohn ngokukhathalela umndeni wakhe usungikhuthaze ukuthi ngikhulume namhlanje nalabo benu abangase bezibuze uma sekusondele isikhathi sokuphela kwalempilo ukuthi, “Uphi umndeni wami na?” Usuku luyeza lapho khona ozoqeda impilo yakho yasemhlabeni bese ungena ezweni lemimoya, uzobhekana ubuso nobuso kanye nombuzo oshukumisa inhliziyo: “Uphi umndeni wami na?”
UJesu Kristu ufundisa indlela ebuyela emuva ekhaya lethu laphakade. Uyaliqondisisa kangcono kunathi sonke icebo likaBaba wethu oseZulwini lenqubekela phambili . Vele, uyisisekelo sakho konke. UngumHlengi wethu, uMelaphi wethu, futhi unguMsindisi wethu.
Kusukela uAdamu noEva bexoshwa eNsimini yaseEdeni, uJesu Kristu wasinikeza isandla Sakhe esinamandla ukusiza bonke abakhetha ukumlandela. Ngokuphindaphindiwe, imibhalo engcwele iyakhombisa ukuthi nakuba bonke abantu bona ngezindlela ezahlukahlukene izingalo Zakhe zisaluliwe.2
Umoya okithi sonke ulangezelela ukuthi uthando olusemndenini luhlale ingunaphakade. Amaculo othando ahlezi enika ithemba elingekho lokuthi uthando yilo kuphela oludingayo uma ufuna ukuba nalowo omthandayo ingunaphakade. Futhi abanye banenkolelo engelona iqiniso yokuthi uVuko luka Jesu Kristu luletha ithemba lokuthi bonke abantu bazokuba nabathandiweyo babo uma ukufa sekudlulile.
Eqinisweni, uMsindisi Yena uqobo ukucacise ngokusobala ukuthi nakuba uVuko Lwakhe luqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu oseke waphila uyovuswa aphile ingunaphakade,3 kuningi okudingekayo kithi uma sifuna ukuba nelungelo lokuphakanyiswa. Insindiso ngeyomuntu ngamunye, kodwa ukuphakanyiswa kungokomndeni.
Lalela lamagama akhulunywa yiNkosi uJesu Kristu kubaphrofethi Bakhe: “Zonke izivumelwano, izibopho, izimelo, izifungo, izethembiso, ukuhlanganiswa, ukuhlangana, noma okulindelweyo, okungenziwanga futhi kwavunyelwana ngakho futhi kwaqiniswa nguMoya oNgcwele wesethembiso … akusebenzi noma akunamandla ngesikhathi sokuvuka kwabafileyo noma ngemuva kwakho; ngokuba zonke izivumelwano ezingenzelwanga lenhloso ziyaphela uma abantu sebefile.”4
Ngakho-ke kudingekani ukuze umndeni uphakanyiswe ingunaphakade na? Sifanelwa yilokho ngokwenza izivumelwano noNkulunkulu, ukuzigcina lezo zivumelwano, kanye nokuthola izimiso ezibalulekile.
Lokhu selokhu kwaba yiqiniso kusuka ekuqaleni. UAdamu kanye noEva, uNowa kanye nomkakhe, uAbrahama kanye noSarah, uLehi kanye noSaraiah, nabo bonke abanye abafundi abazinekele kuJesu Kristu—kusukela umhlaba udalwa—benze izivumelwano ezifanayo noNkulunkulu. Bathola izimiso ezifanayo nalezi thina njengamalunga eBandla leNkosi elibuyisiwe esizithola namhlanje: lezo zivumelwano esizenza uma sibhabhadiswa kanye nasethempelini.
UMsindisi umema bonke abantu ukuthi bamlandele bangene emanzini ombhabhadiso kuthi, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi benze izivumelwano noNkulunkulu ethempelini futhi bathole lezo zimiso ezidingekayo futhi bathembeke kuzo. Konke lokhu kuyadingeka uma sifuna ukuphakanyiswa nemindeni yethu kanye nokuthi sibe noNkulunkulu ingunaphakade.
Okungidabukisayo ukuthi baningi abantu engibathandayo, engibukela kubo, futhi engibahloniphayo abasenqabayo isimemo Sakhe. Bayakuziba ukunxusa kukaJesu Kristu uma ebabiza ethi, “Yizani, Ningilandele”5
Ngiyaqondisisa ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu ekhala.6 Nami ngiyabakhalela abangani kanye nezihlobo. Amadoda nabesifazane abathandekayo, abazinekele ezibophweni zabo zasemindenini kanye nase misebenzini yomphakathi abayenzayo. Bazinikela ngokuphelele ngesikhathi sabo, amandla, nezinto zabo. Futhi umhlaba ungcono ngenxa yemizamo yabo. Kodwa bakhethe ukungazenzi izivumelwano noNkulunkulu. Abakazitholi izimiso ezizobaphakamisa kanye nemindeni yabo zibahlanganise ndawonye ingunaphakade.7
Ngifisa kabi ukuthi ke ngibavakashele ngibameme ukuba ke bacabangisise ngemithetho yeNkosi enikezana amandla. Ngiyazibuza ukuthi konje yini engase ngiyisho ukuze bezwe ukuthi uMsindisi ubathanda kangakanani futhi ukuthi nami ngibathanda kangakanani futhi bakwazi nokubona ukuthi amadoda nabesifazane abagcina izivumelwano bangathola “injabulo ephelele.”8
Bayadinga ukuqondisisa ukuthi nakuba kukhona indawo yabo emva kwalempilo—lapho bezobe benalabo abathandekayo abakhetha ukungazenzi izivumelwano noNkulunkulu—leyo akuyona indawo lapho imindeni iyohlanganiswa khona inikwezwe ilungelo lokuphila nokukhula okungapheliyo. Lelo akulona izwe lapho beyothola khona injabulo ephelele— izwe lokukhula okungapheli kanye nokujabula. 9 Lezo zibusiso ezipheleleyo ziza kuphela ngokuphila embusweni wesilestiyali wabaphakanyisiweyo kanye noNkulunkulu, uBaba wethu waphakade; neNdodana Yakhe, uJesu Kristu; kanye namalunga emndeni yethu afanelekile.
Kuthi angisho lokhu kubangani bami:
“Kulempilo, anizange nemukele ubuhlana nje kukho konke. Kepha, ngokwenqaba ukwemukela ngokuphelele ivangeli elibuyisiwe likaJesu Kristu, nikhetha ukwemukela ubuhlana nje.
“UMsindisi wathi, ‘Ekhaya likababa kukhona izindlu eziningi.’10 Kodwa, uma nikhetha ukungazenzi izivumelwano noNkulunkulu, nikhetha indlwana encane ingunaphakade.”
Ngingathanda futhi ukuthi ke ngibanxuse abangani bami abathandekayo ngokuthi:
“Khalani kuNkulunkulu. Mbuzeni ukuthi lezi zinto ngabe ziyiqiniso na. Zinikeni isikhathi sokufunda amazwi Akhe. Wafundeni ngempela! Uma niyithanda okwangempela imindeni yenu futhi uma nifisa ukuphakanyiswa nabo ingunaphakade, yenzani lokho okudingekayo kusemanje—ngokufunda ngempela futhi nikhuleke ngokujulileyo—ukuze niwazi lamaqiniso aphakade futhi nizimisele ukuba niphile ngawo.
“Uma ningenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi niyakholwa nokukholwa kuNkulunkulu, ake niqale lapha. Qondani ukuthi ngenxa yokungabi nabo ubufakazi bezinto ezenziwa nguNkulunkulu, umuntu angakungabaza ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu. Ngakho-ke, zibekeni esimweni lapho nizoke nibe nobufakazi ngoNkulunkulu. Zithobeni. Khulekelani ukuba namehlo okubona isandla sikaNkulunkulu ezimpilweni zenu kanye nakwabanye abantu. Mceleni ukuthi Anazise ukuthi ingabe Ukhona na—nokuthi ingabe Uyanazi na. Mbuzeni ngemizwa Yakhe ngani. Bese niyalalela.”
Kukhona omunye umngani wami engimthandayo owayengenabo ubufakazi ngoNkulunkulu. Kodwa wayekulangazelela ukuphinde ahlangane nomkakhe osewahamba. Ngakho-ke wacela ukuthi ngimusize. Ngamukhuthaza ukuthi ahlangane nabefundisi bethu bevangeli ukuze aqonde ngemfundiso kaKristu nokuthi afunde ngezivumelwano, izimiso, kanye nezibusiso zevangeli.
Lokho wakwenza. Kodwa wabona ukuthi zaziningi izinto okwakuzodingeka azishintshe empilweni yakhe njengokwakushiwo ngabefundisi. Wathi kimi, “Leyo miyalelo nalezo zivumelwano zizoba lukhuni kimi ukuba ngizigcine. Okunye, angeke ngikwazi ukukhokha okweshumi, futhi anginaso isikhathi sokusiza eBandleni.” Wase engicela ethi, “Uma ngifa, ngicela wenzele umkami kanye nami umsebenzi wasethempelini odingekayo khona sizokwazi ukuba ndawonye futhi.”
Ngiyabonga, ukuthi angisiye umehluleli wale ndoda. Kodwa ngiyabuza ukuthi umsebenzi wasethempelini ungayisiza kanjani indoda eyayinethuba lokubhabhadiswa kulempilo—eyayinethuba lokugcotshelwa kubuphristi futhi ithole izibusiso zethempeli isekulempilo—kodwa eyazikhethela ukwenqaba ukuthatha leyo ndlela.
Bafowethu nodadwethu abathandekayo, uJesu Kristu uyasimema ukuthi sithathe indlela yesivumelwano ebuyela ekhaya kuBazali bethu baseZulwini futhi sibe nalabo esibathandayo. Uyasimema ukuthi “sizeni, simlandele.”
Manje, njengoMongameli weBandla Lakhe, ngiyaninxusa nina eseniziqhelisile eBandleni kanye nani eningakafuni ukwazi ukuthi iBandla likaMsindisi selibuyisiwe. Yenzani lokho okudingekayo ngokomoya ukuze nizitholele mathupha, futhi ngicela nikwenze manje. Isikhathi siyaphela.
Ngiyafakaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyaphila! UJesu unguKristu. Ibandla Lakhe kanye nevangeli Lakhe elipheleleyo kubuyiselwe ukubusisa izimpilo zethu ngenjabulo, manje nangokuzayo. Ngiyafakaza egameni elingcwele likaJesu Kristu, ameni.