Wɔama no Do Asɛn Mbeamudua no Do

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland ne Kasaa

Ɔkã Asomafo Duebien no hɔn Quorum no ho

Ama aayɛ Jesus Christ kãdofo no, otwar dɛ ɔtɔfabi a esoa adzesoa na ekɔ bia wohia afɔrbɔ a amandzehu mmpar hɔ.

Mfe pii a wɔabɛsen kɔ no, yɛyɛɛ mpɛnsampɛnsamu wɔ America nyamesom abakɔsɛm ho wɔ esũapɔn no ekyir no, me fɛfo adzesũanyi bisaa me, “Siantsir a Latter-day Saintfo mmfaa mbeamudua no dɛ ma Christianfo nkaafo no dze yɛ hɔn gyedzi ho sɛnkyerɛdze no?”

Susuampa dɛ nsɛmbisa a ɔtse dɛm taa yɛ nsɛmbisa a ɔfa hɛn enyimpi si ma Christ no, mekãa kyerɛɛ no ntsɛmara dɛ Jesus Christ N’Asɔr a ɔwɔ hɔ ma Nda a Odzi Ekyir Ahotseweefo no fa Jesus Christ no werdam afɔrbɔ no dɛ ɔyɛ nokwar fapem, fapem tsitsir, kotowdo-bo tsitsir, nkyerɛkyerɛ tsitsir, na dza ɔkyerɛ Nyankopɔn no dɔ krɔnkrɔn wɔ Ne mba hɔn nkwagye no ne nhyehyɛɛ kɛse.¹ Mekyerɛkyerɛɛ mu dɛ nkwagye adom a ɔwɔ dɛm afɔrbɔ no mu hia papaapa na wɔdze akyɛ adasa ebusua nyina fitsi Adam na Eve kesi wiadze n’ewiei.² Meserɛɛ kãa Joseph Smith a ɔkãa dɛ, “Ndzɛmba nyina a ɔfa hɛn nyamesom ho no yɛ mbataho” ma Jesus Christ No Werdambɔ no.³

Nkyii mekenkaan dza Nephi akyerɛw no mfe 600 ansaana wɔrobɔwo Jesus: “Na … sor ɔbɔfo no kasaa kyerɛɛ me … , see me dɛ: Hwɛ! Na mohwɛe, na muhun Nyame Eguambaa no, … [A] wɔama no do asɛn mbeamudua do na woeku no ama wiadze bɔn.”⁴

Na “mo dɔ, kyɛ, na to nsa frɛ” ama do sor ara yie no, mokɔr do kenkanee! Nephifo no a wɔwɔ America asaasetɔw do no, Christ a Ɔasoɛr see hɔn dɛ, “Na M’Egya somaa me ama wɔaama mo do asɛn mbeamudua no do wɔ sor; … ɔbɛma maatwe adasa nyinara ama moho, … na iyi ho ntsi na wɔmaa mo do sɛɛn sor.”⁵

Nkyɛ merebɛserɛ akã Ɔsomafo Paul n’asɛm nna muhun dɛ me nyɛnko no n’enyiwa ahyɛase nenamnenam. Ɔhwɛɛ no watse no, ntsɛmara ɔkaa no dɛ ohia dɛ ɔkɔ beebi—beebiara mpo—na otwaa mu kɔr ɔnoara ne bea kor no. Dɛm ntsi nkɔmbɔdzi no do twae.

Anapa yi, bɛyɛ mfe 50 egu mu no, m’enyi aber dɛ mobowie dɛm nkyerɛkyerɛmu no—sɛ hɔn mu kor mpo a ɔtsena hɔ dzinn hyɛ ase hwehwɛ hom watse a. Ber a mobɔbɔ mbɔdzen akyerɛkyerɛ mu siantsir a yɛnntaa mmfa mbeamudua nnyɛ hɛn som ho sɛnkyerɛdze no a, mepɛ dɛ mema ɔda edzi pefee dɛ hɔn a wɔyɛ no yɛwɔ obu kɛse na nkamfo ma hɔn gyedzi adwen na abrabɔ a woetu esi hɔ dze som.

Siantsir a yenntsim wɔ mbeamudua no do dɛ nsɛnkyerɛdze no fi Bible no ndwow mu. Osiandɛ mbeamuduabɔ yɛ Roman Aheman nyimpaku yaayaw mbordo ntsi, asɔpɔkan Jesus akãdofo no san mu yii dɛ wɔnnkɛda amandzehu edwindadze yaayaw no edzi. Christ no wu ho ntseasee yɛ hɔn gyedzi ne fapem dze, naaso bɛyɛ mfe 300 mu no wɔtaa hwehwɛɛ dɛ wɔbɛkyerɛ hɔn asɛmpa su no wɔ akwan binom do.⁶

Mfe aha otsĩa anan na enum ber no, wɔhyɛɛ ase dze mbeamudua no yɛɛ sɛnkyerɛdze maa Christianfo ahorow nyina, mbom hɛndze yɛnnyɛ “Christianfo ahorow.” Yɛnnyɛ Catholicfo anaa Protestantfo, mbom, yɛyɛ asɔr a wɔdze asan anamu aba Ahyɛmu Fofor Asɔr a wɔdze asan anamu aba. Dɛm ntsi, hɛn ahyɛse na hɛn tumdzi no ɔkɔ ekyir kesi ansaana baguabɔ, dza wɔgye dzi, na sɛnkyerɛdze ne mber reba.⁷ Kwan bi do no, nna sɛnkyerɛdze ekyir no obiara dze redzi dwuma nnyi hɔ ahyɛse no yɛ adanse kor so dɛ Jesus Christ N’Asɔr a ɔwɔ hɔ ma Nda a Odzi Ekyir Ahotseweefo no yɛ asɔpɔkan Christian som ne nsanananmu.

Siantsir kor so a yɛmmfa mbeamudua no nnyɛ ngyinahɔmadze nye Christ n’anwanwadze dwuma emudzi a yetsim do no—N’enyimnyam wusoɛr na N’afɔrbɔ na owu no. Merekyerɛ nkitahodzi no mu yie a, mebɛkã nsaano mfonyin ebien ho asɛm a⁸ okenyan President a Odzi Kan na n’Apamfo na Asomafo Duebien no hɔn Quorum no wɔ hɔn dapɛn dapɛn temple nhyiamu Yawda biara wɔ Salt Lake Kuropɔn. Mfonyin yinom yɛ daa daa nkaadze ma hɛn wɔ bo a wotuae na konyimdzi a nyia yɛyɛ N’asomfo no Ɔdze maa hɛn.

Christ no konyimdzi afã ebien ne bagua mu ngyinahɔmadze a ɔda edzi yie nye Thorvaldsen no mfonyin kakrabaa a ɔkyerɛ Christ a Ɔasoɛr efi owu mu aba enyimnyam mu fi ɔbo-tu no mu a Ne Mbeamuduabɔ epirakur no ɔda ho kyerɛ.⁹

Odzi ewiei, hom mma yɛnkaa hɛnho dɛ mber bi President Gordon B. Hinckley kyerɛkyerɛɛ dɛ, “Hɛn nkorɔfo hɔn abrabɔ no otwar dɛ [ɔyɛ] … hɛn [gyedzi] ho asɛnkyerɛdze.”¹⁰ Ndzɛmba yinom no—nkanka dza odzi ekyir no—dze me ba kyerɛwsɛm mu ntõtõho nyina ma ɔkrɔn kɛse a ɔfa mbeamudua no ho. Onnyi kɔnmuadze anaa egudze, sorɔmsorɔm anaa ɔkyerɛ-bea ho hwee yɛ. Mbom, ɔyɛ nokwardzi fitaa na ɔbra pa su a Christianyi biara wɔdɛ ɔdze ba ɔfrɛ no a Jesus dze afrɛ N’esuafo mu kor biara no. Asaase biara na mfe nyina no, Ɔase hɛn nyina, “Sɛ banyin anaa [ɔbaa] bi pɛ dɛ odzi m’ekyir a, ma ɔmpa noho, na ompegya ne mbeamudua na ɔnkã mo do.”¹¹

Iyi kã mbeamudua horow a yɛsoa nnyɛ dza yɛhyɛ no bi ho asɛm. Ama aayɛ Jesus Christ kãdofo no, otwar dɛ ɔtɔfabi a esoa adzesoa—wankasa wodze anaa obi dze—na ekɔ bia wohia afɔrbɔ a amandzehu mmpar hɔ. Christiannyi nokwafo nnkã Owura no do wɔ nsɛm a ɔpen do no nko mu. Oho. Yɛkã No do beebiara, a sɛ okehia a, akɔ mbeambea a osũ na haw ahyɛ hɔ mã, mbea a ɔtɔfabi a hɛn nkotsee gyinae.

Minyim nkorɔfo a, wɔwɔ Asɔr no mu na ma wonnyim a, wɔrekã Christ do nokwar mu ara. Minyim mbofra a wɔwɔ honandua mu dzɛmdzi yaayaw, na minyim awofo a wɔhwɛ hɔn do. Muhu hɔn nyina a wɔreyɛ edwuma dzen a ɔtɔfabi a okesi ber a hɔn ahom nyina apa, a wɔrohwehwɛ ahoɔdzen, bambɔ, na enyigye mber tsiabaa a ommfi kwan biara do mmba. Minyim single adultfo a wɔrohwehwɛ, na wɔfata ɔhokãfo dɔfo awar fɛɛfɛw, na fie a hɔn ara hɔn mbofra ahyɛ mu mã. Apɛdze biara rennyɛ tsenenee nnkyɛn iyi, naaso afe rokɔ afe reba no dɛm adom pa yi mmba. Minyim hɔn a wɔnye adwen mu nyarba asorɔtow ridzi esi, hɔn a wɔtotɔ serɛ mboa ber a wɔbɔ mpaa na wosuo mu dzen dze hwehwɛ nkã-tse ahotɔ mbew no dzendzenndzen. Minyim hɔn a hia akyekyer hɔn abrabɔ naaso, woridzi abagura do, bisa kwan ara dɛ wɔbɛma hɔn adɔfo na binom a wohia a woetwa hɔn ho ehyia benya yie dzi. Minyim hɔn a wodzi aper kɛse wɔ ndzɛmba a ɔyɛ dzen ho, hɔn nyimpa ban, wɔyɛ banyin anaa basia, na awɔr nkitahodzi. Musũ ma hɔn, na menye hɔn sũ, a minyim hɔn adwenpɔwbɔ no nsunsuando bɛyɛ ara yie.

Iyinom yɛ nkodzen horow a yebehyia wɔ abrabɔ mu no mu kumabaa ara, Ɔkaa hɛn awɔse mu dɛ osuanyiyɛ wotwa ho bo. Araunah a, ɔbɔɔ mbɔdzen dɛ ɔdze nantwi na nnyenã bɛma no kwa ma ɔdze abɔ no ɔhyew-afɔr no, Ɔhen David kãa kyerɛɛ no dɛ “Oho, mbom ɔtɔ ara na mobɔtɔ no wɔ wo hɔ ama bo: … morommbɔ ɔhyew-afɔr mma Ewuradze me Nyankopɔn a ɔnnsom me hwee.”¹³ Dɛm na hɛn nyina so kã.

Ber a yɛfa hɛn mbeamudua horow na yɛkã No do no, ɔbɛyɛ awerɛhow kɛse sɛ haw no mu dur amma yeennya tsema na yɛadwen adzesoadze a binom soso no ho ara yie. Adze kor a okitsa hɛn kɛse wɔ Mbeamuduabɔ no mu nye Agyenkwa no n’abasa a wɔtsen mu na wɔkãa no mpire no, wɔanndwen ho dɛm dze, naaso ɔkyerɛ nokwar mu ara dɛ banyin, ɔbaa, na abofra biara a ɔkã adasa ebusua ho no nnyɛ akwaaba nko na wɔdze ma hɔn mbom wɔto nsa frɛ hɔn ba No pon, na nkwagye ntowdo abasa a ofua no mu.¹⁴

Dɛ ma enyimnyam wusoɛr no dzii Mbeamuduabɔ yayaw no do no, dɛmara so na nhyira asorɔtow nyina wohue gu hɔn a wonya pɛ, dɛ ma Mormon Nwoma nkɔnhyɛnyi Jacob se no, dɛ [hom] “bɛgye Christ edzi, na wɔahwɛ no wu no, na wɔafa ne mbeamudua no.” Ɔtɔfabi nhyira iyinom ba ntsɛm na ɔtɔfabi wɔba ekyir, mbom asɛm n’ewiei wɔ hɛn ankorankor via dolorosa¹⁶ nye anohoba a ofi Owura nankasa hɔ dɛ ɔyɛ nokwar na ɔbɛba. Ama yeenya dɛm nhyira no, yɛnka No do—a yɛnnkɔfom dabiarada anaa yeboguan, yɛronntwentweɔn wɔ edwumayɛ ho, nnyɛ ber bi a hɛn mbeamudua horow ayɛ dur na ber a ɔnnyɛ dur, mber kakra ntamu no, anamɔn kwan no bɛhyɛ sum. Hom ahoɔdzen, hom nokwardzi, na hom dɔ no, mankasa meda ase kɔ bun mu. Ndɛ megye Ɔsomafo dase wɔ No ho nyia “wɔmaa No do”¹⁵ na wɔ onnyiewiei nhyira a Ɔdze ma hɔn wɔnye No “wɔmaa hɔn do no,” Ewuradze Jesus Christ mpo no, amen.

Nsɛnsin

1. Jeffrey R. Holland, Encyclopedia of Mormonism (1992), “Atonement of Jesus Christ,” 1:83.

2. Amulek kasa fa Christ Werdambɔ no ho dɛ ɔyɛ “afɔrbɔ kɛse a odzi ewiei,” a tserɛw do “onnyiewiei na ɔmmbɔadze da” (Alma 34:10). Nyew “hɔn nyina ahwe ase na wɔayew, na ɔsɛ dɛ wɔhera gyedɛ wɔnam dɛm werdam yi” (Alma 34:9hwɛ nyiyimu 8–12 so. President John Taylor adds: “In a manner to us incomprehensible and inexplicable, [Jesus] bore the weight of the sins of the whole world; not only of Adam, but of his posterity; and in doing that, opened the kingdom of heaven, not only to all believers and all who obeyed the law of God, but to more than one-half of the human family who die before they come to years of maturity, as well as to [those] who … having died without law, will, through His mediation, be resurrected without law, and be judged without law, and thus participate … in the blessings of His Atonement” (An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Co., 1892], 148–49, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor [2001], 52–53).

3. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 49.

4. 1 Nephi 11:32–33.

5. 3 Nephi 27:14–15.

6. There are, of course, references to the cross in Paul’s teachings (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 1:17–18; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 3:18), but these spoke to something much greater than two wooden beams nailed together or any smaller symbol of such. So, when Paul speaks of the cross, he is using doctrinal shorthand to speak of the majesty of the Atonement, an arena where Latter-day Saints readily join him and quote him.

7. Early and traditional Christian figures such as Martin Luther’s associate Andreas Karlstadt (1486–1541) were arguing by the late Middle Ages that “the crucifix [on its own] depicted only Christ’s human suffering and neglected to display his resurrection and redemptive [powers]” (in John Hilton III, Considering the Cross: How Calvary Connects Us with Christ [2021], 17).

8. Harry Anderson, The Crucifixion; Harry Anderson, Mary and the Resurrected Lord.

9. Hwɛ Russell M. Nelson, “Opening the Heavens for Help,” Liahona, Esusow Aketseaba 2020, 72–74.

10. Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Symbol of Christ,” Ensign, Esusow Aketseaba 1975, 92.

11. Matthew 16:24.

12. 2 Samuel 24:24.

13. “Ɔabaa n’abasa mu ama dodowara a wobonu hɔnho na wɔagye ne dzin edze” (Alma 19:36 hwɛ 2 Nephi 26:33; Alma 5:33 so).

14. Via dolorosa is a Latin phrase meaning “a painfully difficult route, passage, or series of experiences” (Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, “via dolorosa”). It is most often associated with Jesus’s movement from His condemnation at the hand of Pilate to His Crucifixion on Calvary.

15. Hwɛ 3 Nephi 27:14–15.