Ɔyɔhɔ-mbak-duop: Ndiberede mme Window Heaven

Etop otode Elder Neil L. Andersen

Eke Eboho mme Apostle Duopeba

Mme window heaven eberede ke ediwak usuŋ. Dori-enyin ke ini Abasi; mme edidiɔŋ oro eyedi.

Ke ini nkodude ke South America, Brother Roger Parra emi otode Venezuela ama abuana ikɔ emi ye ami:

“Ke 2019, mme mfina ema enyeŋe Venezuela emi akanamde enana ikaŋ ke usen ition.

“Ntime ye ɔkpɔsɔŋ afai ema edu ke mme efak, ndien ediwak mme owo ikinyeneke udia ikem.

“Usuk etɔŋɔ ndiyip nto mme itie mbubehe udia, ebiat kpukpru ŋkpɔ ke usuŋ mmɔ.

“Nte andikinyene ekpri itie utem bread, ama afina mi eti eti abaŋa mbubehe nnyin. Nte mbon ufɔk emana, nnyin ima inyime ndinɔ mme owo emi ekenanade kpukpru udia ke itie utem bread nnyin.

“Ke ata okoneyo kiet mme ntime ekodu ke ofuri ebiet. Nkukure ekikere mi akabaŋa ukpeme edima aŋwan ye nditɔ mi.

“Ke usenubɔk ami mma nka itie utem bread nnyin. Nte mfuhɔ, mbon inɔ ema ewuri kpukpru ebiet mbubehe udia, edi ke mkpaidem mi, itie utem bread nnyin okosuk ododu. Owo ikibiatke ŋkpɔ ndomo-kiet. Ami mma nkɔm Ete ke Heaven ke nsuhɔre-idem.

“Ke nsimde ufɔk, mma ndɔhɔ mbon ufɔk mi mbaŋa edidiɔŋ ye ukpeme Abasi.

“Kpukpru mmɔ ema enehede ekop inemesit.

“Akpan mi. Rogelio, emi ekedide isua Duopeba kpɔt, ɔdɔhɔ, ‘Papa! Ami mɔfiɔk ntak emi ekekpemede itie urua nnyin. Afo ye Mama emesikpe tithe mbufo kpukpru ini.

Brother Parra etre ke ndidɔhɔ ete: “Mme ikɔ Malachi ediduk mi esit. ‘Ami nyeduat andita nnɔ mbufo, ndien enye idibiatke mfri iŋwaŋ mbufo.’ [Malachi 3:11] Nnyin itɔŋɔ erɔŋ inyuŋ ikɔm Ete ke Heaven kabaŋa utibe ŋkpɔ Esie.”¹

Idahaemi Edomo Mi Ese

Kpukpru se nnyin inyenede ye se kpukpru nnyin idide eto Abasi. Nte mme mbet Christ, nnyin inyene udɔŋ ibuana ye mbon edude ye nnyin.

Ke se kpukpru Jehovah ɔnɔde nnyin, Enye ɔdɔhɔ ete yak nnyin inɔ Enye ye obio-ubɔŋ Esie ke ererimbot ubak duop eke nkɔri nnyin. Enye ɔŋwɔŋɔ ɔnɔ nnyin ete ke nte nnyin inamde akpanikɔ ke mme tithe nnyin, Enye “eyeberede … mme window heaven, oyuŋ aŋwaŋa … nti ŋkpɔ, tutu ubet iduhe ndibɔ enye.”² Enye ɔŋwɔŋɔ ɔnɔ nnyin ete ke Enye eyekpeme nnyin osio ke idiɔk⁴ Mme eŋwɔŋɔ emi edi akpanikɔ,⁴ Jehovah ɔdɔhɔ ete, “Domo mi idahaemi se,”⁵ mme ikɔ emi miduhe ke ebiet efen ke mme ŋwed Abasi ibɔhɔke ke okotde Malachi ke ibuot.

Mme window heaven eberede ke ediwak usuŋ. Usuk edi ke obuk-idem, edi ediwak edi eke spirit. Usuk edi mfefere onyuŋ emem ndifre. Dorienyin ke ini Abasi; mme edidiɔŋ oro eyedi.

Nnyin ifuhɔ ye mbon emi eŋanade ndidu uwem. Ibihike Ufɔk Abasi ama ɔnɔ million dollar 54 eke U.S. ndinwam nditɔ-ŋwɔŋ ye mme eka ke ofuri ererimbot.⁶ Ndien ye mme enɔ mbufo ke utre-udia mbufo ke ofuri ɔfiɔŋ, mme nti bishop nnyin eŋwam mme tɔsin ke udua ke udua mbon emi eyomde udia ke ibio ini ke okpokoro mmɔ, ɔfɔŋ ke idem mmɔ, ye ɔkɔm ke ibuot mmɔ. Nkokure ibɔrɔ eke unana ererimbot emi edi ikɔ Abasi Jesus Christ.⁷

Mbubehe Mbuɔtidem

Paul Apostle asian ete ke ifiɔk owo ɔfiɔk mme ŋkpɔ owo edi enyene mfina ndifiɔk mme ŋkpɔ Abasi.⁸ Ererimbot etiŋ ebaŋa tithing nte okuk, edi edisana mbet tithing etim abaŋa mbuɔtidem nnyin. Ndinam akpanikɔ ke mme tithe nnyin edi usuŋ kiet emi nnyin iwutde ke iminyime ndinim Jehovah nte akpa ke uwem nnyin, akan mme mfinam ye udɔŋ nnyin. Ami ŋwɔŋɔ nnɔ mbufo ke nte mbufo ebuɔtde-idem ye Abasi, mme edidiɔŋ heaven eyedi.

Jesus ama ɔdɔhɔ ete “enɔ Caesar mme ŋkpɔ emi enyenede Caesar; enyuŋ enɔ Abasi mme ŋkpɔ emi enyenede Abasi.”⁹ Andinyaŋa emi ekesetde ama ɔdɔhɔ mme Nephite ete ewet esin ke ŋwed mmɔ mme eŋwɔŋɔ Esie emi edude ke Malachi.¹⁰ Ke eyo nnyin, Abasi ama afiak ɔsɔŋɔ edisana mbet tithing, ɔdɔhɔ ete: “Emi eyedi ntɔŋɔ tithing ikɔt mi. Ndien [mmɔ] eyekpe ubak kiet ke duop eke udori mmɔ ke isua ke isua; ndien emi eyedi mbet ɔnɔ mmɔ ke nsinsi.”¹¹

Jehovah etim anam aŋwaŋa nte edibiatde tithe, ɔdɔhɔ ete, “Mbufo eda kpukpru mme tithe edisin ke ufɔk unim-ŋkpɔ,”¹² emi ɔwɔrɔde ete eda mme tithe edi obio-ubɔŋ Esie emi efiakde emen edi, Ufɔk Abasi Jesus Christ eke Ndisana Owo ke Ukperedem Usen.¹³ Enye ɔnɔ item ete ke nte edibiatde mme ndisana tithe emi edide ke se eboho Akpa Presidency, Eboho mme Apostle Duopeba, mme Presiding Bishopric, “ye ke se uyo mi emi ndinɔde mmɔ, Ɔbɔŋ ɔdɔhɔ.”¹⁴

Mme Nsasana Okuk Abasi

Ndisana okuk emi inyeneke mme ada usuŋ ke Ufɔk Abasi. Mmɔ enyene Ɔbɔŋ. Mme isuŋ-utom Esie eda ini efiɔk edisana edu eke ubiɔŋ-utom mmɔ.

President Gordon B. Hinckley etiŋ abaŋa ini uyen esie emi: “Ke ini nkedide eyen-ɔwɔŋ ami mma mbup ete mi mbume … abaŋade nte ebiatde okuk Ufɔk Abasi. Enye ama eti mi ete ke ekim edi ibiɔŋ-utom emi Abasi ɔnɔde mi ete mkpe mme tithe ye mme enɔ. Ke ini nnamde ntre, [ete mi ɔdɔhɔ ete,] se ami nnɔde oro idihe okim aba. Enye enyene Jehovah emi ami nkɔnɔde.” Ete esie ama adian ete: “Se mme ada ibuot Ufɔk Abasi enamde ye enye inaha nte ebehe [fi, Gordon]. Mmɔ enyene ibɔrɔ enɔ Jehovah, emi ediyomde ibat ito ubɔk mmɔ.”¹⁵

Nnyin imikop udobi emi odude ke ndinɔ Ɔbɔŋ ibɔrɔ.”

Nti Tithe ye Enɔ Mbufo

Ke otode ke ntat-ubɔk enɔ tithe ye mme enɔ efen emi afo akayakde ɔnɔ Ɔbɔŋ, isua emi ebede mi ema eda okuk emi ebede billion U.S. dollar kiet ndinwam mbon emi ekeyomde uŋwam.¹⁶

Ke akamba ubiɔŋ-utom nnyin ndida ikɔ Abasi emi ekefiakde emen edi nka ofuri ererimbot, nnyin iminyene missionary ewakde ekan 71,000 emi ekwɔrɔde ikɔ ke mission 414.¹⁷ Ke ntak mme tithe ye mme enɔ fo, mme missionary, owo isehe nte ufɔk mmɔ etiede, ekan enam utom.

Ke ebɔp mme temple ke ofuri ererimbot ke usuŋ emi owo mikanke ibat. Idahaemi, mme temple 177 edu, ke ebɔbɔp mme ke edɔdiɔŋ 59, ndien 79 efen edu ke ekikere.¹⁸ Mme tithe fo ke eyak mme edidiɔŋ temple edu ke mme ebiet emi Ɔbɔŋ ikpɔŋ adade okut.

Mme eboho emi ewakde ekan 30,000 edu ke mme chapel ye mme ufɔk efen ke mme obio ye mme idut 195.¹⁹ Ke ntak tithe akpanikɔ fo, kesiak Ufɔk Abasi ke mme ayan ebiet emi afo mudukemeke ndika ke otu mme Ndisana owo emi afo mudukemeke ndifiɔk.

Idahaemi Ufɔk Abasi ke ese ŋkpɔ ebaŋa mme ufɔk-ŋwed nta-ifiɔk ition.²⁰ Emi anwam nditɔ ufɔk-ŋwed akande 145,000. Ke ekpep mme class seminary ye institute nnyin tɔsin ikie kiet ye duop ke ofuri udua.²¹

Mme edidiɔŋ emi ye ata ediwak efen edu akamba akamba eto mkpri ye ikpɔ owo emi etode nsio nsio idaha emi ekpede tithe ke akpanikɔ.

Owo idomoke odudu spirit eke edisana mbet tithing ke ibat okuk emi enɔde, koro Ɔbɔŋ enɔ mme enyene ŋkpɔ ye mme ubuene uyo ete ekpe mbak duop eto udori mmɔ.²² Odudu oto ke ndinyene idoreinyin ke Ɔbɔŋ.²³

Mme nda-ndian inyene Ɔbɔŋ emi otode ntat-ubɔk enɔ tithe fo adian ke nyɔhɔ-nsuhɔ Ufɔk Abasi, ɔnɔ mme ufaŋ ndika iso ke utom Abasi akan ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet emi nnyin ifiɔkde. Ɔbɔŋ ɔfiɔk kpukpru mmɔ, ndien ke ini ekemde, nnyin iyikut nte ndisana uduak Esie ewɔrɔde esu.²⁴

Mme Edidiɔŋ Edi ke Ediwak Usuŋ

Mme edidiɔŋ tithing edi ke ediwak usuŋ. Ke 1998 ami mma nsaŋa ye Elder Henry B. Eyring eke idahaoro nka akamba mbono Ufɔk Abasi ke nkaŋ Utah emi efiɔkde idahaemi nte Silicon Slopes, obio emi ekenyenede obufa ifiɔk ke unam-ŋkpɔ. Ekedi ini nkɔri uforo, ndien Elder Eyring ama akpan mme ikɔt Abasi abaŋa ndidomo se mmɔ enyenede ye eke mbon efen ye ndiyom se iwakde ikan oro. Ami nyeti eŋwɔŋɔ esie kpukpru ini ete ke nte mmɔ ekpede tithe ke akpanikɔ, udɔŋ mmɔ kabaŋa inyene ererimbot ɔsuhɔde. Ke isua iba, ifiɔk unam-ŋkpɔ mmɔ abiara. Ediwak ema enana utom, ndien mme itie utom enyene mfina ke ini nsɔŋɔ-ŋkpɔ emi. Ema ediɔŋ mbon emi ekekopde item Elder Eyring.

Eŋwɔŋɔ esie ama eti mi ifiɔk efen. Ami mma nsobo ye eyen isua 12 Charlotte Hlimi ke mkpere Carcassonne, France, ke 1990, ke ini nkedide mission president. Mbon ufɔk Hlimi ekedi mbon ebuɔtde idem emi ekeduŋde ke ufɔkiduŋ kiet ye nditɔ itiaita. Mmɔ ema enyene ndise Andinyaŋa ye eke prophet ke ibibene. Ke mbume patriarchal esie, ami mma mbup Charlotte mme enye ekpe tithe ke akpanikɔ. Enye ɔbɔrɔ, “Iŋ, President Andersen. Eka mi ekpep mi ete ke mme edidiɔŋ obuk-idem ye eke spirit edu emi etode edikpe tithe. Eka mi ama ekpep mi ete ke edieke nnyin ikpede tithe nnyin, nnyin idinanake ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet. Ndien President Andersen, nnyin inanake ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet.”

Ke edinɔ mi unyime ete mbuana mbuk esie, Charlotte, idahaemi edide isua Aba-ye-inaŋ ndien ekediande-kiet ke temple, edidɔhɔ ete, Ikɔ ntiense mi kabaŋa mbak-duop ekedi ata akpanikɔ kini oro, ndien enehede ɔsɔŋɔ-ada idahaemi. Ami mmenehede nemesit mbaŋa mbet emi. Nte ami namde mbet oro ami nka iso edibɔ ediwak edidiɔŋ.”²⁵

Usen kiet nnyin kiet kiet iyekure isaŋ nnyin ke isɔŋ. Ke isua edip ye ition emi ekebede, ke usen ifaŋ mbemiso eka aŋwan mi, Martha Williams, akpa oto cancer, enye ama ɔbɔ ekpri okuk ke ŋwed okuk. Enye ama ɔsɔp obup ŋwan mi, Kathy, ŋwed okuk esie man ekpe tithe esie. Nte idem ekememde eka esie tutu enye ikanke ŋkpɔ iwet, Kathy obup mme imɔ iwet ŋwed oro inɔ enye. Eka esie ɔbɔrɔ, “Iŋ-iŋ Kathy. Ami nyom ndiwet enye ke idem mi.” “Ndien enye adian suŋ suŋ ete, “Ami nyom ndida ke ata iso Jehovah.” Akpatre ŋkpɔ kiet emi Kathy akanamde enɔ eka esie ekedi ndiyak efɔk-ŋwed tithe esie nnɔ bishop esie.

Akpan Utom eke Abasi

Nditɔ eka iren ye iban, Ufɔk Abasi Jesus Christ eke Latter-day Saints ama “ɔwɔrɔ ke ekim,”²⁶ ada nti edidiɔŋ edi ke isɔŋ. Eyedu mbon emi edidarade ye nnyin ye mbon midarake. Ami mekere mbaŋa mme ikɔ ɔfiɔk-ŋkpɔ Gamaliel, emi, ke ini nkopde mbaŋa mme utibe ŋkpɔ mme Apostle Peter ye John, ɔdɔhɔ council ke Jerusalem:

“Sana [mme owo emi] yak: koro edieke … utom emi edide eke owo, eyebiara:

“Edi edieke otode Abasi, mbufo ikemeke ndiwuri enye; mbak … edikut mbufo kpa nte eŋwanade ye Abasi.”²⁷

Ami ye afo idi ubak ke akpan utom Abasi ke isɔŋ. Idiwureke edi ayaka iso ke ofuri ererimbot, etim usuŋ enim abaŋa edifiak-ndi Andinyaŋa. President Russell M. Nelson ama ɔdɔhɔ ete: “Ke mme usen edide, nnyin iyekut ikpɔ eriyararede odudu Andinyaŋa emi ererimbot akanam ekutde. Ke ufɔt ini emi ye ini Enye edinyɔŋde idi … , Enye eyenɔ mbon emi ebuɔtde-idem mme anana ibat ufaŋ, mme edidiɔŋ, ye mme utibe ŋkpɔ.”²⁸

Emi edi ikɔ ntiense mi. Jesus edi Christ. Emi edi Edisana utom Esie. Enye eyefiak edi. Ke enying Jesus Chrst, amen.

Mkpri nwed

1. Personal correspondence from Roger Parra, Aug. 4, 2023.

2. Malachi 3:10.

3. Se Malachi 3:11. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: “In my life, for example, I have seen God’s promise fulfilled that He would ‘rebuke the devourer for [my sake]’ [Malachi 3:11]. That blessing of protection against evil has been poured out upon me and on my loved ones beyond any capacity I have to adequately acknowledge. But I believe that divine safety has come, at least in part, because of our determination, individually and as a family, to pay tithing” (“Like a Watered Garden,” Liahona, Jan. 2002, 38).

4. “The Lord will open the windows of heaven according to our need, and not according to our greed. If we are paying tithing to get rich, we are doing it for the wrong reason. … The blessing to the giver … may not be always in the form of financial or material benefit” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 657).

5. Malachi 3:10; 3 Nephi 24:10.

6. See “The Church of Jesus Christ Is Helping Alleviate Global Malnutrition,” Aug. 11, 2023, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org; see also “How the Church of Jesus Christ and UNICEF Are Keeping Mothers and Children Healthy and Safe,” Aug. 17, 2023, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

7. “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them” (Moses 7:18).

8. Se 1 Corinthians 2:14. Ifiɔk ibuot owo isisaŋake ye ifiɔk Abasi. Ke eyo Malachi, ediwak ema esanade eda ekpɔŋ Jehovah. Jehovah ama ɔdɔhɔ mbon ediomo Esie, “Enyɔŋ edi etiene mi, ndien ami nyeyɔŋ ndi ntiene fi.” What follows this tender invitation is a deeply important question for each of us: “But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” (Malachi 3:7). Mme ke usuŋ efen, Nso ke ana ami mkpuhɔ? Ami ndinam didie nsik mkpere fi? The Lord answers by teaching the importance of tithing, not simply as a financial law but a tangible way to turn the desires of our hearts to Him.

   Nnyin ikut emi ke ufɔk nnyin. Kathy’s mother joined the Church at age 22. Martha and Bernard Williams attended church for a brief period, but after a move to another state, they became less active. Bernard received a military deployment overseas, and Martha moved home to Tampa, Florida, where she accepted the generous invitation to live with her aunt and uncle, who were opposed to the Church. Ke ini okodude ke unana, ebeŋde idem ebet akpa enyen esie inyuŋ ikaha ufɔk Abasi, Martha Williams ama ebiere ndinɔ tithe esie esɔk bishop. Ke oro ebede, ke ini ebupde ntak, enye ɔdɔhɔ ke enye ama eti ŋkpɔ emi mme missionary ekekpepde enye ebaŋa tithing ye mme edidiɔŋ Abasi: “Nnyin ibre-enyin iyom mme edidiɔŋ Abasi ke uwem nnyin, ndien ke ntre ami ntɔŋɔ ndinɔ mme tithe nnyin esɔk bishop.” Martha ye Bernard Williams ema enyɔŋ edi Ufɔk Abasi. Mkpon-nkan edidiɔŋ mmɔ—ediɔŋ emana mmɔ itiokiet ke ntak mkpe-mbiere esie ndikpe tithe esie ke ini enye mikinyeneke ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet ibɔhɔke mbuɔtidem ke Abasi ye idoreinyin ke mme eŋwɔŋɔ Esie.

9. Matthew 22:21.

10. Se 3 Nephi 24.

11. Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4. “Tithing is the donation of one-tenth of one’s income to God’s Church (see Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4; interest is understood to mean income). All members who have income should pay tithing” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 34.3.1, Gospel Library).

12. Malachi 3:10.

13. “We pay tithing, as the Savior taught, by bringing the tithes ‘into the storehouse’ [Malachi 3:10; 3 Nephi 24:10]. Nnyin inam emi ke ndikpe tithe nnyin inɔ bishop mme branch president. Nnyin ikpehe tithe ke ndinɔ enɔ-mfɔn ke ebiet emi nnyin imade ikan. The contributions we should make to charities come from our own funds, not from the tithes we are commanded to pay to the storehouse of the Lord” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Tithing,” Ensign, May 1994, 35).

14. Doctrine and Covenants 120:1.

15. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Rise to a Larger Vision of the Work,” Ensign, May 1990, 96.

16. See “The 2022 Report on How the Church of Jesus Christ Cared for Those in Need,” Mar. 22, 2023, newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

17. Received via email from the Missionary Department, Sept. 14, 2023.

18. See “Temple List,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org/temples/list.

19. Received via email from Member and Statistical Records, July 28, 2023.

20. This includes Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University–Idaho, Brigham Young University–Hawaii, Ensign College, and BYU–Pathway Worldwide.

21. Received via email from Seminaries and Institutes, July 28, 2023.

22. See General Handbook, 34.3.1.

23. President Dallin H. Oaks ama abuana nneme abaŋa ndidorinyin ke Jehovah: “Ebakpa eka mi ama anwam mkpri nditɔ esie ita ke [ekpri] okuk. I asked my mother why she paid so much of her salary as tithing. Ami mfreke ibɔrɔ esie: Dallin, odu mme owo emi ekemede ndidu ke ini mikpehe tithe, edi nnyin ikemeke. Jehovah emek ndida ete mbufo mkpɔŋ mi ete mbɔk mbufo. I cannot do that without the blessings of the Lord, and I obtain those blessings by paying an honest tithing’” (“Tithing,” 33).

24. “That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:14).

25. Personal correspondence from Charlotte Martin, Aug. 30, 2023.

26. Doctrine ye Covenants 1:30.

27. Acts 5:38–39.

28. Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 95.