Odudu Erikɔk eke Andinyaŋa ke Mme-Isuɔ eke Akpa-inyaŋ-ibom

Oto Elder J. Kimo Esplin

Eke Seventy

Otode ke mme edidiɔŋ temple, Andinyaŋa anyaŋa mme owo, ufɔkemana, ye idut.

Ke isua 1960, ete mi ekekpeb nwed ke Church College eke Hawaii ke Laie, ebiet emi nkamanade. Mme ikpɔ nditɔ-eka mi iban itiaba ekeyire man ete mi osio mi enyiŋ “Kimo,” enyiŋ mbon Hawaii. Nnyin ikiduŋ ikpere Laie Hawaii Temple ini emi ediwak ikot Abasi ke Asia Pacific Area ekesikade do, esinede Japan.¹ Ke ini emi, ke eboho ikɔt-Abasi etode Japan eketɔŋɔ nditɔ ndi Hawaii man edibɔ edidiɔŋ ke temple.

Kiet ke otu mmɔ ekedi nwan kiet okotode ediye isuɔ Okinawa. Mbuk isaŋ esie akade Temple Hawaii ekedi enyenme etop. Ke mme isua mbemiso, ema edɔ enye ke ido-ndɔ edu-ukpono mbon Buddha. Esisit ibat ɔfiɔng ama ekebe, Japan ema etibi enwan ye Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, emi okonukde United States esin ke enwan ye Japan. Ini ekɔng ɔkɔtɔngɔde ndisɔng nkpɔ nte Midway ye Iwo Jima, odudu ekɔng eyeberi udim ekɔng Japan afiak edem aka isuɔ ufɔkiduŋ esie, Okinawa, akpatre eboho udim-ekɔng emi edade enwana ye mbon ekong Ofuri ekondo, mbemiso ekesim esit-obio Japan.

Ke ukut-ukut ofiong ita ke 1945, Ekɔng Okinawa ama okpon. Nkpri ubom ekebiomde ubom ekong America1,300 ema ekanade ekuk enyung etop isuo oro ebia.t Unɔmɔ ke otu mbon ekɔng ye mbon obio ama okpon. Mfin enyene utenge itiat-editi ke Okinawa enyene enying mme owo ediongode awakde akan 240,000 emi ekekpade ke ekɔng oro.²

Ke ofuri ukeme man eboho ekɔng oro, nwan Okinawa emi, ebe esie, ye mkpri ndito mmɔ iba ema ekedibe ke aba itiat. Mmɔ ekedu ke akwa ukut ke mme urua ye ofiɔng ke iso.

Okoneyo kiet ke ufuɔt enwan, ye ufɔkemana esie ekperede nditie biɔŋ ndien ebe ikifɔke ŋkpɔ, enye ama ekere abanga nditre ukut ubon esie ye ɔtɔ-mbe eke ubok, emi ukara obio ekenɔde enye ye mbon efen ndida nam ntre. Edi, nte enye ekebeŋede idem ndinam oro, ata ifiok spirit atara emi ɔkɔnɔde enye nnen-nnen ifiok akpanikɔ eke Abasi ye ima Enye enyenede ɔnɔ enye, emi ɔdiɔngde enye ye ukeme ndika iso. Ke mme usen ke iso, enye ama anam ebe esie adahada, onyung ɔnɔ ubon esie udia otode mbiet, aran-ɔkwɔk edade eto aba-ɔkwɔk, ye unam emumde ke idim adade ekpere. Nte ikutde, mmɔ ema edu ɔfiɔng itiokiet ke aba oro tutu mbon obio edidɔhɔ mmo ke ekɔng ama etre.

Kini mmɔ efiakde enyɔŋ ufɔk enyuŋ efiak editɔŋɔ uwem mmɔ, ŋwan Japan ɔtɔŋɔ ediyom ibɔrɔ kabaŋa Abasi. Suŋ-suŋ enye ɔtɔŋɔ edinim Jesus Christ ke akpanikɔ ye udɔŋ edina baptism. Edi, enye ama ekere abanga mbon enye amade emi ekekpade ke unana ifiok Jesus Christ ye baptism, esinede eka esie, emi akakpade ke ini akamande enye.

Kere baŋa idaraesit esie ke usen kiet kini sister missionary iba eketode Ufɔk-Abasi Jesus Christ eke mme Latter-day Saints edi ufɔk esie edikpeb enye ete ke mme owo ekeme ndikop mbanga Jesus Christ ke ererimbot spirit. Enye ama enemesit ke ukpebŋkpɔ ɔdɔhɔde ke ete ye eka esie ekeme ndimek nditiene Jesus Christ ke ema ekekpanga enyuŋ enyime baptism ekenamde ke ibuot mmɔ ke edisana ebiet ekotde temple. Enye ye ubon esie ema ekabare-esit etiene Andinyanga enyung ena baptism.

Ubon esie ema enwana-idem enyung etongo ndiforo, enyung edian ndito ita efen. Mmo ema edu eti uwem enyuŋ esin-ifik ke utom Ufɔk Abasi. Ekem, ke owo midotke-enyin, ebe esie ediduɔ akpa-ubeŋ ndien akpa, emi anamde enye anam ediwak utom ke ediwak isua man ɔbɔk nditɔ esie ition ye ufɔk ye edika ufɔkŋwed.

Mme owo ke ubon esie ye nkan-nkuk ema etɔk enye. Mmɔ ekemen mfina esie ekedori ke uduak esie ndiduk ufok-Abasi mme Christian. Ke miyakke idem inɔ idiɔk unɔmɔ ye ufip, enye osuk eyire mbuɔtidem esie ke Jesus Christ, ebiere edisin-ifik nka-iso, enim ke Abasi ɔfiɔk enye ndien ke mme usen unwana odu kiso.³

Esisit isua ifaŋ etienede iwiwa mkpa eke ebe esie, mission president ekedude ke Japan ɔbɔ okop ntuk nditeme mbon ufɔk Abasi ke Japan ete enyene ekikere edika temple. President mission ekedi akani owo-ekɔŋ America eke Enwan Okinawa, enwan emi eyen eka-ŋwan Okinawa mme ubon esie ekekude ukut.⁴ Nte edide, eti ŋwan etiŋ abaŋa enye ete: “Enye ke ekedi kiet kotu ata owo-usua nnyin, edi idahaemi enye edidu mi ye etop ima ye emem. Emi, ke idem mi, ekedi utibe-ŋkpɔ.”⁵

Ke okopde etop mission president oro, ebekpa ŋwan emi enyene udɔŋ ke edidian enye ye ufɔkemana esie ke temple ke usen kiet. Nte ededi, ikimemke ino enye ke ini oro, ke ntak unana okuk ye ubiɔŋɔ ke usem.

Ediwak nti edinɔ unen ama ɔwɔrɔ. Ekeme ndisuhore ekom-urua ke mbahare-iba edieke ikot ufok-Abasi ke Japan ekpekpede ofuri ubom-ofim eda eka Hawaii ke ini nduok-odudu utom.⁶ Mme owo ekewet enyuŋ enyam ikwɔ ekerede Japanese Saints Ekwɔ. Usuk ikɔt Abasi ema enyam mme ufɔkiduŋ mmɔ. Mbon efen ekpɔŋ utom mmɔ man eka isaŋ oro.⁷

Mme mfina efen emi mbon ufɔk Abasi ekenyenede ekedi ke menwut eke temple ikiduhe ke usem Japan. Mme adausuG ke ufɔk Abasi ekoot eyen ekaz emi otode Japan ete aka ke temple Hawaii ndikabare edinam endowment.⁸ Enye eke akpa owo ufɔk Abasi ke ekɔŋ okurede, ke ema eke ekpep enyuŋ eduɔk enye mmɔŋ otode mme enyene mbuotidem mbon ekɔŋ.⁹

Ke ini mbon Japan emi ema eke ebɔ endowment, emi edungde ke Hawiaii ekekopde edisana utom oro, mmo ema etua. Owo kiet ama ewet enim, “Nnyin imaka temple ke ediwak, ediwak ini. Imokop mme edinam ke iko-Mbakara. [Edi] akananam nnyin ikopke ntuk spirit ibanga utom … temple nte ikopde idahaemi [ke ikopde enye] ke usem obio nnyin.”¹⁰

Ikibihike isua oro, ikpɔ owo 161 ye nditɔnwɔng ema edaha isang eto Tokyo ndisanga nka Temple Hawaii. Eyen eka eren kiet otode Japan ama eting ikɔ abanga isang oro: “Nte nsede anwa ke esit ubom-ofum, mma nkut Pearl Harbor nyung nti se idut nnyin ekenamde ye ibon emi ke December 7, 1941, mma nkop ndik ke esit mi. Ndi mmo eyeyak nnyin iduk? Edi, ke mkpaidem mi mmɔ ema ewut akamba ima ye mfon emi mekwe akpa ke uwem mi.”¹¹

Ke mme nti owo Japan ekesimde, ikot ufok-Abasi eke Hawaii ema edara ye ediwak uruk ndiye ikɔŋ leis ke ini efatde enyung etimde inua ke mfuk, edu-uwem emi edide esen ono edu-uwem mbon Japan. Ke ema ekebiat usen 10 ke ndibeŋidem ke Hawaii, mbon Japan ema ekom unyɔŋɔ ke ufot uyom ikwo “Aloha Oe” okotode mbon Hawaii.¹²

Udiana isang temple ekenamde eno ikot ufok-Abasi Japan ama esine ebekpa eyeneka anwan Okinawa oro. Enye ama asaŋa itiat 10,000 (16,000-km) ndikɔm mme missionary ye mme enɔ ima esit emi ekenamde utom ke nkɔk ufok-Abasi mmɔ ye ediwak udia ke okpokoro. Ke ini odude ke temple, enye ama ɔduɔk mmɔŋ eyet idara ke ini anamde nte andida nnɔ ke baptism eka esie, efiak edian enye ye ebe esie akakpade.

Isang ndito Japan nka Hawaii temple ama aka iso ofuri ini tutu eberede Tokyo Japan Temple ke 1980, edide ɔyɔhɔ temple Efureta emi enamde-utom ke ini emi. Ke November isua emi, eyeberede oyoho temple 186 ke Okinawa, Japan. Enye ada ke ebiet ekperede aba-isɔngeke ufot Okinawa, ebiet mma emi ye ubon esie ekedibede.¹³

Okposuk edi nte mme nkwe ediye eyen-eka anwanemi otode Okinawa , nti-utom esie osuho ke idem nti emana ini iso esie, ediwak eke ami mfiɔkde nyuŋ mmade.¹⁴

Ete mi, owo ekɔŋ ererimbot 11 otode Pacific, ama okop inem ke ini ami mbɔde ikoot ndinam utom ke Japan nte ekpri ɔkwɔrɔ ikɔ. Ami mma nsim Japan ke ibio ibi ke ini ekediɔŋde temple ndien nkut ke akpa ubɔk ima mmɔ ke temple.

Ediomi enamde ke temple edi enɔ etode Ete Heaven nnyin ebine nti mme anditiene Eyen Esie, Jesus Christ. Oto ke temple, Ete Heaven nnyin ɔbɔp owo kiet-kiet ye ubon adian Andinyaŋa ye ke ndikpep kiet eken.

President Russell M. Nelson eketiŋ isua ebede ete:

“Owo kiet kiet emi anamde eŋwɔŋɔ ke ebiet una baptism ye ke mme temple—ndien enim mmɔ—enyene nnen nnen ebuana ye odudu Jesus Christ. …

“Utip ke ndinam mme ediomi ye Abasi edi odudu eke heaven—odudu emi anamde nnyin ikan iyɔ mme idomo, mfina, ye mme ubiak. Odudu emi ɔnɔ ifure ke usuŋ nnyin.”¹⁵

Oto ke edidiong edude ke temple, Andinyanga ɔkɔk owo, ubon, ye idut—kpa mbon emi ekedade nte idiok asua. Andinyaŋa emi ekesetde ke mkpa ama etiŋ ɔnɔ mbon mfina obio, eke emi ekponode “enyiŋ mi, ke Eyen Edinen-ido edi-nam nnɔ eset ye edikɔk ke mme mba esie.”¹⁶

Ami mmenem esit ndidi ntiense nnɔ nka-iso edinam osu enwongo Obong ete “kini eyedi emi ifiɔk Andinyaŋa editarade ikesim ofuri idut, oruk, usem, ye owo,”¹⁷ esinede mme isuɔ akpa inyaŋ-ibom oro.”¹⁸

Ami mmono iko ntiense mbanga Andinyanga Jesus Christ, ye prophet Esie ye mme apostle ke ukperedem usen emi. Mmɔnɔ iko ntiense ke utenge mbanga odudu otode heaven emi ɔbɔpde ke heaven se ebɔpde ke isɔng.

Enye emi edi utom Andinyanga, ndien temple edi ndisana ufɔk Esie.

Ye ata uko, ami mmetiŋ mme akpanikɔ emi, ke enyiŋ Jesus Christ, amen.

Mkpri nwed

1. The Laie Hawaii Temple was dedicated in 1919 by President Heber J. Grant. As an Apostle, he opened the Church in Japan in 1901. It was the fifth operating temple and the first temple built outside the continental United States.

2. As of March 2, 2023, there were 241,281 names inscribed on the monument.

3. See Gordon B. Hinckley, “Keep the Chain Unbroken” (Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 30, 1999), 4, speeches.byu.edu.

4. Dwayne N. Andersen was wounded in the Battle of Okinawa. He served as mission president in Japan from 1962 to 1965 and was the first president of the Tokyo Japan Temple, from 1980 to 1982.

5. I met members of her family while my wife and I served as mission leaders in Tokyo. They provided me with this information from her personal family history accounts.

6. See Dwayne N. Andersen: An Autobiography for His Posterity, 102–5, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

7. See Dwayne N. Andersen, 104.

8. See Edward L. Clissold, “Translating the Endowment into Japanese,” in Stories of the Temple in Lā‘ie, Hawai‘i, comp. Clinton D. Christensen (2019), 110–13.

9. The translator, Tatsui Sato, was baptized July 7, 1946, by a US serviceman, C. Elliott Richards. Tatsui’s wife, Chiyo Sato, was baptized on the same day by Boyd K. Packer. Separately, Neal A. Maxwell fought in the Battle of Okinawa, and L. Tom Perry was among the first wave of Marines to go ashore in Japan following the peace treaty. Elders Packer, Maxwell, and Perry would become members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

10. In Clissold, “Translating the Endowment into Japanese,” 112.

11. In Dwayne N. Andersen, “1965 Japanese Excursion,” Stories of the Temple in Lā‘ie, Hawai‘i, 114.

12. See Andersen, “1965 Japanese Excursion,” 114, 117.

13. Later in this session of the October 2023 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced 20 new temples, including the Osaka Japan Temple, which will be the fifth temple in Japan.

14. During our mission in Tokyo from 2018 to 2021, amid the challenges of the COVID pandemic, her family extended love and care for me and my family, which we will forever be grateful for.

15. Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 96.

16. 3 Nephi 25:2.

17. Mosiah 3:20.

18. 2 Nephi 29:7.