Di Kiet Ye Abasi

Etop otode Elder Quentin L. Cook

Eke Eboho mme Apostle Duopeba

Nnyin idi kiet ke ima ye mbuɔtidem ke Jesus Christ ye Usio-isop Esie. Akpan ntak emi isinede edi ndidi kiet ye Christ.

Ami metim nkop nyuk mbaŋa Usio-isop Jesus Christ tɔŋɔ nkedide ekpri, edi Usio-isop Andinyaŋa ɔkɔwɔrɔ owut mi idem ke ini nkedide 25. Idahaoro ke nkekure ŋwed ke Stanford Law School ndien nkokot ŋwed mbaŋa udomo ke California. Eka mi ama okot onyuŋ ɔdɔhɔ ete ke ete ete mi Crozier Kimball, emi okoduŋde ke Utah, ɔmɔŋɔ akpa. Enye ɔkɔdɔhɔ ke edieke nyomde ndikut enye, ana nte ami ndi ufɔk. Ete ete mi ekedi 86 ndien ama ɔdɔŋɔ eti eti. Ami mma nnem esit ndika ufɔk. Enye ama enem esit eti eti ndikut mi ndien enye abuana ikɔ ntiense esie ye ami.

Ke ini Crozier ekedide isua ita, ete esie, David Patten Kimball, ama akpa ke isua 44. Crozier ama ekere ke ete esie ye ete ete esie Heber C. Kimball eyenyime ebaŋa uwem esie enyuŋ ekere ke enye anam akpanikɔ ye ubon esie.

Akpan item emi ete ete mi ɔkɔnɔde mi ekedi nditre ndinyene ekikere ndidot mme ifet ke ntak mme nti ete ete emi. Enye ama ɔdɔhɔ mi ke ana nte ekikere mi edi ke Andinyaŋa ye Usio-isop Andinyaŋa. Enye ama ɔdɔhɔ ke kpukpru nnyin idi nditɔ edima Ete ke Heaven. Ke misehe owo emi mme ete ete nnyin ke ererimbot edide, nnyin kiet kiet iyidɔhɔ Andiyaŋa nte nnyin ikinimde ibet Esie.

Ete ete eketiŋ abaŋa Andiyaŋa nte “Ekeme Inua Otop,” eketiŋ abaŋa 2 Nephi 9:41. Enye ama ɔdɔhɔ mi ke imikere ke enye ama akabare esit ikem ndidot ndinyene mbɔm Andiyaŋa.

Ikɔ emi ama otuk mi eti eti. Ami mma mfiɔk ke enye ekedi edinen owo. Enye ekedi patriarch ndien ama aka ediwak mission. Enye ama ekpep mi ete ke owo ndomo kiet ikemeke ndifiak ntiene Abasi ye nti utom ikpɔŋ ke minyeneke mfɔn Usio-isop Andinyaŋa. Ami mekeme nditi tutu mfin akwa imi ye inemesit ete ete mi ekenyenede ɔnɔ Andiyaŋa ye Usio-isop Esie.

Ke 2019, ke ini utom ke Jerusalem, mma nka ubet ke enyɔŋ emi ekemede ndidi ke ekpere ebiet emi Andiyaŋa ekeyetde mme Apostle Esie ukot mbemiso Mkpa Esie. Ama otuk mi ke spirit nyuŋ nkere mbaŋa nte Enye ɔkɔnɔde mme Apostle Esie uyo ete ema kiet eken.

Ami mma nti Akam Ebeŋe Andiyaŋa ke ibuot nnyin. Akam emi ekedi ke utit ini ke uwem-mkpa Esie nte ewetde ke Gospel eke John.

Ekebɔŋ akam emi enɔ mme anditiene Christ, ye kpukpru nnyin. Ke akam emi Andiyaŋa ɔkɔbɔŋde enɔ Ete Esie, Enye ebeŋe “ete yak mmɔ Kpukpru edi kiet; nte afo, Ete, odude ke ami, ye ami ke Afo, man mmɔ ŋko edi kiet ke nnyin.” Andiyaŋa ndien aka iso, “Ndien ubɔŋ emi afo ɔkɔnɔde mi ami mɔnɔ mmɔ; man mmɔ edi kiet, kpa nte nnyin idide kiet.” Ndidi kiet edi se Christ ɔkɔbɔŋde akam oyom mbemiso etap Enye enɔ mkpa ye Mkpa Esie. Ekeme ndidi kiet ke Christ ye Ete nnyin ke Heaven nto Usio-isop Andiyaŋa.

Utua-mbɔm Jehovah ikɔŋɔke ke ubon, ŋwed, idaha unyene ŋkpɔ, mme ebiet otode. Ɔkɔŋɔ ke ndidi kiet ye Christ ye ibet Esie.

Prophet Joseph Smith ye Oliver Cowdery ema ebɔ ediyarare abaŋade nte esiakde enyuŋ ekarade Ufɔk Abasi ke 1830, ikibihike ke ini ema ekesiak Ufɔk Abasi. Se idide idahaemi section 20 edi Prophet Joseph okokot ke akpa akwa mbono Ufɔk Abasi ndien ekedi akpa ediyarare emi ofuri owo ekenɔde unyime.

Unyime emi ekenɔde ediyarare emi ke akpanikɔ edi saŋa-saŋa. Enye ekpep nnyin ufɔn Andinyaŋa ye nte edisaŋade inyene odudu Esie ye mme edidiɔŋ ito mfɔn usio-isop Esie. Prophet Joseph Smith ekedi isua 24 ndien enye ama ɔbɔbɔ ediwak ediyarare onyuŋ okure edikabare Ŋwed Mormon oto ke enɔ ye odudu Abasi. Ediɔŋɔ Joseph ye Oliver mbiba nte mme Apostle emi emekde, ke ntre enyenede unen nditie ibuot ke Ufɔk Abasi.

Mme ufaŋ 17 esim 36 edɔŋɔ ibibio akpan ukpep-ŋkpɔ Ufɔk Abasi, ye edidu Abasi, nte Ekebotde owo, Iduɔ, ye uduak Ete ke Heaven oto Usio-isop Jesus Christ. Ufaŋ 37 esine mme akpan ŋkpɔ emi eyomde enɔ uduɔk-mmɔŋ nduk Ufɔk Abasi Jehovah. Mme ufaŋ 75 esim 79 enim mme akam sacrament emi nnyin ibɔŋde kpukpru Sabbath.

Ukpep-ŋkpɔ, mme item ndausuŋ, mme sacrament, ye mme edinam emi Jehovah asiakde oto Joseph Smith, Prophet Edifiak Mmenndi, ke akpanikɔ edi mme adaiso.

Mme ŋkpɔ eyomde enɔ uduɔk-mmɔŋ, ke edide ntɔtuŋɔ, edi mmem mmem. Mmɔ ke akpan edɔŋɔ nsuhɔre idem ke iso Abasi, mbuŋɔ esit ye spirit anuahade, ŋkabare esit ke kpukpru idiɔkŋkpɔ, ndida enyiŋ Jesus Christ nnɔ idem nnyin, ndiyɔ tutu esim utit, ndien ke ndiwut ke mme utom nnyin ite ke imibɔ Spirit Christ.

Edi akpan ete kpukpru se inamde owo odot uduɔk-mmɔŋ ana edi eke spirit. Idaha unyene ŋkpɔ mme idaha ke obio idighe akpan. Ubuene ye enyene ŋkpɔ enyene ukem se eyomde ke spirit.

Ebiet owo otode, emana owo, obio iduhe. Ŋwed Mormon anam aŋwaŋa ete ke ekot kpukpru owo ete edibuana ke mfɔn Jehovah, “obubit ye afia, ifin ye enyen isɔŋ, eren ye ŋwan; … kpukpru edi ukem enɔ Abasi.” “Kpukpru owoenyene ifet nte owo enye eken, ndien iduhe owo ekededi emi ekpande.”

Ke esede nte nnyin “idide ukem” ke iso Abasi, ufɔn iduhe nditiŋ mbaŋa mme ukpuhɔre nnyin. Usuk ke ndudue enɔ nnyin uko “ndikere mme owo enyene ukpuhɔre ekpɔŋ nnyin ye ke idem mmɔ ekan nte mmɔ edide. [Usuk] eda ata edi ekpri ukpuhɔre, enam mmɔ ekpon enyene ndik.”

Ke edidiande do, usuk ke ndudue ekere ete ke ntak emi ekotde kpukpru owo ete edibuana ke mfɔn Esie ye nsi nsi uwem, ke iduhe mme ido emi eyomde.

Edi, mme ŋwed Abasi ewut ete ke eyom kpukpru ikpɔ owoekabare esit ke mme idiɔk-ŋkpɔ enyuŋ enim ibet Esie. Jehovah anam aŋwaŋa ete ke kpukpru owo enyene ufaŋ ndimek ndien enyene ifet ndimek uwɔrɔ ufin ye nsi nsi uwem, oto ke akwa Etie-ubiɔŋ nnɔ ofuri owo, … ndien enam kpukpru ikpɔ ibet esie; enyuŋ enam akpanikɔ enɔ mme ikɔ esie, enyuŋ emek nsi nsi uwem.” Man ɔbɔ mme edidiɔ Usio-isop Andinyaŋa, ana nte nnyin ikokoiinam edimek nnyin ndimek Christ nyuŋ nnim ibet Esie.

Ke uwem mi, ebak enyuŋ eneme ebaŋa se “ufaŋ ndimek” ye “uduak mfɔn” ewɔrɔde. Edu enyuŋ eka iso ndidu ediwak nti nneme abaŋade mme ibuot ikɔ emi.

Ke enyɔŋ-ŋwed nkani nditɔ-ufɔk-ŋwed emi ekesiode idahaemi, ɔwɔrɔ etop ata andikpep kiet ama ɔdɔhɔ ete ke, “Ufaŋ iduhe inɔ uduak mfɔn̄.” Ke mikpaha owo idem, ata andipkep oro ɔkɔdɔhɔ ete ke, “Ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet iduhe nte Abasi, … ndien uduak mfɔn iduhe, … ndien emi edi akamba, saŋa nte amade, ikpikpu ererimbot.” Mkpekanke mfaŋa nkan emi.

Akpan ukpep-ŋkpɔ ke ido ukpono nnyin edi ete ke nnyin iminyene ufaŋ ndimek emi esinede uduak eke mfɔn. Ufaŋ ndimek edi ukeme ndimek nyuŋ nnam. Edi akpan ɔnɔ uduak erinyaŋa. Ke esiode ufaŋ ndimek efep, nnyin ikpikanke ikpep ŋkpɔ, ikɔri, mme imek ndidi ndidi kiet ye Christ. Ke ntak ufaŋ ndimek, nnyin “iminyene ufaŋ ndimek uwɔrɔ ufin ye nsi nsi uwem.” Ke Mbono mbemiso idi ererimbot emi ke Heaven, uduak Ete ama esine ufaŋ ndimek nte akpan ŋkpɔ. Lucifer ama aŋwana onyuŋ “oyom ndibiat ufaŋ owo ndimek.” Ke ntre, ema esin Satan ifet ndinyene ikpɔk-idem mkpa ye mbon emi eketienede enye.

Mme spirit efen emi ekedude ke ini oro ema enam ufaŋ ndimek mmɔ ke nditiene uduak Ete ke Heaven. Mme spirit emi edidiɔŋde ye emana ke uwem mkpa emi eka iso enyene ufaŋ ndimek. Nnyin iminyene ufaŋ ndimek nyuŋ nnam ŋkpɔ, edi nnyin ikamake se idiwɔrɔde. “Edimek eti ye nnen nnen ido ada aka inemesit, emem ye nsi nsi ke ini edimek idiɔkŋkpɔ ye ibak ke utit ada aka ŋkɔŋ-ibuot ye ukut.” Nte Alma eketiŋde, “Ibak akananam idighe inemesit.”

Ke ererimbot ɔkpɔsɔŋ mbuba emi, ifik odudu ofuri ini ndinam ɔfɔn. Ke idomode ukeme ndinam ɔfɔn ama nte ikemede nnyin imikeme ndidi nnen nnen ye eti. Edi ntre ofuri ini ye ido Jehovah. Ifik ndinam ekpri mme ndinam mbon efen ediɔk mme ndinim mme ŋkpɔ ubiɔŋɔ ke usuŋ mmɔ emi misaŋake kiet ye ido Jehovah. Nnyin ikemeke ndisua-nnɔ idaha mme mbon efen ke ndimek nditre ndinim ibet Abasi.

Ke ererimbot mfin, edi mmem mmem ndise uforo ke ŋkpɔ ererimbot ye ke utom. Usuk edi nnan ebaŋa nsi nsi ido ye mme edimek emi enyenede nsi nsi ufɔn. Nnyin iyinam ɔfɔn nditiene eti item President Russell M. Nelson “ndikere celestial.”

Kpukpru owo ekeme ndinam edimek emi edide akpan akan isehe mme enɔ, mme ukeme, mme ufaŋ, mme mme idaha inyene. Ndisɔŋɔ ntiŋ ndinim mme edimek ufɔk emana akpa edi akpan. Emi edi iŋwaŋ-ŋwaŋ ke ofuri mme ŋwed Abasi. Kere baŋa mbuk 1 Nephi ke ini emi Lehi “ekewɔrɔde aka wilderness. Ndien enye ɔkpɔŋ ufɔk esie, ye isɔŋ inyene esie, ye gold esie, ye silver esie, ye mme ŋsɔŋurua ŋkpɔ esie, ndien imenke ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet ye enye, ibɔhɔke ekedi mbon ufɔk emana esie.”

Nte nnyin inyenede mme mfina ke uwem, ediwak ŋkpɔ etibe emi nnyin mikanke inyaŋa. Mme udɔŋɔ ye mme ŋkpɔ ntibe unana idorenyin esine ke ikpehe emi. Idiɔk-udɔngɔ COVID-19 ama enehede otuk mme owo emi ekenamde kpukpru ŋkpɔ ke nnen nnen. Ke mme edimek emi edide akpan akan, nnyin imikan inyaŋa. Ke mfiakde edem nka mme usen mi nte missionary, Elder Marion D. Hanks, mission president nnyin, ama anam ete kpukpru nnyin itiŋ ke ibuot uto Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

Ufaŋ iduhe, obot iduhe, akaŋa iduhe,

Ekemede nditre mme ndikpan mme ndinyaŋa

Mkpe-mbiere ukpɔŋ emi owukde enyin.

Ke mme ŋkpɔ ebaŋade akpan ekikere, edu unam-ŋkpɔ, edu ukpono, ye edinen uwem, nnyin imikeme ndinyaŋa. Mbuɔtidem nnyin ke ye ndikpono Abasi Ete ye Eyen Esie, Jesus Christ, edi edimek emi nnyin inamde.

Mbɔk efiɔk ete ke ami ndɔhɔke nte ke ŋwed mme ubɔk-utom ifɔnke. Se ami ndɔhɔde edi ke ini emenere mme nsin ifik emi abaŋade ŋwed ye ubɔk utom ekan ufɔk emana mme ndidi kiet ye Christ, idiɔk emi mukuduakke ekeme nditibe.

Iŋwaŋ-iŋwaŋ ye mmem mmem ido emi enimde ke Doctrine and Covenants 20 otuk onyuŋ edemere owo nte enye osiode owut onyuŋ anamde aŋwaŋa mme edisana ibuot ukpep-ŋkpɔ. Enye ekpep ete ke erinyaŋa edi nte Jesus Christ anamde edi onyuŋ anamde mme ukpɔŋ emi ekabare esit esana ke ntak mbɔm Andinyaŋ. Enye ebeŋe idem ɔn̄ɔ ɔwɔrɔ etop ubiɔŋ utom Usio-isop Esie.

Ana nte nnyin idomo ukeme ndisin mbon efen ke eku kiet nnyin. Edieke anade nte nnyin itiene item President Russell M. Nelson ndibok Israel emi ekesuanade ke ŋkaŋ veil mbiba, ana nte nnyin isin mbon efen ke eku kiet nnyin. Nte President Nelson ekekpepde ediye ediye: “Ke ofuri idut ye ke mme isuo ke akpa inyaŋ, ke eda mbon enyenede mbuɔtidem esin ke Ufɔk Abasi Jesus Christ eke Ndisana Owo ke Ukperedem Usen. Mme ukpuhɔre ke ido, usem, obot emana, idut, mme obio ataha anana ufɔn nte mme ɔbuɔtidem edukde usuŋ ediomi enyuŋ edi etiene edima Edifak nnyin.”

Nnyin idi kiet ke ima ye mbuɔtidem ke Jesus Christ ye nditɔ edima Ete ke Heaven. Akpan ntak emi isinede edi ndidi kiet ye Christ. Mme edinam uduɔk-mmɔŋ ye sacrament emi enimde ke Doctrine and Covenants 20, ye mme ediomi temple edian nnyin kiet ke mme saŋa-saŋa usuŋ onyuŋ ayak nnyin idi kiet ke ofuri akpan nsi nsi usuŋ ye ndidu ke emem nyuŋ ndi kiet.

Ami nnɔ akpan ntiense mi nte ke Jesus Christ odu uwem, ndien ke ntak Usio-isop Esie, nnyin imikeme ndidi kiet ye Christ. Ke edisana enyiŋ Jesus Christ, amen.

Mkpri nwed

1. David, at age 17, had helped carry some of the Saints across the ice-filled Sweetwater River when they were stranded on the high plains of Wyoming (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, volume 2, No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–1893 [2020], 237).

2. Se Moroni 7:27–28.

3. The Chief Rabbi of Norway, Rabbi Michael Melchior, and I were the keynote speakers at a Jewish–Latter-day Saint scholars’ dialogue held on June 5, 2019, at the BYU Jerusalem Center in Israel.

4. Se John 17:20.

5. John 17:21–22.

6. Se “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints, 1838–1839, 1844” (commonly known as the Far West Record), June 9, 1830, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants (2008), 75.

7. Doctrine and Covenants 20 was the first revelation published in the Church newspaper and was utilized by missionaries with respect to both doctrine and the administration of the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament (see Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, 75).

8. Se 2 Nephi 2:7.

9. Se Doctrine ye Covenants 20:37.

10. 2 Nephi 26:33.

11. 2 Nephi 26:28.

12. Peter Wood, Diversity: The Invention of a Concept (2003), 20.

13. Nehor akada mi (se Alma 1:4).

14. Se Doctrine ye Covenants 29:49–50.

15. 2 Nephi 2:27–28.

16. Stanford (publication of the Stanford Alumni Association), Dec. 2023, cover.

17. In Sam Scott, “As If You Had a Choice,” Stanford, Dec. 2023, 44. The article identifies the professor as Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery and a best-selling author of science books. The article contains opposing views, including from Alfred Mele, a professor of philosophy at Florida State University who headed a large John Templeton Foundation project on free will. He stated, “Scientists most definitely have not proved that free will—even ambitious free will—is an illusion” (in Scott, “As If You Had a Choice,” 46).

18. Se D. Todd Christofferson, “Moral Agency” (Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 31, 2006), speeches.byu.edu.

19. Se ke Doctrine ye Covenants 58:27.

20. 2 Nephi 2:27.

21. Moses 4:3.

22. True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference (2004), 12.

23. Alma 41:10.

24. Se Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 117–20.

25. 1 Nephi 2:4.

26. Poetical Works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1917), 129.

27. I have always loved the quote shared by Elder Neal A. Maxwell that stated this in a most succinct fashion: “If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead” (attributed to William Law, an 18th-century English clergyman; quoted in Neal A. Maxwell, “Response to a Call,” Ensign, May 1974, 112).

28. Se Doctrine and Covenants 20:29–31. Ukpep-ŋkpɔ edu ukpono Abasi eke Calvin etiŋ abaŋa ndidot ye ndinam mme ukpɔŋ emi eduɔde esana eto mfɔn Jesus Christ. Enye ekekpep ete ke ini emi Abasi ama ekenim ukpɔŋ ɔnɔ erinyaŋa, ŋkpɔ ndomo kiet idikpuhɔkere se iditibede. Doctrine and Covenants 20 adiaŋare ɔkpɔŋ ukpep-ŋkpɔ Calvin ofuri ofuri. It reads, “There is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God” (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:32–34; Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, 74).

29. Russell M. Nelson, “Building Bridges,” Liahona, Dec. 2018, 51.