Kia Kotahi me te Karaiti
Kua whakakotahitia tātou e tō tātou aroha me tō tātou whakapono i a Ihu Karaiti me Tana Whakamārietanga. Ko te ngako o te piringa tahitanga tūturu ko te kotahitanga me te Karaiti.
He mea nui ki ahau te Whakamārietanga a Ihu Karaiti mai i te wā e nonohi ana au, engari i taka mai te tūturutanga o tō te Kaiwhakaora Whakamārietanga i ahau e 25 ana te pakeke. Kātahi anō au ka puta i te Kura Rōia i Stanford, ā, i te rangahau au mō te whakamātautau pae o California. I waea mai tōku whaea, ā, ka kī mai i te mate haere tōku koroua a Crozier Kimball ki Utah. I kī mai ia mehemea i te tino hiahia kia kite atu i a ia, me hoki au ki te kāinga. E 86 te pakeke o tōku koroua, ā, i tino māuiui ia. I rawe tōku pekanga atu. I koa rawa ia kia kite ai i ahau me te toha mai i tana whakaaturanga ki ahau.
I te wā e toru tau noa te pakeke o Crozier, ka mate tōna matua, a David Patten Kimball, e 44 te pakeke. I manako a Crozier ka hari pai tōna matua rāua ko tōna koroua a Heber C. Kimball ki tōna oranga, ā, kia whakaae anō rāua kua ū ia ki ngā whakarerenga iho o te whānau.
Ko te tohutohu matua a tōku koroua ki ahau, koia, ko te kaupare i te wairua āheinga, i te wairua whakahīhī nā ēnei tūpuna whakapono nui. I kī mai ia me hāngai atu tōku aro ki te Kaiwhakaora me te Whakamārietanga o te Kaiwhakaora. I kī mai ia he tamariki katoa tātou nā tētahi Matua i te Rangi aroha. Ahakoa ko wai ō tātou tūpuna i te ao nei, ka tuku pūrongo katoa tātou ki te Kaiwhakaora e pā ana ki tā tātou kaha ki te pupuri i Ana whakahaunga.
I kōrero tōku koroua mō te Kaiwhakaora anō nei ko te “Kaitiaki o te Tomokanga,” he whakaaro ki 2 Nīwhai 9:41. I kōrero mai ia e pā ana ki tana tūmanako kua oti pai i a ia tana rīpenetā e tika ai tana whiwhi ki te aroha o te Kaiwhakaora.
I pā pū tērā ki tōku ngākau. I mōhio au he tangata tika ia. He peteriaka ia, ā, kua oti i a ia ngā mīhana maha. Nāna au i whakaako kua kore tētahi e hoki atu ai ki te Atua i runga i ngā mahinga pai anake, engari mā te taonga nui o te Whakamārietanga o te Kaiwhakaora. E maumahara tonu ana au ki te aroha nui me te whakawhetai nui o tōku koroua mō te Kaiwhakaora me Tōna Whakamārietanga.
I te tau 2019 i tētahi karangatanga ki Hiruhārama, i peka atu au ki tētahi ruma whakarunga e pātata pea ana ki te wāhi i horoi te Kaiwhakaora i ngā waewae o Ana Āpōtoro i mua i Tōna Rīpekatanga. I pā mai ki tōku wairua, ā, ka whakaaro ake mō Tana whakahau i Ana Āpōtoro kia aroha tētahi ki tētahi.
I huri anō ōku whakaaro ki te Karakia Wawao o te Kaiwhakaora i inoi ake ai mō tātou. I tū tēnei karakia pū anō i ngā hāora whakamutunga o Tōna oranga i te ao kikokiko pērā i ngā tuhinga i te Rongopai a Hoani.
I hāngai atu tēnei karakia ki ngā kaiaru a te Karaiti, tae atu ana ki a tātou katoa. I tā te Kaiwhakaora petihana ki Tōna Matua, ka inoi Ia “kia kotahi mai te katoa; pērā i a koe, e te Matua, i roto i ahau, me au i roto i a koe, kia kotahi anō mai rātou i roto i a tāua.” Ka haere tonu te Kaiwhakaora, “Kua hoatu e au ki a rātou te korōria i homai nei e koe ki ahau; kia kotahi mai rātou, kia kotahi ai pērā i a tāua.” Ko tekotahitanga tā te Karaiti i inoi ai i mua i te whakangārahutanga me Tana Rīpekatanga. Ka taea te rapu i te kotahitanga ki te Karaiti rāua ko tō tātou Matua i te Rangi mā roto i te Whakamārietanga o te Kaiwhakaora.
Kāore te aroha o te Ariki e hāngai ana ki te whakapapa, te mātauranga, te rahinga pūtea, te iwi rānei. E hāngai ana ki te kotahitanga ki a te Karaiti me Ana whakahaunga.
I whiwhi te Poropiti a Hōhepa Mete rāua ko Ōriwa Kautere i tētahi whakakitenga e pā ana ki te whakaritenga o te Hāhi me tōna whakahaeretanga i te tau 1830, ka whakapūmauhia te Hāhi nō muri tata iho. I pānuitia te mea e mōhiotia ana ināianei ko wāhanga 20 e te Poropiti a Hōhepa Mete i te huinga whānui o te Hāhi tuatahi, ā, koia te whakakitenga tuatahi i whakaaehia e te reo whānui.
He mea mīharo te ngako o tēnei whakakitenga. E whakaako ana tēnā i a tātou e pā ana ki te hiranga o tā te Kaiwhakaora mahi me pēhea hoki e toro atu ki Tōna mana me Ana manaakitanga mā roto i Tana aroha whakamārie. E 24 tau te pakeke o te Poropiti Hōhepa, ā, kua whiwhi kē ia i ngā whakakitenga maha, ā, kua oti hoki te whakapākehā i te Pukapuka a Moromona i runga i te takoha me te mana o te Atua. Ka whakapono whānuitia a Hōhepa rāua ko Ōriwa hei Āpōtoro kua whakamanahia, pēnei i a rāua te mana whakahaere i runga i te Hāhi.
Kei roto i ngāwhiti 17 tae noa atu ki 36 tētahi whakarāpopoto mō ngā whakaakoranga whakahirahira o te Hāhi, tae atu ana ki te tūturutanga o te Atua, te hanganga o te tangata, te Takanga, me te mahere whakaora o te Matua i te Rangi mā roto i te Whakamārietanga o Ihu Karaiti. Keiwhiti 37 ngā haepapa whakahirahira mō te rumakitanga ki roto i te Hāhi o te Ariki. Kei ngāwhiti 75 tae noa atu ki 79 ka whakatakotoria iho ngā karakia hākarameta e meatia ai i te Hāpati.
Ko te whakaakoranga, ngā tikanga, ngā hākarameta me ngā meatanga kua whakapūmautia e te Ariki mā roto i a Hōhepa Mete, te Poropiti o te Whakahokinga, arā, he mea nui.
Ko ngā haepapa mō te rumaki, ahakoa he mana nui, he ngāwari. Ko te mea nui ko te whakaiti i mua i te Atua, he ngākau marū me te wairua iro, e rīpenetā ana i ngā hara katoa, e tangohia ake ki runga i a tātou te ingoa o Ihu Karaiti, e ū ana ki te mutunga, ā, e whakaatu ana mā ā tātou mahi kua whiwhi i te Wairua o te Karaiti.
He mea motuhake te āhua o ngā arapiki mō te rumakitanga, he mea wairua katoa. Kāore he tikanga o te pūtea o te rangatiratanga rānei. He ōrite ngā haepapa ā-wairua mō te hunga whairawa me te hunga rawakore.
Kāore he haepapa ā-iwi, ā-tāne, ā-wahine, ā-whakapapa rānei. Nā te Pukapuka a Moromona e mārakerake ai te kite atu kua pōhiritia te katoa ki te kai i te painga o te Ariki, “mangumangu mai, kiritea mai, herehere mai, herekore mai, tāne mai, wahine mai; … he ōrite te katoa ki te Atua.” “He ōrite te tikanga mō ngā tāngata katoa tētahi i tētahi, ā, kāore i whakakorea atu tētahi.”
Kāore he tikanga o te whakanui i ō tātou rerekētanga i te mea he “ōrite” i mua i te Atua. Kua hē tā ētahi akiaki ki a tātou kia “whakaarohia te tangata hei mea tino rerekē noa i a tātou, ā, tētahi i tētahi anō hoki ahakoa kāore i te pērā. Ka tirohia e [ētahi] ngā rerekē iti noa kātahi ka whakanuia hei tawhā.”
Hei āpiti, kua whakapae hē ētahi, nā, i te mea kua pōhiritia ngā tāngata katoa kia whiwhi i Tana painga me te oranga tonutanga, kāore he mahi tika e hāngai ai ki ngā haepapa.
Heoi anō, e kīa ana e ngā karaipiture, nā, e tika ana mā ngā tāngata e taea ana te hara ki te rīpenetā i ngā hara me te pupuri i Ana whakahaunga. Ka māmā te kite atu, nā, kei te katoa te mana kōwhiringa, ā, “e wātea ana ki te kōwhiri i te herekoretanga me te oranga tonutanga, mā roto i te Kaitakawaenga nui o ngā tāngata katoa, … me te whakarongo ki ana whakahaunga nui; ā, kia pono ki ana kupu, me te kōwhiri i te oranga tonutanga.” Me tino whakamahia e tātou tō tātou mana kōwhiringa ki te kōwhiri i te Karaiti me te ngohengohe ki Ana whakahaunga kia whiwhi ai i ngā manaakitanga o te Whakamārietanga o te Kaiwhakaora.
I tōku oranga, kua tino tautohetohea te tikanga o te “mana kōwhiringa” me te “mana tikanga”. I maha ngā tautohetohenga i mua, ināia tonu nei mō ēnei kaupapa.
I te uhi o tētahi pukapuka whare wānanga, i kī ake tētahi ahorangi kaimātai koiora rongonui, “Kāore e whai wāhi ana mō te mana tikanga.” Ehara i te mea he ohorere, kua tīkina ngā kupu a taua ahorangi e mea ana, “Kāore kau he Atua, … ā, kāore kau he mana tikanga, … ā, he ao tukupū nui, kāore he mea o roto.” Kei te hē rawa atu tērā kōrero.
Ko tētahi o ngā whakaakoranga tūāpapa o tō tātou whakapono, koia, kei a tātou te mana kōwhiringa, tae atu ana ki te mana tikanga. Ko te mana kōwhiri te mana ki te kōwhiri me te mahi. He mea matua mō te mahere whakaoranga. Me i kore te mana kōwhiringa, kua kore e taea te ako, te kaneke whakamua, te kōwhiri rānei kia kotahi ki te Karaiti. Nā te mana kōwhiringa, kua “wātea ki te kōwhiri i te herekoretanga me te oranga tonutanga.” I te huinga Kaunihera i te Rangi i mua i tēnei ao, he wāhi te mana kōwhiringa nō te mahere o te Matua. I haututū a Rutiwha, ā, “ka whai kia murua atu te mana kōwhiringa o te tangata.” Waihoki, kua whakaparahakotia kia riro i a Hātana rātou ko te hunga aruaru i a ia tētahi tinana kikokiko.
I whakamahia e ērā atu wairua tō rātou mana kōwhiringa ki te whai atu i te mahere o te Matua i te Rangi. Ka manaakitia aua wairua i whānau mai ai ki tēnei ao ki te mana kōwhiringa. Kua wātea tātou ki te kōwhiri me te mahi, engari kāore i a tātou te tikanga ki ngā utu. “Ka ahu atu ngā kōwhiringa o te pai, o te tika ki te koa, te rangimārie, me te oranga tonutanga, engari ka ahu atu ngā kōwhiringa o te hara me te kino ki te mamae o te ngākau me te pōuritanga.” Pērā i tā Arami, “Kua kore rawa te whakarihariha i te harikoa.”
I tēnei ao tino tauwhāwhainga, kua nui te whakaaro kia eke ki ngā taumata ikeike. He whainga pai rawa atu te pae tawhiti o te tika. E hāngai ana ki te whakaakoranga a te Ariki. He mea tauaro ki te whakaakoranga a te Ariki te whakaiti, te whakawehe rānei i te tangata. Tē taea te whakahē i ētahi atu mō tā tātou kōwhiri i ngā huarahi e tauaro ana ki ngā whakahaunga a te Atua.
I te ao i tēnei wā, he māmā te aro pū atu ki ngā rawa me ngā taumata tiketike o tō mahi. Ka kotiti atu ētahi i ngā tikanga mau tonu me ngā kōwhiringa mau tonu whai hiranga. He mea matatau te whai atu i ngā tohutohu a Tumuaki Russell M. Nelson kia “whakaaro Tikitiki o Rangihia.”
E taea ana ngā kōwhiringa nui rawa e te katoa ahakoa ngā pukenga, ngā āheinga, ngā huarahi e wātea ana, ngā āhuatanga rānei o ō rawa. Me whakanui tuatahi i ngā kōwhiringa e hāngai pū ana ki te oranga o te whānau. E māmā te kite atu i tēnei i roto i ngā karaipiture. Me huri ngā whakaaro ki te kōrero i 1 Nīwhai ki tā Rīhai “wehenga atu ki roto i te koraha. Ā, ka mahue tōna whare, ōna whenua tuku iho, me āna koura, me ana hiriwa, me āna mea utu nui, ā, kāore i haria e ia tētahi mea, hāunga ko tōna whānau.”
I a tātou e aro atu ana ki ngā uauatanga o te oranga, he nui ngā heipūtanga e tutū ake kāore ō tātou mana whakahaere hei karo atu. Ka rau atu ngā uaua o te hauora me ngā aituā ki tēnei kete. He nui ngā pānga o te mate Kōwheori inātata nei ki ngā tāngata i ū ai ki te tika. Mō ngā kōwhiringa nui rawa ake, kei ā tātou te mana. Kia hoki ake ki ngā rā mihingare, nā Erata Marion D. Hanks, tō mātou tumuaki mīhana, i mea kia maumahara katoa mātou ki tētahi wāhi o te ruri a Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
Kia aro ki ngā take tikanga, whanonga, aronga whakapono, me te oranga tika, kei a tātou te mana. Ko tō tātou whakapono, me tā tātou koropiko i te Atua te Matua rāua ko Tana Tama, a Ihu Karaiti, koia tētahi kōwhiringa e taea ai e tātou.
Kia mārama mai rā kāore au i te totohe atu kia whakaaro iti ki te mātauranga, ki te mahi rānei. Ko tāku kē, ina whakatiketikehia ake ngā mahi mātauranga me ngā mahi ake i runga ake i te whānau, i runga ake rānei i te kotahitanga me te Karaiti, ka rerekē rawa atu ōna utu.
He mea kaha te whakaakoranga ngāwari kua whakatakotoria iho i Whakaakoranga me ngā Kawenata 20, ā, nā te mea ka whakanuia, ā, ka whakamāramahia ngā tikanga wairua e tapu ana. E whakaakona ana, nā, e ahu mai ana te whakaoranga i tā Ihu Karaiti whakatika, whakatapu i ngā wairua rīpenetā nā te aroha o te Kaiwhakaora. Ka whakaritea te atamira mō te mahi nui whakaharahara o Tana Whakamārietanga.
Me kaha tō mai i ētahi atu ki roto ki ō tātou porohita o te kotahitanga. Mēnā ka whai tātou i tā Tumuaki Russell M. Nelson kōrero akiaki kia whakahuihuia a Iharāira i ngā taha e rua o te ārai, me kukume i ētahi atu ki roto i tō tātou porowhita o te kotahitanga. Pērā i tā Tumuaki Nelson i whakaako ātaahua ai: “Hei runga i ngā whenua katoa, ā, puta noa atu ana ki ngā moutere o te moana, e whakahuihuia ana ngā tāngata e ū pono ana ki roto i Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti o te Hunga Tapu i ngā Rā o Muri Nei. Ka memeha atu te hiranga o ngā rerekē ā-ahurea, ā-reo, ā-ira, ā-whakapapa, ā-iwi hoki i te hunga pono e uru atu ana ki runga i te ara kawenata, ā, e haere mai ai ki tō tātou Kaihoko e arohaina ana.”
Kua whakakotahitia tātou e tō tātou aroha me tō tātou whakapono i a Ihu Karaiti i te mea he tamariki tātou nā tētahi Matua i te Rangi. Ko te ngako o te piringa tahitanga tūturu ko te kotahitanga me te Karaiti. Ka whakakotahitia tātou e ngā tikanga tapu o te rumakitanga me te hākarameta kua whakatakotoria iho i te Whakaakoranga me ngā Kawenata 20, ērā tahi me ō tātou kawenata temepara i runga i ngā āhuatanga motuhake, ā, mā konā taea ai tātou hei mea kotahi i ngā āhuatanga hirahira mau tonu katoa kia noho tahi ai i runga i te rangimārie me te maungārongo.
Kei te whakaatu atu au i tōku whakaaturanga tūturu, nā, e ora ana a Ihu Karaiti, ā, nā Tōna Whakamārietanga, e taea ana tātou kia kotahi ai me te Karaiti. I runga i te ingoa tapu o Ihu Karaiti, āmine.