Kamap Wan wantaim Krais

Elda Quentin L. Cook i givim

Bilong Kwarum bilong ol Twelpela Aposel

Yumi yunait bikos long lav na feit long Jisas Krais na Atonmen bilong Em. Yumi bilong Krais taim yumi kamap wan wantam Em.

Mi pilim strong long Atonmen bilong Jisas Krais taim mi bin yangpela, tasol trutru Atonmen bilong Seivia i kamap klia long mi taim mi 25. Mi graduet long Stanford Lo Skul na mi wok long stadi long California ba eksem. Mama bilong mi ringim mi na tok bubuman bilong mi Crozier Kimball, long Utah, bai dai. Em tok sapos mi laik lukim em, mi mas kam nau. Bubu man bilong mi i bin 86 na i sik nogut tru. Mi bin gat naispela visit. Em bin amamas long lukim mi na serim testimoni wantaim mi.

Taim Crozier bin 3pela yias, papa bilong em, David Patten Kimball, bin dai taim em i 44 yias. Crozier bin hop olsem papa bilong em na bubu man bilong em, Heber C. Kimball, bai wanbel long laip bilong em na pilim em i nap long kisim ol heritij bilong em.

Nambawan kaunsel bilong bubu man bilong mi bin long abrusim ol tingting bilong entaitelmen o privilis bikos long ol dispela feitful tumbuna. Em tokim mi long fokas long Seivia na Atonmen bilong Seivia. Em i tok yumi olgeta pikinini bilong Papa long Heven. Maski husat ol tumbuna bilong yumi, yumi wanwan bai ripot long Seivia long hau yumi kipim ol komanmen bilong em.

Bubu man i tok Seivia em i “Wasman bilong Geit,” wanpela referens long 2 Nifai 9:41. Em tokim mi em i hop em bin tanim bel gut inap long kisim marimari bilong Seivia.

Mi pilim long bel. Mi save em bin wanpela stretpela man. Em bin wanpela patriak na sevim sampela misin. Em tisim mi nogat wanpela bai go bek long God wantaim ol gutpela wok tasol na i no Atonmen bilong Seivia. Mi ken tingim nau dispela bikpela lav na tenkyu Bubu man i gat long Seivia na Atonmen bilong Em.

Long 2019 long wanpela asainmen long Jerusalem, Mi visitim wanpela rum antap klostu long hap we Seivia i bin wasim ol lek bilong ol Aposel pastaim long Em i dai long Diwai Kros. Mi bin pilim spirit na tingting hau Em i komandim ol Aposel bilong Em long lavim wanpela narapela.

Mi tingim bek prea bilong Seivia Em i wokim bilong yumi. Dispela prea bin kamap long ol las aua bilong motal laip bilong em olsem i stap long Gospel bilong John.

Dispela prea em bilong olgeta lain i bihainim Krais, wantaim yumi olgeta. Long petisin bilong Seivia long Papa bilong Em, Em i plid “olsem ol bai wan; olsem yu, Papa, i stap long mi, na Mi long yu, bai ol tu wan insait long yumi.” Bihain Seivia i tok, “Na dispela glori we yu givim mi Mi givim long ol bai ol kamap wan, olsem yumi i wan.” Long kamap wan em wanem Krais i bin pre long en pastaim long ol i bitreim Em na ol i Krusifaim Em. Kamap wan wantaim Krais na Papa bilong yumi long Heven i ken kam thru long Atonmen bilong Seivia.

Marimari bilong Bikpela long seivim yumi i no stap long wanem kain lain yu kam long en, edukesen, hamas moni yu gat, o wanem kain skin kala. Em i beis long pasin bilong kamap wan wantaim Krais na ol komanmen bilong Em.

Profet Joseph Smith na Oliver Cowdery i kisim revelesen long oganaisim Sios na gavman long 1830, i no long taim bihain long Sios i bin oganais. Wanem i nau stap olsem seksen 20 em Profet Joseph i bin ritim long nambawan konferens bilong Sios na em i bin nambawan revelesen i gat tok orait bilong olgeta.

Ol samting insait long dispela revelesen i narakain tru. Em i tisim yumi long bikpela wok bilong Atonmen bilong Seivia na hau long kisim pawa na blesing long marimari bilong Em. Profet Joseph bin 24 yias na i bin kisim pinis ol sampela revelesen na pinisim tanim tok bilong Buk Momon wantaim pawa bilong God. Joseph na Oliver bin kamap odein Aposel olsem ol Aposel, na gat atoriti long prisaid long Sios.

Ol ves 17 i go long 36 i gat samari bilong ol bikpela Sios doktrin, wantaim trupela tok olsem God i stap, Kamap bilong man, Pundaun, na plen bilong salvesen bilong Papa long Heven thru long Atonmen bilong Jisas Krais. Ves 37 i gat ol impoten rikwaiamen bilong baptisim insait long Sios bilong Bikpela. Veses 75 i go long 79 i gat ol sakramen prea yumi save yusim olgeta Sabath.

Ol doktrin, prinsipel, sakramen, na ol pasin Bikpela i kamapim thru Joseph Smith, Profet bilong Restoresen, i kamap na stap yet.

Ol rikwaiamen bilong baptisim i strong, tasol i isi tu. Ol i nidim daun pasin long ai bilong God, bel i bruk na sore, tanim bel long olgeta sin, kisim nem bilong Jisas Krais, stap strong i go long pinis, na soim long wok bilong yumi olsem yumi gat Spirit bilong Krais.

Em i impoten olsem olgeta wok bilong kisim baptisim i gat gutpela spirit. I nogat nid bilong gat moni o biknem. Ol tarangu na moni lain i gat wankain rikwaiamen bilong spirit.

I nogat rikwaiamen bilong wanem kain man, meri o wanem kain pipol. Buk Momon i mekim klia olsem olgeta i gat invait long kisim gutpela bilong Bikpela, “blek na wait, kalabus na fri, man na meri; … olgeta i wankain long God.” Bikpela i tokaut, “Olgeta man i gat rait olsem wanpela narapela, na nogat wanpela i tambu.”

Yumi “luk olsem” God, i nogat nid long strongim ol samting i narakain long yumi. Sampela i rong na tokim yumi “long tingim olsem yumi narakain tumas long wanpela narapela. [Sampela] save kisim ol trupela tasol liklik ol samting i narakain, na mekim bikpela tru.”

Moa yet, sampela i gat ol rong tingting olsem bikos olgeta pipol i gat sans long kisim gutpela bilong Em na laip oltaim, i nogat ol rikwaiamen long bihainim.

Tasol, ol skripsa i tok strong olsem olgeta man i gat wok na mas tanim bel na kipim ol komanmen bilong Em. Bikpela i mekim klia olsem olgeta i gat moral ejensi na “i fri long susim libeti na laip oltaim, thru long bikpela namel man bilong olgeta man, … na harim long ol bikpela komanmen, na bai feitful long ol tok, na susim laip oltaim.” Long kisim ol blesing bilong Atonmen bilong Seivia, yumi mas strong na eksasaisim moral ejensi bilong yumi na susim Krais na bihainim ol komanmen bilong Em.

Long laip bilong mi, dispela mining bilong “ejensi” na ”laik bilong wanwan” ol save brukim na toktok long en. I save gat ol planti kain kain save lain toktok long ol dispela topik.

Long wanpela kava bilong wanpela alumnai pablikesen bilong wanpela bikpela yunivesiti, wanpela prominen baioloji-profesa i bin tok, “I nogat rum bilong laik bilong wanwan.” I no samting bilong kirap nogut, profesa i tok insait long atikel olsem, “I nogat wanpela samting olsem God, … na i nogat laik bilong wanwan, na dispela em i bikpela, empti yunives.” Mi no nap tru long wanbel wantaim dispela.

Nambawan doktrin bilong feit bilong yumi em yumi gat ejensi, dispela em laik bilong yumi wanwan. Ejensi em i save bilong sus na ekt. Em i impoten long plen bilong salvesen. Nogat ejensi, yumi no inap long lainim, progres, o sus long kamap wan wantaim Krais. Bikos long ejensi, yumi “fri long susim fridom na laip oltaim.” Long primotol kaunsil long heven, plen bilong Papa i bin gat ejensi olsem impoten samting i mas stap. Lusifa i bin kros na “painim wei long bagarapim ejensi bilong ol man.” Olsem na, Satan na ol lain i bihainim em i nogat wei long kisim motol bodi.

Ol narapela spirit i bin eksasaisim fri ejensi bilong ol long bihainim plen bilong Papa long Heven. Ol spirit i bon i kam daun long ples graun i ken gat ejensi. Yumi fri long sus na ekt, tasol yumi nogat kontrol long wanem ol samting bai kamap bihain. “Ol gutpela na stretpela sois bai kamapim amamas, bel isi na laip oltaim na ol nogut sois bai kamapim bel hevi na sore.” Olsem Alma i tok, “Pasin nogut i no amamas.”

Long dispela wok yumi stap, i gat ol wok bilong kamap na mekim gut. Traim hat long kamap gutpela na stretpela em i gutpela samting. Em i go wantaim doktrin bilong Bikpela. Ol wok bilong daunim ol narapela o kamapim ol banis long gutpela wok bilong ol i no doktrin bilong Bikpela. Yumi no inap sutim tok long ol narapela taim yumi i no bihainim komanmen bilong God.

Long wol tede, em i isi long putim tingting long ol matiriel samting na ol gutpela wok. Sampela bai lus tingting long ol prinsipel na ol sois i gat laip oltaim. Yumi mas bihainim kaunsel bilong Presiden Russell M. Nelson long “tingim selesol laip.”

Ol dispela impoten sois em olgeta bai mekim maski wanem kain talen, wok, save o mani yu gat. Putim famili pas em i bikpela na impoten sois. Dispela em i klia long olgeta skripsa. Tingting long ol stori insait long 1 Nifai we Lihai i “go insait long wildanes. Na em i lusim haus, na graun bilong em i gat ol samting bilong em, gol, silva, na ol gutpela samting, na ino kisim wanpela samting wantaim em, famili bilong em tasol.”

Taim ol nogut samting i kamap long laip, planti samting yumi nogat kontrol long ol. Kain olsem ol helt salens na ol aksiden. COVID-19 pandemik i bin bagarapim tru ol pipol husat i mekim ol rait samting. Long ol impoten sois, yumi nogat kontrol. Taim mi stap long misin, Elda Marion D. Hanks, mision presiden, i mekim mipela olgeta i memoraisim wanpela hap poem bilong Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

I nogat sans, i nogat destini, i nogat rot bilong laip,

I ken raunim o stopim o kontrolim

Strongpela laik bilong wanpela sol.

Long ol samting bilong prinsipel, kondak, luksave long rilijin, na stretpela pasin, yumi stap long kontrol. Feit bilong yumi na lotu long God Papa na Pikinini man bilong Em Jisas Krais, em i sois yumi save mekim.

Plis luksave olsem mi no toktok strong long noken gat interes long edukesen o kisim wok. Wanem mi tok em olsem taim ol wok bilong edukesen na painim wok i kamap moa impoten long famili o kamap wan wantaim Krais, ol samting yumi no inap lukim bai ken bagarapim ol wol.

Dispela klia na isi doktrin i stap long Doktrin na Kavanen 20 em i strongpela bikos em i mekim klia tru ol sekred spiritual tingting. Em i tisim olsem salvesen i kam taim Jisas Krais i mekim holi ol sol i tanim bel bikos long grasia bilong Seivia. Em i redim ol wok bilong Atonmen bilong Em.

Yumi mas traim long kisim ol narapela long sekol bilong yumi i stap wan. Sapos yumi bihainim strongpela toktok bilong Presiden Russell M. Nelson long bungim Israel long tupela sait bilong veil, yumi mas kisim ol narapela kam insait long sekol bilong yumi. Olsem Presiden Nelson i tis: “Long olgeta graun na ol ailan long ol bik solwara, ol feitful pipol wok long bung kam insait long Sios bilong Jisas Krais bilong ol Seint long Las-de. Kalsa i narakain, tokples, man o meri, wanem kain ples i no impoten taim ol feitful i kam insait long rot bilong kavanen i kam long Ridima bilong yumi.”

Yumi yunait bikos long lav na feit long Jisas Krais olsem ol pikinini bilong Papa long Heven i laikim yumi tumas. Trupela tingting bilong yu kam we em bilong kamap wan wantaim Krais. Ol odinens bilong baptisim na sakramen long Doktrin na ol Kavanen 20, wantaim ol temple kavanen bilong yumi i yunaitim yumi long spesel wei na larim yumi kamap wan long dispela bikpela wei na stap long bel isi na gutpela sindaun.

Mi berim dispela strongpela witnes olsem Jisas Krais i stap, na bikos long Atonmen bilong Em, yumi ken kamap wan wantaim Krais Long sekret nem bilong Jisas Krais, amen.

Ol nout

1. David, i gat krismas 17, i helpim ol sampela Seint long krosim wara i pulap long ais long Sweetwater Wara taim ol i bin pas antap long ol plein bilong Wyoming (lukim Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Daysvolume 2, No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–18932020], 237).

2. Lukim Moronai 7:27–28.

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

4. Lukim John 17:20.

5. John 17:21–22.

6. See “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. See 2 Nephi 2:7.

9. See Doctrine and 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 took this position (see Alma 1:4).

14. Lukim Doktrin na ol Kavanen 29:49–50.

15. 2 Nephi 2:27–28

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

17. Sam Scott, “As If You Had a Choice,” Stanford Alumni Publication, Dec. 2023, cover 44. The article identifies the professor as Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery, and a bestselling author of science books. The article contains opposing views including 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.”

18. See D. Todd Christofferson, “Moral Agency” (Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 31, 2006).

19. Lukim Doktrin na ol Kavanen 58:27.

20. 2 Nifai 2:27

21. Moses 4:3.

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

23. Alma 41:10.

24. See Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!LiahonaNov. 2023, 117–20.

25. 1 Nifai 2:4

26. Poetical works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox1917), 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. Lukim Doktrin na ol Kavanen 58:27 Calvinism theology emphasized justification and sanctification of fallen souls through the grace of Jesus Christ. It taught that once God had predestined a soul for salvation, nothing could change the outcome. Doktrin na ol Kavanen 20 mekim wanpela klin breik wantaim Calvinism. Em i rit, “I gat sans olsem man bai pundaun long grasia na lusim stap bilong em wantaim God” (lukim Doktrin na ol Kavanen 20:32–34lukim tu Harper, Mekin Sens long Doktrin na ol Kavanen74).

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