Ko ngā Kawenata me ngā Haepapa
E mōhiotia ana Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti hei hāhi whakanui i te meatanga o ngā kawenata ki te Atua.
“He aha te rerekē o tō hāhi i ētahi atu?” Kua āhua rerekē taku whakautu ki tēnei pātai i ahau e pakeke haere ana, ā, i te Hāhi e tupu ana. I te wā i whānau mai ai au i Ūtā i te tau 1932, kua āhua tata te mematanga o te Hāhi ki te 700,000, ko te nuinga kei Ūtā me ngā whenua e pātata ana. I taua wā, kua 7 noa iho ngā temepara. I tēnei rā, neke noa atu i te 17 miriona te mematanga o Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti o te Hunga Tapu i ngā Rā o Muri Nei i roto i ngā whenua 170. Tae mai ana ki tēnei te 1 o Āperira, kua neke atu i te 189 ngā temepara kua whakatapua nei i ngā whenua maha , ā, kua whakaritea ngā mea 146 kia hangaia ake ai a muri ake nei. E rongo ana au i te kukume o te ngākau kia kōrero e pā ana ki te pūtake o ēnei temepara, me te hītori me te mahi o ngā kawenata i roto i tō tātou koropiko. Mā konei kīnaki ai ērā atu o ngā whakaakoranga o ngā kaikōrero i mua.
I.
Ko te kawenata tētahi oati kia ū ki te whakatutuki i ētahi momo haepapa. He mea nui ngā oati takitahi kia ū mō te whakahaeretanga i ō tātou ake oranga me te oranga o tō tātou noho tahitanga. Kei te werohia tēnei whakaaro ināia tonu nei. E whakahē ana tētahi rōpu reo kaha i te mana huihuinga tāngata, ā, e kīa ana e rātou me herekore te tangata i ngā here katoa e raru nei i ō rātou ake herekoretanga. Heoi, e mōhio ana tātou nō ngā āhuatanga o mua noa atu, nā, ka riro atu te tangata ētahi herekoretanga kia whai ai i ētahi atu painga e haere ngātahi ana i te noho i roto i ngā hapori. E hāngai ana ēnei momo āhuatanga ki ngā herekoretanga takitahi ki ngā oati kia ū, ki ngā kawenata rānei, ngā mea e kōrerotia ai, e māramahia ai rānei.
Anei ētahi tauira mō ngā haepapa kawenata i ō tātou huihuinga tāngata: (1) kaiwhakawā, (2) tauā, (3) kaimahi hauora, me ngā (4) kaipatu ahi. Ka meatia ēnei kaimahi katoa i tētahi oati kia ū—i te nuinga o te wā ka whakamanahia ki te oati, ki te kawenata rānei—kia meatia ō rātou haepapa. E pērā ana anō mō ō tātou mihingare. Ka whakamaua ngā tohu ingoa e kite ai kei raro ēnei tāngata i tētahi kawenata, nō reira he haepapa tō tēnā ki te whakaako me te mahi, ā, me tautoko tērā i tana mahi. Ko tētahi pūtake e hāngaia tonu ana anō arā, ko te whakamahara i ngā tangata e mau ana ki ō rātou haepapa. Kāore he mana hautipua i roto i ō rātou kākahu, ō rātou tohu rānei, he whakamaharatanga noa iho mō ō rātou haepapa motuhake kua whakamaua e rātou. E pono ana anō tēnei mō ngā tohu e pā ana ki ngā ringi mārena me tana whakamōhio atu ki ngā tāngata kē atu, e whakamahara ana rānei i te kaimau ki ōna haepapa kawenata.
II.
Ko tāku e pā ana ki ngā kawenata hei tūāpapa mō te whakahaeretanga i ō tātou ake oranga, nā, e hāngai ana tēnei ki ngā kawenata whakapono. Ko ngā kawenata te tūāpapa, te hītori hoki o ngā hononga whakapono me ngā herenga. Hei tauira, ko te kawenata Aperahama te tūāpapa nui mō ngā whakarerenga iho whakapono maha. E kawe mai ana i te whakaaro tapu mō ngā taurangi kawenata a te Atua ki Ana tamariki. E kaha aro ana te Kawenata Tawhito ki te kawenata a te Atua ki a Aperahama rātou ko ōna uri.
Ko te wāhanga tuatahi o te Pukapuka a Moromona, kua tuhia nei i te wā o te Kawenata Tawhito, e tino whakatauira ana i te mahi o ngā kawenata i roto i ngā hītori me te koropiko o Iharaira. I kīa atu ki a Nīwhai, nā, ko ngā tuhinga Iharaira o taua wā “tētahi tuhinga mō ngā Hūrai, e mau nei ngā kawenata o te Ariki, kua meatia e ia ki te whare o Iharaira.” He rite tonu ngā pukapuka a Nīwhai ki te aro atu ki te kawenata Aperahama ki a Iharaira hoki hei “iwi kawenata nō te Ariki.” Kua tuhia anō hoki e pā ana ki te tikanga o te kawenata ki te Atua, ki ngā rangatira whakapono rānei i roto i te Pukapuka a Moromona, arā, ngā tuhinga mō Nīwhai, mō Hōhepa i Īhipa, mō Kīngi Peniamine, mō Arami, ā, mō Kāpene Moronai.
lll.
I te taenga mai o te wā mō te Whakahokinga o te raneatanga o te rongopai a Ihu Karaiti, i karangatia tētahi poropiti e te Atua, arā, ko Hōhepa Mete. Kāore tātou e tino mōhio ana ki te roanga atu o tā te anahera Moronai tohutohu tōmua ki te poropiti taitama. E mōhio ana tātou, nā, “he mahi tā te Atua hei mahi [māna]” me whakaputa mai hoki te “raneatanga o te Rongopai mau tonu” tae atu ana ki “ngā whakaari i meatia nei ki ngā tūpuna.” E mōhio ana anō hoki tātou ko ngā karaipiture i kaha pānuitia ai e Hōhepa—i mua noa atu i tana whakahau kia whakaritea ai te hāhi—ko ērā ngā whakaakoranga mō ngā kawenata i te whakapākehātia i roto i te Pukapuka a Moromona. Ko taua pukapuka te puna matua mō te Whakahokinga i te raneatanga o te rongopai, tae atu ana ki te mahere o te Atua mō Ana tamariki, ā, kua kī katoa te Pukapuka a Moromona ki ngā aronga ki ngā kawenata.
I te mea kua kaha pānui a Hōhepa i te Paipera, kāore e kore kua mōhio ia ki tā te pukapuka a ngā Hīperu aro atu ki te hiahia o te Kaiwhakaora kia “meatia tētahi kawenata ki te whare o Iharaira, me te whare o Hura.” Kei roto i ngā Hīperu e whakahāngaitia atu a Ihu Karaiti anō ko “te kaiwawao o te kawenata hou.” He mea motuhake, kua huaina te tuhinga mō te minitatanga a te Kaiwhakaora i te kikokiko ko “The New Testament,” he kupu taurite mō “The New Covenant.”
he mea nui ngā kawenata i roto i te Whakahokinga o te rongopai. ka tino kitea tēnei i ngā āhuatanga tōmua rawa i tohua mai nei te Poropiti e te Ariki i te whakapūmautanga o Tana Hāhi. I te wā tonu i tāngia te Pukapuka a Moromona, i tohua e te Ariki te whakahokinga o Tana Hāhi, e huaina ake nō muri tata iho ko Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti o te Hunga Tapu i ngā Rā o Muri Nei. E tohua ana te tangata e te whakakitenga i tuhia iho i te Āperira o 1830, nā, “ka whakawhiwhia mā te rumakitanga ki roto ki tana hāhi” whai muri i tā rātou “whakaaturanga” (ko te tikanga ia, kia tino whakaatu pono atu) “kia tino rīpenetātia e rātou mō ō rātou hara katoa, ā, e hiahia ana ki te tango ki runga ki a rātou te ingoa o Ihu Karaiti, e mau ana ki tētahi whakaaro ū ki te mahi ki a ia tae noa atu ki te mutunga.”
E tohua ana anō e tēnei whakakitenga kia “hui putuputu ai te [Hāhi] ki te kai i te paraoa me te wāina [wai] hei whakamaharatanga mō te Ariki a Ihu.” E māmā te kite atu i te hiranga nui o tēnei tikanga tapu i roto i ngā kupu o ngā kawenata e hāngai ana ki te erata, ki te pirihi rānei e whakahaere ana. Māna te paraoa e whakapai mō “ngā wairua o te hunga katoa e kai ana … , e whakaatu atu … ki a koe, e te Atua, te Matua Ora Tonu, kia tangohia ki runga ki a rātou te ingoa o tāu Tama, ā, kia mahara tonu ki a ia, ā, kia pupuri i ana whakahaunga kua hoatu e ia ki a rātou.”
I whakaūngia te tino mahi a ngā kawenata i te Hāhi kātahi anō ka whakahokia mai i roto i te kupu whakataki i tukuna mai e te Ariki mō te tānga tuatahitanga o Ana whakakitenga. I reira whakapuakina ai e te Ariki, nā, kua karangatia e Ia a Hōhepa Mete nā te mea “kua kotiti atu [ngā tāngata o te whenua] i aku tikanga tapu, ā, kua whatia taku kawenata mau tonu.” E whakamāramahia whānuitia e tēnei whakakitenga, nā, e homai ana Ana whakahaunga “kia whakapūmauhia taku kawenata mau tonu.”
E mārama ana tātou i tēnei rā ki te mahi a ngā kawenata i te Hāhi kua whakahokia mai nei me te koropikotanga a ōna mema. I tukuna e Tumuaki Gordon B. Hinckley tētahi whakarāpopoto mō te hua o te rumakitanga, me tā tātou kai i te hākarameta i ia wiki: “Kua meatia e ngā mema katoa o tēnei Hāhi kua uru nei ki roto i ngā wai rumaki tētahi kawenata tapu. Hei ia wā e kai ai tātou i te hākarameta a te Ariki, ka whakahou i taua kawenata.”
Kua whakamaharatia tātou e ngā kaikōrero tokomaha i tēnei huinga whānui e pā ana ki tā Tumuaki Russell M. Nelson aro ki te mahere o te whakaoranga anō nei ko “ara kawenata” nā, “e ārahina ana tātou kia hoki atu ki te [Atua]”, ā, “e hāngai katoa ana ki tō tātou hononga ki te Atua.” E whakaako ana ia e pā ana ki te hiranga o ngā kawenata i roto i ngā tikanga whakahaere o te temepara, ā, e akiaki ana i a tātou kia tirohia te mutunga i te tīmatanga me te “whakaaro Tikitiki o Rangihia.”
IV.
E kōrero ana anō au ināianei mō ngā kawenata temepara. Hei tutukitanga i tana haepapa ki te whakahoki mai i te rongopai a Ihu Karaiti, i whakapau te Poropiti a Hōhepa Mete i ōna tau whakamutunga e whakahaere ana i te hanganga ake o tētahi temepara ki Nauvoo, Illinois. Mā roto i a ia whakakitea ake ai e te Ariki ngā akoranga, whakaakoranga me ngā kawenata tapu mō ana kaiwhakakapi hei whakahaere i roto i ngā temepara. I reira whakaakona ai te hunga kua whiwhi i ō rātou hoatutanga tapu e pā ana ki te mahere o te whakaoranga, ā, e tono ana anō kia meatia ngā kawenata tapu. Kua whakaaria ki te hunga ū pono ki aua kawenata te oranga tonutanga, i reira “he kaiwhiwhi ngā mea katoa” ā, “ka noho ki te aroaro o te Atua rāua ko te Karaiti mō āke tonu atu.”
I whakahaerehia ngā tikanga hoatutanga tapu i roto i te temepara o Nauvoo i mua tata i te peinga atu o aua paianea kia tīmataria tā rātou hīkoi rongonui ki ngā pae maunga i te Uru. Kei a tātou ngā whakaaturanga o ngā paianea e pā ana ki te mana i whiwhi ai rātou i tā rātou herenga ki te Karaiti i roto i ō rātou hoatutanga tapu i te Temepara o Nauvoo nā konā whakakahangia rātou kia taea ai taua haerenga mīharo me te whakapūmau i a rātou anō i te Uru.
Nō te hunga kua whiwhi i ō rātou hoatutanga tapu i tētahi temepara te haepapa kia mau i a rātou tētahi kāmana temepara, tētahi kākahu kāore e kitea ana nā te mea ka whakamaua ki raro i ngā kākahu. E whakamahara ana i ngā hunga kua whiwhi i ō rātou hoatutanga tapu ki ngā kawenata kua meatia nei e rātou me ōna manaakitanga kua whakaaria i tētahi temepara tapu. Kua tohua tātou kia mau tonu ngā kāmana temepara i ngā wā katoa, hāunga noa iho ana ngā wā e tika ana. I te mea kāore ngā kawenata e “whakatā mō te rā,” ka mārama te tangohanga atu a tētahi i ōna kāmana mō ngā haepapa kawenata me ngā manaakitanga e hāngai ana ki aua mea. Hei tauaro, ka whakaūngia e te hunga e ū pono ana ki te mau ō rātou kāmana i ngā wā katoa hei apataki nā te Ariki a Ihu Karaiti.
Kei te hangahanga temepara Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti o te Hunga Tapu i ngā Rā o Muri Nei huri noa i te ao. Ko te pūtake hei manaaki i ngā tamariki kawenata a te Atua ki te koropiko temepara me ngā haepapa tapu me ngā mana me ngā manaakitanga motuhake o te herenga ki a te Karaiti e whiwhi ai rātou i runga i te kawenata.
E mōhiotia ana Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti hei hāhi whakanui i te meatanga o ngā kawenata ki te Atua. Ka kitea ngā kawenata i roto i ngā tikanga tapu katoa o te whakaoranga me te whakateiteitanga e whakahaerehia ana e tēnei Hāhi kua whakahokia mai nei. He taumata te tikanga tapu o te rumakitanga me ōna kawenata me tutuki kia tomo atu ai ki roto i te kīngitanga o Tikitiki o Rangi. He taumata katoa ngā tikanga tapu me ōna kawenata temepara me tutuki kia whiwhi ai ki te whakateiteitanga i te kīngitanga o Tikitiki o Rangi, koia ko te oranga tonutanga, “te takoha nui rawa o ngā takoha katoa o te Atua.” Koinā te aronga o Te Hāhi o Ihu Karaiti o te Hunga Tapu i ngā Rā o Muri Nei.
E whakaatu ana ahau mō Ihu Karaiti, koia te upoko o taua Hāhi, ā, e karakia ana au kia tau iho Ōna manaakitanga ki runga i te hunga katoa e whai ana ki te pupuri i ō rātou kawenata tapu. I runga i te ingoa o Ihu Karaiti, āmine.