O Molimau o le Tusi a Mamona

O le lomiga muamua o le Tusi a Mamona o loo i ai molimau e lua: o le tasi na tusia e se vaega o molimau e toatolu ae o le isi na tusia e se vaega e toavalu. O molimau e toatolu (Oliva Kaotui, Tavita Uitimera, ma Matini Harisi) na folafola mai o se agelu a le Atua na faaali ia i latou ma faaali atu ia i latou papatusi o le Tusi a Mamona ma na latou faalogoina le siufofoga o le Alii ua tautino mai e faapea o le faaliliuga a Iosefa Samita na faataunuuina “e ala i le meaalofa ma le mana o le Atua.” O lenei aafiaga na tupu ia Iuni 1829 i talaane o le fale o Pita Uitimera le Matua i Feieti, Niu Ioka. O se isi faaopoopoga o molimau e toavalu (tagata o le aiga o Samita ma le aiga o Uitimera)¹ na folafola mai e faapea o Iosefa Samita lava ia na faaalia ia i latou papatusi ma faatagaina i latou taitoatasi ia “fetagofi” i le gaosiga anamua ma iloilo ona togitogiga. O nai isi tagata na oo foi i ni aafiaga tuusao ma papatusi pe na molimauina le faaliliuga a Iosefa Samita o le Tusi a Mamona.²

Ata a le tusiata o Moronae o loo faaali atu papatusi ia Oliva Kaotui, Tavita Uitimera, ma Iosefa Samita.

Isi Molimau o Papatusi

O tagata o le aiga o Samita na faamatalaina le fesoasoani atu ia Iosefa e aveese pe nana papatusi mai ona fili. Na tau mulimuli atu e le tuafafine laitiiti o Iosefa o Katarina i lona toalua na ia taumafai i se tasi taimi e aveese papatusi, o loo ufiufi i se ie, i le isi itu o le laulau, ae na matuai mamafa tele lava. Na manatua e le uso o Iosefa o Viliamu e faapea na vaai atu le aiga atoa o sii atu e Iosefa papatusi i se taga ma na oo lava ina latou lagonaina lo latou siepi i le tagotago atu i le ie. Na tau atu e le faletua o Iosefa o Ema i lana tama tama na ia lagonaina pito o papatusi ma tagotago i o latou laupepa, e ui lava na te lei vaai lava i papatusi. O le tuaoi o Lusi Maka Samita i Ohaio, o Sara Bradford Parker, na fesiligia Lusi i le taimi e uiga i le vaai i papatusi. E tusa ai ma le molimau a Parker, na tali mai Lusi “sa le tatau mo ia le vaai i ai ae na ia tagotago ma uuina i latou.”³ E faaopoopo atu i ai, o Tavita ma Ioane C. Uitimera na tuuina atu ni nai faatalanoaga i le va o le 1877 ma le 1888 lea na la folafola atu ai na faaali mai se agelu i lo la tina, o Maria Uitimera, ma faaali atu ia te ia papatusi.⁴

O Le Talitonuina o Molimau e Toatolu

Ao faamamafaina e le mau a Molimau e Toavalu le i ai tino lava o papatusi, na i ai i Molimau e Toatolu le tiutetauave faaopoopo ia molimau atu e faapea o lo latou aafiaga o ni molimau ma le faaliliuga lava ia na mafai ona faia e ala i le mana o le Atua. Na tuuina mai e se faaaliga ia Iuni 1829 ni faatonuga faapitoa i Molimau e Toatolu e faatatau i la latou molimau i papatusi. “Molimau atu na outou vaai i ai.” na poloai mai ai le Alii, “e pei lava ona vaai i ai la’u auauna o Iosefa Samita le Itiiti aua o lou mana na mafai ai ona ia vaai i ai.” Na faamatala atili mai e le faaaliga e faapea “o le a ala mai i lo outou faatuatua ona mafai ona outou vaai i ai.”⁵ Na faapena lava, na molimau mai Tavita Uitimera na ia vaai i papatusi “e ala mai i le meaalofa ma le mana o le Atua.”

I le 1838, na molimau mai ai se tagata o le Ekalesia ua le toe faaaogaina e igoa ia Stephen Burnett e faapea na faafitia e Matini Harisi lona vaai i papatusi “i ona mata faaletino.” I le ta’ua ai o le gagana o le faaaliga, na taua e Burnett e faapea ina ia vaai e ala i le mana o le Atua o lona uiga ua na o le pau le ala na vaai ai molimau i papatusi e ala lea “i faaaliga vaaia po o mafaufauga.” Na lagona e Harisi le tauseseina ma na vave lava ona taumafai e faamanino lana faamatalaga muamua. I le taumafai e tuu le aafiaga mamana i ni upu, na ia faapea ai, e tusa ai ma le molimau a Burnett, e faapea na ia vaai i papatusi e pei na ia “vaai i se aai e ala atu i se mauga.”⁶

O le toatele o Kerisiano i aso o Harisi na talitonu e lamatia tele pe le mafai foi ona molimau i mea faalelagi e faaaoga ai lagona faaletino. O lenei talitonuga na faamautu mai i tala o le Tusi Paia. Mo se faataitaiga, i le Feagaiga Tuai, o tagata Isaraelu na autilo i totonu o le atolaau o le feagaiga e aunoa ma le pule tatau na fasiotia. O le faatasi mai o le Atua na masani lava ona nana i tua o se veli po o se ao o le asu e pupuni ai mata o i latou e lei saunia faaleagaga.⁷ O se tasi o uluai faaaliga a Iosefa Samita na faamaonia ai lena lava vaega e faapea e le mafai e tagata ona vaai i le Atua i o latou “mata faaletino” e aunoa ma le fasiotia. Ae ui i lea, latou te mafaia, ona molimauina lona mamalu i “mata faaleagaga” pe a suia i latou pe “faavaveina e le agaga o le Atua.”⁸

Na mafaufau Matini Harisi i le aafiaga a molimau ma le agelu ma le faamaumauga anamua ua na o se feiloaiga ma le lagi e taitutusa lava ma faaaliga vaaia a Iosefa Samita. I le malamalama lelei i lapataiga maoae o tusitusiga paia, na masani ona ia saunoa i le le agavaa na ia lagonaina i le taimi na ia molimau ai i papatusi. I le aluga o tausaga, na ia faaaogaina ai le tele o fuaitau e faamatala ai lona aafiaga ofoofogia. Pe a uunaia malosi e le tele o tagata faatalanoa ia faamanino pe na ia vaai moni lava i papatusi, na ia saunoa atu na ia vaaia i latou i “mata faaleagaga,” ma faamamafa atu le tulaga ese ma le paia o le mea na tupu, ae faapea foi i ona lagona faaletino.⁹ “E pei lava o le moni o lo outou tutu mai iina ma vaai mai ia te au,” na ia tautino atu ai i se tasi taimi, “e faapena foi lou mautinoa na ou vaai i le agelu ma papatusi auro i lona lima.”¹⁰ Na faapena foi ona faamatalaina e Tavita Uitimera, ia le tulaga faaleagaga faapea ma le faaletino o le aafiaga o molimau. “E moni lava sa matou i ai i le agaga ao matou i ai i le molimauina o papatusi, aua e leai se tagata e mafai ona vaai i foliga o se agelu, sei vagana o se vaaiga faaleagaga,” na ia faamatala atu ai, ma faaopoopo atu, “ae sa matou i ai foi i le tino, ma o mea uma lava na avea o se mea masani ia i matou, e pei lava i soo se taimi.”¹¹

Ata vali o Matini Harisi na saunia e Lewis A. Ramsey.

O Molimau uma e Toatolu na tuuina soo mai molimau i la latou aafiaga o le molimau i faamatalaga lolomiina, faatalanoaga, ma talanoaga taitoatasi. E le o tala uma o molimau e tutusa le talitonuina o ni punaoa. O nisi o taunuuga o ni faatalanoaga a tagata na agaleaga i le mau a molimau. O isi na faamaumauina i le tele o tausaga po o le fiasefulu tausaga ina ua mavae le tuuina mai o le molimau. E ui o lipoti o a latou faamatalaga e eseese i nisi o faamatalaga, o loo tutusa i le tulaga lautele ma o loo piimau pea i faatonuga o le faaaliga.¹²

E ui i eseesega ma Iosefa Samita lea na taitai atu i le o eseese o Molimau e Toatolu taitoatasi i o latou lava ala mai le Ekalesia (na toe foi mai mulimuli ane Kaotui ma Harisi), na la faaauau pea ona faamaonia le la mau o ni molimau i o la olaga atoa.¹³ Na faapena ona toefaamaonia e Molimau e Toavalu taitoatasi lana molimau o le iloiloina o papatusi, e ui na iu lava ina o ese nisi mai le Ekalesia. O le aofai tuufaatasi o a latou faamatalaga e tele, na tuuina mai i le tele o tausaga ma e ui i o latou uiga faaalia fesuisuiai agai ia Iosefa Samita ma le Ekalesia, o se molimau mamana mautu o faamatalaga na latou lolomiina i le Tusi a Mamona.

Punaoa o le Ekalesia

Larry E. Morris, “The Experience of the Three Witnesses: DC 17,” i le Matthew McBride and James Goldberg, eds., Revelations in Context: The Stories behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016), 25–32.

Dallin H. Oaks, “The Witness: Martin Harris,” Ensign, May 1999, 35–37.

Robin Scott Jensen, “A Bit of Old String: Mary Whitmer’s Unheralded Contributions,” Treasures of the Collection series, Apr. 25, 2013, history.lds.org.

Talaaga o le Soifuaga

O lomiga nei o loo tuuina atu nisi faamatalaga e uiga i lenei autu. I le faasinoina po o le fesootaia o oe i nei punaoa, matou te le faamaonia pe faamautinoa atu le anomea po o manatu o tusitala.

Richard Lloyd Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981).

Autu e Fesootai: Book of Mormon Translation, Martin Harris’s Consultations with Scholars, Angel Moroni

Faamatalaga

1. “Appendix 4: Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829,” josephsmithpapers.org; “Appendix 5: Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Late June 1829,” josephsmithpapers.org. Tagai foi Joseph Smith, “History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834],” 24–26, josephsmithpapers.org. O molimau e toavalu o Kerisiano Uitimera, Iakopo Uitimera, Pita Uitimera Laitiiti., Ioane Uitimera, Hiram Page, Iosefa Samita Matua., Ailama Samita, ma Samuelu H. Samita.

2. Mo tala i molimau o le faagasologa o le faaliliuga, tagai “Book of Mormon Translation,” Gospel Topics Essays, topics.lds.org.

3. Janiece L. Johnson, “‘The Scriptures Is a Fulfilling’: Sally Parker’s Weave,” BYU Studies, vol. 44, no. 2 (2005), 116; ua faafouina le sipelaga.

4. Tagai Edward Stevenson, “The Thirteenth Witness to the Plates of the Book of Mormon,” Juvenile Instructor, vol. 24 (Jan. 1, 1889), 22–23; Andrew Jenson, Historical Record, vol. 7, nos. 8–10 (Oct. 1888), 621.

5. “Revelation, June 1829–E [DC 17],” in Revelation Book 2, 119–20, josephsmithpapers.org.

6. Stephen Burnett letter to Lyman Johnson, Apr. 15, 1838, in Letterbook 2, 64, josephsmithpapers.org.

7. Tagai 1 Samuelu 6:19–20; Esoto 19:7–24.

8. Mose 1:11; MFF 67:11. Tagai foi Eteru 12:19.

9. John Gilbert statement in “Mormon Leaders at Their Mecca,” New York Herald, June 25, 1893, 12. Tagai Elizabeth Mott, “The Forbidden Gaze: The Veiling of the Gold Plates and Joseph Smith’s Redefinition of Sacred Space,” Neal A. Maxwell Institute, Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture, Working Papers, 2011.

10. Ole A. Jensen, quoted in J. M. Sjodahl, “The Credibility of the Witnesses,” Improvement Era, vol. 26, no. 11 (Set. 1923), 975. Ole A. Jensen interviewed Harris in 1875.

11. “Letter of David Whitmer to Anthony Metcalf, March 1887,” in David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness, Lyndon W. Cook, ed. (Orem, Utah: Grandin Books, 1991): 246–7.

12. Mo faamaumauga o faatalanoaga a Tavita Uitimera, tagai Lyndon W. Cook, ed., David Whitmer Interviews: A Restoration Witness (Orem, Utah: Grandin Book, 1991). Mo faataitaiga o faatalanoaga a Matini Harisi, tagai “Mormonism—No. II,” Tiffany’s Monthly, vol. 5 (Aug. 1859), 163–70; “Martin Harris and the Book of Mormon,” Improvement Era, vol. 26, no. 10 (Sept. 1923), 980–81; “A Witness to the Book of Mormon,” Iowa State Register, Aug. 28, 1870; John A. Clark, “Gleanings by the Way: No. VII,” Episcopal Recorder, vol. 18, no. 25 (Sept. 12, 1840), 98–99; John H. Gilbert, “Memorandum, made by John H. Gilbert Esq, Sept. 8th, 1892 Palmyra, N.Y.,” Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

13. Na tape le igoa o Oliva Kaotui i le 1838, Matini Harisi i le 1837, ma Tavita Uitimera na tuua le Ekalesia i le 1838. Na toe papatisoina Kaotui i le 1848; na toe papatiso Harisi i le 1870.