2008
Ko e Founga Fakatupu Koloa Lelei Tahá
Mē 2008


Ko e Founga Fakatupu Koloa Lelei Tahá

Kapau te mou totongi maʻu pē ha vahehongofulu kakato, ʻe faitāpuekina ʻa kimoutolu ʻe he ʻEikí. Ko e founga fakatupu koloa lelei taha ia ʻe lava ke mou fakahokó.

Elder Sheldon F. Child

‘I heʻeku kei siʻí, naʻe ʻi ai ha fanga pulu fefine homau kaungāʻapí. Naʻe mate ha taha ʻo ʻene fanga pulú, kae moʻui pē hano kiʻi ʻuhiki, ʻa ia naʻá ne foaki mai maʻaku. Naʻá ku tokangaʻi e kiʻi pulú, ʻo fafanga mo tauhi ia. Ko e ʻaho fakalelea loto kiate au e ʻaho naʻe ʻave ai ia ʻe he tangataʻeikí ki he feituʻu ke fakatau atu aí: ne u ʻofa heʻeku kiʻi pulú ka ne u ʻamanaki fiefia atu foki ki he totongi ʻo ʻeku ngāué. Ko e meʻa pē ne u kole angé ko e paʻanga ko ia ʻe maʻu ʻi hono fakatau atu ʻeku kiʻi pulú, ke totongi silini maka pē kae ʻikai ko e paʻanga pepa. ʻOku ou manatuʻi e foki mai ʻeku Tangataʻeikí he pō ko iá ki ʻapí ʻo ne ʻomi ki hoku nimá ha silini maka lanu siliva ʻe 20. Naʻe faingataʻa ke maʻu ha paʻanga pea ne u fakakaukau atu kuó u maʻu kotoa e paʻanga he māmaní. Naʻá ku lau, fakaʻofoʻofaʻia mo fakangingila e foʻi silini maka takitaha. ʻI he hokosia ʻa e Sāpaté, ne u fakatoupīkoi pē ʻo toʻo ha foʻi silini maka ngingila ʻe ua ʻo faʻo hoku kató ke totongi ʻaki ʻeku vahehongofulú. Neongo ʻene faingataʻa ke ʻoange ʻa e silini maká ki heʻeku pīsopé, ka ʻoku ou kei manatuʻi lelei pē ʻa e ongo fakafiefia ne u maʻu heʻeku talangofua ki he ʻEikí.

ʻI heʻema foki ki ʻapi mei he lotú, naʻe fakahā mai ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ʻa ʻene laukau ʻaki aú. Naʻá ne pehē mai leva, “Naʻe fakahā mai maʻu pē ʻe hoʻo kuitangatá kiate kimautolu fānaú, kapau te mau totongi kakato ʻemau vahehongofulú, ʻe faitāpuekina kimautolu ʻe he ʻEikí pea ko e founga fakatupu koloa lelei taha ia te mau lava ʻo faí.”

Naʻe mahino ki heʻeku tangataʻeikí “ ʻoku ʻi ai ha fono naʻe tuʻutuʻuni pau ʻi he langí ki muʻa ʻi he teʻeki ai ke ʻai ʻa e ngaahi tuʻunga ʻo e māmaní, ʻa ia ʻoku makatuʻunga ki ai ʻa e ngaahi tāpuaki kotoa pē—pea ʻo ka tau ka maʻu ha tāpuaki mei he ʻOtuá ʻoku tupunga ia ʻi he talangofua ki he fono ʻa ia ʻoku makatuʻunga ia ki aí.”1 Ko e vahehongofulú ko ha fekau ia mei he ʻOtuá pea ko e taimi ʻoku tau talangofua ai ki Heʻene fonó, ʻokú Ne haʻisia leva ke tāpuakiʻi kitautolu. Neongo naʻá ku kei taʻu fitu, naʻe lava pē ke mahino ia kiate au. Naʻe lea ʻa Palesiteni Tōmasi S. Monisoni ʻo fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi fono ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻo ne pehē: “Maumauʻi kinautolu pea te tau mamahi ai ʻi ha ngaahi nunuʻa ʻe tuʻuloa. Talangofua ki ai pea te tau utu ha fiefia ʻoku taʻe ngatá.”2

Te mou manatu ki he taimi naʻe valokiʻi ai ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa ʻIsileli ko ʻenau kaihaʻa mei he ʻOtuá, ko ia ne fehuʻi ʻe he kakaí, “Ka kuo mau kaihaʻa meiate koe ʻi he hā?” Naʻe hoko mai ʻa e talí, “ ʻI hono vahehongofulu ʻo e meʻá mo e ngaahi foakí.” Pea naʻe talaʻofa ki he kau ʻIsilelí ʻo kapau te nau talangofua, te nau maʻu ʻEne ngaahi tāpuakí. Pea naʻe folofola ʻa e ʻEikí, “Mou ʻomi ʻa e ngaahi vahehongofulu ʻo e meʻá ki he tukuʻanga koloá … pea mou ʻahiʻahiʻi ai au, ʻoku pehē ʻe [he ʻEiki] ʻo e ngaahi kautau, pe te u fakaava ʻa e ngaahi matapā ʻo e langí pe ʻikai, peá u lilingi hifo kiate kimoutolu ha tāpuaki he ʻikai ha potu ʻe faʻa hao ia ki ai”3

Naʻe kole mai ʻa e ʻEikí ki ʻIsileli ke nau ʻahiʻahiʻi Ia, siviʻi Ia mo tui kiate Ia ka Ne lava ʻo tauhi ʻEne talaʻofa kiate kinautolú. ʻOku kei tuʻu-lā-hoko ai pē ʻa e fekau mo e talaʻofa tatau he ʻahó ni. ʻI he taimi ʻoku tau tauhi ai e fono ʻo e vahehongofulú, ʻoku pau leva e talaʻofa ʻa e ʻEikí: ʻe hoko mai kiate kitautolu e ngaahi tāpuakí, ʻo tatau pē ʻi he fakatuʻasinó mo e fakalaumālié, ʻo fakatatau mo e poto pea mo e taimi ʻa e ʻEikí.

Kuó u maʻu mo hoku uaifí ko Sōana, ha faingamālie ke nofo ai ʻi ha ngaahi feituʻu kehekehe ʻo e māmaní, ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo ha kakai fakaʻofoʻofa ʻoku fakafalala fakaʻaho ki he ʻEikí ke maʻu mei ai ʻenau ngaahi tefitoʻi fie maʻu fakatuʻasinó. Ko kinautolu ʻoku nau tui lahi ke totongi ʻenau vahehongofulú, ʻoku nau fakamoʻoniʻi ʻa hono fakaava mai kiate kinautolu ʻa e ngaahi matapā ʻo e langí. ʻOku ou manatu ki ha fakamatala ʻa ha tamai faivelenga ʻi he ʻOtu Filipainí, ki heʻene totongi ʻene kiʻi vahehongofulu siʻisiʻí ki he pīsopé ʻi ha Sāpate ʻe taha peá ne taki leva ʻene fānaú ke nau foki ki ʻapi mei he lotú, ʻi he ʻiloʻilopau naʻe ʻikai ha meʻakai ia ʻi ʻapi ke nau kai heʻenau aʻu atu ki aí. ʻI heʻenau lue atu he halá, naʻe tō mei ha fuʻu ʻakau ʻi muʻa ʻiate kinautolu, ha foʻi mei fōlahi. Naʻá ne hanga hake ki ʻolunga mo fakafetaʻi ki he ʻOtuá ko ʻEne fakaava mai e ngaahi matapā ʻo e langí peá Ne ʻomi ha foʻi mei ke fafanga siʻene fānaú.

ʻOku tau moʻui ʻi ha taimi ʻo e faingataʻaʻia fakaʻekonōmiká. Ka ʻo kapau te tau toe vakai ki mui ki he ngaahi taʻu he kuohilí, te tau ʻilo ai ha ngaahi meʻa ne tou-mo-liliu ʻene hokó. Kuo hoko pea ʻe hokohoko atu ai pē ʻene hoko maí, ha ngaahi taimi tuʻumālie mo e ngaahi taimi feʻamokaki fakapaʻangá. Ka neongo ʻa e ngaahi tūkunga ʻoku tau ʻi aí, kapau te tau tomuʻa totongi hotau tufakanga ki he ʻEikí pea tau fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e fakapotopotó mo e fakaʻutoʻuta leleí; ʻe tokoniʻi kitautolu ʻe he ʻEikí ke tau levaʻi lelei ʻa e ngaahi maʻuʻanga tokoni kuó Ne foaki maí.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Palesiteni Hiipa J. Kalānite, “ ʻOku ou fie pehē kiate kimoutolu, kapau te mou faitotonu ki he ʻEikí ʻo totongi hoʻomou vahehongofulú mo tauhi ʻEne ngaahi fekaú, he ʻikai ngata pē Heʻene tāpuakiʻi kimoutolu ʻaki ʻa e maama mo e tataki ʻa Hono Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, ka ʻe faitāpuekina ʻa kimoutolu ʻi he paʻangá mo e siliní; te mou lava ʻo totongi homou ngaahi moʻuá, pea ʻe lahi fau e ngaahi tāpuaki fakatuʻasino ʻe lilingi hifo ʻe he ʻEikí kiate kimoutolú.”4

ʻI he 1936, ʻi he tumutumu ʻo e Tō Lalo Fakaʻekonōmiká ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteití, ʻi he taimi naʻe fefaʻuhi ai ʻa e kakaí ke feau ʻenau ngaahi fie maʻú, naʻe naʻinaʻi ai ʻa ʻEletā Sione A. Uitisou ki he Kāingalotú ke nau totongi ʻenau vahehongofulú, ka nau maʻu ʻa e ngaahi tāpuaki fakalaumālié. Naʻá ne pehē: “ ʻOku hanga ʻe he talangofua ki he fono ʻo e vahehongofulú … ʻo ʻomi ha fiefia ʻoku loloto mo lahi angé … ʻa ia he ʻikai lava ke maʻu ia ʻi ha toe founga kehe… . ʻOku toe mahino ange ai ʻa e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni ʻo e moʻoní… . Toe faingofua ange ai ʻa e lotú… . ʻOku toe fakamāsila ai ʻetau ongoʻi fakalaumālié [pea] … hoko ange ai ʻa e tangatá ʻo hangē ko ʻene Tamai [Hēvaní].”5

Naʻe vahevahe mai ʻe ha faʻē ʻi ʻAfilika Hihifo ʻa ʻene fakamoʻoni fekauʻaki mo e vahehongofulú. Naʻá ne faifakatau ʻi ha māketi. Ko e ʻaho kotoa pē te ne foki mai ai ki ʻapi ʻo lau ʻene vahehongofulú ʻo faʻo ia ʻi ha feituʻu makehe. Pea ʻi he ʻaho Sāpaté te ne toʻo leva ia ʻo ʻave ki heʻene pīsopé. Naʻá ne vahevahe mai ʻa e founga naʻe tupu ai ʻene pisinisí pea mo e founga kuo faitāpuekina ai ʻa hono fāmilí ʻaki ʻa e moʻui lelei mo e ivi lahi pea mo ha meʻakai feʻunga ke nau kai. Naʻá ne loʻimataʻia leva ʻi heʻene pehē mai, “Ka ko e ngaahi tāpuaki maʻongoʻonga tahá, ko e ʻofa ʻeku fānaú ki he ʻEikí pea ko ha fāmili taʻengata ʻa kimautolu.”

Naʻe mahino ki he faʻē loto fakatōkilalo ko ʻení, ko e taha ʻo e ngaahi tāpuaki ʻo e totongi vahehongofulu kakató, ko hono maʻu ko ia ʻo e faingamālie ke hū ki he fale ʻo e ʻEikí ʻo kau atu ki he ngaahi ouau toputapú, ʻa ia ʻe lava ke fakataha ai ʻa e ngaahi fāmilí ʻo taʻengata.

ʻI heʻetau totongi faivelenga ʻetau vahehongofulú, ko e moʻoni ʻe fakaava [ʻe he ʻEikí] ʻa e ngaahi matapā ʻo e langí peá Ne lilingi mai ha tāpuaki, he ʻikai ha potu feʻunga ʻe faʻa hao ki ai. ʻOku ou fakaʻamu pē ke mou takitaha meaʻi ʻo hangē ko ia ʻoku ou ʻiló, kae tautautefito ki heʻeku fānaú mo e makapuná, ʻo kapau te mou totongi maʻu pē ha vahehongofulu kakato, ʻe faitāpuekina ʻa kimoutolu ʻe he ʻEikí. Ko e founga fakatupu koloa, lelei taha ia ʻe lava ke mou fakahokó. Ko ʻeku fakamoʻoní ia, ʻi he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

  1. T&F 130:20.

  2. Pathways to Perfection: Discourses of Thomas S. Monson (1973), 126.

  3. Malakai 3:8, 10.

  4. ʻI he Conference Report, Apr. 1898, 16.

  5. “Tithing Testimonies of Our Leaders,” Deseret News, May 16, 1936, Church Section, 5.