2015
It’s Never Too Early and It’s Never Too Late
Nōvema 2015


ʻIkai ʻAupito Fuʻu Tōmuʻa pe Fuʻu Tōmui

ʻOku ʻikai ʻaupito fuʻu tōmuʻa pe fuʻu tōmui ke tataki, fakahinohinoʻi, pea ʻaʻeva he tafaʻaki ʻetau fānaú, he ʻoku taʻengata ʻa e fāmilí.

ʻE kāinga, ʻoku tau kau ki ha fetauʻaki mo e māmaní. ʻI he kuohilí, ne feʻauʻauhi e māmaní ke ne maʻu e mālohi mo e ivi ʻetau fānaú. ʻI he ʻaho ní ʻokú ne tauʻi ke maʻu honau tuʻungá pea mo honau ʻatamaí. ʻOku longoaʻa pea lahi e ngaahi leʻo ʻoku nau feinga ke fakamatalaʻi e tuʻunga ʻetau fānaú mo e meʻa ʻoku totonu ke nau tui ki aí. He ʻikai ke tau lava ʻo tuku ke liliu ʻe he sosaietí hotau fāmilí ʻi he ʻīmisi ʻo e māmaní. Kuo pau ke tau ikuna ʻa e feinga-taú ni. ʻOku fakafalala e meʻa kotoa ki ai.

ʻOku hivaʻi ʻe he fānau ʻo e Siasí ha hiva ʻokú ne akoʻi ange pe ko hai kinautolu. “Fānau au ʻa e ʻOtuá. … Kuó Ne fekau mai [au]. Ke u haʻu ki he māmaní mo e ongomātuʻá.” Pea hoko mai e kole ʻa e fānaú kiate kitautolú: “Taki au, ʻeva mo au ke u ʻilo ʻa e halá. … [Tokoni ke u ʻiloʻi ʻene leá ʻoku teʻeki ai tōmui].”1

Ne akoʻi kitautolu ʻe Palesiteni Lāsolo M. Nalesoni ʻi heʻetau konifelenisi lahi kuo ʻosí, mei he taimí ni ʻo fai atu, kuo pau ke tau fakahoko moʻoni hotau “fatongia fakaemātuʻá.”2 Ko ha ngaahi taimi faingataʻa ʻeni. Ka ko e ongoongo fakafiefiá naʻe ʻafioʻi ʻe he ʻOtuá ko e meʻa ʻeni ʻe hokó, peá Ne ʻomi ha faleʻi ʻi he ngaahi folofolá ke tau ʻiloʻi ai e founga ke tokoniʻi ʻaki ʻetau fānaú mo e makapuná.

Savior with Book of Mormon children

Ne hā e ʻEikí ki he kau Nīfaí ʻi he Tohi ʻa Molomoná. Naʻá Ne tānaki takatakai e fānaú ʻiate Ia. Naʻá ne tāpuakiʻi, lotua pea tangi ʻiate kinautolu.3 Peá Ne folofola leva ki he mātuʻá, “Vakai ki hoʻomou fānau īkí.4

ʻOku ʻuhinga e foʻi lea vakaí ke sio ʻo mamata Ko e hā ne fie maʻu ʻe Sīsū ke vakai ki ai e mātuʻá ʻi heʻenau fānaú? Naʻá Ne finangalo nai ke nau vakai ki he meʻa ʻe malava fakalangi ʻe heʻenau fānaú?

ʻI heʻetau vakai ki heʻetau fānau mo e makapuná he ʻaho ní, ko e hā ʻoku fie maʻu ʻe he Fakamoʻuí ke tau vakai ki ai ʻiate kinautolú? ʻOku tau fakatokangaʻi nai ko ʻetau fānaú ʻa e kulupu tokolahi taha ʻo e kau fiefanongo ʻo e Siasí? Ko e hā kuo pau ke tau fai ke tuʻuloa ʻenau uluí?

ʻI he tohi ʻa Mātiú, ʻoku akoʻi ai kitautolu ʻe he Fakamoʻuí ʻo kau ki he ului ʻoku tuʻuloá. Ne fakataha mai ha falukunga kakai ofi ki he Tahi Kālelí ke fanongo ki Heʻene akonakí.

ʻI he taimi ko ʻení, ne fai ʻe Sīsū ha talanoa kau ki hono tō ʻo e tengaʻi ʻakaú—ʻa e talanoa fakatātā ʻo e tangata tūtuuʻí.5 ʻI Heʻene fakamatalaʻi ʻeni ki Heʻene kau ākongá, pea mo kitautolu ko ʻení, naʻá Ne pehē ai, “ʻOka fanongo ha taha ki he folofola ʻo e puleʻangá, ka ʻoku ʻikai tokanga ki ai, ʻoku haʻu ʻa e toko taha angakoví, ʻo faʻao ʻa ia naʻe tūtuuʻi ki hono lotó.”6 ʻOku mahino ʻa e pōpoaki ki he ngaahi mātuʻá: ʻoku ʻi ai e faikehekehe ʻi he fanongó mo e mahinó. Kapau ʻe fanongo pē ʻetau fānaú kae ʻikai maʻu ha mahino ki he ongoongoleleí, ta ʻoku tau fakaava ai e matapaá kia Sētane ke toʻo e ngaahi moʻoni ko ʻení mei honau lotó.

Ka ʻo kapau te tau tokoni ke fakaloloto ʻenau uluí, ka hoko mai e ngaahi faingataʻá, ʻi he taimi ʻe faingataʻa ange ai e moʻuí, pea kuo pau ke hoko ia, ʻe lava ke tōkaki ʻe he ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí ha meʻa ʻi honau lotó he ʻikai lava ke uesia ia ʻe ha faʻahinga takiekina mei tuʻa. Te tau fakapapauʻi fēfē ʻoku ʻikai hū pē ki loto ngaahi moʻoni mahuʻinga ko ʻení ʻi he telinga ʻe tahá pea hū ai ki tuʻa he telinga ʻe tahá? He ʻikai ke feʻunga ai e fanongo pē ia ki he leá.

ʻOku tau ʻiloʻi kotoa ʻoku feliliuaki e meʻa ko e lea. Taimi ʻe niʻihi ʻoku tau fakaʻaongaʻi ha ngaahi lea ʻoku ʻikai mahino kiate kinautolu. Mahalo te ke pehē ki hoʻo fānau kei īkí, “ʻOkú ke lea mai ʻo hangē ha kalamafoni maumaú.” Mahalo te nau tali atu, “Teti, ko e hā e kalamafoni?”

ʻOku finangalo ʻetau Tamai Hēvaní ke tau lavameʻa he ko hono moʻoní, ne nau fuofua hoko ko ʻEne fānau kimuʻa pea nau toki hoko ko ʻetau fānaú. ʻI heʻetau hoko ko e mātuʻa ʻi Saioné, kuo mou maʻu e meʻafoaki ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní. ʻI hoʻomou lotua ha tatakí, “te ne fakahā kiate kimoutolu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku totonu ke mou faí”7 ʻi hono akoʻi hoʻomou fānaú. ʻI hoʻomou fakatupulaki e founga ʻo e akó, “ʻoku fakahū ia ʻe he mālohi ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní ki he loto ʻo e fānau ʻa e tangatá.”8

ʻOku ʻikai te u fakakaukau ki ha sīpinga ʻe lelei ange ki hono tokoniʻi ke maʻu ʻe ha taha ʻa e mahinó, ka ko e talanoa ʻo Hēleni Kelá. Naʻá ne kui mo tuli pea nofo ʻi ha māmani ne fakapoʻuli mo lōngonoa. Ne haʻu ha faiako ko Ane Suliveni ke tokoni kiate ia. Te ke akoʻi fēfē ha fānau ʻoku ʻikai lava ʻo mamata pe fanongo kiate koe?

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan

Ne kiʻi fuofuoloa e faingataʻaʻia ʻa Ane heʻene feinga ke fetaulaki mo Hēlení. ʻI he hoʻatā ʻo ha ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻá ne ʻave ia ki tuʻa ki he paipa vaí. Naʻá ne tuku e nima ʻe taha ʻo Hēleni ʻi he lalo paipa vaí pea kamata ke ne fakamoʻui e vaí. Naʻe sipela leva ʻe Ane ʻa e foʻi lea ko e V-A-I ʻi he nima ʻe taha ʻo Hēlení. Ne ʻikai hoko ha meʻa. Ko ia naʻá ne toe fai e meʻa tatau. V-A-I. Ne kukuʻi ʻe Hēleni e nima ʻo Ané he naʻe kamata ke mahino ki ai. ʻI he malu efiafi maí, kuó ne ako ha ngaahi foʻi lea ʻe 30. Hili pē ha ngaahi māhina, kuó ne ako ha foʻi lea ʻe 600 pea lava ʻo laukonga Braille. Ne hoko atu ʻa Hēleni Kela ʻo maʻu hano mataʻitohi mei he ʻunivēsití pea tokoni ke liliu e māmaní ki he kakai ne ʻikai lava ʻo mamata pe fanongó.9 Ko ha mana ia, pea ko ʻene faiakó ʻa e tokotaha faimaná, hangē pē ko kimoutolú ngaahi mātuʻa.

Naʻá ku sio ki he ngaahi ola ʻa ha faiako maʻongoʻonga ʻe taha lolotonga ʻEne ngāue ko e palesiteni ʻo e siteiki tāutaha lalahi ʻi BYU–ʻAitahoó. Ne liliu ʻeku moʻuí ʻe he aʻusia ko iá. ʻI ha efiafi Tūsite ʻe taha, ne u ʻinitaviu ai ha talavou ko Paula mei Mekisikou Siti naʻe fie ngāue fakafaifekau. Ne u fehuʻi kiate ia ʻo kau ki heʻene fakamoʻoní mo ʻene holi ke ngāué. Naʻe haohaoa ʻene tali ki heʻeku ngaahi fehuʻí. Naʻá ku fehuʻi ange leva fekauʻaki mo ʻene moʻui tāú. Ne pau ʻene ngaahi talí. Ko hono moʻoní, ne fuʻu lelei ʻaupito, peá u fifili ai, “Mahalo ʻoku ʻikai mahino ki ai ʻeku fehuʻí.” Ko ia ne u toe fakalea kehe ʻa e ngaahi fehuʻí peá u fakapapauʻi naʻá ne ʻiloʻi lelei pē ʻeku ʻuhingá pea naʻe faitotonu pē ia.

Ne u fuʻu mālieʻia he talavoú ni peá u fehuʻi ange,“Paula, ko hai naʻá ne tokoniʻi koe ke ke aʻusia e tuʻunga ko ʻeni ʻi hoʻo moʻuí ʻo lava ke ke ʻaʻeva angatonu ai ʻi he ʻao ʻo e ʻEikí?”

Naʻá ne pehē, “Ko ʻeku tangataʻeikí.”

Naʻá ku pehē ange, “Paula, talanoa mai ʻo kau kiate koe.”

Ne hoko atu ʻa Paula: “ʻI hoku taʻu hivá, ne talamai ʻe heʻeku tangataʻeikí, ‘Paula, naʻá ku taʻu hiva foki mo au. Ko ha ngaahi meʻa ʻeni te ke ala fehangahangai mo ia. Te ke sio ki ha tamaiki ʻe kākā pe fakakāinga he akó. Mahalo te ke feohi mo ha kakai ngutu kapekape. Mahalo ʻe ʻi ai ha ngaahi ʻaho he ʻikai te ke fie ʻalu ai ki he lotú. Ka hoko mai e ngaahi meʻá ni—pe ko ha meʻa pē te ne fakahohaʻasi koe—ʻoku ou fakaʻamu ke ke haʻu ʻo tala mai kiate au, pea te u tokoni ke ke ikunaʻi ia. Pea te u talaatu leva e hoko atú.’”

“Sai Paula, ko e hā naʻá ne talaatu ʻi ho taʻu 10?”

“Naʻá ne fakatokanga mai ʻo kau ki he pokokalafí mo e tūkuhua ʻoku koví.”

“Fēfē taimi naʻá ke taʻu 11 aí?” ko ʻeku ʻeké ange ia.

“Naʻá ne fakatokanga mai ʻo kau ki he ngaahi meʻa ʻoku fakatupu maʻunimaá peá ne fakamanatu kiate au ʻo kau ki hono fakaʻaongaʻi ʻeku tauʻatāina ke filí.”

Ko ha tamai ʻeni naʻá ne tokoniʻi he taʻu kotoa pē hono fohá ʻi he “ʻotu lea ki he ʻotu lea, koe siʻi ʻi heni pea siʻi ʻi hena,”10 ʻo ne tokoni ke ʻoua naʻa ngata pē he fanongo hono fohá, kae mahino foki ki ai. Ne ʻilo ʻe he tamai ʻa Paulá ʻoku ako ʻetau fānaú ʻi he taimi ’oku nau mateuteu ai ke akó, kae ʻikai ko e taimi ko ē ʻoku tau mateuteu ai ke akoʻi kinautolú. Ne u laukau ʻaki ʻa Paula ʻi he taimi naʻe fakahū ai ʻene kole ngāue fakafaifekaú he pō ko iá, ka naʻe lahi ange ʻeku laukau ʻaki e tamai ʻa Paulá.

ʻI heʻeku foki ki ʻapi he pō ko iá, ne u fehuʻi loto pē, “ʻE hoko nai ʻa Paula ko ha tamai fēfē?” Pea naʻe mahino ʻaupito e talí: ʻe hangē tofu pe ko ʻene tamaí. Naʻe folofola ʻa Sīsū, “ʻOku ʻikai faʻa fai ʻe he ʻAló ha meʻa [ʻiate] ia pē, ka ko ia ʻokú ne mamata ʻoku fai ʻe he Tamaí.”11 Ko e sīpinga ʻeni ʻo e founga ʻoku faitāpuekina ai ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ʻEne fānaú mei he toʻu tangata ki he toʻu tangata.

ʻI he hoko atu ʻeku fakakaukau ki meʻa ne u aʻusia mo Paulá, ne u ongoʻi loto mamahi he kuo lalahi hoku ngaahi ʻōfefine ʻe toko faá, pea naʻe ʻikai nofo ofi mai hoku makapuna ʻe toko hivá he taimi ko iá. Ne u fakakaukau leva, “ʻE fēfē haʻaku tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻi he founga ne tokoniʻi ai ʻa Paula ʻe heʻene tamaí? Kuo lahi nai e taimi kuo molé?” ʻI heʻeku lotu loto peé, ne fanafana mai ʻe he Laumālié e foʻi moʻoni ko ʻení: “ʻOku ʻikai ʻaupito fuʻu tōmuʻa pea ʻikai fuʻu tōmui ke kamata e founga mahuʻingá ni.” Ne u ʻiloʻi he taimi pē ko iá ʻa ʻene ʻuhingá. Ne ʻikai ke u faʻa tatali ke aʻu ki ʻapi. Naʻá ku kole ki hoku uaifi ko Selá ke ui mai e fānaú kotoa pea talaange ne fie maʻu ke mau kiʻi fakataha; ne ʻi ai ha meʻa matuʻaki mahuʻinga ke u talaange. Ne kiʻi fakaʻohovale ʻeku fie maʻu fakatuʻupakē kinautolú.

Ne mau kamata mei homa ʻofefine lahi tahá mo hono husepānití. Ne u pehē ange: “ʻOkú ma fakaʻamu mo hoʻo faʻeé ke mo ʻiloʻi ne ma ʻi he toʻu ko ʻená. Naʻá ma taʻu 31, pea ʻi ai homa fāmili. ʻOkú ma ʻilo ki he meʻa te mo ala fepaki mo iá. Mahalo ko ha faingataʻa fakapaʻanga pe moʻui lelei. Mahalo ko ha palopalema fekauʻaki mo e tuí. Mahalo pē te mo ongoʻi lōmekina ʻi he moʻuí. ʻI he taimi ʻe hoko ai e ngaahi meʻá ni, ʻokú ma fakaʻamu ke mo foki mai ke tau talanoa. Te ma tokoni atu ke mo ikunaʻi ia. Sai, ʻoku ʻikai ke ma fie kaunoa hoʻomo moʻuí he taimi kotoa pē, ka ʻokú ma fakaʻamu ke mo ʻiloʻi te ma tokoniʻi maʻu pē kimoua. Pea ʻi heʻetau fakataha maí, ʻoku ou fie fakamatala atu ki ha ʻinitaviu ne u fai mo ha talavou ko Paula.”

Hili hono fai e talanoá, naʻá ku pehē ange, “ʻOku ʻikai ke ma loto ke mole meiate kimoua e faingamālie ke mo tokoni ai ke mahino ki hoʻomo fānaú mo homa makapuná e ngaahi moʻoni mahuʻinga ko ʻení.”

ʻE kāinga, kuó u ʻilo ʻeni ʻi ha founga mahuʻingamālie ange ʻa e meʻa ʻoku ʻamanaki mai ki ai ʻa e ʻEikí ʻi heʻeku hoko ko ha tamai mo ha kuitangatá, ke fokotuʻu ha founga ʻe tokoni ki hoku fāmilí ke ʻoua naʻa nau ngata pē ʻi he fanongó kae mahino foki.

ʻI he fakaʻau ke u motuʻa angé, ʻoku ou faʻa fakakaukau ai ki he ngaahi lea ko ʻení:

ʻE taimi, ʻe taimi, toe foki ā kimuʻa,

Pea tuku ke nau hoko ko ʻeku longaʻi fānau ʻi ha pō pē ā ʻe taha!12

ʻOku ou ʻilo he ʻikai te u lava ʻo fakafoki e taimí, ka ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi ʻeni—ʻoku ʻikai ʻaupito ke fuʻu tōmuʻa pe tuʻu fuʻu tōmui—ke tataki, fakahinohino, mo ʻaʻeva he tafaʻaki ʻo ʻetau fānaú he ʻoku taʻengata ʻa e fāmilí.

ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ne ʻofa lahi ʻetau Tamai Hēvaní ʻiate kitautolu naʻá Ne fekauʻi mai ʻa Hono ʻAlo Tofu Pē Taha ne Fakatupú ke moʻui fakamatelie ʻo hangē ko e tangatá kae lava ʻa Sīsū ʻo folofola mai, “Kuó u ʻosi foua e meʻa ʻoku mou ʻi aí, ʻoku ou ʻiloʻi ʻa e meʻa ʻe hoko maí, pea te u tokoniʻi kimoutolu ke mou lavaʻi ia.” ʻOku ou ʻilo te Ne fai ia. ʻI he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

  1. “Fānau Au ʻa e ʻOtua,” Himi, fika. 193.

  2. Vakai, Russell M. Nelson, “ʻOku Fakafiefia ʻa e ʻAho Sapaté,” Liahona, Mē 2015, 131.

  3. Vakai, 3 Nīfai 17:21.

  4. 3 Nīfai 17:23.

  5. Vakai, Mātiu 13:1–13.

  6. Mātiu 13:19; tānaki atu fakamamafaʻí

  7. 2 Nīfai 32:5.

  8. 2 Nīfai 33:1.

  9. Vakai, “Anne Sullivan,” biography.com/people/anne-sullivan-9498826; “Helen Keller,” biography.com/people/helen-keller-9361967.

  10. ʻĪsaia 28:10.

  11. Sione 5:19.

  12. Toʻo mei he maau ʻa Elizabeth Akers Allen ko e “Rock Me to Sleep,” ʻi he William Cullen Bryant, ed., The Family Library of Poetry and Song (1870), 222–23.