ʻOkú ke ʻIloʻi ʻOku Moʻoni Ia!

Henelī (Hene) Palauni, ʻIutā, USA

Illustration depicting a man holding up a copy of the Book of Mormon and showing it to another man.

Tā fakatātā ʻa Allen Garns

ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha lolotonga ʻeku ngāue ʻi ha falekoloa lahi ʻi ʻOkalani, Kalefōnia, USA, naʻe ʻaʻahi mai haʻaku kaungāmeʻa ʻo fakaafeʻi au ki he maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí. Naʻá ne pehē te ne ʻomai ha ongo faifekau Māmonga ke mau kau fakataha.

Hili e maʻu meʻatokoni efiafí ne fokotuʻu hake ʻe he ongo faifekaú ha kiʻi palakipoe siʻisiʻi pea kamata ke na ʻeke mai ha ngaahi fehuʻi kiate au. Naʻe kamata ke u mei ongoʻi ʻita. Naʻá ku fie maʻu pē ke u fakafanongo kiate kinaua ka u ʻalu.

Ka neongo iá, ʻi he fakaʻosinga ʻo e akoʻí, ne ʻunuakiʻi mai ʻe ha kiʻi faifekau mei ʻIutā hono seá, ʻo ne sio mai ki hoku fofongá, ʻo mono mai ha Tohi Molomona kiate au, mo fakahoko ʻene fakamoʻoní. Naʻá ne pehē ʻokú ne ʻiloʻi naʻe moʻoni ʻa e Siasí pea ʻe lava ke u ʻiloʻi foki ia ʻi hono lau e tohí. Naʻá ne lau mai leva ʻa e Molonai 10:4 peá ne pehē kapau te u kole ki he ʻOtuá ʻi he loto fakamātoato mo e loto moʻoni, te Ne fakahā mai kiate au ʻa e moʻoni ʻo e tohí ʻi he mālohi ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní.

Lolotonga ʻa e uike hono hokó naʻá ku lau ai ha ngaahi vahe, pea ne mau toe fetaulaki ki he ʻapi hoku kaungāmeʻá. Hili ʻemau akoʻi hono tolú, naʻe ʻosi ai ʻa e ngāue fakafaifekau ʻa e faifekau mei ʻIutaá peá ne foki ia ki ʻapi.

Naʻe hokohoko atu ʻeku lau mo lotua he pō kotoa, ʻo fehuʻi pe naʻe moʻoni nai ʻa e tohí. ʻI ha pō ʻe taha hili ʻeku lotú, naʻá ku kaka ki hoku mohengá pea lau ha ngaahi vahe lahi ange. Fakafokifā pē ne u ongoʻi ha leʻo ʻoku lea mai ʻaki ha kupuʻi lea faingofua ʻe [ono]: “ʻOkú ke ʻiloʻi ʻoku moʻoni ia!”

Naʻe teʻeki ai ha taimi kimuʻa ne u fanongo ai ki he Laumālié ʻoku lea mai kiate au. Ka ne u ʻilo leva ʻoku ʻafioʻi mo ʻofa mai ʻa e ʻOtuá kiate au. Naʻe ongo ʻaupito ia kiate au pea naʻe ʻikai ke u kei lava ʻo mapukepuke hoku loʻimatá. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ʻoku fie maʻu ke u kau ki he Siasi moʻoni ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí. Naʻe toe mahino foki kiate au ʻa e founga naʻe lava ai ʻe he faifekau kei talavou mei ʻIutaá ʻo pehē naʻá ne ʻilo naʻe moʻoni ʻa e Siasí.

Naʻá ku kau ki he Siasí pea kimui aí naʻá ku mali mo ha kiʻi finemui fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi he Temipale ʻOkalani Kalefōniá. Naʻá ma maʻu ha fānau ʻe toko valu pea mau nofo ʻi Kalefōnia ʻi ha taʻu ʻe 33 kimuʻa pea mau hiki ki ʻIutaá.

ʻI he ngaahi taʻu siʻi kuohilí ʻi he teuteu homa ʻōfefine siʻisiʻi tahá ke ʻalu ki heʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻá ne ʻeke mai pe kuó u ʻosi fetuʻutaki tuʻo taha mo e faifekau naʻá ne akoʻi aú.

Naʻá ku tali ange, “Ne u faʻa fakakaukau ki ai ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi mai ko ení, ka ʻoku ʻikai ke u ʻilo e founga ke u fetuʻutaki ai ki aí.”

ʻI loto ʻi ha miniti ʻe 10 naʻá ne foki mai mo ne pehē mai, “Ko ʻene fika telefoní ʻeni.”

ʻI heʻeku fetuʻutaki ki aí, naʻá ma talanoa fuoloa. Naʻá ne ʻeke mai hoku tuʻasila ʻīmeilí ke ne lava ʻo “ongoongo mai ʻo kau ki heʻene moʻuí.” ʻI heʻene ʻīmeili mai ʻi he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻá ne talamai kiate au kuo ʻikai ke ne toe hoko ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ʻo laka hake eni ʻi he taʻu ʻe 40 pea naʻá ne fakaʻamu he ʻikai te u loto mamahi ai.

“He ko e hā ka u ka loto mamahi ai?” Naʻá ku tali atu leva ʻene ʻīmeilí. “Naʻá ke liliu ʻeku moʻuí!”

Naʻe lahi ange ʻema fetuʻutaki ʻīmeilí peá ma loto ke mau fetaulaki. Naʻá ku fakaʻuli atu leva ki hono ʻapí, ʻa ia naʻá ne fakaafeʻi atu au ki loto mo fakafeʻiloaki au ki hono uaifí. ʻI heʻema talanoa ʻo kau ki he kuohilí, naʻá ku ʻeke ange kiate ia pe ʻokú ne maʻu ha Tohi ʻa Molomona. Naʻá ne ʻalu ki ʻolunga peá ne foki mai mo ha tatau. Naʻá ku toʻo ʻa e tohí, ʻo sio kiate ia, peá u ʻoange ʻa e tohí kiate ia, peá u pehē atu: “ʻOku ou ʻilo ʻoku moʻoni ʻa e tohí ni! Kapau te ke lau ʻa e Molonai 10:4 peá ke lotua ia, te ke lava foki ʻo maʻu ha fakamoʻoni ki hono moʻoní.”

ʻI he ngaahi māhina lahi hono hokó, naʻá ne lau, lotu, mo fakatomala. Ne ʻikai fuoloa mei ai ne toe papitaiso ia ʻe hono foha taʻu 18, pea ne u maʻu ʻa e tāpuaki ke u fakahoko hono hilifakinimá.

ʻOku ou ʻilo naʻe ueʻi fakalaumālie hoku ʻofefiné ke ne fakahoko mai ʻene fehuʻí, pea ʻoku ou ʻilo naʻe teuteuʻi ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní kimaua ki ha toe fakataha ʻi ha taʻu eni ʻe 45. Kuó u ʻilo ʻa e mālohi ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná. Kuó u ako foki ke ʻoua naʻá ku teitei tukuange ha taha ke hē atu mei he Siasí.