Ngaahi Sīpinga Loto-Toʻá
Ko e Ngāue Tokoni maʻá e ʻEikí ʻi he Lea Faka-Sipeiní
ʻOku nofo ʻa e tokotaha naʻá ne faʻú ʻi ʻIutā, USA.
Fakakaukauloto ʻoku ʻoatu ʻe haʻo kaungāmeʻa ʻa e tohi lelei taha kuó ne laú. ʻOkú ke huke hake ʻa e takafí … ʻo ʻiloʻi ʻoku ʻikai ke ke lava ʻe koe ʻo lau. ʻOku ʻi ha lea fakafonua kehe ia! Ko e hā e meʻa te ke faí?
ʻI he ngaahi fuofua taʻu ne kamata ai ʻa e Siasí, naʻe paaki ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ʻi he lea faka-Pilitāniá pē. Naʻe uiuiʻi ʻe Palesiteni Pilikihami ʻIongi ha ongo faifekau ʻe toko ua ke na malanga ʻaki ʻa e ongoongoleleí ʻi Mekisikou pea liliu ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he lea faka-Sipeiní. Ka naʻá na fie maʻu ha tokoni lahi ange ke fakahoko ia. Ne ʻikai ke na teitei ʻiloʻi, kuo teuteuʻi ʻe he ʻOtuá ha tangata ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e tahí ke ne tokoniʻi kinaua ʻi he meʻa pau ne na fie maʻú.
Naʻe haʻu ʻa Melitoni Konisālesi Teleiho mei ha fāmili tuʻumālie ʻi Sipeini. Naʻá ne feinga mālohi ʻi he akó pea naʻá ne hoko ko ha ʻōfisa ʻi he kau tau ʻa Sipeiní. Naʻá ne fie ako maʻu pē kau ki he tui fakalotú, ka naʻe ʻikai ha tui fakalotu ne ongo tonu kiate ia. ʻI ha ʻaho ʻe taha naʻá ne fanongo ki he talanoa ʻa ha ʻōfisa ʻe taha fekauʻaki mo ha falukunga kakai ne nau ui kinautolu ko e “Kau Māʻoniʻoní.” Naʻa nau kau ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní, pea kuo tataki kinautolu ʻe ha palōfita ʻa e ʻOtuá ki he ʻOtu Moʻunga Maká ʻi he ʻIunaiteti Siteití. Naʻe ongoʻi mālohi ʻe Melitoni ha fuʻu holi vivili ke fetaulaki mo kinautolu. Naʻá ne kau ki ha fononga fakakautau ki he ʻOtu Filipainí, mo ne ʻamanaki ʻe tokoni ʻeni ke ne ʻalu ai ki he ʻIunaiteti Siteití. Ka naʻe fakaʻau ke femouʻekina ʻa Melitoni ʻi heʻene ngāué ‘o kamata ai ke hangē ʻoku ʻikai ke loko mahuʻinga ke ne ʻaʻahi ki he Kau Māʻoniʻoní.
Naʻe fakaʻau ʻo puke lahi ʻa Melitoni. Naʻá ne manatuʻi ʻa e ʻuhinga naʻá ne haʻu ai ki he ʻOtu Filipainí pea naʻá ne lotu ki he ʻOtuá kau ki he meʻa ʻoku totonu ke ne faí. ʻI he pō ko iá, naʻe maʻu ai ʻe Melitoni ha misi makehe. Naʻá ne ʻiloʻi naʻe totonu ke ne mavahe atu ki he ʻOtu Moʻunga Maká.
ʻI he ake pē ʻa Melitoni mei heʻene puké, naʻe hoko atu ʻene fononga ki he ʻIunaiteti Siteití. Naʻá ne aʻu ki Kalefōnia ʻi he ʻaho 4 ʻo Siulai ʻo e 1874, pea naʻá ne fononga leva ki Sōleki Siti.
ʻI he tūʻuta ʻa Melitoni ki Sōlekí, naʻá ne fepaki ai mo ha palopalema: naʻá ne lava ʻo laukonga faka-Pilitānia ka naʻe teʻeki ai ke ne lea ʻaki ia. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo fetuʻutaki mo ha taha! Ka naʻá ne fakakaukau kapau he ʻikai ke ne lava ʻo lea ki he kakaí, te ne maʻu ʻenau tokangá ʻi ha founga ʻe taha. Naʻe tui ʻe Melitoni ʻa hono teunga sōtia faka-Sipeiní pea naʻá ne felueʻaki ʻi he veʻehalá ʻi loto kolo. Ne hoko ʻene fakaʻamú ʻo fakatokangaʻi ia ʻe ha kakai tokolahi! Naʻe faifai pea fakatokangaʻi ia ʻe ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ko hono hingoá ko Misa Palanisati, ko ha palōfesa ʻunivēsiti ne lea faka-Sipeini. Naʻe tokoniʻi ʻe Misa Palanisati ʻa Melitoni ke ne nofo ʻi Sōleki pea naʻá ne akoʻi kiate ia ʻa e ongoongoleleí. Naʻe taimi nounou pē kuo papitaiso ʻa Melitoni.
Naʻe fakafeʻiloaki foki ʻe Misa Palanisati ʻa Melitoni kia Palesiteni Pilikihami ʻIongi. Naʻe talaange ʻe Melitoni kia Palesiteni ʻIongi naʻá ne fakaʻamu lahi ke ne liliu ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he lea faka-Sipeiní.
Naʻe kole ange ʻe Palesiteni ʻIongi kia Melitoni ke ne tokoni ki he ongo faifekau te na ʻalu ki Mekisikoú ke liliu ha konga ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he lea faka-Sipeiní. Naʻe laulau uike ʻa e nofo ʻa Melitoni ʻo liliu ʻa e ngaahi foʻi lea faka-Pilitāniá ki he lea faka-Sipeiní. Ko e pō kotoa pē naʻá ne toe vakaiʻi ʻene liliú mo e ongo faifekaú. Naʻá na ʻiloʻi pē ha konga ʻo e lea faka-Sipeiní ka naʻá na ongoʻi naʻe fie maʻu ha tokotaha lea tuʻufonua faka-Sipeini ki he liliu mahuʻinga ko ʻení. Naʻá na ʻiloʻi ne hoko ʻa Melitoni ko e tali ia ki heʻena lotú. Naʻe pulusi ʻa e liliú ʻi he 1875. Naʻe ui ia ko e Trozos Selectos del Libro de Mormon (Ngaahi Peesi ne Filifili mei he Tohi ʻa Molomoná).
Naʻe mateuteu leva ʻa e ongo faifekaú ke na ʻalu ki Mekisikou. Naʻá na fakaheka ha tatau ʻe 1,500 ʻo e folofola kuo liliú ki he hōsí pea kamata leva ʻena fonongá. Ko e fuofua taimi ia ne lava ai ʻe he kakai lea faka-Sipeiní ʻo lau ʻa e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ʻi heʻenau lea pē ʻanautolú! Neongo naʻe nofo ʻa Melitoni ʻi Sipeini ʻi ha maile ʻe laui afe hono mamaʻó, ka naʻe tataki ia ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ki he feituʻu totonu naʻe fie maʻu ke ne ʻi aí. Koeʻuhí ko e loto-toʻa mo e tui ʻa Melitoní, naʻá ne tokoni ai ke ʻomi ʻa e folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá ki ha kakai taʻe-faʻa-laua.