2020
Fakakaukauloto ki he Kau Paionia ʻi ʻInitiá
Siulai 2020


Fakakaukauloto ki he Kau Paionia ʻi ʻInitiá

Kuo liliu e anga ʻeku fakakaukau ki he kau paioniá ʻi heʻeku fetaulaki mo e kāingalotu paionia ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻInitiá.

Suvarna and Sarala Katuka

Naʻe kau ʻa Savana mo Seilala Katuka ki he Siasí ʻi he 1984 peá na ngāue fakafaifekau kimui ange.

Hangē ko e lau ʻa e hiva Palaimelí, “[ʻI heʻeku fakakaukau ki he kau paioniá, ʻoku ou fakakaukau ki ha kau fafine mo tangata loto-toʻa].”1 Kuo ueʻi maʻu pē au ʻe he ngaahi talanoa ki he kau paionia ʻi he Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní ne nau tā e ʻuluafí ʻi he tuí. ʻI heʻeku hoko ko ha faʻē kei siʻí, naʻe fakamanatu mai ʻe he ngaahi talanoa ʻo e kau fafine paioniá ʻa hoku ngaahi tāpuaki ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní. Te u lava ʻo fāʻele ʻi ha falemahaki kae ʻikai ko ha saliote toho tangata!

Ko e fakaʻuhinga ʻo e paioniá ko ha “taha ʻoku ʻalu ʻi muʻa ke teuteuʻi pe tā e fihí ke muimui mai ai e niʻihi kehé”2 ʻokú ne fakamatalaʻi e Kāingalotu paionia ʻi he Ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní ne fononga saliote mo e saliote toho tangata ke tānaki fakataha ki Saioné. Ka ʻokú ne toe fakamatalaʻi foki e kau paionia ʻi onopōní mo e ngaahi fononga ʻo e tuí ʻoku nau fai ʻi he funga ʻo e māmaní.

‘I he taimi ne hū kotoa ai ʻeku fānau ʻe toko nimá ki he akó, naʻe kamata ʻeku ako mataʻitohi ʻi he hisitōlia fakalotú. Ne u fili ke fakatotolo ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ʻi ʻInitiá, ko e kaveinga ia ʻo ʻeku pepa ke maʻu hoku Toketaá. Kuo liliu ʻe heʻeku fakatotolo ʻi ʻInitiá ʻa e anga ʻeku fakakaukau ki he kau paioniá.

Ngaahi Pou Maama ʻo e Siasí

ʻI heʻeku hoko he ngaahi taʻu kimuʻá ko ha tokotaha ako kei siʻi ʻi he kolisí he 1986, naʻá ku folau ki ʻĒsia Tonga mo e kulupu hiva Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors. Ko ha aʻusia liliu moʻui ia ne kau ai ʻemau nofo ʻaho taha ʻi Kalikata (ʻoku ui he taimí ni ko Kolokata) pea mo Mother Teresa. Naʻe fakafiefia tatau pē ke fetaulaki mo e Kāingalotu ko ha kau paionia ʻo onopooni ʻi ʻInitia mo Suli Langikaá.

Ko e taha ʻo e kau mēmipá ni ko Lasi Kumā, ʻa ia naʻá ne ʻilo ki he Siasí ʻi heʻene kau ki ha fakaʻaliʻali ʻa e BYU Young Ambassadors ʻi he 1982. ‘I heʻemau fetaulaki mo iá, naʻá ne toki foki mai mei heʻene ngāue fakafaifekau ki Felesinou, Kalefōnia, USA. Naʻá ne kei tui pē hono pine hingoa fakafaifekaú mo hokohoko atu ke akoʻi ha taha pē ʻi Teli ʻe fanongo. Naʻe kau ʻa Lasi ʻi he kāingalotu ʻe toko 600 nai ʻi ʻInitia he taimi ko iá, ka kiate au naʻá ne hangē ha mēmipa pē ʻe taha ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo ha kakai ʻe laui miliona.

Taunalyn and Raj

Naʻá ku fetaulaki mo Lasi Kumā ʻi he 1986, hili ʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻá ne kei tui pē hono pine hingoa fakafaifekaú mo vahevahe e ongoongoleleí ki ha taha pē ʻe fanongo.

Naʻe tākiekina au ʻe he sīpinga ʻa Lasi Kumaá ʻi heʻeku fili ke ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻe tā foki ʻe Lasi e ʻuluafí ki ha niʻihi ʻo e fuofua kau faifekau ʻInitia ke ngāue ʻi he fonuá. Naʻe ako fakafaifekau ʻa Savana Katuka mo hono kaungā ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻi Senei. Naʻe vahe ʻa Lasi ʻe heʻenau palesiteni fakamisiona ne nofo ʻi Singapoá ke toe akoʻi kinautolu ʻi Teli.

‘Oku manatu ʻa Savana Katuka ki he founga ne liliu ai ʻenau ngāue fakafaifekaú koeʻuhí ko e sīpinga mo e ako ʻa Lasi Kumaá. Naʻa nau lava ʻo fetongi e ongoʻi ilifiá ʻaki ha tui mo e loto-toʻa lahi ange. Naʻe fakamatala ʻa Savana ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou tui ko e taimi ia ne kamata ai ʻeku ului moʻoní. Naʻá ku ongoʻi e Laumālie ʻo e Laumālie Māʻoniʻoní, pea ko e taimi ia ne u fakapapau ai ke tokoni ke langa heni e puleʻangá ʻi ʻInitiá.”3

Naʻe kau ʻa Savana ki he Siasí ʻi Leisamonituli. Naʻe papitaiso ia ʻi he 1984 fakataha mo ha ngaahi tokoua ʻe toko nima mo e tuofefine ʻe toko taha. ‘I he ʻaho ne papitaiso ai iá, naʻe fakanofo ʻa Savana ko ha taulaʻeiki pea vaheʻi ko e tokoni ua ʻi he kau palesitenisī fakakoló. Naʻe talaʻofa foki kiate ia ʻi ha tāpuaki kapau te ne faivelenga, te ne hoko ko ha “pou maama ʻo e Siasí ʻi ʻInitia.”

Naʻe ngāue fakafaifekau foki ʻa Seilala, ko e tuofefine ʻo Savaná. Kimuʻa peá ne mavahé, naʻá ne fakafeʻiloaki e ongoongoleleí ki hono kaungāmeʻa ko Saulupá. ʻI he foki mai ʻa Savana mei heʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻe faitāpuekina ia ʻi he ngāue fakafaifekau hono tuofefiné peá ne mali mo Saulupa. Kuo hoko e kiʻi kolo ko ia ʻi Leisamonitulí ko ha siteiki he taimí ni. Kuo hoko e kau ʻosi faifekau tokolahi mei Leisamonitulí ko ha kau taki ʻi he Siasí ʻi ʻInitia.

Naʻá ku fetaulaki mo e fānau ʻa Savana mo Saulupa Katuká lolotonga ʻeku faiako ʻi BYU he 2014. Naʻe toki ʻosi ngāue fakafaifekau ʻa Siua Katuka mei Pangaloa, ʻInitia, pea naʻe toki maʻu ʻa e uiuiʻi hono tuofefine ko Timená ki he misiona tatau pē. ‘I heʻeku fehuʻi ange kia Timena mo Siua pe naʻá na ʻiloʻi ʻa Lasi Kumaá, naʻá na pehē mai, “ʻIo, ko ʻema faʻētangata ia!” Naʻe mali ʻa Lasi Kumā mo Seilala.

‘Oku ou houngaʻia ki he fāmili Katuká ʻi hono fakafeʻiloaki au ki ha kau paionia kehe ʻi heʻenau tokoniʻi au heʻeku folau ki ʻInitiá. Ko e tokolahi ʻo kinautolu ne fakafehokotaki fakahangatonu ʻenau fononga paioniá ki he ʻofa mo e sīpinga ʻa e fāmili Katuká. Naʻe ʻi ai taimi naʻe maʻu ʻe Savana mo Saulupa ha faingamālie ke hiki ai ki Kānata. Ka naʻe ʻikai ke na tali ia he naʻá na ongoʻi naʻe finangalo e ʻEikí ke na nofo ʻi ʻInitia mo langa hake ai e puleʻanga ʻo e ʻOtuá. Kuo hoko moʻoni ʻena ngāue mateakí ko e pou maama ʻo e Siasí

The Ponds with Michael Anthoney

Naʻe fakafeʻiloaki ʻe Telauini Poni (ʻi loto-mālié) ʻa Maikolo ʻAnitonio ki he Siasí ʻi he 1981.

Kāingalotu paionia ʻi Pengalulu mo Haitelapatí

Lolotonga e konga kimui ʻo e senituli 20, kuo fokotuʻu e Siasí ʻi ha ngaahi kolo kehekehe ʻi ʻInitia ʻo fakafou ʻi he kāingalotu paioniá.4 ‘Oku fakamoʻoni e talanoa takitaha ki he founga kuo tataki mai ai ʻe he ʻEikí e kakaí ki he ongoongolelei kuo fakafoki maí.

Naʻe fakaofo e fetuʻutaki ʻa Maikolo ʻAnitoni, ko ha mēmipa paionia ʻi Pangaloa (ko Pengalulu he taimí ni), mo ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ʻi he 1970. ‘I he taimi ne ʻalu ai ʻa Telauini Poni, ko ha pīsope ʻi ʻIutā, ki ha toketā hui koeʻuhí ko e langa hono tuʻá, naʻá ne sio ki ha fakamatala ʻi ha makasini he ʻōfisi ʻo e toketaá ki ha kautaha tokoni ʻofa ne nau tokoniʻi e fānau ako ʻi ʻInitiá. Naʻá ne ongoʻi ha ueʻi mālohi ke tokoniʻi ha taha ʻo e fānau akó ni. Naʻe iku ʻeni ki ha fetuʻutaki taʻu ʻe 10 ne ʻikai ʻiloʻi, ne iku ki ha fetuʻutaki e fāmili Poní mo Maikolo mo vahevahe kiate ia e ongoongoleleí. Naʻe papitaiso ʻa Maikolo ʻi he 1981 peá ne ngāue fakafaifekau ʻi Sōleki Siti ʻi he 1982. Naʻá ne foki ki ʻapi ʻoku teʻeki hokosia e taimi totonú koeʻuhí naʻe puke lahi ʻene fineʻeikí, ko ia naʻá ne ngāue ai ʻi Pangaloa ʻi he māhina ʻe tolu ne toe ʻo ʻene ngāué, ʻa ia naʻá ne akoʻi ai ha niʻihi hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo ha niʻihi kehe ne hoko ko ha kau mēmipa ʻo e fuofua kolo aí.5 Ko ʻeni ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi palani ke langa ha temipale ʻi Pengalulu.

Naʻe kau ʻa ʻElisī mo ʻEtuini Tamalasu ki he Siasí ʻi Haʻamoa pea ne uiuiʻi kinaua ʻe Palesiteni Sipenisā W. Kimipolo ke foki ki hona ʻapí ʻi Haitelapati ko ha ongo faifekau ki hona fāmilí. ‘I he 1978, naʻe papitaiso ha toko 22 ʻo e kau mēmipa ʻo e fāmili ʻo ʻElisī mo ʻEtuiní, pea mei he kamataʻangá ni naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻa e fuofua siteiki ʻi he fonuá ʻi Haitelapati ʻi he 2012.6

ʻOku fakakaukau e kau mēmipa ʻo e Siteiki Haitelapatí he ʻahó ni ko ha kau paionia kinautolu ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní. Kuo fakamanatua ʻi heʻenau fakafiefiaʻi e ʻAho Paionia ʻo e siteikí ʻa e fononga ʻa e fuofua kau paioniá pea pehē ki he fononga ʻa e kau paionia ʻi onopōní. Kuo kau ʻi heʻenau fakafiefiá ʻa e hulohula tapafaá, kaka moʻungá, mo e fononga salioté.

members pulling a handcart

‘Oku fakamanatua ʻe he kau mēmipa ʻo e siteiki Haitelapatí ʻa e ʻAho Paioniá ʻo fakafou ʻi he hivá, hulohulá, mo e toho salioté.

‘I heʻenau fakafiefiaʻi e ʻAho Paioniá ʻi he 2014, naʻa nau tuku fakaʻotu ha ngaahi konga poloka ʻi mui ʻi he ʻapisiasí pea fakaafeʻi e kāingalotú ke vete honau suú pea lue ʻi he poloká, mo fakakaukau ki he kolosi ʻa e fuofua kau paioniá ʻi he ngaahi vaitafé ʻaisí. ‘I he fakaʻosinga ʻo ʻenau fakafiefiá, naʻe poupouʻi e kau mēmipa ʻo e siteiki Haitelapatí ke manatuʻi e laumālie ʻo e fuofua kau paioniá pea ko “kinautolu kotoa pē ko ha kau paionia ki honau ngaahi fāmilí.”7

Naʻa nau fanongo foki kia Sione Senitosi Miulala, naʻá ne kau ʻi he kau palesitenisī fakamisioná he taimi ko iá, ki heʻene talanoa kau ki he omi hono kāinga ko ʻElisī mo ʻEtuini Tamalasuú ki Haitelapati ke akoʻi e ongoongoleleí ki honau fāmilí. Ko Sione ʻa e mēmipa taʻu siʻi taha ʻo e kau mēmipa paionia ʻe toko 22 ke papitaiso ʻi he 1978.

‘I heʻeku ʻaʻahi ki Haitelapati ʻi he 2014, naʻe vahevahe mai ʻe Sione Miulala ʻa ʻene talanoá mo e konga lahi ʻo e hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí kuó ne tānakí. Naʻá ne fakafeʻiloaki foki au ki hono uaifi ko ʻAnapuná, ʻa ia naʻá ne vahevahe mai ha taha ʻo e ngaahi talanoa paionia ongo moʻoni kuó u fanongo aí.

Naʻe taʻu 12 ʻa ʻAnapuna ʻi he 1991 ʻi he taimi ne akoʻi ai e ongoongoleleí ki hono tuongaʻane ko Mefí, ʻe ha ongo faifekau ʻi Haitelapati. Naʻe ʻikai fakangofua ʻe he ongomātuʻá ʻa ʻAnapuná ke fanongo ki he ongo faifekaú pe ʻalu ki he lotú. Ka neongo ia, naʻe ʻoange ʻe Mefi ha Tohi ʻa Molomona mo ha ʻū tohi ʻa e Siasí ke ne lau. Naʻe ako ʻe ʻAnapuna e ongoongoleleí ʻiate pē ʻi ha taʻu ʻe fitu, pea maʻu ha fakamoʻoni mālohi ki hono moʻoní. Naʻá ne fakaʻānaua ke papitaiso, ngāue fakafaifekau, pea mali ʻi he temipalé ka naʻe ʻikai ke ne maʻu ha ngofua mei heʻene ongomātuʻá.

Naʻe fehangahangai ʻa ʻAnapuna mo ha fili faingataʻa ʻi heʻene moʻuí ʻi he taimi naʻá ne fetaulaki ai mo Sione Miulalá. Naʻe tuʻu mālohi ʻa Sione ʻi heʻene fakamoʻoní talu hono papitaiso ia ʻi he 1978 pea naʻá ne fekumi ki ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ke mali mo ia. Hili ha fakataha matuʻaki nounou ne vahevahe ai ʻe ʻAnapuna ʻene fakamoʻoni ki he ongoongoleleí, naʻe fakapapauʻi ʻe Sione kuó ne fetaulaki mo hono uaifi ʻi he kahaʻú. Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻAnapuna kapau te ne mali mo Sione, te ne lava ʻo papitaiso pea sila ʻi he temipalé ʻi ha ʻaho. Ka ʻi he meimei taimi tatau, naʻe aleaʻi ai ʻe he ongomātuʻa ʻa ʻAnapuná ha taha ke na mali.

Naʻe fai ʻe ʻAnapuna e fili faingataʻa ke ne mavahe mei ʻapi pea mali mo Sione. Naʻá ne ongoʻi ko e founga pē ia te ne lava ai ʻo kau ki he Siasí. Naʻá ne pehē naʻá ne “loto-mamahi ʻaupito” ke mavahe mei heʻene ongomātuʻá. Ka ʻoku aʻu ki he ʻahó ni ʻokú ne kei fakapapauʻi pē, “Naʻe pau ke u fakahoko ia koeʻuhí ko e fakamoʻui ʻa e tokotaha kotoa pē, … pea ke fakahoko e ngāue fakatemipale ki hoku hakó mo ʻeku ongomātuʻá mo ʻena ngaahi kuí.”8

Artist rendering of the Bengaluru India Temple

Ko Haitelapati, ko ha kolo ʻoku laka hono kakaí he toko 8 milioná mo e ʻapi ki he fuofua siteiki ʻi ʻInitiá.

‘Oku houngaʻia ʻa Sione mo ʻAnapuna kuo tali ʻe heʻene ongomātuʻá he taimí ni ʻa ʻena malí. Kuo fakahoko ʻe he kāingalotu tokolahi ʻi ʻInitia ha ngaahi feilaulau, ʻo hangē pē ko e fuofua kau paioniá, ke hoko ko ha kau mēmipa ʻo e Siasí. Ka kuo vilitaki e Kāingalotú ni ki muʻa ʻi he tuí koeʻuhí ʻoku nau fakakaukau ko ha kau paionia kinautolu mo e fehokotakiʻanga ki honau ngaahi fāmili ʻi he ongo tafaʻaki fakatouʻosi ʻo e veilí. ‘Oku ou mataʻikoloa ʻaki e ngaahi talanoa ʻo e tuí, feilaulaú, mo e loto-toʻa kuó u fanongo ai mei he kāingalotu ne nau tā e fihí ʻi he ngaahi feituʻu foʻou ʻoku malangaʻi ai e ongoongoleleí. ‘Oku ou kei fakakaukau pē ki hono toho ʻe he kau paionia e ngaahi salioté mo kolosi ʻi he vaitafe ʻaisí, ka ʻoku ou lava ʻo fakakaukau he taimí ni ki he kau paionia ʻi onopooni ʻi ʻInitiá pea mo e funga ʻo e māmaní.

Ko e aofangatukú, ko e hala fononga paionia kotoa pē kuo tā ai e fihí ʻe he niʻihi fakafoʻituitui ʻoku molomolo muivaʻe ki he Fakamoʻui ko Sīsū Kalaisí. ʻOku ui ʻa Kalaisi ʻi he Fuakava Foʻoú ko e paionia ʻo [ʻetau] fakamoʻuí (vakai, Hebrews 2:10, New Revised Standard Version). Kuo teuteuʻi ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi ʻa e hala ke tau foki ai ki hotau ʻapi fakalangí. ʻOku muimui e kau paionia moʻoní mo taki kitautolu kia Kalaisi, ʻa ia ʻokú Ne tataki e ngāue fakaofo mo lahi ko ʻeni ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho kimui ní.

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

  1. “Whenever I Think about Pioneers,” Children’s Songbook, 222–23.

  2. Oxford English Dictionary (1971), “Pioneer.” Vakai foki, Thomas S. Monson, “Led by Spiritual Pioneers,” Liahona, Aug. 2006, 3.

  3. Suvarna Katuka, oral history interview by Taunalyn Rutherford, May 2014, Delhi, India.

  4. ʻE lava ke maʻu e ngaahi talanoa paionia lahi mei ʻInitiá ʻi he konga Hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí ʻo e Gospel Library ʻi he “Global Histories.”

  5. Vakai, “A History of the Church in India,” comp. Jerry C. Garlock (unpublished, 1995), 49–50.

  6. Vakai, “I Will Establish a Church by Your Hand,” history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

  7. Vakai, “Hyderabad Stake Pioneer Day Activity,” lds.org.in/hyderabad-stake-pioneer-day-activity.

  8. Annapurna Guru Murala, oral history interview by Taunalyn Rutherford, Hyderabad, India, May 7, 2014. Vakai foki, Rochelle Welty and Jan Pinborough, “God Had His Own Plans for Me,” Liahona, Apr. 2003, 30–32.