Hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí
Ko e Tohi ʻa Sione Uitemaá

“Ko e Tohi ʻa Sione Uitemaá,” Puipuituʻa ʻo e Ngaahi Fakahaá (2016)

“Ko e Tohi ʻa Sione Uitemaá,” Puipuituʻa ʻo e Ngaahi Fakahaá

Ko e Tohi ʻa Sione Uitemaá

T&F 47, 69

Brian Reeves

Sione Uitemā

Naʻe fāʻelei ʻa Sione Uitemā ʻi Penisilivēnia ʻi he 1802. Naʻe hiki kimui ange hono fāmilí ki Niu ʻIoke, ʻo nau iku nofo “fakataha mo e ngaahi fāmili Siamane kehe ʻi Feieti,” ko ha kolo ne ʻikai fuʻu loko nofoʻi ʻi ha meimei maile ʻe 30 fakatongahihifo ʻo Palemailá. Tuʻunga ʻi he feohi hono fāmilí mo ʻOliva Kautelé, naʻe ʻilo ai ʻe Sione Uitemā ʻa Siosefa Sāmita pea mo ʻene fakalakalaka ʻi he liliu ʻo ha lekooti fakalaumālie fakakuonga muʻa, ko e Tohi ʻa Molomoná.

Naʻe mātuʻaki mahuʻingaʻia ʻa e fāmili Uitemaá ʻi he ngāue ʻa Siosefá, pea ʻi Sune 1829, naʻa nau fokotuʻutuʻu ai ke nofo ʻa e palōfita kei talavoú mo ʻene tangata tohi ko ʻŌliva Kautelé ʻi he ʻapi ʻo e fāmili Uitemaá ʻi heʻena fakaʻosiʻosi ʻa e liliú. Naʻe fononga ʻa e tokoua ʻo Sione ko Tēvitá ki Hāmoni ʻi Penisilivēnia, ke tokoni ʻi he hiki mai ʻa Siosefa mo ʻŌliva ki he ʻapi ʻo e fāmili Uitemaá ʻi Feieti ʻi Niu ʻIoké. Naʻe fokotuʻu ange foki ʻe Tēvita “ke tokoni ha taha ʻo hono ngaahi tokouá,” ʻa Sione, ko ha tangata tohi. Naʻe tali ia ʻe Siosefa pea nofo mo e fāmili Uitemaá “kae ʻoua kuo ʻosi ʻa e liliú.” Pea hangē ko e palōmesí, naʻe tokoni “lahi ʻaupito ʻa [Sione] ʻi he tohí ʻi he lolotonga ʻo e ngāué.”

Naʻe taimi nounou pē aʻu atu ʻa Siosefa ki Feietí, kuo papitaiso ʻa e tokotaha taʻu 26 ko Sione Uitemaá ʻi he Anovai Seneká. Naʻe hoko ia ko ha taha ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻe Toko Valú, pea naʻá ne mamata ʻi he ngaahi lauʻi peleti ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná, peá ne pehē kimui ange: “Naʻá ku ala ki he ngaahi lauʻi peleti ko iá; naʻe ʻi ai ha tohi tongi fakaʻofoʻofa ʻi he ongo tafaʻakí fakatouʻosi.”

Ko e taimi naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻa e Siasí ʻi he ʻapi ʻo e fāmili Uitemaá ʻi he ʻaho 6 ʻo ʻEpeleli 1830, naʻe fakahinohinoʻi ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa Siosefa Sāmita ʻo pehē, “Kuo pau ke tauhi ha Lekooti ʻiate kimoutolu.” Ke talangofua ki he fekau ko ʻení, naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻa ʻŌliva Kautele ke hoko ko e ʻuluaki fai hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí.

Naʻe hoko ʻa e ngaahi fakahā ʻa Siosefá ko ha konga mahuʻinga ʻo e lekooti fakahisitōliá. Naʻe tohi ʻe Sione Uitemā ʻo pehē, ʻi he lolotonga ʻo e ngaahi fuofua ʻaho ʻo e Siasí, “naʻe tāpuekina lahi ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa ʻene kau ākongá, pea naʻá ne foaki mo ha ngaai fakahā lahi, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e tokāteline, fakahinohino, mo e ngaahi kikite.” ʻI Siulai 1830, naʻe “kamata leva ʻe he palōfitá “ke fokotuʻutuʻu mo hiki tatau ʻa e ngaahi fakahā kuó ne ʻosi maʻú,” pea hoko ʻa Uitemā ko e tangata tohi.

Sione Uitemā ko e Fai-Hisitōlia mo e Tauhi Lekooti

ʻI he faʻahitaʻu fakatōlau ʻo e 1830, naʻe fakahoko ai ʻe ʻŌliva Kautele ha ngāue fakafaifekau ki he kakai Leimaná. Naʻe tohi ʻe Uitemā, naʻe fokotuʻu leva ʻa Sione Uitemā, “ʻe he leʻo ʻo e kau Kaumatuʻá ke ne fetongi [ʻa ʻŌliva Kautele] ke tauhi ʻa e lekooti ʻo e Siasí.” “Naʻe talamai ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ko e Siʻí kiate au, kuo pau ke ke toe tauhi foki mo e hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí.”

Naʻe fiemālie pē ʻa Uitemā ʻi hono hiki ʻo e ngaahi fakahā ʻa Siosefa Sāmitá ka naʻe kiʻi momou ke ne tali ʻa e fatongia foʻou ʻo e fai hisitōliá. Naʻá ne talaange kia Siosefa, “ʻE sai ange kiate au ke ʻoua te u fakahoko ia,” ka naʻe loto pē ke ne tali ʻa e fatongiá kapau ko e finangalo ia ʻo e ʻEikí—ʻi he tuʻunga ko iá naʻe toe hoko atu ʻa Uitemā, “ʻOku ou fakaʻamu ke ne fakahā mai ia ʻo fakafou ʻi he tangata kikite ko Siosefá.”

Ko hono olá ko ha fakahā (ʻoku hoko he taimí ni ko e Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 47), naʻe fakaʻaho ki he ʻaho 8 ʻo Māʻasi 1831, naʻe fakamahino ai ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa e ongo fatongia ʻo Uitemaá ke “tohi & tauhi [maʻu pē] ha hisitōlia & mo tokoni ki heʻeku tamaioʻeiki ko Siosefá ʻi hono Hiki ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē ʻe foaki kiate iá.” Ko e tali ko ia ki he ʻikai ke falala ʻa Uitemā ki heʻene taukei he tohí, naʻe palōmesi ange ʻa e ʻEikí, “ʻE foaki kiate koe ʻe [he] fakafiemālié ke tohi ʻa e ngaahi meʻá ni.” Hili ha māhina ʻe tolu mei ai, naʻe kamata ke hiki ʻe Uitemā hono hisitōliá, “Ko e Tohi ʻa Sione Uitemaá.”

Hili ha ngaahi māhina siʻi mei ai, naʻe ngāue leva ʻa e kau taki ʻo e Siasí ke pulusi ʻa e ngaahi fakahā ʻa Siosefa Sāmitá, ha tohi himi, mo ha nusipepa ʻa e Siasí, pea mo ha ngaahi ngāue kehe. Naʻe tuʻutuni ʻe ha fakahā ʻi Nōvema 1831 (ʻoku hoko he taimí ni ko e Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 69) ʻa ʻŌliva Kautele mo Sione Uitemā ke na ʻave ʻa e ngaahi fakahā kuo hikí ki Tauʻatāina ʻi Mīsuli, ke pulusi ʻi ha feituʻu kuo fokotuʻu ai ʻe W. W. Felipisi ha faiʻanga paaki. Naʻe toe fakahinohinoʻi ʻe he fakahaá ko e kau faifekau naʻe “ʻi muli ʻi māmaní ʻoku totonu ke nau ʻomai ʻenau ngaahi fakamatalá ki he Fonua ko Saioné” mo toe fakalahi ʻa e ngaahi fatongia ʻo Uitemā ko e fai-hisitōlia ʻo e Siasí, ʻo talaange ke “faʻa fononga tuʻo lahi mei he feituʻu ki he feituʻu & mei he potu Siasi ki he potu Siasi koeʻuhí ke faingofua ange ʻene ʻilo ke malangá & fakamatalaʻi, hiki tohi mo hiki-tataú & fili & mo maʻu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē ʻe lelei ki he Siasí & ki he ngaahi toʻu tangata tupu hake ʻi he fonua ko Saioné.”

Naʻe fakalotolahiʻi ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ʻa Uitemā ʻi Siulai 1832, ke ne “manatuʻi ʻa e fekau kiate ia ke ne tauhi ha hisitōia ʻo e tānaki & siasí.” ʻI he konga kimui ʻo e taʻu ko iá, naʻe maʻu ʻe he palōfitá ha toe fakahā ʻe taha naʻá ne fakalahi ʻa e fatongia fakahisitōlia ʻo Sione Uitemaá: “Ko e fatongia ʻo e kalake ʻa e ʻEikí, ʻa ia kuó ne filí, ke ne tauhi ha hisitōlia, mo ha lekooti fakakātoa ʻo e siasí ʻi he ngaahi meʻa kotoa ʻoku hoko ʻi Saioné … pea pehē foki [ki he] anga ʻenau moʻuí mo e tuí mo e ngaahi ngāué pea mo hono kotoa foki ʻo e kau hē mei he moʻoní.”

Naʻe tauhi pehē ʻe Uitemā ʻa ʻene lekooti ʻo e Siasi toki kamatá ʻi he lolotonga ʻo ʻene hoko ko e mēmipá, ʻa ia naʻe ngata ʻi he 1838. Fakatatau mo e fakamatala ʻa ha kulupu fai-hisitōlia ʻe taha, naʻe hanga ʻe he hisitōlia naʻe faʻu ʻe Sione Uitemaá ʻo “huluʻi mai ha ngaahi meʻa mahuʻinga lahi ʻo e kamataʻanga ʻo e siasí, ʻo kau ai ha ngaahi palopalema fakakelekele, fakatonutonu fakasiasi, “meʻa ʻoku fai ki he kau fakafepakí, pea mo hono fokotuʻu ʻo e faʻunga taki he lakanga fakataulaʻeikí. … ʻOku mātuʻaki mahuʻinga taha ʻa e ngāue ʻa Uitemā ki he ngaahi fakahaá, ngaahi tohi tangí, pea mo e ngaahi tohi ʻoku nau hoko ko e konga lahi ʻo ʻene hisitōliá.”

Ko e Hā Naʻe Hoko kia Sione Uitemā mo Hono Hisitōliá?

Naʻe fokotuʻu ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ʻi he 1834, ha kau palesitenisī ki he Siasí ʻi Mīsuli, ʻo hoko ai ʻa Sione Uitemā mo W. W. Felipisi ko ha ongo tokoni kia Tēvita Uitemā. Naʻe tukuakiʻi kimui ʻa Sione Uitemā mo Felipisi ki hono ngāue hala ʻaki e paʻangá ʻo fekauʻaki mo hona lakanga ʻi aí pea iku tuʻusi ai kinaua mei he Siasí ʻi Māʻasi 1838.

Naʻe tohi ʻe Uitemā ʻi hono hisitōliá: “ʻOku ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa fakatuʻasino, ʻoku teʻeki ai fakafiemālie ki he ongo tafaʻakí naʻe fakangata mo ia ʻi he tuʻusi ʻo ha kau mēmipa [tokolahi], ʻo kau ai ʻa W. W. Felipisi pea mo au.

“Ko ia ʻoku ou tāpuni ai ʻa e hisitōlia ʻo e siasi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní, mo ʻamanaki ʻe lava ʻo fakamolemoleʻi au ʻi heʻeku ngaahi fehalaākí, pea tamateʻi ʻa ʻeku ngaahi angahalá pea mo fakahaofi au ʻi he aho fakaʻosí ʻi he puleʻanga ʻo e ʻOtuá neongo hoku tuʻunga lolotongá.”

Naʻe aʻu mai ʻa Siosefa Sāmita ki Hihifo Mamaʻo ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi mei he tuʻusí. Naʻe ʻalu ha kalake naʻe toki ui foʻou kia Uitemā ke ʻomai ʻene hisitōliá, ka naʻe ʻikai ke tali ʻe Uitemā ke ʻoange. Naʻe kiʻi mavahe fakataimi mei Hihifo Mamaʻo he lolotonga ʻo e fepaki ʻi Mīsuli he 1838–39, ka naʻe toe foki mai hili ha taimi nounou ʻo nofo ai ʻi he toenga ʻo ʻene moʻuí.

Hili e mālōlō ʻa Sione Uitemā ʻi he 1878, naʻe ʻave hono hisitōliá ki hono tokoua ko Tēvitá, pea ʻi he 1903 naʻe maʻu ʻe he Siasi Fokotuʻutuʻu Foʻou ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ʻa e hisitōliá mei ha hako ʻo Tēvita Uitemā. Ka naʻe faifai pea toki maʻu ʻe he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ʻi he 1974 ha tatau filimi ʻo e fakamatalá ʻi ha fakafetongi ʻo ha ngaahi meʻa fakahisitōlia mo e Siasi Fokotuʻutuʻu Foʻou ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. ʻI he 2012, naʻe pulusi ai ʻa e hisitōlia ʻo Sione Uitemaá, ko ha konga ʻo e ngāue ki he Ngaahi Pepa ʻa Siosefa Sāmitá (Joseph Smith Papers).

  1. Scott C. Esplin, “‘A History of All the Important Things’ (D&C 69:3): John Whitmer’s Record of Church History,” in Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints, ed. Richard E. Turley Jr. and Steven C. Harper (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2010), 51.

  2. Stanley R. Gunn, Oliver Cowdery, Second Elder and Scribe (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1962), 33.

  3. “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, vol. 3, no. 20 (Aug. 15, 1842), 884–85.

  4. B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, 3:307–8.

  5. “Revelation, 6 April 1830 [D&C 21],” ʻi he Revelation Book 1, 28, josephsmithpapers.org; vakai foki, Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 21:1.

  6. Howard C. Searle, “Historians, Church,” ʻi he Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 2:589.

  7. “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” 22, josephsmithpapers.org.

  8. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), 37–38.

  9. “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” 24.

  10. “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” 24.

  11. “Revelation, circa 8 March 1831–B [D&C 47],” ʻi he Revelation Book 1, 79, josephsmithpapers.org; vakai foki, Tokēteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 47:1.

  12. “Revelation, circa 8 March 1831–B [D&C 47],” ʻi he Revelation Book 1, 80; vakai foki, Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 47:4.

  13. “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” 25.

  14. Lyndon W. Cook, “Literary Firm,” ʻi he Arnold K. Garr, Donald Q. Cannon, mo e Richard O. Cowan, eds., Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 670.

  15. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 113.

  16. “Revelation, 11 November 1831–A [D&C 69],” ʻi he Revelation Book 1, 122, josephsmithpapers.org; vakai foki, Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 69:5, 7–8. Ko e ngaahi fakahā ko ia naʻe ʻave ʻe Kautele mo Uitemā ki Tauʻatāiná naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu fakataipe ia ʻe Uiliami W. Felipisi ke hoko ko e Tohi ʻo e Ngaahi Fekaú, ka ʻi he ʻaho 20 ʻo Siulai 1833, naʻe fakaʻauha ʻe ha kau fakamoveuveú ʻa e fale pākí. ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe ʻosi paaki ʻe Felipisi ha peesi ʻe 160 ʻoku ʻi ai ha ngaahi fakahā ʻe 65.

  17. Historical Introduction to “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847.”

  18. “Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 November 1832,” ʻi he Letterbook 1, 1, josephsmithpapers.org; vakai foki, Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 85:1–2.

  19. Historical Introduction to “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847.”

  20. “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” 85. Naʻe toki laineʻi kimui ʻe Uitemā ʻa e konga lahi ʻo e fakamatala ko ʻení, ʻo kamata ʻi he “ʻo kau ai ʻa W. W. Felipisi pea mo au.”

  21. Vakai, Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, 3:8–9, 13–15.

  22. Vakai, Richard L. Anderson, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981), 131.

  23. Vakai, Esplin, “‘A History of All the Important Things’ (D&C 69:3),” 57.

  24. Vakai, Esplin, “‘A History of All the Important Things’ (D&C 69:3),” 73.

  25. Vakai, “John Whitmer, History, 1831–circa 1847,” josephsmithpapers.org. Naʻe pulusi ʻe Pulusi N. Uesitakuleni ʻi he 1995 ha tatau ʻo e hisitōlia ʻo Sione Uitemaá: From Historian to Dissident: The Book of John Whitmer, ed. Bruce N. Westergren (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995).