Ko te Whakaaturanga a te Poropiti Hōhepa Mete

Ko ngā kupu ake a Hōhepa Mete mō te putanga mai o te Pukapuka a Moromona:

“I te ahiahi pō o te rua tekau-mā tahi o Hepetema [1823] … i aro atu au ki te inoi me te koropiko ki te Atua Kaha Rawa. …

“Nā, i a au i te karanga ake ki te Atua, i kite au i tētahi māramatanga e puta mai ana i tōku rūma, ka nui haere te māramatanga o te rūma i tō te poutūmārōtanga o te rā, i reira pū puta mai ai he momo āhua tangata ki te taha o tōku moenga, e tū ana i te hau takiwā, kīhai ōna waewae i tatū iho ki te papa.

“I te mau i a ia tētahi kahu tangoro tino mā rawa atu. He mā i tua atu i ngā mea katoa i kite ai ahau i runga i te whenua; kāore hoki au e whakapono nei ka taea e ngā mea o te whenua te whakamahi hei pēnā rawa te mā me te ātaahua. He tahanga ōna ringaringa, me ōna ringa anō hoki, i runga paku i te pona ringa; āe, hoki, he tahanga ōna waewae, me ōna kauangāwai, i runga paku i te pona waewae. He uhi kore anō hoki tōna upoko me tōna kakī. I kite anō au kāore he kākahu anō ōna atu i tēnei kahu, nō te mea i te tūwhera, kia kite ai au i tōna poho.

“Ehara kau i te mea ko tōna kahu i mā rawa atu, engari ko tōna āhuatanga katoa he mea whaikorōria i kō atu i tā te kupu, ko tōna kanohi he rite pū ki te uira. I mārama rawa atu te rūma, engari kāore i mārama rawa pērā i te karapotinga tata i tōna tīnana. I taku tirohanga tuatahi ki a ia, i wehi au; engari kāore i roa ka wehe noa te wehi i ahau.

“Ka karanga ia ki ahau ki tōku ingoa, ā, ka mea mai ki ahau he karere ia kua tukuna mai i te aroaro o te Atua ki ahau, ā, ko Moronai tōna ingoa; he mahi anō tā te Atua hei mahi māku; ko tōku ingoa hoki ka kīa he pai, he kino i waenganui i ngā whenua katoa, ngā iwi, me ngā reo, ka kōrerotia paitia, kinohia anō hoki rānei i waenganui i ngā tāngata katoa.

“I kī ai ia he pukapuka kua whakaraua atu, kua tuhia i runga i ngā papa kōura, e tuku kōrero ana mō ngā iwi o mua nā rātou tēnei whenua i noho, me te mātāpuna i pupū ake ai rātou. Ko tāna anō i kī ai kei roto i a ia te rāneatanga o te Rongopai mau tonu, e ai ki tā te Kaiwhakaora kawenga ki ngā tangatawhenua onamata.

“Waihoki, i reira hoki ngā kōhatu e rua i roto i ngā kōpere hiriwā—ko ēnei kōhatu, kua herea ki tētahi ārai uma, koinei e kīa ana ko te Ūrama me te Tāmama—kua whakaraua tahi me ngā papa; ā, ko te whakamautanga me te whakamahinga i ēnei kōhatu i kīa ai he ‘matakite’ i ngā wā onamata; ā, i whakarite te Atua i ēnā mō te take o te whakapākehātanga o te pukapuka. …

“Ā, tēnei anō, i kī mai ia, ina mau i ahau ngā papa kua kōrerotia e ia—nā te mea kāore anō kia tutukihia te wā e hopungia ai ēnā—me kaua au e whakakite atu ki tētahi tangata; te ārai uma me te Ūrama me te Tāmama rānei; ko rātou anake ka whakahaua ahau kia whakakitea atu ai; mehemea ka pēnā ahau ka whakangaromia. I a ia e kōrero ana ki a au mō ngā papa, ka puarehia mai he whakakitenga ki tōku hinengaro e kite ai au i te wāhi i whakaraua iho ai ngā papa, ā, i tino mārakerake, i tino mārama, kua mōhio au ko hea anō te wāhi i te wā i haere ai au ki reira.

“Whai muri iho i tēnei whakawhitinga kōrero, ka kite ahau i te māramatanga i tōku rūma ki te whakawhāiti haere kia karapoti noa iho i te tīnana o te mea i kōrero mai ki ahau, ā, ka pēnei tonu te haere kia pōuri anō ai te rūma, atu i te wāhi e tata ana ki a ia; kātahi, ka kitea pū e au, te āhua nei, he ara e tūwhera ana tae atu ana ki roto i te rangi, ka kakea ake e ia tae noa ki tana ngaronga katoatanga atu, ā, ka mahue iho nei te rūma kia pērā ki tōna āhua i mua i te putanga mai o tēnei māramatanga ā-rangi.

“I te takoto au e whakaarohia ana tēnei tū kitenga, me te mīharo nui i ngā mea i kōrerotia au e tēnei karere whakamīharo; kātahi nā, i waenga pū i tōku whakaaroarotanga, ka kite anō ahau kua tīmata anō te whakamāramatia o tōku rūma, i taua wā pū anō, ko te āhua nei, kua tau mai anō taua karere ā-rangi ki te taha o tōku moenga.

“Ka tīmata ia, ka kōrerohia anōtia aua mea pū anō kua kōrerotia i tana haerenga tuatahitanga mai, kāore he paku rerekētanga; ā, oti ana tērā, ka kōrero mai ia ki ahau i ngā whakawākanga nui e haere mai ana ki runga i te whenua, ko ngā whakangaromanga nui mā te mate kai, mā te hoari, me te mate urutā; ka tau mai hoki ēnei whakawākanga whakarihariha ki runga i te whenua i tēnei whakatipuranga. Mutu ana ēnei kōrero, ka kake anō ia pērā i tāna i mua.

“Ā, i tō reira wā, he hohonu rawa ngā pēpēhi kua pāngia ki tōku hinengaro, kua ngaro noa te hia moe i ōku karu, ā, ka takoto au e warea ana e te mīharo nui o ngā mea kua kitea, kua rangona anō hoki. Engari, anō te nui o tōku ohorere i te kitenga anō i taua karere pū anō e tū ana i te taha o tōku moenga, ā, ka rongo anō i tana takitaki, i tana tōai anō rānei ki ahau i aua mea anō kua meahia i mua; ā, ka tāpiri i tētahi whakatupato ki ahau, e mea ana ka ngana a Hātana ki te whakawai i a au (he mea nā te rawakoretanga o te hapū o tōku matua), kia hopungia ai ngā papa e whaimoni ai. Koinei tāna kia kaua rawa au e pērā, e mea ana kia kaua rawa he whāinga kē atu ina whiwhi ai i ngā papa hāunga ko te whakakorōriatanga i te Atua, ā, kia kore rawa au e patoutia e tētahi atu take atu i tēnā o te hanganga o tōna kīngitanga; ki te pērāhia kua kore au e whiwhi i aua mea.

“Whai muri iho i tēnei haerenga tuatoru, ka kake ake anō ia i te rangi pērā anō ki tāna i mua, ā, mahue iho ana ahau kia whakaroarohia te rerekētanga o te mea kātahi anō ka heipū mai ki ahau; ā, i muri tata tonu i te kakenga tuatorutanga ake o te karere ā-rangi mai i tōku aroaro ka tangi te tīkaokao, ā, kite ana ahau e tata mai ana te awatea, nā konā kua pau rawa te pō i ō māua kōrerotanga.

“Whai muri tata iho ka maranga ake i tōku moenga, ā, mahi ai au i ngā mahinga mātua o te rā; engari, i taku ngana ki te mahi pērā i ētahi atu wā, ā, kua pau katoa tōku kaha, nā, tē taea e au te mahi. Ko tōku matua, ko ia e mahitahi ana me ahau, ka kitea tētahi mate e raru ana i ahau, ā, ka mea mai ki ahau kia haere ki te kāinga. I tīmata atu au i runga i te whakaaro kia haere atu ai ki te whare; engari, i taku ngana ki te piki i te taiapa ki tua o te whīra i reira māua, ka ngaro katoa tōku kaha i ahau, ka makere ngoikore iho ki te papa, kua āhua nanu noa he aha te aha mō tētahi wā.

“Ko taku maharatanga tuatahi ko tētahi reo e kōrero ana ki ahau, e karangahia ana au ki tōku ingoa. Ka titiro ake au, ka kitea taua karere anō e tū ana i runga ake i tōku māhunga, e karapotia ana e te māramatanga pērā i o mua. Kātahi ia ka kōrerohia mai ngā mea katoa kua kōrerotia mai ahau i te pō i mua, ka whakahau mai anō ki ahau kia haere ki tōku matua me te whāki atu ki a ia mō te whakakitenga me ngā whakahaunga kua whiwhi nei ahau.

“Ka whakarongo ahau; i hoki au ki tōku matua i te whīra, ā, ka āta kōrerohia atu ngā mea katoa ki a ia. Ka whakahoki mai ia ki ahau he mea nā te Atua, ā, ka kī mai ki ahau kia haere ki te mahi pērā ki tā te karere whakahau. Ka wehe atu au i te whīra, ā, ka haere atu au ki te wāhi i kī mai ai te karere kua whakaraua iho ngā papa; ā, nā te mārakeraketanga o te whakakitenga i kite ai ahau e pā ana ki a ia, kua mōhio rawa au ki te wāhi i te wā pū anō i tae ai au ki reira.

“E pātata ana ki te papakāinga o Manateha, takiwā Onotārio, Niu Ioka, e tū ana tētahi puke āhua nui, ko te mea teitei katoa ake i te pāpori. Kei te taha uru o tēnei puke, kāore i tawhiti i te kōtihi, kei raro i tētahi toka āhua nui, e takoto ana ngā papa, kua whakaraua iho ki tētahi pouaka kōhatu. He mātotoru tēnei toka, he tōpuku i te pokapū o te taha whakarunga, he angiangi kei ngā tapa, nā, e kitea ai tana pokapū i runga ake i te whenua, engari kua tanumia katoatia ngā tapa huri noa ki te puehu.

“Oti ana te huke i te puehu, ka hopu au i tētahi tūwhiti, i whakaurua ki raro i te tapa o te toka, ā, nā te kaha iti i hīkina ake ai. Ka titiro au ki roto, ā, i reira mārika i kite au i ngā papa, te Ūrama me te Tāmama, me te ārai uma, e ai ki tā te karere. Kua hangaia te pouaka e puritia ana ēnā nā te whakatakoto i ngā kōhatu i tētahi momo raima. I te takoto huapae ngā kōhatu e rua i te papatū o te pouaka, kei runga i ēnei kōhatu ngā papa me ērā atu mea e takoto tahi ana.

“I whakamātau ahau ki te tango ake, engari kua whakakāhoretia e te karere, ā, ka whakamōhiotia anōtia kāore anō kia tae te wā mō tōna whakaputanga mai, kua kore anō e pērā, kia whā anō ngā tau atu i tērā wā; engari i kī mai ia ki ahau me haere mai ki tērā wāhi i te tau kotahi pū anō mai i taua wā, ā, ka tūtaki anō ia ki ahau i reira, ā, me pērā tonu au tae noa atu ki te wā e tika ana kia whiwhi au i ngā papa.

“Nō reira, e ai ki tā te whakahau mai ki ahau, i haere au i te mutunga o ia tau, ā, hei ia te wā ka kite anō au i taua karere i reira, ā, ka homai e ia ki ahau he tohutohu, he mātauranga anō i ia o ā māua kōrerotahitanga, e pā ana ki ngā mahi ka mahia e te Atua, ka pēhea, me pēhea anō rānei tana kīngitanga e whakahaerehia ai i ngā rā whakamutunga. …

“Nāwai rā ka tae te wā kia whiwhi ai i ngā papa, te Ūrama me te Tāmama, me te ārai uma. I te rua tekau-mā rua o ngā rā o Hepetema, kotahi mano, e waru rau, e rua tekau-mā whitu, i haere pērā atu i te mutunga o tētahi tau anō ki te wāhi kua whakaraua iho ngā papa, i homai e taua karere ā-rangi anō ngā mea ki ahau me tēnei whakahau: ana, māku ēnā mea e tiaki; me ka riro whakaaro kore atu ēnā mea, mā te aro kore nōku rānei, ka hātepea atu ahau; engari mēnā ka whakapaua tōku kaha katoa kia tiakina ai ēnā, tae noa atu ki tāna, ki tā te karere, karanga mai ki ēnā mea, me tiaki ēnā mea.

“Kīhai i roa ka mōhio au he aha te take i whiwhi katoa ai i ngā whakahaunga kaha rawa kia tiakina, ā, he aha anō i kī ai te karere ina ea ngā mahi me oti i tōku ringaringa, ka karangahia e ia ēnā mea. Nō te mea i muri tata tonu iho i te mōhiotanga i ahau ēnā mea, ka kaha rawa te whaiwhaitia mai kia murua ai ēnā mea i ahau. Ko ngā tūāhua tinihanga katoa i taea ai te whakaaro i whakamahia mō taua tikanga. I kino rawa ake, i pōuri rawa ake te whakahāweatanga mai i tāna o mua, i mataara anō ngā ope tini i ngā wā katoa kia murua ai ēnā mea i ahau mehemea i taea ai. Engari nā te mōhiotanga o te Atua, i mau pai ēnā mea i ōku ringaringa, tae noa ki te wā i tutuki ai i ērā i pīrangitia ai mā ēnā mea i tōku ringaringa. Nā, e ai ki ngā whakaritenga, i karangahia e te karere ēnā mea, i tukuna atu e ahau ēnā mea ki a ia; ā, kei a ia tonu ēnā mea tae noa mai ki tēnei rā, koia te rā tuarua o Mei, kotahi mano, e waru rau, e toru tekau-mā waru.”

Mō tētahi kōrero whānui atu, tirohia Hōhepa Mete—Hītori i roto i te Peara Utu Nui.

Ko te tuhituhinga onamata i whakaputaina mai ai i te whenua me ko te reo o tētahi iwi e kōrero ana mai i te puehu, kua whakapākehātia ki te reo anamata mā runga i te takohatanga me te kaha o te Atua e ai ki te whakamanatanga Tapu, i tāngia tuatahitia i te reo Ingarihi i te tau 1830 koia The Book of Mormon.