Isifiso

Ngikhethe ukuba ngikhulume ngokubaluleka kokuba nesifiso. Ngiyethemba ngamunye sizozihlola ezinhliziyweni zethu ukuze sithole ukuthi ngabe yikuphi ngempela esikufisayo nokuthi yiziphi izifiso zethu ezibalulekile esinazo.

Izifiso esinazo yizo ezikhomba ukuthi yikuphi okusemqoka kithi, okusemqoka kithi yikho okulawula esikukhethayo, esikukhethayo yikho okukhomba ukuthi yikuphi esikwenzayo. Izifiso esinazo ezisenzisa okuthile ngenxa yazo yizo ezikhomba ukuthi yikuphi esikushintshayo, yikuphi esikufezayo, nokuthi yikuphi esiba yikho.

Okokuqala ngizokhuluma ngezifiso esivame ukuba nazo. Njengabantu abafayo sinezidingo zenyama ezibalulekile. Izifiso zokwenelisa lezi zidingo yizo ezisiphoqa ukuba sikhethe okuthile nokuba senze okuthile. Zintathu izibonelo ezizokhombisa ukuthi kwesinye isikhathi asizifezi lezi zifiso ngenhloso yokuba sifeze ezinye esizibona zibaluleke kakhulu.

Isibonelo sokuqala, ukudla. Sinesidingo esibalulekile sokuba sidle, kodwa leso sidingo ngeke sasifeza isikhashana esithile ngenhloso yokuba sifeze isidingo esinamandla sokuba sikuzile ukudla.

Isibonelo sesibili, umpheme wokukhosela. Ngesikhathi ngiseneminyaka yobudala eyi-12 ngamelana nesifiso sompheme wokukhosela ngenxa yesifo esikhulu enganginaso sokufeza isidingo sobuVulandlela sokuba ngichithe ubusuku emahlathini. Ngangingomunye wabafana abambalwa abashiya amatende esasihleli kahle kuwo sathola indlela yokwakha umpheme wokukhosela nokwenza umbhede wokulala wasemandulo ngezinto zemvelo esazithola.

Isibonelo sesithathu, ukulala. Ngisho nalesi sidingo esibalulekile singeke sasifeza okwesikhashana ngenhloso yokufeza esinye esibaluleke kakhulu. Ngiseyinsizwa yesosha le-Utah National Guard, ngakufunda lokhu enduneni yempi eyayike yabhekana nokulwa.

Ngesikhathi sezinyanga zokuqala zeMpi yaseKoriya, umbayimbayi weRichfield Utah National Guard kwadingeka usebenze. Lombayimbayi owawulawulwa yiNduna uRay Cox, wawunamadoda angama-40 ayengamaMormoni. Emva kokuqeqeshwa futhi nanokuba amasosha ayebekwe eceleni alethwa ukuzoselekelela, athunyelwa eKoriya, lapho abhekana khona nokulwa okwakugcwele ulaka olukhulu kuleyompi. Kwenye impi kwakufanele baxoshe amakhulu amashosha ayebahlasela, ukuhlaselwa okwalimaza futhi kwabhubhisa abanye ombayimbayi.

Pho ngabe konke lokhu kuhlangene ngani nokunqoba isifiso sokulala na? Kwathi ngobunye ubusuku, lapho izitha zamasosha ayehamba phansi sezihlasele amasosha ayeseduze nazo zaphinde zangena lapho okwakukhona khona ombayimbayi, induna yamasosha eyayixhume izingcingo etendeni layo yayala amasosha ayegade emingceleni ukuba ayishayele ucingo ihora nehora ubusuku bonke. Ngenxa yalomyalelo kwadingeka amasosha ayegadile angalali, kodwa futhi kwakusho nokuthi iNduna uCox nayo yayizophazamiseka kaningi uma yayithi iyalala. “Wawungakwenza kanjani lokho na?” Kwabuza mina. Impendulo yakhe ikhombisa amandla esifiso esidlula ezinye.

Ngangazi ukuthi uma sasiyogcina sesibuyele emakhaya, ngangiyohlangana nabazali ba lezo zinsizwa emigwaqeni yendawo yangakithi, ngangingakufisi ukubhekana namunye wabo uma enye yalezo zinsizwa ingakwazanga ukubuyela ekhaya ngenxa yokwehluleka kwami ukwenza umsebenzi wami njengomkhuzi wempi wazo.”¹

Saze sasihle isibonelo samandla esifiso esidlula konke okunye okubalulekile nezenzo esizenzayo! Saze sasihle kakhulu lesi sibonelo kithi sonke esinomthwalo wokunakekela abanye––abazali, abaholi beBandla, kanye nothisha!

Sengiphetha mayelana nalowo mfanekiso, kwathi ngentathakusa yangakusasa emva kokungalali, iNduna uCox yahola amadoda ayo kuhlaselwa izitha zamasosha ayehamba phansi. Bathatha iziboshwa ezingama-800 kwalimala amasosha amabili kuphela kwawakhe. UCox wahlonishwa ngesibindi sakhe, futhi nombayimbayi wakhe waqoshwa amaZwi esiKhumbuzo esivela kuMongameli ngenxa yobuqhawe bawo. Futhi, njengezinsizwa zamasosha zikaHelamani (bheka ku Alima 57:25–26), bakwazi bonke ukubuyela emakhaya.²

INcwadi kaMormoni iqukethe izimfundiso eziningi ngokubaluleka kwesifiso.

Emva kwamahora amaningi okunxusa eNkosini, u-Enoshe watshelwa ukuthi izono zakhe zase zixolelwe. Emva kwalokho, “[wa]qala [wa]ba nesifiso sokuthi kuzuze abafo[wabo]” (Enoshe 1:9). Wabhala ukuthi, “Futhi … emva kokuthi sengithandazile futhi ngasebenza ngakho konke ukukhuthala, iNkosi yathi kimi: Ngizokunika njengokwezifiso zakho, ngenxa yokholo lwakho” (ivesi 12). Qaphela lezi zinto ezintathu ezibalulekile ezandulela leso sibusiso esasithenjisiwe: isifiso, ukusebenza, kanye nokholo.

Entshumayelweni yakhe ngokholo, u-Alima ufundisa ukuthi ukukholwa kungaqala ngokuthi “ungeke wenza ngaphezu kokuthi ube nesifiso nje kuphela sokukholwa” uma “[se]nza lesifiso sisebenze [kithi]” (Alima 32:27).

Enye imfundiso enhle kakhulu mayelana nesifiso, ikakhulukazi mayelana nokufanele kube yisifiso sethu sokugcina, itholakala kulokho iNkosi engumLamani eyabhekana nakho ngesikhathi ifundiswa ngumfundisi u-Aroni. Kwathi lapho iyithanda imfundiso ka-Aroni, inkosi yabuza yathi, “Ngingenze njani ukuze ngizalwe ngokukaNkulunkulu” futhi “ngibe nalokhu kuphila okuphakade na?” (u-Alima 22:15). U-Aroni wayiphendula wathi: “Uma uyifisa lento, uma ungakhothama phansi phambi kukaNkulunkulu, yebo, uma ungaphenduka ezonweni zakho zonke, futhi ukhothame phansi phambi kukaNkulunkulu, futhi ubize igama lakhe ngokholo, ukholwa ukuthi uyokuthola okucelayo, uma kunjalo uyolithola lelothemba olifisayo.” (ivesi 16).

Inkosi yakwenza lokho futhi ngomkhuleko onamandla yasho nokusho ithi, “Ngiyodela zonke izono zami ukuthi ngikwazi … futhi ngisindiswe ngosuku lokugcina” (ivesi 18). Ngenxa yokuzinikela kanjalo nokusho isifiso sayo sokugcina, umkhuleko wayo waphendulwa ngesimangaliso.

Umprofethi u-Alima wayenesifiso esikhulu sokushumayela ngokuphenduka kubo bonke abantu, kodwa wagcina ngokuqonda ukuthi kwakungafanele afise amandla aphoqayo ayezowadinga ngoba, waphetha ngokuthi, “uNkulunkulu wokulunga … wabela abantu ngokufisa kwabo, noma ngabe kuholela ekufeni noma ngabe kuholela ekuphileni” (u-Alima 29:4). Ngokufanayo, esambulweni esatholakala ngezikhathi zethu iNkosi isho nokusho ukuthi Izo “kwahlulela bonke abantu ngokwemisebenzi yabo, ngokwezifiso zezinhliziyo zabo” (Mf&V 137:9).

Ngabe sikulungele ngempela yini ukuba uMehluleli wethu waPhakade ahlanganise ubukhulu obungaka nesikufisa ngempela na?

Imibhalo eminingi engcwele ikhuluma ngalokho esikufisayo ngokuthi yikuphi esikufunayo. “Lowo ongifuna masinya uyongithola, futhi ngeke iNkosi imshiye” (Mf&V 88:83). “Funani ngeqiniso izipho ezinhle kakhulu” (Mf&V 46:8). “Lowo ofuna ngokukhuthala uyozuza” (1 Nefi 10:19). “Sondelani eduze kwami futhi nami ngizo sondela eduze kwenu; ngifuneni ngokukhuthala futhi nizongi fumana; celani futhi nizophiwa, ngqongqothani, futhi nizovulelwa”(Mf&V 88:63).

Ukulungisa izifiso zethu ukuba zigxile kakhulu ezintweni zaphakade akulula. Sonke siyalingeka ekutheni sifise lezo zinto ezine zomhlaba okuyimpahla, ukuduma, ukuphakama, kanye namandla. Singazifisa lezi zinto, kodwa akufanele zibe semqoka kithi.

Labo okuyisifiso sabo esisemqoka sokuba nezinto bangena esilingweni sokuthembela ezintweni zomhlaba. Bayehluleka ukunaka isexwayiso esithi “Ungayifuni ingcebo noma izinto eziyize zalomhlaba” (u-Alima 39:14; bheka futhi ku Jakobe 2:18).

Labo abafisa ukuduma noma amandla kufanele balandele isibonelo seNduna uMoroni owayenesibindi, owaye “ngafuni amandla” noma “ukuhlonishwa ngumhlaba” (u-Alima 60:36).

Ngabe sizikhulisa kanjani izifiso na? Bambalwa abayobhekana nobunzima obakhuthaza u-Aron Ralston,³ kodwa lokho adlula kukho kusinika isifundo esihle kakhulu mayelana nokukhulisa isifiso. Kwathi ngesikhathi uRalston ehamba ngezinyawo kude odongweni olusikwe wumfula olwaluseningizimu ne-Utah, masinyane kwagudluka imbokodo yetshe eyayinesisindo esingama-360 wama-kg maqede kwabambeka ingalo yakhe yangakwesokudla kuyo. Eyedwa izinsuku esinhlanu wazabalaza ezama ukuzikhulula. Kwathi lapho esezozidela avumele ukufa, waba nombono womfana owayeneminyaka emithathu egijima eza kuye futhi wazibona ephakanyiswa ngengalo yakhe yangakwesokunxele. Enomqondo wokuthi lona kwakungumbono wendodana yakhe ayesazoyithola futhi nokuthi lombono wawuqinisekisa ukuthi wayesazophila, uRalston wavusa isibindi wadluthula ezama ukuzisindisa ngaphambi kokuba aphelelwe ngamandla. Waphula amathambo amabili engalweni yakhe eyayibambekile wase esebenzisa ummese ngesinye isandla ukuyinquma leyo ngalo. Wabe esevusa amandla ukuba ahambe ngezinyawo ibanga elilinganiselwa kumakilomitha ayisishiyagalombili ukuyofuna usizo.⁴ Saze sasihle isibonelo samandla esifiso esimangazayo! Uma sinombono walokho esingaba yikho, sikhula kakhulu isifiso namandla ethu okwenza okuthile.

Iningi lethu alisoze labhekana nobunzima obunjena, kodwa sonke sibhekana nokungase kube yizithiyo ezizosivimbela ukuba siqhubekele kulokho esidalelwe kona ingunaphakade. Uma izifiso zethu ezilungileyo zinkulu ngokwanele, zizosikhuthaza ukuba sisuse ihuhwa kanye nengcindezi yesono kithi esivimbela ukuba sikhule ingunaphakade.

Kufanele sikhumbule ukuthi izifiso ezilungileyo akufanele zithi hwaphu nje, zibe namawala, noma zibe ngezesikhashana. Kufanele zisuke enhliziyweni, zingabi nokungabaza, futhi zime njalo. Uma sikhuthazwa yilezo zifiso, sizofuna leso simo esachazwa ngumProfethi uJoseph Smith, lapho sesi “bunqobile ububi [bezimpilo zethu] futhi sezingasekho zonke izifiso zokwenza isono.”⁵ Leso yisinqumo somuntu siqu. Njengoba iGosa uNeal A. Maxwell asho wathi:

“Lapho abantu sebechazwa ‘njengabantu abangasakuthandi ukwenza okubi,’ yibo, futhi yibo kuphela, abathathe isinqumo sokuba bayeke ukuba nalezo zifiso ezingalungile ngokuthi bafise uku ‘dela zonke izono [zabo]’ ukuze bamazi uNkulunkulu.”

“Ngakho-ke, lokho esikufisa ngokuphikelela, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kuba yilokho esizoba yikho ekugcineni futhi yilokho esiyokuzuza ingunaphakade.”⁶

Nakuba kubaluleke ngalendlela ukuyeka zonke izifiso zesono, ukuphila okuphakade kudinga okungaphezulu kwalokho. Ukuze sifeze lokho esidalelwe kona ingunaphakade, kuzofanele sifise futhi sisebenzele leso similo esidingekayo ukuze sibe yisidalwa saphakade. Isibonelo, izidalwa zaphakade ziyabaxolela bonke abazonile. Zibeka ukuhlala kahle kwabanye kunokuzinaka zona. Futhi zibathanda bonke abantwana baNkulunkulu. Uma lokhu kubonakala kunzima kakhulu—futhi ngempela akulula kithi sonke—uma kunjalo kufanele siqale ngokuba nesifiso salezo zici futhi sicele kuBaba wethu oseZulwini onothando ukuba aselekelele ngemizwa yethu. ENcwadini kaMormoni sifundiswa ukuthi kufanele “sikhuleke kuBaba ngamandla onke enhliziyo, ukuze [si]gcwaliswe ngaloluthando, alunika bonke labo abangabalandeli beqiniso beNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu” (uMoroni 7:48).

Sengiphetha ngesibonelo sokugcina sesifiso okufanele sibe semqoka kubo bonke abesilisa nabesifazane––labo abashadile nalabo abangashadile. Bonke kufanele basebenze ngokuzimisela ukuze bathole umshado waphakade. Labo asebenawo umshado wasethempelini kufanele benze konke abangakwenza ukuwulondoloza. Labo abangashadile kufanele bawufise umshado wasethempelini futhi benze imzamo esemqoka ukuwuzuza. Intsha nabasebancane abangashadile kufanele balwe nalomqondo owamukelekile kwabanye kodwa ongamanga ngokwaphakade omayelana nokukhuluma kabi ngokubaluleka kokushada nokuba nabantwana.⁷

Madoda angakaganwa, ngiyanicela ke nicabange nganansi inselelelo ekulencwadi ebhalwe ngulodade ongashadile. Wayecelela “amadodakazi kaNkulunkulu alungileyo amfuna ngeqiniso umlingani ofanelekileyo, kodwa amadoda kuba sengathi awaboni futhi adidekile mayelana nokuthi kungumsebenzi wawo ukuwafuna futhi aweshele lamadodakazi akhethekileyo kaBaba oseZulwini futhi amadoda kufanele abe nesifiso sokwenza futhi agcine izivumelwano ezingcwele endlini yeNkosi.” Waphetha ngokuthi, “Maningi amadoda angaganiwe angamalungu aleliBandla akuthandayo ukuphuma ayozijabulisa, futhi abonane nodade, kodwa angenaso nakancane isifiso sokuzibophezela kowesifazane.”⁸

Nginesiqiniseko sokuthi kukhona izinsizwa ezifuna ngentshisekelo ezingathanda ngisho ukuthi kukhona ezinye izintombi ezinezifiso zokugana nokuba nabantwana kodwa ezingabalulekile kunezifiso zomsebenzi nezinye izinto eziyidumela zasemhlabeni. Kudingeka kube ngamadoda nabesifazane abanezifiso ezilungileyo ezizobaholela ekuphileni kwaphakade.

Masikhumbule ukuthi izifiso esinazo yizo ezikhomba ukuthi yikuphi okusemqoka kithi, okusemqoka kithi yikho okulawula esikukhethayo, esikukhethayo yikho okukhomba ukuthi yikuphi esikwenzayo. Phezu kwalokho, yizenzo nezifiso zethu ezidala ukuba sibe okuthile, singaba ngumngani weqiniso, uthisha onekhono, noma sibe yilowo osephumelele ukuzuza ukuphila okuphakade.

Ngiyafakaza ngoJesu Kristu, konke okunokwenzeka ngenxa yothando lwakhe, izimfundiso zakhe, kanye neNhlawulo yakhe. Ngiyakhuleka ukuthi ngaphezu kwakho konke sizoba nesifiso sokuba njeNgaye ukuze ngelinye ilanga singakwazi ukubuyela lapho ekhona sizuze yonke injabulo Yakhe. Egameni likaJesu Kristu, amen.