Stap Jenisim Laef

Ol brata mo sista, hem i wan hambol eksperiens blong stanap long pulpit ia, ples we plante long ol hiro long laef blong mi oli bin stanap long hem. Mi laekem blong serem wetem yu sam long ol filing blong hat blong mi mo talem olgeta speseli long ol yut.

Wan long ol bigfala hiro insaed long OlTesteman i bin profet blong wo we i Josua. Hem i bin mekem invitesen ia long ol pikinini blong Isrel, we hem i bin lidim, “Sipos yufala i no wantem biaen long hem, be naoia yufala i mas jusumaot wanem god we yufala i wantem. … Be mi, wetem ol famle blong mi, bambae mifala i biaen long Hae God nomo.”¹ Toktok blong Josua i soem tru fasin blong jenis long gospel. Blong Josua mo yumi evriwan, fasin blong jenis i go long gospel prinsipol, i hapen taem yumi laef folem ol prinsipol blong gospel folem stret mo gud fasin mo stap tru long ol kavenan blong yumi wetem Lod.

Mi laekem blong serem wan stori long famle histri blong mi, abaot wan long ol hiro blong mi mo fasin blong hem blong jenis. Nem blong hem Agnes Hogan, mo hem wetem hasban blong hem i bin joenem Jos long Skotlan long 1861. From oli bin safa from ol atak long homlan blong olgeta, oli bin muvaot blong go stap long Amerika wetem ol pikinini blong olgeta. Sam yia afta, Agnes i bin kam wan wido wetem eit pikinini blong sapotem mo i bin wokhad blong save fidim mo putum klos long olgeta. 12 yia gel blong hem, Isabel, i bin laki inaf blong faenem wan wok olsem wan haosgel long wan rij famle we oli no LDS.

Isabel i bin stap long bigfala hom ia mo hem i help blong lukaotem ol yangfala pikinini. Wetem seves we hem i stap givim, oli pem wan smol mane evri wik i go long mama blong hem. Kwiktaem nomo oli bin akseptem Isabel olsem wan memba blong famle mo stat glad long ol plante janis semmak long olgeta, olsem ol lesen blong danis, werem ol naes klos, mo stap atendem ol konset so. Arenjmen ia i bin gohed blong fo yia, kasem taem famle ia we Isabel i stap wok blong olgeta, i mas go long nara ples. Oli bin kam blong laekem tumas Isabel mekem se oli go luk mama blong hem, Agnes, mo askem blong gat raet ia blong adoptem hem. Oli bin promes, se bae oli givim hem gud edukesen, blong meksua se hem i mared gud, mo bae hem i save gat wan pat long ol rij samting blong olgeta wetem ol pikinini blong olgeta. Bae oli gohed blong stap pem Agnes.

Wido mo mama ia we i hadwok i faenem i had blong mekem desisen, be hem i no bin gat tu tingting long taem ia. Lisin long ol toktok blong apugel blong hem, we i raetem sam yia afta: “Sapos lav blong hem i no bin pusum hem blong talem no, hem i bin gat wan moa gud risen—hem i bin kam longwe long Skotlan mo bin go tru ol hadtaem mo tes from Gospel ia, mo bae hem i no lego nating iven long eni wei blong lego wan pikinini blong hem i lusum wanem we hem i bin kam longwe from, blong kasem.”² Rij famle ia i traem evri wei, mo Isabel i bin krae mo askem blong letem hem blong go, be Agnes i stanap strong. Olsem we yu save tingbaot, Isabel we i gat 16 yia i bin filim olsem se oli spolem laef blong hem.

Isabel Hogan i bigfala bubuwoman blong mi, mo mi glad tumas from testemoni mo strong tingting blong hem we i bin tajem gud hat blong mama blong hem, we i no bin letem hem blong salem membasip blong gel blong hem long Jos wetem ol promes blong wol. Tedei, ol handred pipol blong laen blong hem we oli stap glad long ol blesing blong stap memba blong Jos, hem i from strong fet ia blong Agnes mo fasin blong hem blong jenis i go long gospel.

Ol yang fren, yumi laef long taem blong ol trabol taem, mo ol desisen we oli singaotem yumi blong mekem evri dei, o iven evri aoa, oltaem oli gat ol risal we i no gat en. Ol desisen we yu mekem long laef blong yu evri dei bae i talem wanem bae i hapen long yu afta. Sapos yu no gat strong testemoni mo stret save se Jos blong Jisas Kraes blong Ol Lata-dei Sent i kingdom blong God long wol, naoia i taem blong mekem wanem we yumi save mekem blong kasem stret save ia. Blong pusumbak taem blong traehad from stret save ia, bae i save kam wan denja long sol blong yu.

Tru fasin blong jenisim laef i moa bitim we blong jes gat wan save long ol gospel prinsipol mo i bitim we blong jes gat wan testemoni nomo tu blong ol prinsipol ia. Hem i isi blong save gat wan testemoni blong gospel mo no laef folem. Blong rili jenisim laef fulwan i minim se yumi mekem folem wanem we yumi bilivim mo i mekem “wan bigfala jenis long yumi, o long ol hat blong yumi.”³ Long buk ia Stap Tru long Fet, yumi lanem se “fasin blong jenisim laef i wan rod, i no wan samting we i hapen wantaem. Yu kam blong jenisim laef olsem risal blong … ol stret mo gud hadwok blong yu blong folem Sevya.”⁴ I tekem taem, hadwok, mo wok. Bubu blong bubuwoman blong mi i bin gat wan stret save se gospel ia i bin moa impoten blong ol pikinini blong hem bitim evri samting we wol i wantem givim long saed blong mane mo kamfot from hem i bin sakrifaes, stanap strong, mo laef folem gospel. Fasin blong hem blong jenisim laef i bin hapen tru long laef folem ol prinsipol blong gospel mo sakrifaes from olgeta.

Yumi mas go tru long sem rod ia sapos yumi wantem sem kaen komitmen ia. Sevya i bin tijim, “Sapos eni man i mekem tingting blong hem, bae hem i save long doktrin ia, sapos hem i kam long God, o sapos mi toktok blong miwan nomo.”⁵ Samtaem yumi traem wok i gobak. Eksampol, ating yumi wantem tekem step ia: Bae mi glad blong folem loa blong taeting, be fas samting, mi nidim blong save se i tru. Ating yumi prea blong kasem wan testemoni abaot loa blong taeting, mo hop Lod bae i blesem yumi wetem testemoni ia bifo yumi fulumap wan taeting slip. Hem i no wok olsem. Lod i wantem yumi praktisim fet. Oltaem yumi mas pem wan ful mo ones taeting blong mekem se yumi save kasem wan testemoni blong taeting. Sem fasin ia i wok wetem evri prinsipol blong gospel nomata sapos hem i loa blong jastiti, prinsipol blong dresap gud, Ol Tok blong Waes, o loa blong livim kakae.

Mi laekem blong serem wan eksampol long olsem wanem yumi laef folem wan prinsipol i helpem yumi blong kam blong jenisim laef. Mi bin wan yang woman long ol yia siksti (1960) mo miwan nomo mi olsem wan gel long hae skul blong mi. Hem i bin wan taem blong revolusen abaot fasin blong sakemaot ol nomol gud fasin, fasin blong yusum drag, mo mekem eni samting we yu filim blong mekem. Plante long ol fren blong mi oli ol gud pipol be i bin isi blong olgeta blong go insaed long niufala tingting ia blong stap klin, we hem i olfala fasin blong gat ol tingting we i no klin. Ol paren mo tija blong mi long jos, oli bin putum gud long maen blong mi fasin blong tritim bodi blong mi wetem respek, kipim wan klia maen, mo aot long evri samting, stap lan blong trastem ol komanmen blong Lod. Mi bin mekem desisen blong mi blong traem stap longwe long ol taem we mi save bae oli pasem alkohol mo stap longwe long tabak mo ol drag. I minim tu se oltaem bae mi no stap long ol pati, mo mi no stap deit tumas. Fasin blong yusum drag i kam nomol praktis long medel blong ol yangfala, mo ol denja blong hem, oli no bin save gud olsem we oli save tedei. Plante long ol fren blong mi oli bin safa damej long maen hemia from ol drag yus o gat problem blong adiksen. Mi bin glad blong kasem tijing blong laef folem Ol Tok blong Waes long hom blong mi, mo mi bin kasem wan strong testemoni blong prinsipol ia blong gospel taem mi praktisim fet mo laef folem. Gudfala filing we i bin kam long mi taem mi laef folem wan tru gospel prinsipol i bin from Tabu Spirit i konfemem se prinsipol ia i tru. Taem ia nao tru fasin blong jenisim laef i stat blong hapen.

Profet Moronae, long Buk blong Momon, i bin tijim, “mi wantem soem long wol se fet i ol samting we i gat hop long olgeta mo i no lukim; from samting ia, no rao from se yufala i no lukim, from yufala i no kasem eni witnes kasem afta long tes blong fet blong yufala.”⁶ Long wol blong yumi we oltaem kwik riwod i wanem yumi ting blong kasem, plante taem yumi filim daon from yumi ting se bae yumi kasem wan riwod we yumi no wok from. Mi biliv se Moronae i talem long yumi se yumi mas mekem wok fastaem mo praktisim fet tru laef folem gospel, mo afta bae yumi kasem witnes se i tru. Tru fasin blong jenisim laef i hapen taem yu gohed blong mekem folem ol doktrin we yu save se oli tru mo kipim ol komanmen, dei afta dei, manis afta manis.

Hemia i wan gudfala taem blong stap wan yut long Jos. Yufala i bin ol faswan blong tekpat long yut kurikulum Kam, folem mi, we i gat olsem wan long ol mein stamba tingting blong hem i fasin blong jenisim laef blong yu long gospel blong Jisas Kraes. Hem i gud blong tingbaot se nomata ol paren mo ol yut lida i save kasem insperesen, “yu gat fas responsabiliti ia blong jenisim laef blong yuwan. I no gat man i save jenisim laef long bihaf blong yu, mo i no gat wan i save fosem yu blong jenisim laef.”⁷ Fasin blong jenisim laef i tekem ples taem yumi stap strong oltaem blong mekem ol prea blong yumi, stap stadi olgeta skripja, atendem Jos, mo stap klin inaf blong tekpat long ol tempol odinens. Fasin blong jenisim laef i kam taem yumi mekem folem ol prinsipol we yumi lanem long ol hom mo klasrum blong yumi. Fasin blong jenisim laef i kam taem yumi laef long wan klin laef wetem klin fasin mo stap glad blong gat kampani blong Tabu Spirit, mo stap. Fasin blong jenisim laef i kam taem yumi andastanem Atonmen blong Jisas Kraes, luksave Hem olsem Sevya mo Ridima, mo letem Atonmen i jenisem ol laef blong yumi.

Fasin blong yu blong jenisim laef bae i helpem yu taem yu rere blong mekem ol kavenan long tempol, o go long misin, mo stanemap ol fiuja hom blong yufala. Taem yu jenisim laef, bae yu wantem long hat blong yu blong serem wetem ol narawan wanem we yu bin lanem, mo tras long yuwan mo paoa blong testifae long ol narawan wetem stret save mo paoa bae i kam antap. Hat ia blong wantem serem gospel wetem ol narawan mo tras ia blong testifae klia, oli ol nomol risal blong wan tru fasin blong jenisim laef. Sevya i bin tijim Pita, “Taem yu tanem tingting blong yu, yu kambak long mi bakegen, yu mas mekem tingting blong ol brata blong yu i strong.”⁸

?Tingbaot Josua, profet blong wo? Hem i no bin jenisim laef hemwan, be hem i bin wok mo neva taed kasem en blong laef blong hem blong karem ol pikinini blong Isrel i go long God. Yumi ridim long OlTesteman “Ol laen blong Isrel oli stap biaen long Hae God oltaem nomo.”⁹ Wan man we i bin eksperiensem tru fasin blong jenisim laef, i bin dipen long paoa blong Atonmen mo kasem fulwan fasin ia blong sevem sol blong hemwan, mo afta, i go aot mo lidim evriwan we i save hem wetem paoa.

Stap laef folem gospel mo stap stanap long ol tabu ples i no oltaem isi o oraet, !be mi testifae se hem i i impoten inaf blong mekem! Lod i bin givim kaonsel long Ema Smit blong putum long saed ol samting blong wol ia, mo lukaotem ol samting we i moa gud.¹⁰ !Mi ting se yumi no save stat blong tingting se hamas “ol samting long wan moa gud” wol oli naes tumas!

Mi testifae se yumi gat wan Papa long Heven we i lavem yumi we bigfala hat blong Hem i blong helpem mo blesem yumi long hadwok blong yumi blong laef folem gospel mo kam blong jenisim laef. Hem i bin mekem i klia se bigfala lukluk mo wok blong Hem i fasin blong yumi blong nomo save ded mo laef blong yumi we i no save finis.¹¹ Hem i wantem tumas blong karem yumi i gobak hom long ples blong Hem. Mi testifae se taem yumi mekem folem ol doktrin blong gospel mo praktisim olgeta evri dei long laef, bae yumi kam blong jenisim laef, bae yumi kam ol wei blong mekem plante gud long ol famle blong yumi mo long wol. Bae yumi evriwan i kasem blesing long ol evri dei hadwok blong yumi blong kasem gol ia, hem i prea blong mi long nem blong Jisas Kraes, amen.