Ukuqoqwa Kuka-Israyeli Ohlakazekile

Emandulo, iNkosi yabusisa uBaba u-Abrahama ngesethembiso sokwenza inzalo yakhe ibe ngabantu abakhethiweyo.¹ Kuyakhulunywa ngalesi sivumelwano kuyo yonke imibhalo engcwele. Kukhona nezethembiso zokuthi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu iyofika ngenzalo ka-Abrahama, ukuthi amazwe athile azozuzwa njengefa, ukuthi izizwe nezihlobo zomhlaba zizobusiswa ngenzalo yakhe, nokunye okuningi.² Nakuba ezinye izingxenye zaleso sivumelwano sezigcwalisekile, iNcwadi kaMormoni ifundisa ukuthi lesi sivumelwano no-Abrahama sizofezeka kuphela kulezi zinsuku zokugcina!³ Futhi igcizelela ukuthi siphakathi kwabantu besivumelwano beNkosi.⁴ Sinenhlanhla yokuba sibambe iqhaza mathupha ukufeza lezi zethembiso. Saze sesasa ngalesi sikhathi sokuphila!

Njengenzalo ka-Abrahama, izizwe zakwa-Israyeli wasendulo zazivumeleke okuthola igunya lobuphristi nezibusiso zevangeli, kodwa ekugcineni abantu bahlubuka. Babulala abaphrofethi futhi bajeziswa yiNkosi. Izizwe eziyishumi zathunjelwa e-Asiriya. Ukusuka lapho ababange besaziwa emibhalweni ebhaliwe. (Ngokusobala, izizwe eziyishumi azilahlekile eNkosini.) Izizwe ezimbili ezazisele zaba khona isikhashana kwase kuthi, ngenxa yokuhlubuka kwazo, zathunjelwa eBabiloni.⁵ Ngesikhathi zibuya, zazithandwa yiNkosi, kodwa futhi aziyihloniphanga. Zayilahla futhi zayihlambalaza. UBaba onothando kodwa odabukile wafunga wathi, “Ngiyakunihlakazela ezizweni,”⁶ futhi Wakwenza lokho—kuzo zonke izizwe.

Isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuqoqwa kuka-Israyeli ohlakazekile sagcizelelwa ngokufanayo.⁷ Isibonelo, u-Isaya wabona ngaphambilini ukuthi ezinsukwini zokugcina iNkosi yayizothumela “izithunywa ezinejubane” kulabantu “ababehlakazekile futhi bahlutshwa.”⁸

Lesi sethembiso sokuqoqwa, esitholakala kweminingi imibhalo engcwele, sizogcwaliseka ngokuqinisekile njengeziphrofetho zokuhlakazwa kuka-Israyeli.⁹

Ngaphambi Kokubethelwa Kwayo, iNkosi uJesu Kristu yamisa iBandla Layo. Lalinabaphostoli, abaphrofethi, abangamashumi ayisikhombisa, othisha, njalonjalo.¹⁰ INkosi yabe isithumela abafundi Bayo emhlabeni ukuba bayoshumayela ivangeli Layo.¹¹

Ngemva kwesikhathi iBandla elalimiswe yiNkosi lonakala ngokomoya. Izimfundiso Zayo zashintshwa; izimiso Zayo zaguqulwa. UkuHlubuka Okukhulu kwafika njengoba kwakubikezelwe nguPawulu, owayazi ukuthi iNkosi yayingezukubuya futhi “kungaveli kuqala ukuhlubuka.”¹²

Lokhu kuHlubuka Okukhulu kwenzeka ngendlela efanayo nokuphela kwezikhathi ezedlule. Esokuqala isikhathi kwakungesika-Adamu. Kwabe sekuza izikhathi zika-Enoke, uNowa, u-Abrahama, uMose, kanye nabanye. Umphrofethi ngamunye wayethunywe nguNkulunkulu ukuba afundise ngemfundiso yeNkosi uJesu Kristu nokuthi wayevela kuNkulunkulu. Kuzo zonke izikhathi lezi zimfundiso kwakuhloswe ngazo ukuba zisize abantu. Kodwa ngenxa yokungalaleli bahlubuka. Ngakho-ke, zonke izikhathi ezedlule zazilinganiselwe ngokwesikhathi nangokwendawo. Zazilinganiselwe ngokwesikhathi ngoba zonke zaphela ngokuba khona kokuhlubuka. Zazilinganiselwe ngokwendawo ngoba zaziqondene nengxenye ethile yomhlaba.

Ngakho-ke kwakudingeka ukubuyiselwa okuphelele. UNkulunkulu uBaba kanye noJesu Kristu babiza umPhrofethi uJoseph Smith ukuba abe ngumphrofethi walesi sikhathi. Wonke amandla kaNkulunkulu ezikhathi ezedlule kwakufanele abuyiselwe ngaye.¹³ Lesi sikhathi sokupheleliswa kwezikhathi sasingezuku linganiselwa isikhathi esithile noma indawo ethile. Sasingezuku phetha ngokuhlubuka, futhi sasiyogcwalisa umhlaba wonke.¹⁴

Njengoba kwaphrofethwa nguPetru noPawulu, zonke izinto zazizobuyiselwa kulesi sikhathi. Ngakho-ke, njengengxenye yalokho kubuyiselwa, kufanele kuze ukuqoqwa kuka-Israyeli ohlakazekile okade kwakulindelwe.¹⁵ Kuyinto okufanele yenzeke ngaphambi kokuZa kwesiBili kweNkosi.¹⁶

Lemfundiso yokuqoqwa ingxenye yezimfundiso ezibalulekile zeBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina. INkosi ithe: “Ngininika isibonakaliso … ukuthi ngiyobaqoqa, ekuhlakazekeni kwabo kwesikhathi eside, abantu bami, O ndlu ka-Israyeli, futhi ngiyophinda ngakhe phakathi kwabo iSiyoni yami.”¹⁷ Ukuvela kweNcwadi kaMormoni kuyisibonakaliso kuwo wonke umhlaba ukuthi iNkosi isiqalile ukuqoqa u-Israyeli kanye nokugcwalisa izivumelwano Eyazenza no-Abrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe.¹⁸ Asigcini nje ngokuyifundisa lemfundiso, kodwa futhi sibamba iqhaza kuyo. Lokhu sikwenza ngesikhathi sisiza ukuqoqa abakhethiweyo beNkosi nhlangothini zombili nesisitho.

INcwadi kaMormoni isemqoka kulomsebenzi. Yazisa ngemfundiso yokuqoqa.¹⁹ Yenza abantu bafunde ngoJesu Kristu, bakholwe ivangeli Lakhe, futhi bazihlanganise neBandla Lakhe. Eqinisweni, ukube yayingekho iNcwadi kaMormoni, lokhu kuqoqwa kuka-Israyeli okwethenjisiwe bekungeke kwenzeke.²⁰

Kithi igama elihlonishwayo lika Abrahama libalulekile. Kukhulunywa ngalo emavesini amaningi emibhalo yokuBuyiselwa kunawo wonke amavesi eBhayibheli.²¹ U-Abrahama uhlanganiswa nawo wonke amalunga eBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina.²² INkosi yaqinisekisa isivumelwano no-Abrahama ngesikhathi sethu ngomPhrofethi uJoseph Smith.²³ Ethempelini sithola izibusiso zethu zokugcina, njengenzalo ka-Abrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe.²⁴

Lesi sikhathi sokuphelela kwezikhathi sabonwa nguNkulunkulu njengesikhathi sokuqoqa, ezulwini nasemhlabeni. UPetru wayazi ukuthi ngemva kwesikhathi sokuhlubuka, kwakuzoza ukubuyiselwa. Lowo, owayekade eneNkosi eNtabeni yokuGuqulwa, wathi:

“Ngalokhu phendukani, niguquke, ukuba kuhlangulwe izono zenu, ukuze kufike izikhathi zokuhlunyelelwa ezivela ebusweni beNkosi; …

“Okumelwe ukuba izulu limamukele kuze kube yizikhathi zokubuyiselwa kwakho konke, uNkulunkulu akhuluma ngakho ngomlomo wabaprofethi bakhe abangcwele, kusukela kwaphakade.”²⁵

Ezikhathini zanamuhla abaPhostoli uPetru, uJakobe, kanye noJohane bathunyelwa yiNkosi bephethe “izikhiye zombuso [Wakhe], nohlelo lokwengamela lwevangeli lezinsuku zokugcina; futhi nelokuphelela kwezikhathi,” kulo ayezo “qoqa ndawonye konke, okusezulwini, nokusemhlabeni.”²⁶

Ngonyaka ka-1830 umPhrofethi uJoseph Smith wezwa ngesithunywa sasezulwini okwakuthiwa ngu-Eliyasi, owayephethe izikhiye “zokubuyisela zonke izinto.”²⁷

Emveni kweminyaka eyisithupha iThempeli laseKirtland lanikelwa eNkosini. Emveni kokuthi iNkosi isiyamukele leyo ndlu engcwele, izithunywa zasezulwini zeza ziphethe izikhiye zobuphristi. UMose wavela²⁸ “futhi wabuyisela … izikhiye zokuqoqa u-Israyeli kusuka emagunjini amane omhlaba, nokuholwa kwezizwana ezilishumi zisuka ezweni lasenyakatho.

“Ngemva kwalokhu, u-Eliyasi wavela, futhi wabuyisela uhlelo lokwengamela lwevangeli lika-Abrahama, ethi kithi nasenzalweni yethu zonke izizukulwane emva kwethu kufanele zibusiswe.”²⁹

Kwase kufika u-Eliya umphrofethi wathi, “Bhekani, isikhathi sesifike ngokugcwele, okwakhulunywa ngaso ngomlomo kaMalaki—efakaza ngokuthi kufanele athunyelwe [u-Eliya], ngaphambi kokuza kosuku olukhulu nolwesabekayo lweNkosi—ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zoyise kubantwana, nabantwana koyise, funa umhlaba wonke ushaywe ngesiqalekiso.”³⁰

Lezi zehlakalo zenzeka ngomhlaka 3, ku-Ephreli, 1836,³¹ futhi ngaleyo ndlela zasigcwalisa isiphrofetho sikaMalaki.³² Izikhiye ezingcwele zalesi sikhathi zabuyiselwa.³³

Ngesihe, isimemo esithi “wozani kuKristu”³⁴ singayiswa nakulabo abafa bengenalo ulwazi lwevangeli.³⁵ Ukubalungiselela kudingeka kwenziwe imizamo ngabanye abasemhlabeni. Siqoqa imininingwane ngozalo, nangemindeni, futhi senza umsebenzi wasethempelini ngokubamela ngenhloso yokuqoqa abantu ukuba beze eNkosini nasemindenini yabo.³⁶

Lapha emhlabeni, umsebenzi wokushunyayelwa kwevangeli ubaluleke kakhulu ngesikhathi kuqoqwa u-Israyeli. Ivangeli kwakufanele liyiswe kuqala “ezimvini ezilahlekileyo zendlu ka-Israyeli.”³⁷ Ngenxa yalokho, izinceku zeNkosi sezihambile zayokwazisa abantu ngokuBuyiselwa. Ezizweni eziningi abefundisi bethu babacingile abakwa-Israyeli abahlakazekile; babazingele “emifantwini yeziwa”; futhi babadoba njengasezinsukwini zasendulo.³⁸

Ukukhetha ukuza kuKristu akuqondene nokuza endaweni ethile, kodwa kusho ukuzibophezela komuntu siqu. Abantu “bangafinyelela olwazini lweNkosi”³⁹ ngaphandle kokuhamba lapho behlala khona. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ezinsukwini zokuqala kweBandla, ukuguquka kwakusho ukuthuthela kwelinye izwe futhi. Kodwa manje ukuqoqwa kwenzeka esizweni ngasinye. INkosi isikhulumile mayelana nokumiswa kweSiyoni⁴⁰ ukuthi kuzoba sezindaweni lapho Inikeze khona abaNgcwele Bayo ukuzalwa nobuzwe babo. Umbhalo uphrofetha ukuthi abantu “b[a]yoqoqelwa ekhaya amazweni ayifa labo, futhi bamiswe kuwo wonke amazwe abo esethembiso.”⁴¹ “Zonke izizwe ziyindawo yokuqoqa abantu bazo.”⁴² Indawo yokuqoqa abaNgcwele baseBrazil yiseBrazil; indawo yokuqoqa abaNgcwele baseNigeria yiseNigeria; indawo yokuqoqa abaNgcwele baseKorea yiseKorea; njalonjalo. ISiyoni “ngabacwebileyo ngezinhliziyo.”⁴³ ISiyoni yinomaphi lapho abaNgcwele abalungileyo bekhona. Izincwadi ezikhishiwe, ukuxhumana, kanye nezindawo zokukhonza manje sekuyilapho onke amalunga eBandla esekwazi ukuthola khona izimfundiso, izikhiye, izimiso, kanye nezibusiso zevangeli, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi akuphi.

Ukuqina ngokomoya kuzohlezi kuncike ekutheni umuntu uphila kanjani, hhayi ukuthi uhlala kuphi nendawo. Abangcwele kuwo wonke amazwe bangakwazi ukuthola izibusiso zeNkosi ngokulinganayo.

Lo msebenzi kaNkulunkulu uMninimandla Onke uyiqiniso. Uyaphila. UJesu unguKristu. Leli yiBandla Lakhe, elibuyiselwe ukufeza lokho elidalelwe kona ngokukaNkulunkulu, kuhlanganisa nokuqoqwa kuka-Israyeli okwethenjisiwe UMongameli uGordon B. Hinckley ungumphrofethi kaNkulunkulu namuhla. Ngiyafakaza ngalokhu egameni likaJesu Kristu, amen.