Umnqweno

Ndikhethe ukuthetha ngokubaluleka komnqweno. Ndiyathemba ukuba ngamnye wethu uya kukhangela iintliziyo zethu ukumisela ukuba yeyiphi eyona nto siyinqwenelayo ngokwenene kunye nendlela esiyibeka ngayo eyona minqweno yethu ibaluleke kakhulu.

Iminqweno iyalela ezona zinto ziphambili kuthi, izinto eziphambili ngokubaluleka zibumba ukhetho lwethu, kwaye ukhetho lumisela izenzo zethu. Iminqweno esisebenza kuyo imisela ukutshintsha kwethu, noko sikufezekisayo, kunye noko siba kuko.

Kuqala ndithetha ngeminqweno eqhelekileyo. Njengabantu basemhlabeni sineemfuno ezisisiseko zomzimba. Iminqweno yokwanelisa ezi mfuno inyanzelisa ukhetho lwethu kwaye imisele izenzo zethu. Imizekelo emithathu iya kubonisa ukuba ngamanye amaxesha siyoyisa njani le minqweno ngeminye iminqweno esiyibona ibaluleke ngakumbi.

Okokuqala, ukutya. Sinemfuno esisiseko yokutya, kodwa exesheni loo mnqweno ungogqithwa ngumnqweno onamandla wokuzila ukutya.

Okwesibini, indawo yokuhlala. Njengomfana oneminyaka eli-12 ubudala ndandiwuchasa umnqweno wokufuna indawo yokuhlala ngenxa yokuba ndandinomnqweno omkhulu wokufezekisa imfuneko yeBoy Scout yokuchitha ubusuku emahlathini. Ndandingomnye wabafana abaliqela ababeshiya iintente ezintofontofo kwaye bafumana indlela yokwakha indawo yokuhlala kunye nokwenza ibhedi yakudala kwizinto zendalo esazinokuzifumana.

Okwesithathu, ukulala. Kwa lo mnqweno osisiseko unokurhoxiswa okwexeshana ngumnqweno obaluleke nangakumbi. Njengejoni eliselula kwi-Utah National Guard, ndafunda umzekelo woku kwigosa elinamava okulwa.

Kwiinyanga zokuqala zeMfazwe yaseKorea, icandelo loombayimbayi baseRichfield Utah National Guard labizelwa kwinkonzo esebenzayo. Eli candelo, elilawulwa nguMphathi Ray Cox, laliquka amadoda angama-40 wamaMormoni. Emva koqeqesho olongezelelekileyo kunye nokomelezwa ngabantu abangamalalela abavela kwenye indawo, bathunyelwa eKorea, apho bafumana khona eyona mfazwe enzima kakhulu yomlo. Kwelinye idabi kwafuneka bagxothe uhlaselo oluthe ngqo lwamakhulu amajoni otshaba, olo hlobo lohlaselo oloyisa kwaye lwatshabalalisa amanye amacandelo oombayimbayi.

Ingaba oku kunantoni yokwenza nokoyisa umnqweno wokulala? Ngobunye ubusuku obunzima, xa amajoni otshaba ayegalelekile kwimigca engaphambili nakwimimandla engasemva ekwakuhlalwa kuyo ngoombayimbayi, umphathi wayeneentambo zomnxibelelwano eziqhagamishelwe ententeni yakhe kwaye wayalela oonogada abaninzi abenze umda ongqongileyo ukuba bamtsalele umnxeba iyure ngeyure yobusuku bonke. Oku kwagcina oonogada bephaphamile, kodwa kwakuthetha ukuba uMphathi Cox wayenamatyeli amaninzi wokuphazamisa ubuthongo bakhe. “Ungayenza njani lonto?” Ndambuza. Impendulo yakhe ibonisa amandla awangaphaya komnqweno.

“Ndandisazi ukuba sasifike ekhaya, ndandizakudibana nabazali baloo makhwenkwe ezitalatweni kwidolophu yethu encinci, kwaye ndandingafuni ukujongana nabo xa unyana wabo wayengabuyelanga ekhaya ngenxa yayo nantoni na endandihlulakele ukuyenza njengomphathi wakhe.”¹

Onjani wona umzekelo wamandla omnqweno owogqithayo kwizinto ezihamba phambili kunye nezenzo! Onjani wona umzekelo onamandla kuthi sonke esinoxanduva lwentlalo-ntle yabanye—abazali, iinkokeli zeBandla, nabafundisi-ntsapho!

Ukuqukumbela loo mzekeliso, kwakusasa nje emva kokuba engalalanga, uMphathi Cox wakhokela amadoda akhe ayokuziphindezelela kumajoni otshaba. Bathatha ngaphezulu kwamabanjwa angama-800 kwaye bafumana abonzakeleyo ababini kuphela. UCox wayehonjiswe ngobukhalipha, kwaye icandelo lakhe lafumana iMbasa yeCandelo likaMongameli ngobuqhawe balo obumangalisayo. Kwaye, njengamagatyana wamagorha kaHilamani (bona Alma 57:25–26), bonke bakwazi ufika emakhaya.²

INcwadi kaMormoni iqulathe iimfundiso ezininzi ngokubaluleka komnqweno.

Emva kweeyure ezininzi zokubongoza iNkosi, uEnoshe waxelelwa ukuba izono zakhe zixolelwe. Emva koko “waqalisa ukuba nomnqweno wentlalontle yabazalwana [bakhe]” (Enoshe 1:9). Ubhale, “Kwaye … emveni kokuba ndithandazile ndasebenza ngayo yonke inkuthalo, iNkosi yathi kum: Ndiya kukupha ngokweminqweno yakho, ngenxa yokholo lwakho” (umqolo 12). Qaphela izinto ezintathu ezibalulekileyo ezandulela intsikelelo ethenjisiweyo: umnqweno, ukusebenza, kunye nokholo.

Kwintshumayelo yakhe yokholo, u-Alma ufundisa ukuba ukholo lungaqala “nokokuba ingangumnqweno nje wokukholwa” ukuba “sivumele lo mnqweno usebenze phakathi [kwethu]” (Alma 32:27).

Enye imfundiso enkulu ngomnqweno, ngakumbi malunga nokuba ngowuphi owona mnqweno wethu mkhulu, yenzeka kumava kakumkani wamaLeymenayithi efundiswa ngumfundisi wevangeli uAron. Xa imfundiso ka-Aron yabamba umdla wakhe, ikumkani yabuza, “Ndingenza ntoni ukuze ndibe nokuzalwa ngokukaThixo” kwaye “ndibe nokufumana obu bomi banaphakade?” (Alma 22:15). Kodwa uAron wathi kuye, “Ukuba uyayinqwenela le nto, … ukuba uya kuguquka kuzo zonke izono zakho, uze uqubude phambi kukaThixo, kwaye ulibize igama lakhe ngokholo, ukholelwa ukuba uya kufumana oko ukunqwenelayo, ke uya kulifumana ithemba elo ulinqwenelayo” (umqolo 16).

Ukumkani wenjenjalo kwaye emthandazweni omkhulu wabhengeza, “ndiya kuziyeka zonke izono zam ukuze ndikwazi … kwaye ndisindiswe ngomhla wokugqibela” (umqolo 18). Ngoko kuzinikela kunye noko kuchonga komnqweno wakhe wokugqibela, umthandazo wakhe waphendulwa ngokungummangaliso.

Umprofeti u-Alma wayenomnqweno omkhulu wokulila inguquko kubo bonke abantu, kodwa waqonda ukuba anganqweneli amandla anyanzelisayo ayakudinga ngoba, waqukumbela, “uThixo olungileyo … ubanika abantu ngokweminqweno yabo, nokukuba kusekufeni okanye ebomini” (Alma 29:4). Ngokufanayo, kwisityhilelo sexesha langoku iNkosi ibhengeza ukuba Yona, “iya kugweba bonke abantu ngokwemisebenzi yabo, ngokunxulumene neminqweno yeentliziyo zabo” (IMfundiso&neMinqophiso 137:9).

Ingaba sikulungele ngokwenene ukufumana uMgwebi wethu ongunaPhakade enamathisela oku kubaluleke kakhulu kule nto siyinqwenelayo ngokwenene?

Izibhalo ezininzi zithetha ngento esiyinqwenelayo ngokubhekiselele koko sikufunayo. “Lowo undifunayo kuselithuba uya kundifumana, kwaye akayi kushiywa” (IMfundiso&neMinqophiso 88:83). “Funani ngenzondelelo ezona zipho” (IMfundiso&neMinqophiso 46:8). “Lowo ufuna ngenkuthalo uya kufumana” (1 Nifayi 10:19). “Sondelani kum kwaye ndiya kusondela kuni; ndifuneni ngenkuthalo kwaye niya kundifumana; celani, kwaye niya kuphiwa; nkqonkqozani, kwaye niya kuvulelwa” (IMfundiso&neMinqophiso 88:63).

Ukulungisa kwakhona iminqweno yethu ukuze sibeke eyona nto iphambili kwizinto zanaphakade akukho lula. Sonke sihendwa ukuba sinqwenele esasine sehlabathi impahla, ukuqaqamba, ikratshi namandla. Singazinqwenela ezi zinto, kodwa akufuneki sizilungise njengezona zinto zihamba phambili kuthi.

Abo banqwenela kakhulu ukuba nezinto bawela kumgibe wokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo. Bayasilela ukuthobela isilumkiso “Musa ukungxamela ubutyebi kwanezinto ezililize zeli hlabathi” (Alma 39:14; bona kwakhona Yakobi 2:18).

Abo banqwenela ukubalasela okanye amandla kufuneka balandele umzekelo woMphathi-mkhosi okhaliphileyo uMoronayi, onkonzo yakhe yayingekokwenzela “amandla” okanye “imbeko yehlabathi” (Alma 60:36).

Siyiphuhlisa njani iminqweno? Bambalwa abaya kuba nohlobo lwentlekele ekhuthaze uAron Ralston,³ kodwa amava akhe anika isifundo esibalulekileyo malunga nokuphuhlisa iminqweno. Ngelixa uRalston wayehamba ngentaba kumwonyo osemazantsi e-Utah, ilitye eliziponti engama-800 (360 kg) lasuka ngesiquphe laza labamba ingalo yakhe yasekunene. Kangangeentsuku ezintlanu zobulolo wasokola ukuzikhulula. Xa wayesele eza kunikezela kwaye amkele ukufa, waye wabanombono wenkwenkwana-eneminyaka-emithathu ubudala ibaleka isiza kuye iphakanyiswe ngengalo yakhe yasekhohlo. Ukuqonda oku njengombono wonyana wakhe wexesha elizayo kunye nesiqinisekiso sokuba wayesengaphila, uRalston waqokelela isibindi kwaye wathabatha inyathelo elibukhali lokusindisa ubomi bakhe ngaphambi kokuba amandla akhe aphele. Waqhekeza amathambo amabini engalweni yakhe yasekunene eyayirhintyelwe kwaye emva koko wasebenzisa imela kwizixhobo zakhe ukusika loo ngalo. Emva koko waqokelela amandla okuhamba iikhilomitha ezisibhozo efuna uncedo.⁴ Onjani wona umzekelo wamandla omnqweno omkhulu! Xa sinombono wento esinokuba yiyo, umnqweno wethu namandla okwenza izinto anda kakhulu.

Uninzi lwethu alunakuze lujongane nentlekele enje, kodwa sonke sijamelene nemigibe enokuthi ithintele inkqubela phambili kwisiphelo sethu sanaphakade. Ukuba iminqweno yethu elungileyo ilunge ngokwaneleyo, iya kusikhuthaza ukuba sizinqumle sizikhuphe kwizikhoboka nakwezinye iingcinezelo zesono kunye nezinto eziphambili ngokubaluleka ezithintela inkqubela yethu yanaphakade.

Kuya kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba iminqweno elungileyo ayinakuba ngaphezulu, ingxame, okanye ibe okwexeshana. Kuya kufuneka isuke entliziyweni, ingagungqi, kwaye ibe sisigxina. Sikhuthazekile, siya kukhangela loo meko ichazwe nguMprofethi uJoseph Smith, apho siye “saboyisa ububi [bobomi bethu] saza saphulukana nayo yonke iminqweno yesono.”⁵ Eso sisigqibo sobuqu. Njengoko uMdala uNeal A. Maxwell wathi:

“Xa abantu bechazwa ‘njengabaphulukene nomnqweno wabo wesono,’ ngabo, ibe ngabo kuphela, abathe ngabom bathatha isigqibo sokuphulukana neminqweno engalunganga ngokukulungela ‘ukunikela zonke izono [zabo] ukuze’ bazi uThixo.”

“Ke ngoko, into esizingisa siyinqwenela, ekuhambeni kwexesha, yile nto siza kuba yiyo kwaye nesiya kuyifumana kwiphakade.”⁶

Nangona kubalulekile ukulahla wonke umnqweno wesono, ubomi obungunaphakade bufuna ngaphezulu. Ukufezekisa ikamva lethu elingunaphakade, siya kunqwenela kwaye sisebenzele iimpawu ezifunekayo ukuze sibe ngumntu wanaphakade. Umzekelo, abantu banaphakade baxolela bonke abo babonileyo. Babeka intlalo-ntle yabanye ngaphambi kwabo. Kwaye bayabathanda bonke abantwana bakaThixo. Ukuba oku kubonakala kunzima kakhulu—kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo akukho lula nakubani na kuthi—ngoko ke kuya kufuneka siqale ngomnqweno weempawu ezinjalo kwaye sibize uBawo wethu waseZulwini onothando ngoncedo lweemvakalelo zethu. INcwadi kaMormoni isifundisa ukuba kufanele “sithandaze kuye uBawo ngawo onke amandla entliziyo, ukuze [sibe] nokuzaliswa ngolu thando, olo lunikwe phezu kwabo bonke abangabalandeli bokwenyani boNyana wakhe, uYesu Krestu” (Moronayi 7:48).

Ndivala ngomzekelo wokugqibela womnqweno ekufuneka ubaluleke kakhulu kuwo onke amadoda nabafazi—abo batshatileyo ngoku kunye nabo bangatshatanga. Bonke kufuneka banqwenele kwaye basebenze ngokuzimisela ukukhusela umtshato wanaphakade. Abo sele benomtshato wasetempileni kufuneka benze konke okusemandleni abo ukuwugcina. Abo bangatshatanga kufuneka banqwenele umtshato wasetempileni kwaye benze iinzame eziphambili zokuwufumana. Ulutsha kunye nabasele beqabukile abangatshatanga kufuneka bayichase into echanekileyo kwezopolitiko kodwa engachanekanga ngonaphakade engcolisa ukubaluleka kokutshata kunye nokuba nabantwana.⁷

Madoda awangatshatanga, ncedani nijonge umceli mngeni okule ncwadi yembalelwano ebhalwe ngudade ongatshatanga. Wacengela “iintombi zikaThixo ezinyulu ezifuna ngenene iqabane elifanelekileyo, kodwa amadoda abonakala emfamekile kwaye edidekile malunga nokuba ingaba luxanduva lwawo na ukufuna ezi ntombi zintle, zikhethekileyo zikaBawo wethu waseZulwini kwaye azithande ngaphambi komtshato kwaye azimisele ukwenza nokugcina iminqophiso engcwele endlwini yeNkosi.” Uqukumbele ngelithi, “Maninzi amadoda awangatshatanga wase-LDS apha awonwabela ukuphuma ngaphandle ayokonwaba, athandane kwaye ayobutha ngaphandle, kodwa awanamnqweno kwaphela wokwenza nasiphi na isibophelelo emfazini.”⁸

Ndiqinisekile ukuba abanye abafana abafunayo ngokuxhalaba baya kufuna ukuba ndongeze ukuba kukho abanye abantu ababhinqileyo abaneminqweno yomtshato ofanelekileyo kunye nabantwana ekumgangatho ongaphantsi kweminqweno yabo yomsebenzi okanye ezinye izinto ezahlukileyo zasemhlabeni. Bobabini amadoda nabasetyhini bafuna iminqweno elungileyo eya kubakhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade.

Masikhumbule ukuba iminqweno iyalela ezona zinto ziphambili kuthi, izinto eziphambili ngokubaluleka zimisa ukhetho lwethu, kunye nokhetho lumisela izenzo zethu. Ekongezeni, zizenzo zethu kunye neminqweno yethu esibangela ukuba sibe yinto ethile, nokuba singumhlobo wokwenene, utitshala onesiphiwo, okanye lowo ulungele ubomi obungunaphakade.

Ndiyangqina ngoYesu Krestu, othando lwakhe, neemfundiso zakhe, kunye neNtlawulelo yakhe eyenza ukuba konke kwenzeke. Ndiyathandaza ukuba ngaphezu kwayo yonke into siya kunqwenela ukuba njengaYe ukuze ngenye imini sibuyele kubukho baKhe ukuze sifumane uvuyo lwaKhe olupheleleyo. Egameni likaYesu Krestu, amen.