Isambulo seBandla, Isambulo seziMpilo Zethu
Ezinsukwini ezizayo, angeke ukwazi ukuphila ngokomoya ngaphandle kokuholwa, ukuyalwa, ukududuzwa nokufundiswa njalo nguMoya oNgcwele.
Kwaze kwayintokozo ukugubha nani iPhasika ngaleli Sonto lomhlangano omkhulu. Akukho okufanele njengokugubha isehlakalo esibaluleke kakhulu kunazo zonke lapha emhlabeni kunokukhonza loyo obaluleke kakhulu kunabo bonke abake bahamba lo mhlaba. Lapha eBandleni likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina, sikhonza Loyo owaqala iNhlawulo engapheliyo eNsimini yaseGetsemane. Wayezimisele ukuhluphekela izono nobuthakathaka bamuntu ngamunye, ukuhlupheka okwadala ukuthi Yena “ophe kuzo zonke iziqu zoboya.”1 Wabethelwa esiphambanweni saseKhalvari2 futhi wavuka ngosuku lwesithathu njengowokuqala ovukile kwabafileyo kubantwana baBabawethu oseZulwini. Ngiyamuthanda futhi ngiyafakaza ukuthi Uyaphila! Nguye ohola futhi ayale iBandla Lakhe.
Ngaphandle kweNhlawulo engapheliyo yamHlengi wethu, akekho noyedwa ongaba nethemba lokuphinde abuyele kuBaba wethu oseZulwini. Ngaphandle kokuVuka Kwakhe kwabaFileyo, ukufa kungaba yisiphetho. INhlawulo kaMsindisi wethu yenza impilo engunaphakade kube yinto engenzeka futhi ukungafi kwaba yinto yangempela kubo bonke abantu.
Yingenxa yomsebenzi wakhe omkhulu kanye nokuthula akunika abamulandelayo, okwenza umkami uWendy kanye nami, sezwa siduduzeka ebusuku ngoJanuwari 2, 2018, ngesikhathi sivuswa ucingo olwasitshela ukuthi uMongameli uThomas S. Monson wayesewelele ngale kwesihenqo.
Saze samukhumbula uMongameli uMonson! Siyayihlonipha impilo yakhe kanye nefa lakhe. Engumuntu omkhulu ngokomoya, washiya uphawu olungasuleki kubo bonke ababemazi kanye naseBandleni ayelithanda.
NgeSonto, ngoJanuwari 14, 2018, egunjini eliphezulu eThempelini laseSalt Lake, ubuMongameli bokuQala bahlelwa kabusha ngendlela elula kepha engcwele eyayinikezwe yiNkosi. Kwathi izolo ekuseni, emhlanganweni onesizotha, amalunga eBandla emhlabeni wonke aphakamisa izandla ukusekela isenzo esenziwa ngaphambilini ngabaPhostoli. Ngiyabonga ngesizotha ngokungisekela kwenu.
Ngiyabonga futhi kulabo engime emahlombe abo. Kube yintokozo kimi ukusebenza kumGwamanda wabaPhostoli abayiShumi namBili iminyaka engama-34 nokwazi ngendlela esondelene abayi-10 kwabaMongameli abayi-16 abadlule beBandla. Ngafunda okuningi kubo.
Futhi okuningi ngikukweleta okhokho bami. Bonke okhokho bami beyisishiyagalombili babeguqukele eBandleni laseYurobhi. Umphefumulo oqotho ngamunye wanikela konke ukuze beze eSiyoni. Esizukulwaneni esalandela, akubona bonke okhokho bami abazinikela ngalendlela. Ngenxa yalokho, angikhulelanga ekhaya elinemfundiso yevangeli.
Ngangibakhonzile abazali bami. Babe ngumhlaba nezulu kimi futhi bangifundisa izimfundiso ezibalulekile. Angikwazi ukubabonga ngokwanele ngempilo yasekhaya enenjabaulo abasakhela yona sinabalamani bami. Kepha, ngisho ngisengumfanyana, ngangazi ukuthi khona engangishoda ngako. Ngolunye usuku ngangena emotweni ngaya esitolo sezincwadi seLDS ukuthola incwadi ngeBandla. Ngangikuthanda ukufunda ngevangeli.
Ngesikhathi ngifunda ngeZwi lokuHlakanipha, ngangifuna abazali bami bewuphile lowo mthetho. Ngakho-ke, ngolunye usuku ngisemncane kakhulu, ngaya egunjini elingaphansi komuzi ngabulala kusimende waphansi wonke amabhodlela otshwala. Ngangilindele ukuba ubaba angishaye, kepha akazange athi vu.
Ngesikhathi ngikhula futhi ngiqala ukubona ubukhulu besu likaBaba oseZulwini, ngangivamise ukuzitshela ukuthi, “Angisasifuni esinye isipho sikaKhisimusi! Ngifuna ukuboshwa kubazali bami nje qha.” Leso sehlakalo asizange senzeke kwaze kwaba ukuthi abazali bami sebedlulile eminyakeni angama-80, kwase kwenzeka. Angikwazi ukuchaza kahle intokozo engayizwa ngalelo langa,3 futhi osukwini ngalunye, ngiyayizwa leyo ntokozo yokuboshwa kwabo nokuboshwa kwami kubo.
Ngonyaka ka-1945, ngesikhathi ngisasesikoleni sobudokotela, ngashada uDantzel White eThempelini laseSalt Lake. Mina naye sabusiswa ngamadodakazi ayishiyagalolunye nendodadana eyodwa eyigugu. Namhlanje umdeni wethu olokhe ukhula uyintokozo enkulu empilweni yami.
Ngonyaka ka-2005, emuva kweminyaka engama-60 yomshado, isithandwa sami uDantzel wabizwa ekhaya singalindele. Isikhashana, usizi lwami lalicishe lingenze ngingakwazi nokunyakaza. Kepha umyalezo wePhasika nesethembiso sokuvuka kwabafileyo kwangisekela.
Bese iNkosi yaletha uWendy Watson eduze kwami. Saboshwa eThempelini laseSalt Lake ngo-Ephreli 6, 2006. Ngaze ngamuthanda! Ungunkosikazi oqotho—uyisibusiso kimi, emndenini wethu, naseBandleni lonke.
Zonke lezi zibusiso zize ngenxa yokufuna nokulalela imiyalo kaMoya oNgcwele. Wathi uMongameli uLorenzo Snow, “ Yilokhu okuhle okutholwa yibo bonke abaNgcwele eziNsukwini zokuGcina … ukuthi yilungelo lethu ukuthola izimpawu zikaMoya zonke izinsuku zezimpilo zethu.”4
Ezinye zezinto lezo uMoya azibeke emqondweni wami selokhu ngithole ubizo olusha lokuba nguMongameli weBandla yindlela iNkosi izimisele ngayo ukuveza umqondo kanye nentando Yayo. Ithuba lokuthola isambulo lingezinye zezipho ezinkulu zikaNkulunkulu kubantwana Bakhe.
Ngezimpawu zikaMoya oNgcwele, uNkulunkulu uzosisiza kukho konke okuhle esikulandelayo. Ngiyakhumbula egunjini lokuhlinza, ngake ngama eduze kwesiguli—ngingazi ukuthi ngizokwenza kanjani into engakaze yenziwe—ngezwa uMoya oNgcwele ungidwebela indlela yokuhlinza engqondweni yami.5
Ukuqinisa isicelo sami kuWendy, ngathi kuye, “Ngiyazi ngesambulo nangokuthi sitholakala kanjani.” Ngokwakhe—futhi nanjengoba sengifundile ukuthi wenza njalo vele—wayesesifunile futhi wasithola isambulo sakhe mayelana ngathi, okwamunika isibindi sokuthi avume.
Njengelunga loMgwamanda wabaPhostoli abayiShumi naMbili, ngangithandazela isambulo nsuku zonke futhi ngibonga eNkosini ngaso sonke isikhathi uma ekhuluma enhliziyweni nasemqondweni wami.
Cabanga leso simangaliso! Noma ngabe ubizo lwethu eBandleni luthini, singathandaza kuBaba wethu oseZulwini sithole ukuyalwa nendlela, siqasheliswe ngezingozi nokungasiphazamisa, futhi sithole amandla okwenza izinto ebesingeke sikwazi ukuzenza sisodwa. Uma sizokwamukela uMoya oNgcwele ngempela futhi sifunda ukwazi nokuqonda imiyalelo Yakhe, sizoyalwa ezindabeni ezinkulu nezincane.
Ngesikhathi ngibhekene nomsebenzi othusayo wokukhetha abaluleki ababili, ngazibuza ukuthi ngingakhetha kanjani ababili nje qha kwamadoda ayishumi nambili engiwathandayo futhi engiwahloniphayo.
Ngoba ngiyazi ukuthi isambulo esilungile sitholakala ngenxa yolwazi olulungile, ngahlangana nomPhostoli ngamunye ngomoya womkhuleko.6 Ngase ngazibeka egunjini elifihlakele ethempelini ngafuna intando yeNkosi. Ngiyafakaza ukuthi iNkosi ingiyale ukuba ngikhethe uMongameli uDallin H. Oaks noMongameli uHenry B. Eyering ukuba basebenze njengabeluleki bami kubuMongameli bokuQala.
Ngendlela efanayo, ngiyafakaza ukuthi iNkosi ihole ukubizwa kweGosa uGerrit W. Gong neGosa u-Ulisses Soares ukuba babe ngabaPhostoli Bakhe abagcotshiwe. Mina kanye nathi sonke siyabamukela kulobudlelwano bobafo obuhlukile.
Ngesikhathi sihlangana njengomKhandlu wobuMongameli bokuQala noMgwamanda wabaPhostoli abayiShumi naMbili, amagumbi esihlanganyela kuwona aba ngamagumbi esambulo. UMoya uba khona ngendlela ezwakalayo. Ngesikhathi sibhekana nezindaba ezixovekile, kwenzeka ngendlela enhle ukuthi umPhostoli ngamunye abelane ngemicabango nemibono yakhe ngokukhululeka. Noma ngabe singahluka ngokwemibono ekuqaleni, uthando esiluzwayo ngathi sonke luhlezi lukhona. Ukuba munye kwethu kusisiza ukuthi sithole intando yeNkosi ngeBandla Layo.
Emihlanganweni yethu, iningi aliholi neze! Siyalalelana ngomoya womkhuleko futhi sixoxisane kuze kube ukuthi simunye. Lapho uma sesifike kwisinqumo esisodwa, umuzwa kaMoya oNgcwele osihlanganisayo ukitaza umgogodla! Sizwa lokho umphrofethi uJoseph Smith ayekwazi ngesikhathi efundisa ukuthi, “Ngokuba munye ngemizwa sithola amandla noNkulunkulu.”7 Alikho ilunga lobuMongameli bokuQala noma umGwamanda wabayiShumi namBili elingayekela izinqumo zeBandla leNkosi ngokwemibono yalo!
Bafowethu nodadwethu, singaba kanjani amadoda nabesifazane—izinceku ezifana noKristu—iNkosi edinga ukuba sibe yizo? Singazithola kanjani izimpendulo zemibuzo esixakayo? Uma okuphakeme okwenzeka kuJoseph Smith esiXhobeni seMithi esiNgcwele kusifundisa okuthile, kungaba ukuthi amazulu avulekile futhi uNkulunkulu uyakhuluma nabantwana Bakhe.
UMphrofethi uJoseph Smith wasinikeza indlela esingayilandela ekuxazululeni imibuzo yethu. Ebizwa yisethembiso sikaJakobe esithi uma siswele ukuhlakanipha singabuza kuNkulunkulu,8 umfana uJoseph wahambisa umbuzo wakhe kuBaba oseZulwini ngqo. Wafuna isambulo sakhe, futhi ukufuna kwakhe okwavula uhlelo kwengamela kokugcina.
Ngendlela efanayo, ukufuna kwakho kuzokuvulelani wena? Yikuphi ukuhlakanipha okuswele? Yikuphi ozizwa udinga ukukwazi noma ukukuqonda mathupha? Landela isibonelo sikamPhrofethi uJoseph Smith. Thola indawo ethulakele ongalokhu uya kuyona. Zithobe ngaphambi kukaNkulunkulu. Nikela ngokusenhlizwyeni yakho kuBaba oseZulwini. Bheka kuYe ukuthola izimpendulo nenduduzo.
Thandaza egameni likaJesu Kristu ngokukuthintayo, okusabayo, ubuthakathaka bakho—yebo, lokho okufiswa yinhliziyo yakho. Bese uyalalela! Bhala phansi imicabango efika engqondweni yakho. Bhala phansi nemizwa yakho bese ulandela ngezenzo ozwa ukuba uzenze. Ngesikhathi uyiphinda phinda le ndlela usuku nosuku, inyanga nenyanga, unyaka nonyaka, “uzokhula ufike kumgomo wesambulo.”9
Ngabe uNkulunkulu ngempela uyafuna ukukhuluma nawe? Yebo! “Ngokufanayo umuntu angalula ingalo yakhe ebuthakathaka ukumisa umfula iMissouri endleleni yawo emisiwe … njengokuvimba uMninimandla Onke ukuba athulule ulwazi lusuka ezulwini phezu kwamakhanda abaholi babaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina.”10
Asikho isidingo sokuba uzibuze ngokuba yikuphi okuyiqiniso.11 Asikho isidingo sokuba uzibuze ukuthi ubani ongamethemba ngokukhululeka. Ngesambulo ongazitholela sona, ungathola ubufakazi bakho ukuthi iNcwadi kaMormoni iyizwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuthi uJoseph Smith ngumphrofethi, nokuthi leli yiBandla leNkosi. Noma ngabe abanye bangathini noma bengenzani, akekho ongasusa ubufakazi obufike enhliziwyeni yakho nasemqondweni wakho ngalokho okuyiqiniso.
Ngiyanenxusa ukuba nizilule kakhulu kunalokho enikwaziyo ngokomoya ukuba nithole isambulo senu, ngokuba iNkosi ithembisile ukuthi “uma [uyofuna], uyonikwa isambulo phezu kwesambulo, ulwazi phezu kolwazi, ukuze wazi izimfihlakalo nezinto zomoya wokuthula—lokho okuletha intokozo, lokho okuletha impilo yaphakade.”12
O, kuningi kakhulu okunye uBaba oseZulwini afuna nikwazi. Njengoba iGosa uNeal A. Maxwell afundisa, “Kulabo abanamehlo okubona nezindlebe zokuzwa, kucacile ukuthi uYise neNdodana banikela ngezimfihlo zomkhathi!”13
Akukho okuvula amazulu njengokwanda bobumsulwa , ukulalela okuphelele, ukufuna okuqotho, ukudla idili lamazwi aKristu eNcwadini kaMormoni nsuku zonke,14 nesikhathi esanele sokuzinikela ethempelini nasemsebenzini womlando womndeni.
Nangempela, kukhona izikhathi lapho uzozwa engathi amazulu avaliwe. Kepha ngiyathembisa ukuthi uma niqhubeka nilalela, nikhombisa ukubonga ngaso sonke isibusiso iNkosi eninikeza sona, futhi ngesikhathi nihlonipha isikhathi sikaNkulunkulu, nizothola ulwazi nokuqonda okufunayo. Zonke izibusiso iNkosi enibekele zona—ngisho izimangaliso—kuzolandela. Yilokho isambulo sakho esingakwenzela khona.
Nginenjabulo ngekusasa. Lizogcwala amathuba okuba sonke sikhule, sinikele, futhi sihambise ivangeli kuwo wonke amagumbi omhlaba. Kepha futhi hhayi ngoba ngingakuboni okusezinsukwini ezizayo. Siphila emhlabeni olukhuni futhi okhulayo ngokombango. Ukutholakala njalo kwezinkundla zokuxhumana nezindaba ezivezwa usuku lonke kusinikeza imiyalezo engapheli. Uma singaba nethemba lokusefa amazwi amaningi nezimfundiso zabantu ezihlasela iqiniso, kumele sifunde ukuthola isambulo.
UMsindisi noMhlengi wethu, Uzokwenza imisibenzi Yakhe emikhulu kunayo yonke phakathi kwamanje nangesikhathi ebuya futhi. Sizobona izimpawu eziyisimangaliso ezikhombisa ukuthi uBaba uNkulunkulu neNdodana Yakhe, uJesu Kristu, bahola leli Bandla ngamandla nenkazimulo. Kepha ezinsukwini ezizayo, angeke ukwazi ukuphila ngokomoya ngaphandle kokuholwa, ukuyalwa, ukududuzwa nokufundiswa njalo nguMoya oNgcwele.
Bafowethu nodadewethu abathandekayo, Ngiyaninxusa ukuba nikhuphule amandla enu ngokomoya okuthola isambulo. Yekela leli Sonto lePhasika libe yisikhathi soshintsho empilweni yakho. Khetha ukwenza umsebenzi ngokomoya odingakalayo ukuba uthokozela isipho sikaMoya oNgcwele futhi uzwe izwi likaMoya kakhulu futhi ngokucacile.
Kanye noMoroni, ngiyaninxusa kuleli Sabatha lePhasika ukuba “nize kuKristu, futhi nibambelele kuzo zonke izipho ezinhle.”15 niqale ngesipho sikaMoya oNgcwele, isipho esingashintsha futhi esizoshintsa impilo yakho.
Singabalandeli baJesu Kristu. Iqiniso elibaluleke kakhulu uMoya oNgcwele angafakaza ngalo kuwe ukuthi uJesu ungu Kristu, iNdodona kaNkulunkulu ophilayo. Uyaphila! Ungummeli wethu kuBaba, Uyisibonelo sethu, futhi unguMhlengi wethu. NgaleliSonto lePhasika, sigubha umnikelo wenhlawulo Yakhe, Ukuvuka Kwakhe Kwabafileyo uqobo, nobungcwele Bakhe.
Leli yiBandle Lakhe, elabuyiselwa ngoMphrofethi uJoseph Smith. Ngiyafakaza ngalokhu, nokukhombisa uthando ngani nonke, egameni elingcwele likaJesu Kristu, ameni.