Iimpendulo eMthandazweni

Imfundiso ebalulekileyo nethuthuzelayo yevangeli kaYesu Krestu kukuba uBawo wethu waseZulwini unothando olugqibeleleyo kubantwana baKhe. Ngenxa yolo thando olugqibeleleyo, Yena akasisikeleli kuphela ngokweminqweno yethu nezidingo zethu kodwa nangobulumko baKhe obungapheliyo. Njengoko kuchaziwe ngokulula ngumprofeti uNifayi, “Ndiyazi okokuba [uThixo] uyabathanda abantwana bakhe.”¹

Uphawu olunye lolo thando olugqibeleleyo kukuzibandakanya kukaBawo wethu waseZulwini kwiinkcukacha zobomi bethu, nokuba sinokuthi singalwazi okanye singaluqondi. Sikhangela ukhokelo olusulungekileyo lukaBawo kunye noncedo ngomthandazo osuka entliziyweni, onyanisekileyo. Xa sihlonipha iminqophiso yethu kwaye sizama ukuba sifane ngakumbi noMsindisi wethu, sinelungelo ngokuqhubekayo² kumlambo wesikhokelo esisulungekileyo ngempembelelo kunye nefuthe loMoya oyiNgcwele.

Izibhalo ezingcwele zisifundisa, “Kuba uYihlo uyazi ukuba zinto zini na ozisweleyo, ngaphambi kokuba umcele,”³ kwaye Yena “owazi zonke izinto, kuba zonke izinto zikhona phambi kwamehlo [aKhe].”⁴

Umprofeti uMormoni ungumzekelo woku. Akazange aphile ukuze abone iziphumo zomsebenzi wakhe. Nangoku wayeqonda ukuba iNkosi yayimkhokela ngononophelo. Xa waziva ephenjelelwe ukuba abandakanye amacwecwe amancinci kaNifayi kunye nengxelo yakhe, uMormoni wabhala: “Kwaye ndikwenza oku ngenjongo yobulumko; kuba uMoya usebeze njalo kum, ngokwemisebenzi yoMoya weNkosi okum. Kwaye ngoku, andizazi zonke izinto; kodwa iNkosi yazi zonke izinto ezisezayo; ngako oko, usebenza kum ukuze ndenze ngokwentando yakhe.”⁵ Nangona uMormoni wayengazi malunga nelahleko yexesha elizayo yamaphepha abhaliweyo ali-116, iNkosi yayenze kwaye yayilungise indlela yokoyisa lo mqobo kwakude kudala ngaphambi kokuba wenzeke.

UBawo uyasazi, uyazazi izidingo zethu, kwaye uya kusinceda ngokugqibeleleyo. Ngamanye amaxesha olo ncedo lunikezelwa ngalo mzuzu okanye ebuncinaneni emva kokuba sicele uncedo lobuthixo. Ngamanye amaxesha eyona minqweno yethu inyanisekileyo nefanelekileyo ayiphendulwa ngendlela esinethemba ngayo, kodwa sifumanisa ukuba uThixo uneentsikelelo ezinkulu asigcinele zona. Kwaye ngamanye amaxesha iminqweno yethu elungileyo ayinikwanga kobu bomi. Ndiza kubonisa, ngeengxelo ezintathu ezahlukeneyo, iindlela uBawo wethu waseZulwini angayiphendula ngayo imithandazo yethu enyanisekileyo kuYe.

Unyana wethu omncinci wabizwa ukuba ayokunceda njengomfundisi Ebufundisi baseFrance Paris. Ekulungiseleleni ukunceda, sihambe naye sayokuthenga iihempe eziqhelekileyo, iisuti, amaqhina, kunye neekawusi, kunye nedyasi. Ngelishwa, idyasi awayeyifuna yayingekho kwangoko evenkileni kubungakanani awayebudinga. Nangona kunjalo, unobhala wevenkile waphawula ukuba idyasi yayiza kufumaneka kwiiveki ezimbalwa kwaye yayiza kuthunyelwa kwiziko loqeqesho lobufundisi eProvo ngaphambi kokunduluka konyana wethu ukuya eFrance. Sayihlawulela loo dyasi kwaye asizange sicinge nto kwaphela ngayo.

Unyana wethu wangena kwiziko loqeqesho lobufundisi kweyeSilimela, kwaye idyasi yathunyelwa kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokunduluka kwakhe okwakucwangcisiweyo kweyeThupha. Akazange ayizame ukuyilinganisa idyasi kodwa ngokungxama wayipakisha kwimithwalo yakhe yempahla nezinye izinto.

Njengokuba ubusika babusondela eParis, apho unyana wethu wayenceda khona, wasibhalela esithi ukhuphe idyasi wayizama ukuyinxiba kodwa wafumanisa ukuba yayincinci kakhulu. Ngoko ke kuye kwafuneka sifake imali eyongezelelweyo kwi-akhawunti yakhe yebhanki ukuze akwazi ukuthenga enye idyasi eParis, nto leyo awayenzayo. Ngokunye ukucaphuka, ndambhalela kwaye ndamxelela ukuba aphise ngedyasi yokuqala, kangangokuba wayengenakuyisebenzisa.

Kamva safumana le imeyile ivela kuye: “Kuyabanda kakhulu apha. … Umoya ubonakala ngathi uyangena kuthi, nangona idyasi yam entsha intle kwaye inzima. … Ndinikezele eyam endala [komnye umfundisi kwindawo yethu yokuhlala] othe ukuba ebethandazela indlela yokufumana idyasi engcono. Ungumguquki weminyaka eliqela kwaye unomama wakhe kuphela … kunye nomfundisi owambhaptizayo bayamxhasa kubufundisi bakhe kwaye ke idyasi yayiyimpendulo yomthandazo, ndiye ndaziva ndonwabe kakhulu ngaloo nto.”⁶

UBawo waseZulwini wayesazi ukuba lo mfundisi, owayenceda eFrance malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-10 000 ukusuka ekhaya, wayeza kufuna ngokungxamisekileyo idyasi entsha ebusikeni obubandayo eParis kodwa lo mfundisi wayengazubanayo indlela yokuyithenga. UBawo waseZulwini ebesazi kanjalo ukuba unyana wethu wayeya kufumana kwivenkile yempahla eProvo, Utah, idyasi eyakuba ncinane kakhulu. Yena ebeyazi ukuba aba bafundisi babini babeza kunceda kunye eParis kwaye idyasi leyo yayiza kuba yimpendulo yomthandazo othobekileyo nonyanisekileyo womfundisi owayenesidingo esikhawulezileyo.

UMsindisi wafundisa:

“Abathengiswa ngepeni oongqatyana ababini? kanti akuyi kuwa namnye kubo emhlabeni ngaphandle koYihlo.

“Nina ke, kwaneenwele ezi zentloko yenu zibaliwe zonke.

“Musani ukoyika ngoko, nibagqithile oongqatyana abaninzi nina.”⁷

Kwezinye iimeko, xa iminqweno yethu enyulu inganikwanga ngendlela ebesithembe ngayo, ingangokwenene ibe yeyenzuzo yethu ekugqibeleni. Umzekelo, uYosefu unyana kaYakobi wayemonelwa kwaye bemthiyile abantakwabo de benza iyelenqe lokubulawa kukaYosefu. Kunoko, bamthengisa njengekhoboka eYiputa.⁸ Ukuba umntu wakhe wavakalelwa kukuba imithandazo yakhe yayiphendulwa ngendlela awayenqwenela ngayo, yayisenokuba nguYosefu. Ngokwenyani, ukubonakala kwakhe njengelishwa kwabangela iintsikelelo ezinkulu kuye kwaye kwasindisa usapho lwakhe kwindlala. Kamva, emva kokuba wayeyinkokeli ethembekileyo eYiputa, enokholo olukhulu nobulumko wathi kubantakwabo:

“Ngoko musani ukuba buhlungu, ningaziqumbeli, ukuba nathengisa ngam apha: kuba uThixo wandithuma phambi kwenu ukuze ndisindise abantu.

“Kuba ngoku iminyaka mibini indlala ikhona phakathi kwelizwe: isemihlanu iminyaka ezayo, ekungayi kubakho kulima nakuvuna ngayo.

“UThixo undithume phambi kwenu, ukuba ndinimisele amasalela ezweni, ukuba ndisindise ubomi benu, ibe kukusinda okukhulu.

“Ngoko ke asinini abandithume apha, nguThixo.”⁹

Ngelixa esekholejini, unyana wethu omdala wayeqeshiwe konqwenelekayo kakhulu wesingxungxo umsebenzi womfundi owawunakho ukukhokelela kumsebenzi omangalisayo, osisigxina emva kothweso sidanga. Usebenze nzima kulo msebenzi womfundi kangangeminyaka emine, waba ngofanelekileyo kumgangatho ophakamileyo, kwaye ehlonitshwa kakhulu ngabantu ebesebenza nabo kunye nabaphathi bakhe. Ekupheleni konyaka wakhe omkhulu, phantse ngokungathi kwakucwangciswe lizulu (ebuncinaneni kwindlela yokucinga konyana wethu), isikhundla esisisigxina saye savuleka, kwaye wayengumgqatswa ohamba phambili, ngayo yonke into ebonisa ukuba kwaye elindele ukuba, ngenene, wayeya kuwufumana umsebenzi.

Kulungile, zange aqeshwe. Akukho namnye kuthi owayenokuyiqonda. Wayezilungiselele kakuhle, wenza udliwanondlebe kakuhle, wayengoyena mntu wayefanelekile, kwaye wayethandaze ngethemba nolindelo olukhulu! Wayephatheke kabuhlungu kwaye etyumkile, kwaye sonke isiqendu sashiya sonke sikrwempa iintloko. Kwakutheni ukuze uThixo amlahle kwiminqweno yakhe yobulungisa?

Kwade kwaba yiminyaka eliqela emva kokuba impendulo icace gca. Ukuba ebewufumene umsebenzi wephupha emva kokuthweswa isidanga, ngewayephulukene nethuba elibaluleke kakhulu, eliguqula ubomi eliye langqina ngoku ukuba yinzuzo yakhe nentsikelelo yakhe yanaphakade. UThixo wayesazi isiphelo kwasekuqaleni (njengoko Yena ahlala esenza njalo), kwaye kule meko impendulo kwimithandazo emininzi elungileyo yayinguhayi, ngenxa yesiphumo esiphezulu.

Kwaye ngamanye amaxesha, impendulo kumthandazo esiwufuna ngokufanelekileyo, ngokuzimisela, nangokunyanisekileyo ayifumaneki kobu bomi.

UDade Patricia Parkinson wazalwa enamehlo awabonayo ngokuqhelekileyo, kodwa eneminyaka esixhenxe ebudaleni waqalisa ukungaboni. Kwiminyaka elithoba ebudaleni, uPat waqalisa ukuya kwiZikolo zabantu abaziZithulu nabaZimfama eOgden, eUtah, malunga neekhilomitha ezili-145 ukusuka ekhayeni lakhe, nto leyo eyamenza wanyanzeleka ukuba ahlale kwesi sikolo—okwakuquka konke ukukhumbula ikhaya okunabakho kumntwana oneminyaka elithoba.

Ngeminyaka eli-11 ubudala, wayengasaboni kwaphela. UPat wabuyela ekhaya ngokusisigxina eneminyaka eli-15 ukuya kufunda kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo. Uqhubekile waya ekholejini watheswa isidanga sokuqala ekuphazamisekeni kwezonxibelelwano nakwezengqondo, kwaye emva komzabalazo wobuqhawe wokulwa ukuthandabuza kwamagosa wokwamkelwa edyunivesithi, wangena kwisikolo sokuthweswa isidanga kwaye wagqiba isidanga sobugcisa kwintetho yolwimi. Ngoku uPat usebenza nabafundi besikolo samabanga aphantsi abangama-53 kwaye wongamela amagcisa amane okuthetha kwintetho yesithili sakhe. Unendlu yakhe kunye nemoto yakhe, abahlobo kunye namalungu osapho aqhuba ngayo xa uPat efuna uthutho.

Umfanekiso

Udade Patricia Parkinson

Kwiminyaka eli-10 ubudala, uPat wayecwangciselwe ukuba nolunye uqhaqho lonyango lokulungisa ukungaboni kakuhle kwakhe. Abazali bakhe babesoloko bemxelela ngokuthe ngqo ukuba kwakuza kwenzeka ntoni ngonyango lwakhe, kodwa ngenxa yesizathu esithile zange bamxelele ngolu qhaqho luthile. Xa abazali bakhe bamxelela ukuba uqhaqho belucwangcisiwe, uPat, ngokutsho kukanina, “wayenxunguphele.” UPat wabaleka waya kwelinye igumbi kodwa wabuya kamva wathi kubazali bakhe enomsindo, “Mandinixelele into. Ndiyayazi, uThixo uyayazi, nani nisenokuba niyazi. Ndiza kuba yimfama ubomi bam bonke!”

Kwiminyaka eliqela eyadlulayo, uPat wahamba waya eCalifornia esiya kutyelela amalungu osapho awayehlala apho. Ngelixa wayephandle nomtshana wakhe oneminyaka emithathu ubudala, wathi kuye, “Makazi Pat, kutheni ungaceli nje uBawo waseZulwini ukuba akunike amehlo amatsha? Kuba xa ucela uBawo waseZulwini, Yena uya kukunika nantoni na oyifunayo. Kufuneka nje ucele kuYe.”

UPat uthe wayemangalisiwe ngumbuzo kodwa waphendula, “Kulungile, ngamanye amaxesha uBawo waseZulwini akasebenzi ngolo hlobo. Ngamanye amaxesha Yena ufuna ukuba ufunde into ethile, kwaye ke Yena akakuniki yonke into oyifunayo. Ngamanye amaxesha kufuneka ulinde. UBawo waseZulwini kunye noMsindisi bayazi ngcono ukuba yintoni esilungeleyo kunye nezinto esizidingayo Ke Bona abazukunika yonke into oyifunayo ngexesha oyifuna ngalo.”

Ndimazi uPat iminyaka emininzi kwaye kutsha nje ndimxelele ukuba ndiyithandile into yokuba uhlala enethemba kwaye onwabile. Uphendule wathi, “Kulungile, ubungekho ekhaya nam, andithi? Ndinamaxesha am. Ndikhe ndaneengxaki ezinzima zoxinzelelo, kwaye ndiye ndakhala kakhulu.” Kodwa ke, wongeze ngelithi, “Ukusukela oko ndandiqala ukungaboni, kwakungaqhelekanga, kodwa ndandisazi ukuba uBawo waseZulwini noMsindisi babenosapho lwam kunye nam. Sayiphathe ngeyona ndlela ingcono esikwazi ngayo, kwaye ngokoluvo lwam, siyiphathe ngendlela eyiyo. Ndiphele ndingumntu ophumeleleyo ngokwaneleyo, kwaye ngokubanzi ndibe ngumntu owonwabileyo. Ndikhumbula isandla saKhe sikho kuyo yonke into. Kwabo bandibuza ukuba ndinomsindo kuba ndingaboni, ndiyaphendula, ‘Ndingacaphukela bani? UBawo waseZulwini ukule nto nam; Andindodwa. Yena uhleli nam ngalo lonke ixesha.’”

Kule meko, umnqweno kaPat wokubuyisela ukubona kwakhe awuyi kunikwa kobu bomi. Kodwa intetho yakhe, efundiswe ngutata wakhe, yile “Nale iza kudlula.”¹⁰

UMongameli Henry B. Eyring uchazile, “UBawo ngalo mzuzu uyazi ngawe, neemvakalelo zakho, kunye nezidingo zomoya kunye nezenyama zawo wonke umntu okujikelezileyo.”¹¹ Le nyaniso inkulu kwaye ithuthuzelayo inokufumaneka kumava amathathu endiwabalisileyo.

Bazalwane noodade, ngamanye amaxesha imithandazo yethu iphendulwa ngokukhawuleza ngesiphumo esinethemba laso. Ngamanye amaxesha imithandazo yethu ayiphendulwa ngendlela esithemba ngayo, ukanti ngokuhamba kwexesha siye sifunde ukuba uThixo ubeneentsikelelo ezinkulu azilungiselele thina kunoko besikulindele ekuqaleni. Kwaye ngamanye amaxesha izicelo zethu ezilungileyo kuThixo aziyi kunikwa kobu bomi.¹² Njengoko uMdala uNeal A. Maxwell watsho, “Ukholo lukwaquka ukuthembela kwixesha likaThixo.”¹³

Sinesiqinisekiso sokuba ngendlela yaKhe nangexesha laKhe, uBawo waseZulwini uya kusisikelela kwaye asombulule zonke izinto ezisixhalabisayo, ukungabikho kobulungisa, kunye nokuphoxeka.

Ukucaphula uKumkani uBhenjamin: “Kwaye ngaphezu koko, ndinganqwenela okokuba nicingisise ngemo eneentsikelelo neyolonwabo lwabo bayigcinayo imiyalelo kaThixo. Kuba qaphelani, basikelelwe kuzo zonke izinto, kunye ezomzuzwana nezasemphefumlweni; kwaye ukuba bayanyamezela benyanisekile kwade kwaba sekupheleni bayamkelwa ezulwini, ukuze kulo babenokuhlala noThixo bekwimo yolonwabo olungasokuze luphele. Owu khumbulani, khumbulani okokuba ezi zinto ziyinyani; kuba iNkosi uThixo izithethile.”¹⁴

Ndiyazi ukuba uThixo uyayiva imithandazo yethu.¹⁵ Ndiyazi ukuba njengowazi konke, uBawo onothando, Yena uyayiphendula imithandazo yethu ngokugqibeleleyo, ngokobulumko baKhe obungenasiphelo, kwaye nangeendlela ezizakuba yinzuzo kuthi ekugqibeleni. Ndiyangqina ngokunjalo egameni likaYesu Krestu, amen.