“Uze, Undilandele”

Bazalwane noodade bam abathandekayo, mna nonkosikazi wam uWendy siyavuya ngokuba nani ngalentsasa yeSabatha. Kuninzi esekwenzekile ukusukela kwinkomfa yethu yajikelele yokugqibela. Iitempile ezintsha zingcwalisiwe kwelase Concepción, Chile; Barranquilla, Colombia; naseRome, Italy. Siye sabanethuba lokuva ukuthululwa okufudumeleyo koMoya kwezi ziganeko zingcwele.

Ndiyavuyisana namabhinqa amaninzi (kunye namadoda) athe afunda iNcwadi kaMormoni mvanje kwaye afumanisa uvuyo kunye nendyebo efihlakeleyo. Ndiyakhuthazeka ziingxelo ezimalunga nemimangaliso efunyenweyo.

Ndikhwankqiswa ngamakhwenkwana ane-11 yeminyaka ubudala athi, ngoku njengamadikoni, agqithise ngokufanelekileyo umthendeleko qho ngeCawa. Aya etempileni kunye namantombazana aneminyaka eli-11 yeminyaka ubudala athi, afunde kwaye ancedise ngomdla njengeBeehives. Ewonke amakhwenkwana namantombazana ashumayela iinyaniso zevangeli ngokucacileyo kunye nangengqiniseko.

Ndiyavuyisana nabantwana kunye nolutsha olunceda ukufundisa ivangeli emakhayeni walo njengoko esebenzisana nabazali babo ekulandeleni ikharityhulam ejolise ekhayeni, kwaye exhaswa liBandla.

Siye safumana le foto kaBlake oneminyaka emine, owathi, ngentseni yangoMgqibelo, waxhakamfula incwadi yeBandla kwaye wadanduluka, “Ndidinga ukondla umoya wam!”

Blake, siyavuyisana nawe kunye nabanye abakhetha ukondla umoya wabo ngokuzondla ngeenyaniso zevangeli ebuyisiweyo kaYesu Krestu. Kwaye siyoliswa kukwazi ukuba uninzi lufumana amandla kaThixo ebomini balo njengoko lunqula kwaye luncedisa etempileni.

Njengoko uninzi lwenu lusazi, usapho lwethu luye lwabanethuba loluvo lokwahlukana kweziinyanga zintathu zigqithileyo xa intombi yethu uWendy isandulela kobubomi bumagad’ ahlabayo. Kwiintsuku zokugqibela zakhe zokulwisana nesifo somhlaza, ndiye ndasikelelwa ngethuba lokuba nencoko yethu yokuvalelisa ephakathi kotata nentombi yakhe.

Ndabamba izandla zakhe ndamxelela ukuba ndimthanda kangakanani kwakunye nokuba ndandibulela kangakanani ngokuba ngutata wakhe. Ndathi: “Utshatele etempileni kwaye ngokuthembeka wazukisa iminqophiso yakho. Wena nomyeni wakho namkele abantwana abasixhenxe kwikhaya lenu kwaye nabakhulisa ukuba babengafundi abazinikeleyo bakaYesu Krestu, amalungu weBandla anobukroti, kwakunye nabemi abanegalelo. Kwaye nabo bakhethe abalingane beloozinga lifanayo. Utata wakho uyaziqhenya ngawe kakhulu, kakhulu. Uye wandizisela uvuyo olukhulu!”

Waye waphendula ngokuzolileyo, “Enkosi, Tata.”

Kwaye kwabalithuba lemizwa kunye neenyembezi kuthi. Ngelixa leminyaka yakhe engama-67, saye sasebenzisana, sacula ndawonye, saya kuskiya sonke. Kodwa ngoloorhatya, saye sathetha ngezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu, ezifana neminqophiso, imimiselo, intobeko, ukholo, usapho, intembeko, uthando, kunye nobomi banaphakade.

Siyayikhumbula intombi yethu kakhulu. Kodwa, ngenxa yevangeli ebuyisiweyo kaYesu Krestu, asinaxhala ngaye. Njengoko siqhubeka ukuzalisekisa iminqophiso yethu noThixo, siphila nethemba lokuba naye kwakhona. Ngeli xesha, thina sikhonza iNkosi apha kwaye yena uphila naYe phaya—eparadesi. ¹

Eneneni, mna nonkosikazi wam siye satyelela eParadesi ekuqaleni kwalonyaka—le, iseCalifornia, iParadesi. Njengoko kwakusenzeka oku, utyelelo lwethu olucwangcisiweyo apho lwafika ngaphantsi kweeyure ezingama-40 emveni kokuba intombi yethu indulukile kulomhlaba. Thina, kwakunye noMdala Kevin W. Peterson kunye nonkosikazi wakhe, uJune, somelezwa ngabaNgcwele baseChico California Stake. Saye safunda kukholo lwabo, ekulungiseleleni kwabo, kwakunye nakwimimangaliso eyathi yenzeka nangelixa kokulahlekelwa kwabo okutshabalalisayo okwakuphuma emlilweni ondlongondlongo owawutshabalalisa kakhulu kwimbali yaseCalifornia.

Xeshikweni sasilapho, sathetha ixesha elide nepolisa, uJohn, owayengomnye wabakhaliphileyo wabohlangulo lokuqala. Yena wakhumbula ubumnyama obungqindilili obabusehlela eParadesi ngomhla we-8 kweyeNkanga, 2018, njengoko amadangatye namalahle ayecanda edolophini ngokukhawuleza, etshabalalisa izindlu neempahla ngokungathi sisibetho kwaye engashiyi kwanto kodwa iimfumba zothuthu kunye neetshimini zesitena ezize.

Kangangeeyure ezili-15, uJohn waqhuba ebumnyameni obuliqilima obabugcwaliswe ziintolo zamalahle ezazisitsha njengoko wayenceda umntu emveni komnye, usapho emveni kolunye lubalekela elukhuselekweni—konke oku emngciphekweni wobomi bakhe. Kanti ngeli lixa lobunzima, eyona nto eyayisoyikisa uJohn yayingumbuzo owawuxhalabisa kakhulu: “Luphi usapho lwam?” Emveni kweeyure ezininzi ezinde zokungcungcutheka, ekugqibeleni weva ngokufuduswa kwabo okwakukhusekelekile.

Ibali likaJohn lokuxhalabela usapho lwakhe landikhuthaza ukuba ndithethe namhlanje nabo kuni mhlawumbi ababuzayo xa bejongene nesiphelo sobomi babo basemhlabeni, “Luphi usapho lwam?” Ngaloo mhla uzayo xa nani niya kugqibezela uvavanyo lwenu lwasemhlabeni kwaye ningena kwilizwe lomoya, niya kuziswa ubuso ngobuso kuloo mbuzo wophula intliziyo: : “Luphi usapho lwam?”

UYesu Krestu ufundisa ngendlela ebuyela ekhayeni lanaphakade. Yena uyaliqonda icebo losindiso likaBawo wethu Osezulwini lokuqhubekela ngonaphakade kangcono kunathi sonke. Emveni kwako konke, Yena ulilitye lembombo yalo lonke. Yena unguMhlawuleli wethu, uMphilisi wethu, kunye noMsindisi wethu.

Kusukela u-Adam no-Eva bagxothwa eMyezweni wase-Eden, uYesu uKrestu wanikela ngengalo yaKhe enamandla yokunceda bonke abathi bakhethe ukuMlandela. Ngokuphinda-phindiweyo, izibhalo zibonisa oko nokuba zonke iintlobo zezono eziphuma kwiintlobo zabantu bonke, iingalo zaKhe zisoluliwe nangoku.²

Umoya ongaphakathi komnye nomnye wethu ngokwendalo ulangazelela uthando losapho ukuba lungapheli ngonaphakade. Iingoma zothando zithundeza ingcinga egwenxa yokuba uthando lulo lodwa enilidingayo ukuba nifuna ukubandawonye ngonaphakade. Kwaye abanye ngempazamo bakholelwa ukuba Uvuko lukaYesu Krestu lubonelela ngesithembiso sokuba bonke abantu baya kuphila nabo babathandayo emveni kokufa.

Enyanisweni, uMsindisi yena buqu baKhe wayicacisa gca nangona Uvuko lwaKhe luqinisekisa okokuba wonke umntu owakhe waphila uya kuvuswa kwaye aphile ngonaphakade, ³ kuninzi okufunekayo ukuba sifuna ukubanethuba elihle lokusindiswa. Usindiso luxanduva lomntu omnye, kodwa ukuphakanyiswa kuluxanduva losapho.

Mamela la mazwi athethwa nguYesu Krestu kumprofethi waKhe: “Yonke iminqophiso, izivumelwano, iimbophelelo, izinyanzeliso, izifungo, izibhambathiso, izenzo, iziqhagamsheli, iimanyano, okanye izinto ezilindelekileyo, ezingenziwanga kwaye zangeniswa zaze zatywinwa ngoMoya oyiNgcwele wesithembiso …azinawo amandla, imfezeko, okanye ukunyanzela eluvukweni kwelabafileyo nasemva; ngenxa yazo zonke izivumelwano ezingenziwanga kudekube kwesi siphelo zinesiphelo xa abantu befile.”⁴

Ngoko ke, yintoni efunekayo esatsheni ukuba luphakanyiswe ngonaphakade? Silungela elo lungelo ngokwenza iminqophiso noThixo, ngokuyigcina iminqophiso, kwakunye nangokufumana imimiselo ebalulekileyo.

Oku kubeyinyaniso ukusukela ekuqalekeni kwexesha. U-Adam no-Eva, uNowa nenkosikazi yakhe, u-Abraham noSara, uLihayi noSaraya, kwakunye nabo bonke abanye abafundi bakaYesu Krestu abazinikeleyo—ukusukela ihlabathi ladalwayo—benza iminqophiso efanayo noThixo. Bafumana imimiselo efanayo esithi thina njengamalungu weBandla leNkosi elibuyisiweyo namhlanje siyenze: loo minqophiso esiyifumana elubhaptizweni kwakunye nasetempileni.

UMsindisi umema bonke ukuba baMlandelele emanzini obhaptizo kwaye, ekuhambeni kwexesha, benze iminqophiso eyongezelelweyo noThixo etempileni kwaye bafumana kwaye banyaniseke kuloo mimiselo ibalulekileyo. Konke oku kuyafuneka ukuba sifuna ukuphakanyiswa neentsapho zethu kwaye siphile noThixo ngonaphakade.

Ukubandezeleka kwentliziyo yam kukuba abantu abaninzi endibathandayo, kwaye endibahloniphayo bayasilandula isimemo saKhe. Abakuhoyi ukubongoza kukaYesu Krestu xa Yena ebakhweba, “Uze, Undilandele.”⁵

Ndiyaqonda kungani uThixo ekhala.⁶ Nam ndiyabakhalela abahlobo nezalamane ezinjalo. Bona bangamadoda namabhinqa amangalisayo, bazinikele kwiintsapho zabo kwaye bangabemi abanoxanduva. Bona bayaphana ngesisa ngexesha labo, amandla, kwakunye nezixhobo zabo. Kwaye ihlabathi lingcono ngemizamo yabo. Kodwa bakhethe ukungenzi iminqophiso noThixo. Bona abakafumani imimiselo eyakuthi ibasindise neentsapho zabo kwaye ibabophelele ndawonye ngonaphakade.⁷

Ndinqwenela ukuba ndingabandwendwela kwaye ndibameme ukuba bacingisise ngokunzulu imithetho elungiselelayo yeNkosi. Ndikhe ndazibuza ukuba yintoni endingayitsho mhlawumbi khon’ ukuze bave ukuba uMsindisi ubathanda kangakanani kwaye bazi nokuba ndibathanda kangakanani kwaye baze babone ukuba amadoda kunye namabhinqa awagcina iminqophiso angakufumana “ukuzaliseka kolonwabo.”⁸

Bona badinga ukuqonda okokuba nangona kukhona indawo yabo emveni kwalapha—namadoda namabhinqa amangalisayo awathe akhetha ukungenzi minqophiso noThixo—apho akuyiyo indawo iintsapho apho ziyakuhlangana kwakhona kwaye zinikwe ithuba lokuphila kwaye ziqhubeke ngonaphakade. Obo ayibubo ubukumkani apho baya kuva ukuzaliseka kolonwabo—lwenkqubela engapheliyo kunye nolonwabo.⁹ Ezo ntsikelelo zinkulu zingeza qha ngokuphila kummandla ophakanyisiweyo wasezulwini noThixo, uBawo wethu Wanaphakade; uNyana waKhe, uYesu Krestu; kunye namalungu amangalisayo, alungeleyo, nawafaneleyo.

Ndiziva ndiphenjelelwa ukuba ndithi kubahlobo bam abathandabuzayo:

Kobu bomi, anizange namkele ukuba yinto yesibini egqwesileyo naphi na. Kanti, xa nixhathisa ngokugcweleyo ekwamkeleni ivangeli ebuyisiweyo kaYesu Krestu, nikhetha ukwamkela ukubangowesibini ekugqweseni. “

“UMsindisi wathi, ‘Endlwini kaBawo zininzi iindawo zokuhlala.’ ¹⁰ Nokuba, njengoko nikhetha ukungenzi iminqophiso noThixo, namkela uphahlana oluncinane phezu kweentloko zenu unaphakade.”

Ndiyanithundeza kwakhona bahlobo bam abathandabuzayo ngokuthi:

“Thulula intliziyo yakho kuThixo. Mbuze ukuba ezi zinto ziyinyaniso. Yenza ixesha lokufunda amazwi aKhe. Fundisisa ngenene! Ukuba uyaluthanda usapho lwakho ngenene kwaye ukuba unqwenela ukuphakanyiswa nabo unaphakade, yenza okufanelekileyo ngoku—ngokufundisisa ngokuzimisela kunye nangomthandazo ovuthayo—ukuze wazi ezi nyaniso zanaphakade kwaye baphile ngazo.

“Ukuba awuqinisekanga ukuba uyakholelwa nkqu nakuThixo, qala apho. Qonda ukuba ukungabikho kwamava noThixo, omnye angathandabuza ubukho bukaThixo. Ngoko ke, zibeke kwindawo yokuqalisa ukubanamava naYe. Zithobe. Thandazela ukubanamehlo wokubona isandla sikaThixo ebomini bakho kwakunye nakwilizwe elikungqongileyo. Mcele ukuba akuxelele ukuba Yena ukhona ngokwenene—nokuba Yena uyakwazi. Mbuze ukuba Yena uziva kanjani ngawe. Kwaye umamele.”

Omnye umhlobo wam onjalo othandekayo wayenamava aqingqiweyo noThixo. Kodwa wayelangazelela ukubanenkosikazi yakhe eyayisele indulukile. Ngoko ke wandicela ukuba ndimncede. Ndamkhuthaza ukuba adibane nabavangeli bethu khon’ ukuze aqonde imfundiso kaKrestu kwaye afunde ngeminqophiso yevangeli, ngemimiselo, kunye nangeentsikelelo.

Waye wahlangana nabo. Kodwa weva indlela abamcebisa ngayo ukuba yayifuna ukuba enze iinguqu ezininzi ebomini bakhe. Yena wathi, “Loo mithetho kunye neminqophiso ziyandinzimela. Ngokunjalo, andinakukwazi ukuhlawula isishumi, kwaye andinaxesha lokuncedisa eBandleni.” Ngoko ke waye wandibuza, “Xa ndisweleka, ndicela undenzele mna nenkosikazi yam umsebenzi wasetempileni ofunekayo khon’ ukuze sibendawonye kwakhona.”

Ngombulelo, andingomgwebi walendoda. Kodwa ndiyawabuza amandla wokwenzela umsebenzi wasetempileni indoda eyayinethuba lokubhaptizwa apha kobu bomi—ukuba imiselwe kububingeleli kwaye ifumane iintsikelelo zasetempileni ngeli lixa yayikweli limagad’ ahlabayo—kodwa eyathi yenza isigqibo sengqondo sokulandula loo ndlela.

Bazalwane noodade bam abathandekayo, uYesu Krestu uyasimema ukuba sithabathe indlela yomnqophiso ebuyela ekhaya kubaZali bethu Basezulwini kwakunye nokuba sibenabo sibathandayo. Yena uyasimema ukuba ‘uze,undilandele.”

Ngoku, njengoMongameli weBandla, ndiyanibongoza nina nithe naziqelelanisa ekudeni neBandla kwakunye nani nina ningekafuni ukwazi ukuba iBandla loMsindisi selibuyisiwe na. Yenzani umsebenzi wasemoyeni ukuze nizifumanele, kwaye ncedani nikwenze ngoku. Ixesha liyaphela.

Ndiyangqina ukuba uThixo uyaphila! UYesu unguKrestu. IBandla laKhe kunye nokuzaliseka kwevangeli yaKhe zibuyisiwe ukuze zisikelele ubomi bethu ngovuyo, apha kwakunye nasemva kwalapha. Ndiyangqina ngokunjalo egameni likaYesu Krestu, amen.