Jeneral Konfrens
Stap Wan Wetem Kraes
Epril 2024 jeneral konfrens


Stap Wan Wetem Kraes

Yumi kam wan tru long lav mo fet blong yumi long Jisas Kraes mo Atonmen blong Hem. Stamba tingting blong stap pat i blong stap wan wetem Kraes.

Mi bin filim strong Atonmen blong Jisas Kraes stat long taem we mi yang yet, be mi kam blong eksperiensem tru Atonmen blong Sevya taem mi gat 25 yia. Mi jes graduet nomo long Stanfod Loa Skul mo stap stadi from eksam blong kam loya long Kalifonia. Mama blong mi i bin ringim mi mo talem se apu man blong mi Crozier Kimball, we i stap long Yuta, i stap ded. Hem i talem, sapos mi wantem blong luk hem, mi mas go hom nao. Apu man blong i gat 86 yia mo i sik bigwan. Mi bin gat wan gudfala visit. Hem i bin glad blong luk mi mo i serem testemoni blong hem wetem mi.

Taem Crozier i gat tri yia nomo, papa blong hem, David Patten Kimball, i bin ded taem i gat 44 yia.1 Crozier i bin hop se bae papa blong hem mo apu man blong hem Heber C. Kimball tufala i akseptem laef blong hem we hem i gat, mo we hem i bin stap tru long wanem oli pasem long hem.

Oltaem apu man blong mi i givim kaonsel long mi, blong stap longwe long eni tingting we i mekem mi filim se mi mi gat raet long ol samting from ol bubu blong mi ia oli bin stap fetful. Hem i talem blong se mi mas lukluk moa long Sevya mo Atonmen blong Sevya. Hem i se yumi evriwan i ol pikinini blong wan Papa long Heven we i gat lav. Nomata huia ol bubu blong yumi long wol ia, bae wanwan long yumi i ripot long Sevya abaot olsem wanem yumi bin kipim ol komanmen blong Hem.

Bubu man i talem se Sevya i olsem “Wajman blong Get,” wan refrens long 2 Nifae 9:41. Hem i talem long mi se hem i hop se hem i sakem sin inaf blong kwalifae from sore blong Sevya.2

Ol toktok ia oli tajem mi bigwan. Mi save se hem i bin wan stret mo gud man. Hem i wan petriak mo i bin wok long sam misin. Hem i bin tijim se i no gat man i save go bak long God tru long ol gud wok nomo we i nogat help blong Atonmen blong Sevya. Mi save tingbaot kasem tedei, bigfala lav mo glad we apu man i bin gat long Sevya mo Atonmen blong Hem.

Long 2019 long taem blong wan asaenmen long Jerusalem,3 mi bin visitim wan bigfala rum antap we maet i kolosap long ples we Sevya i bin wasem ol leg blong ol Aposol blong Hem bifo krusifiksen blong Hem. Mi filim spirit mo tingbaot olsem wanem Hem i komandem ol Aposol blong Hem blong lavlavem olgeta.

Mi tingting bak long krae blong Sevya long Prea we Hem i mekem long bihaf blong yumi. Prea ia i kamaot long ol las aoa blong laef blong Hem long wol ia olsem we oli rekodem long Gospel blong Jon.

Prea ia i blong olgeta we oli stap folem Kraes, we i tekem tu yumi evriwan.4 Long krae blong Sevya i go long Papa blong Hem, Hem i askem strong “blong oli stap wan; olsem Yu, Papa, yu stap long mi, mo mi long yu, blong olgeta tu oli save wan long yumi.” Afta Sevya i gohed blong talem, “Mo glori we yu givim long mi, mi bin givim long olgeta; blong oli stap wan, semmak olsem yumi yumi wan.”5 Fasin blong stap wan i wanem we Kraes i prea from bifo oli salemaot mo krusifaem Hem. Fasin blong stap wan wetem Kraes mo Papa blong yumi long Heven i save hapen tru long Atonmen blong Sevya.

Sore blong Lod we i sevem man i no dipen long bladlaen, edukesen, level blong ekonomi, o kala blong skin. I dipen long fasin blong stap wan wetem Kraes mo ol komanmen blong Hem.

Profet Josef Smit mo Oliver Kaodri oli kasem revelesen abaot oganaesesen blong Jos mo gavman long 1830, i no longtaem afta we Jos i oganaes. Wanem we i stap naoia long seksen 20, profet Josef Smit i bin ridim long fas konfrens blong Jos mo i bin fas revelesen we evriwan i apruvum.6

Wanem we i stap long revelesen ia i tru tumas. I tijim yumi hamas wok blong Sevya i impoten, mo olsem wanem blong save kasem paoa mo blesing blong Sevya tru long gladhat blong Atonmen blong Hem. Profet Josef i bin gat 24 yia mo hem i bin kasem plante revelesen finis mo i finisim translesen blong Buk blong Momon tru long presen mo paoa blong God. Oli luksave Josef mo Oliva olsem ol Aposol we oli bin odenem tufala, mekem se tufala i gat raet ia blong prisaed ova long Jos.

Ves 17 kasem 36 i gat wan sot toktok abaot stamba doktrin blong Jos we i tekem tu se God i stap, Kriesen blong man, Foldaon blong Adam, mo plan blong Papa long Heven blong sevem man we i kam tru blong Atonmen blong Jisas Kraes. Ves 37 i gat ol impoten samting we yumi nidim blong mekem blong save kasem baptaes insaed long Jos blong Lod. Ves 75 kasem 79 i givimaot ol prea blong sakramen we yumi yusum long evri Sabat.

Doktrin, ol prinsipol, ol sakramen, mo ol praktis we Lod i stanemap tru long Josef Smit, Profet blong Restoresen, oli ol tru samting.7

Ol wok we yumi nid blong mekem blong save kasem baptaes oli had, be oli simpol tu. Ol fas wok i tekem tu fasin blong gat tingting i stap daon long fored blong God, wan hat we i sore mo wan spirit we i wantem sakem sin,8 sakem evri sin, tekem long yumi nem blong Jisas Kraes, stanap strong kasem en, mo soemaot tru long ol wok blong yumi se yumi kasem Spirit blong Kraes.9

Hem i impoten se evri kwalifikesen blong baptaes oli long saed blong spirit. I no gat nid blong kwalifae long saed blong ekonomi mo sosaeti. Pua mo rij oli gat semmak wok blong mekem long saed blong spirit.

I no gat eni nid long saed blong skin kala, se yu man o woman, o wanem kalja blong yu. Buk blong Momon i mekem i klia se oli invaetem evriwan blong tekpat long gudfala fasin blong Lod, “blak mo waet, slef mo fri, man mo woman; … evriwan i semmak long God.”10 “Evri man i gat janis, wan i olsem narafalawan, mo i no gat wan we hem i blokem hem.”11

From we yumi evriwan i “semmak” long fes blong God, i nogat nid ia blong tokbaot tumas ol samting we yumi defdefren long hem. Sam oli givim rong tingting ia long yumi “blong tingting se ol pipol oli moa defren long yumiwan mo long olgetawan, be yumi no defdefren tumas. [Sam] oli tekem ol samting ia we oli defdefren i tru, be oli defren smol nomo, mo oli mekem ol defdefren samting ia oli kam ol bigfala samting.”12

Antap long hemia, sam oli gat rong tingting ia se, from God i invaetem evriwan blong kasem gudfala fasin blong Hem mo laef we i no save finis, i no gat nid ia blong laef folem loa.13

Be, ol skripja oli pruvum se evri responsibol man mo woman oli nid blong sakem sin mo kipim ol komanmen blong Hem.14 Lod i mekem i klia se evriwan i gat morol ejensi, mo “oli fri blong jusum fridom mo laef we i no save finis, tru long bigfala Man blong Toktok blong evri man, … mo mekem folem ol bigfala komanmen blong hem; mo stap fetful long ol toktok blong hem, mo jusum laef we i no save finis.”15 Blong kasem ol blesing blong Atonmen blong Sevya, yumi mas agri blong yusum morol ejensi blong yumi blong jusum Kraes mo obei ol komanmen blong Hem.

Truaot laef blong mi, oli tokbaot plante mo stadi long toktok ia “ejensi” mo “fri wil”. I bin gat mo i gohed blong gat plante stadi mo toktok raon long ol topik ia.

I no longtaem i pas long kova blong wan buk blong wan bigfala yunivesiti blong ol studen we oli bin skul long yunivesiti ia fastaem, wan impoten profesa blong baeoloji a raetemaot klia, “I nogat rum blong fri wil.”16 I no wan sapraes blong luk se profesa ia i putum long atikol ia se, “I no gat wan samting olsem God, … mo i no gat fri wil, … mo hemia i wan bigfala wol we i emti mo yumi no nid blong wari long hem.”17 Mi no agri strong long tingting ia.

Wan stamba doktrin blong fet blong yumi i we yumi gat morol ejensi blong mekem joes,18 we i tekem tu fri wil.19 Ejensi hem i paoa blong jusum mo mekem. Hem i impoten long plan blong sevem man. Spos yumi no gat morol ejensi bae yumi no save lanem samting, progres, o jusum blong stap wan wetem Kraes. From morol ejensi, yumi “fri blong jusum fridom mo laef we i no save finis.”20 Long bigfala Kaonsel long Heven, bifo long laef ia, fridom blong mekem joes i wan impoten samting insaed long plan blong Papa. Lusifa i agensem mo “wantem blong prapa spolem gud fridom blong man blong mekem joes.”21 From risen ia, Setan mo olgeta we oli bin folem hem oli no save kasem bodi long laef blong wol ia.

Ol nara spirit blong laef bifo laef ia oli yusum fridom blong joes blong olgeta folem plan blong Papa long Heven. Ol spirit we oli kasem blesing blong save bon i kam long wol ia oli gohed blong gat fridom ia blong mekem joes. Yumi fri blong jusum mo mekem samting, be yumi no save kontrolem risal blong ol joes ia. “Ol gudfala joes blong gud mo stret fasin i lid i go long fasin stap glad, pis, mo laef we i no save finis, be ol joes blong sin mo ivel i lid i go long hat we i so mo harem nogud.”22 Olsem Alma i talem, “Fasin nogud i neva bin fasin blong stap glad.”23

Long wol ia we i gat fulap kompetisen, oltaem i gat fasin blong traehad blong gro. Blong stap traehad blong save kam moa gud i wan stret mo gudfala wok. Hem i go stret wetem doktrin blong Lod. Ol traehad blong putumdaon o no letem o blokem ol narawan blong oli gat sakses i agensem doktrin blong Lod. Yumi no save blemem ol situesen o ol narawan from wan desisen blong mekem samting we i no go wetem ol komanmen blong God.

Long wol blong tedei, hem i isi blong lukluk nomo long sakses long saed blong wok mo ol samting blong wol. Sam oli nomo lukluk long ol prinsipol mo ol joes we oli impoten long taem we i no save finis. Hem i waes blong yumi folem kaonsel blong Presiden Russell M. Nelson blong “tingting selestial.”24

Kolosap evriwan i save mekem ol impoten desisen nomata long ol talen, paoa blong mekem samting, ol janis, o gat mane blong olgeta. I gat impoten nid blong putum ol joes blong famli faswan. Hemia i klia truaot long ol skripja. Tingbaot stori insaed long Fas Nifae we Lihae i “go long ples we i no gat man long hem. Mo hem i livim haos blong hem, mo graon blong hem we i kam long ol papa blong hem, mo ol gol blong hem, mo ol silva blong hem, mo ol gudgudfala samting blong hem.”25

Taem yumi fesem ol bigfala hadtaem blong laef, plante long ol samting i save hapen we yumi gat smol kontrol o nogat kontrol long olgeta. Ol jalenj blong helt mo ol aksiden oli klia insaed long kategori ia. KOVID-19 we i jes pas, i mekem plante pipol we oli mekem ol stret samting, oli harem nogud. Yumi gat joes long ol joes we oli moa impoten. Gobak long ol misinari dei blong mi, Elda Marion D. Hanks, misin presiden blong mifala, i mekem mifala i lanem baehat ol toktok blong wan poem we i kam long Ella Wheeler Wilcox:

I no gat janis, no gat wan spesel paoa blong kontrolem ol samting,

I save faenem rod, o stopem o kontrolem

Wan sol we tingting blong hem i stap strong finis.26

Long saed blong prinsipol, fasin blong laef, laef folem relijin, laef long stret mo gud fasin, yumi nao yumi kontrolem. Fet blong yumi mo wosip blong yumi long God Papa mo Pikinini blong Hem Jisas Kraes, i wan joes we yumi mekem.27

Plis andastanem se, mi no stap traem blong pulumdaon intres blong edukesen o wok. Wanem we mi stap traem blong talem i we taem yumi wokhad moa long saed blong edukesen mo wok, bitim we yumi mekem blong famli o blong stap wan wetem Kraes, bae yumi luk ol risal we bae oli stopem yumi bigwan.

Klia mo simpol doktrin we i stap long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20 i gat paoa mo i save winim tingting from i mekem ol tabu aedia long saed blong spirit i bigwan mo klia gud. Hem i tijim se fasin blong sevem man i kam, taem Jisas Kraes i jajem mo mekem ol sol blong olgeta we oli sakem sin oli kam klin mo tabu from gladhat blong Sevya.28 Hem i rere long rod blong bigfala Atonmen blong Hem.

Yumi mas traehad blong karem ol narawan oli kam wan wetem yumi. Sapos i nid blong yumi folem toktok blong Presiden Russell M. Nelson blong karem i kam tugeta ol laen blong Isrel we oli seraot i stap long tugeta saed blong vel, yumi nid blong karem ol narawan i kam wan wetem yumi. Olsem we Presiden Nelson i bin tijim: “Long evri kantri mo krosem ol aelan blong solwota, ol fetful pipol oli stap kam tugeta long Jos ia blong Jisas Kraes blong Ol Lata Dei Sent. Ol defren kalja, lanwis, man o woman, skin kala, o ples we oli kam long hem, oli nomo impoten taem ol fetful oli stap kam insaed long rod blong kavenan mo kam long Ridima we yumi lavem tumas.”29

Yumi kam wan tru long lav mo fet blong yumi long Jisas Kraes mo olsem ol pikinini blong wan Papa long Heven we i gat lav. Stamba tingting blong stap pat i blong stap wan wetem Kraes. Ol odinens blong baptaes mo sakramen we oli givimaot long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20, tugeta wetem ol kavenan blong yumi blong tempol, oli joenem yumi long ol spesel wei we i mekem yumi wan long evri wei we i no save finis mo blong laef folem fasin blong pis mo gudfala fasin.

Mi givim stret mo tru witnes blong mi se Jisas Kraes i laef, mo from Atonmen blong Hem, bae yumi save stap wan wetem Kraes Long tabu nem blong Jisas Kraes, amen.

Ol Not

  1. David, taem hem i gat 17 yia, hem i help blong karem sam long ol Sent krosem Sweetwater River we i fulap long aes, taem oli fas i stap long flat ples ia Wyoming (luk long Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, volume 2, No Unhallowed Hand, 1846–1893 [2020], 237).

  2. Luk long Moronae 7:27–28.

  3. Jif Rabbi blong Norway, Rabbi Michael Melchior, mo mi, mitufala i ol mein spika long wan Jewish–Latter-day Saint scholar’s dialogue oli holem Jun 5, 2019, at the BYU Jerusalem Senta long Isrel.

  4. Luk long Jon 17:20.

  5. Jon 17:21–22.

  6. Luk long “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints, 1838–1839, 1844” (we plante oli save olsem Far West Record), June 9, 1830, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants (2008), 75.

  7. Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20 i bin fas revelesen we oli bin pablisim long nius pepa blog Jos mo ol misinari oli bin yusum wetem respek long tugeta doktrin mo administresen blong ol odinens blong baptaes mo sakramen (luk long Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, 75).

  8. Luk long 2 Nifae 2:7.

  9. Luk long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20:37.

  10. 2 Nifae 26:33.

  11. 2 Nifae 26:28.

  12. Peter Wood, Diversity: The Invention of a Concept (2003), 20.

  13. Niho i bin tekem posisen ia (luk long Alma 1:4).

  14. Luk long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 29:49–50.

  15. 2 Nifae 2:27–28.

  16. Stanford (publication of the Stanford Alumni Association), Dec. 2023, cover.

  17. Insaed long Sam Scott, “As If You Had a Choice,” Stanford, Dec. 2023, 44. Atikol ia talemaot profesa ia olsem Robert Sapolsky, wan Stanford profesa blong baeoloji, nieroloji, mo nierosejeri, mo man blong raetem ol buk blong saens we oli sel gud. Atikol ia i tekem tu ol lukluk we i go agens we i tekem tu wok blong Alfred Mele, wan profesa blong filosofi blong Florida State University, we i hed blong wan bigfala John Templeton Foundation projek blong fri wil. Hem i talem, “Ol saentis oli rili pruvum se fri wil—nomata wan strong fri wil—i wan drim nomo” (insaed long Scott, “As If You Had a Choice,” 46).

  18. Luk long D. Todd Christofferson, “Moral Agency” (Brigham Young University devotional, Jan. 31, 2006), speeches.byu.edu.

  19. Luk long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 58:27.

  20. 2 Nifae 2:27.

  21. Moses 4:3.

  22. Stap Tru long Fet: Blong Andastanem Gospel (2004), 12.

  23. Alma 41:10.

  24. Luk long Russell M. Nelson, “Tingting Selestial!,” Liahona, Nov. 2023, 117–20.

  25. 1 Nifae 2:4.

  26. Poetical Works of Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1917), 129.

  27. Mi laekem oltaem kwot blong Elda Neal A. Maxwell we i talem long wan sot mo simpol wei we i gat paoa: “Sapos yu no bin jusum Kingdom blong God, long en bae i no i nogat samting i defren long wanem yu bin jusum” (attributed to William Law, an 18th-century English clergyman; quoted in Neal A. Maxwell, “Response to a Call,” Ensign, May 1974, 112).

  28. Luk long Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20:29–31 Ol aedia blong Calvin we i stadi abaot God, ol sol we oli foldaon mo oli jajem olgeta mo oli kam klin mo tabu tru long gladhat blong Jisas Kraes. Hem i tijim se taem God i putum wan sol we se wan sol blong kasem fasin blong sevem man, i no gat samting bae i jenisim wanem i stap blong hapen. Doktrin mo Ol Kavenan 20 i kliarem wanem Jon Kalvin i prijim. I rid olsem, “Be i save hapen se man i save lusum gladhat mo i aot long God we i stap laef” (luk long Doktrin mo Kavenan 20:32–34; Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, 74).

  29. Russell M. Nelson, “Building Bridges,” LiahonaDec. 2018, 51.