Pavitra Sthaanon Par Khade Raho

Mere priye bhaaiyon aur bahanon, aaj subha achche sandesh sune hai, aur har ek jinhonne bhaag liya ki saraahna karta hoon. Hum khush hai Elder Robert D. Hales ko yahan ek baar phir dekh kar aur woh changa dikhta hai. Bob, hum aapse prem karte hai.

Main jab soch raha tha ki aaj subha aapse kya kahun, main prasannta mehsoos kar raha hoon in vichaar aur ehsaas ko baantne ke liye jo mujhe lagta hai ki upyukt aur thik samay par hai. Main prarthna karta hoon mere bhaashan mein aatma ka saath hoga.

Mujhe is dharti par 84 varsh ho gaye hai. Aapke liye aasaan karne ke liye, main usi varsh paeda hua tha jab Charles Lindbergh ne pehla New York se Paris tak bina ruke udaan bhara tha ek hi engine waale, ek yaatri aur ek pankh waale hawaai-jahaaj mein. Kaafi kuch badal gaya hai 84 varshon ke daoraan us samay se. Kaafi samay beet gaya hai jabse manushye ne chaand tak ka safar kiya aur laut aaye. Vaastav mein, jo baatein kal tak kaalpanik kahani hua karti thi aaj sachaai ban gayi hai. Aur woh sachaai, hamare samay ki teknology ke liye dhanyevaad, itni tezi se badal rahi hai ki hum usse waakif nahin ho paa rahe hai—agar kabhi hamare liye sambhav ho. Jin logon ko gole aakaar ke dial karne waale telephone aur haath se chalane waali typewriter yaad hai, aaj ki teknology to bahut hi aashcharyejanak hai.

Samaaj ke naetik kaaede ka star bahut tezi se badal raha hai. Kaaede jo kabhi ashleel aur anaetik maane jaate the ab sirf jhela nahin jaa raha magar kitne logon dwara swikriti se dekha jaata hai.

Mainne haal hi mein Wall Street Journal mein Jonathan Sacks, jo Britain ke mukhye paadri hai dwara likha ek lekh padha. Anye baaton ke saath saath, usne likha: “1960s mein har Pakshim samaaj mein achaanak ek badlaao aaya tha naetik aadarshon mein, un paaramparik kaanoonon ko chodna jo unke swabhaao ko kaabu mein rakhne ko kehta hai. Beatles naamak gaane waale giroh ne gaaya tha, woh sab jo tumhein chahiye woh hai pyaar. Judaism aur Isaai dharam ke paaramparik naetik aadarshon ko chod diya gaya tha. Uski jagah par aaye [woh logpriye kahawat]: [Karo] jo tumhare faaede ka hai. Das Niyam ko phir likha gaya Das Rachnatmak Sujhaao ke naam se.”

Paadri Sacks aur niraasha se kehta jaata hai:

“Hum apne naetik siddhaanton ko itni laaparwaahi se chodte hai jitna hum apne dhan sambandhi sansaadhanon ko bekaar kharch karte hai. …

“[Duniya] ke kai bade ilaake hai jahan dharm puraani baat ho gai hai aur wahan koi santulit karne waali sanskritik vichaardhaara nahin hai jo logon ko kharidne, kharch karne, pahenne, ghamand karne ko protsaahit karti hai, kyunki hum uske hakdaar hai. Sandesh yeh hai ki naetikta ka zamaana nahin raha, sachchaai aur buraai ka samajh kamzoro ke liye hai, aur sabse mahatvapurn aagya hai ki ‘Tum doshi nahin paaye jaaoge.’”¹

Mere bhaaiyon aur bahanon, yeh—durbhaagye se—hamare aas-paas ki duniya ka haal hai. Kya hum chinta se ummeed khote hai aur aashcharye karte ki kaise hum is duniya mein jiyenge? Nahin. Vaastav mein, hamare jiwan mein Ishu Masih ka susamachaar hai hamare paas, aur hum jaante hai ki naetikta ka zamaana hai, ki hamara sachaai aur buraai ka samajh hai hamein maarg dikhaane ke liye, aur yeh ki hum apne karmon ke liye zimmedaar hai.

Haalaanki duniya badal gayi hai, Parmeshwar ke kaanoon wohi hai. Woh badle nahin hai; na hi badlenge. Das Niyam sach mein—niyam hai. Woh sujhaao nahin hai. Woh aaj bhi utne avashyak hai jitna jab Parmeshwar ne unhein Israel ke bachchon ko diya tha. Agar hum sirf sunnenge, hum Parmeshwar ke awaaz ka gunj sunenge, yahan par aur abhi humse baate karte hue:

“Tu mujhe chod dusron ko Ishwar karke na maanna.

“Tu apne liye koi murti khodkar na banana. …

“Tu apne Parmeshwar ka naam vyarth na lena. …

“Tu vishraam din ko pavitra maanne ke liye smaran rakhna. …

“Tu apne pita aur apni maata ka aadar karna. …

“Tu khoon na karna.

“Tu vaybhichaar na karna.

“Tu chori na karna.

“Tu kisi ke viruddh jhuti saakshi na dena. …

“Tu kisi ke cheez ka laalach na karna.”²

Hamara chaal chalan ke kaanoon ko maanna padta hai; usmein chunaao nahin hai. Yeh sirf Das Niyamon mein nahin paaya jaata magar Pahaad Par Prachaar mein bhi, jo Uddhaarkarta dwara hamein diya gaya tha jab woh dharti par the. Yeh Unke shikshanon mein paaya jaata hai. Yeh vartamaan ke praktikaran ke shabdon mein paaya jaata hai.

Hamare Swarg ke Pita kal, aaj, aur aane waale kal mein wohi rahenge. Bhavishyevakta Mormon hamein batlaata hai ki Parmeshwar anant “se ek samaan hai aur ek samaan rahega.”³ Is duniya mein jahan sab kuch badalta rehta hai, Uski samaanta par hum bharosa kar sakte hai, ek sharan sthaan jismein hum surakshit rahenge, taaki hum gumraah na ho jaae.

Tumhein kabhi kabhi aysa lagega ki woh jo duniya mein hai tumse zyaada maze kar rahe hai. Kuch log chaal chalan ke kaanoon ko rukaawat maante jisko hum Girjaghar waale swikaar karte hai. Mere bhaaiyon aur bahanon, main ghoshna karta hoon tumse, Jabki, yahan kuch bhi nahin jo hamare jiwan mein zyaada khushi aur shaanti laata hai Aatma ke milaan mein jo hamare paas hoga jab hum Udhaarkarta jaise karenge aur aagyaaon ka paalan karenge. Woh Aatma un gatividhiyon mein nahin rehti jismein duniya ke anye log bhaag lete hai. Devdut Paul ne sachaai ki ghoshna ki: “Parantu shaaririk manushye Parmeshwar ki Aatma ki baatein grahan nahin karta: kyunki woh uski drishti mein murakhta ki baate hain: aur na woh unhein jaan sakta hai, kyunki unki jaanj aatmik riti se hoti hai.”⁴ Woh naam shaaririk manushye hum mein se kisi ko kaha ja sakta hai agar hum apne aap ko waesa banne dein.

Hamein aysi duniya mein bahut saodhaan rehna chahiye jahan ki sanskriti dhaarmikta se dur ho gayi hai. Yeh zaroori hai ki hum un sabhi cheezon ko thukraae jo hamare aadarshon ke khilaaf hai, is daoraan use mat chodna jo hum sabse zyaada chahate hai: anant jiwan Parmeshwar ke raajye mein. Hamare paas tab bhi mushkilein hongi, kyunki woh maranshil jiwan ka zaroori hissa hai. Balki, hum unse aur achchi tarah tayyaar rahenge, usse seekh sakenge, aur usmein vijay paaenge agar susamachaar hamare jiwan ka neev hai aur Udhaarkarta hamare hriday mein hai. Bhavishyevakta Isaiah ne ghoshna ki, “Aur dharm ka fal shaanti aur uska parinaam sada ka chaen aur nishchint rehna hoga.”⁵

Yeh zaroori hai ki hum sansaar mein rahein sansaar ke nahin ho jaaye, isliye Swarg ke Pita se prarthna dwara baat-cheet karna chahiye. Woh chahata hai ki hum waesa karein; Woh hamare prarthnaaon ka jawaab dega. Uddhaarkarta ne hamein batlaaya, jaisa 3 Nephi 18 mein likha hai, “sada prarthna karte raho, nahin to tum behkaawe mein pad jaaoge; kyunki shaetaan tumhein chahata hai. …

“Isliye tum Pita se sada mere naam par prarthna kiya karo;

“Tum jo kuch mere naam par, Pita se paane ka vishwaas karke maangoge, aur agar tumhari maang uchit rahi, tab suno, woh tumhein diya jaaega.”⁶

Mainne prarthna ki shakti ki apni gawahi praapt ki thi 12 varsh ke umra mein. Mainne kadi mehnat se kuch paese kamaae the aur paanch dollar bacha paaya tha. Yeh Mahaan Ghati (Depression) ka samay tha, jab paanch dollar bahut paesa hua karta tha—khaaskar ek 12 varsh ke bachche ke liye. Mainne apne saare sikke, kul milakar paanch dollar, apne pita ko diye, aur usne mujhe ek paanch dollar ka note diya. Main jaanta tha ki mainne us paanch dollar se kuch khaas kharidne ki yojna banaya tha, par ab kai varshon baad main bhul gaya woh kya tha. Mujhe sirf yaad hai kitna mahatvapurn woh paesa tha mere liye.

Us samay hamare paas ek kapda dhone waali machine nahin thi, isliye meri maata laundry tak har hafte hamare dhulwaane waale kapde bhijwaati. Kuch dinon baad, bahut saare bhige kapde hamare paas aate, aur maata ji unhein ghar ke piche taar par sukhati.

Mainne paanch-dollar ka note apne jeans ke jeb mein rakh liya tha. Jaisa tum anumaan laga sakte ho, mere jeans ko laundry bheja gaya aur jeb mein paese abhi bhi the. Jab mujhe yaad aaya kya ho gaya hai, main chintit ho gaya tha. Main jaanta tha ki laundry mein jebon ko ulta jaata tha dhone se pehle. Agar mere paese us samay na dikhe aur liye gaye, tab to dhulne ke samay paese jeb se girenge aur kisi laundry karamchaari dwara utha liya jaaega jo nahin jaanta kise yeh paese dene chahiye, agar uski ichcha ho lautaane ki. Apna paanch-dollar waapas milne ke mauke bahut kam the—ek sachchaai jispar meri maata ne bhi haa kaha jab mainne use batlaya.

Main woh paese chahata tha; mujhe un paeson ki zaroorat thi; mainne bahut mehnat ki thi us paese ko haasil karne ke liye. Mainne jaana ki sirf ek cheez main kar sakta tha. Meri niraasha mein main apne Swarg ke Pita ki or muda aur Unse vinti kiya ki mere paese us jeb ke andar kisi tarah surakshit rahenge jab tak hamare bhige kapde ghar na aa jaaye.

Do din ke lambi intazaar ke baad, jabki main jaanta tha ki lorry hamare kapde laane waali thi, main khidki ke paas baetha tha, intazaar karte hue. Jaise hi lorry ghar ke kareeb aayi, mera dil zor se dhadakne laga. Jaise hi bhige kapde ghar ke andar aaye, mainne apna jeans uthaya aur apne kamre mein dauda. Mainne jeb mein kaapte haath daale. Jab mujhe turant kuch nahin mila, mainne socha sab kuch kho gaya hai. Aur phir mere ungliya us bhige paanch-dollar ke note par padi. Jab mainne use jeb se baahar nikaala, mainne santushti mehsoos kiya. Mainne ek haardik prarthna kiya Swarg ke Pita se, kyunki main jaanta tha ki Usne mere prarthna ka jawaab de diya tha.

Us samay se ab tak, mere kai prarthnaaon ke jawaab mile hai. Ek bhi din nahin guzra hai jab mainne apne Swarg ke Pita se baatein nahin ki hai prarthna dwara. Woh ek rishta hai jo mujhe bahut pasand hai—jiske bina main jaise kho jaaunga. Agar tumhara aur Swarg ke Pita ka aysa rishta abhi nahin hai, main aapse aagra karunga ki is lakshye ko paane ki koshish karein. Jab tum aysa karoge, tumhe zindagi mein Uske prerna aur maargdarshan ka adhikaar hoga—hum sab ki avashyakta agar hamein dhaarmik rup se bachna hai is maranshil jiwan ke safar mein. Aysi prerna aur maargdarshan uphaar hai jo Woh hamein muft mein dega agar hum sirf use chahenge. Woh kya mahaan khazane hai!

Main hamesha vinamrata aur kritigyata mehsoos karta hoon jab Swarg ke Pita Apne prerna dwara mujhse baat-cheet karte hai. Mainne use pehchaanna, uspar bharosa karna, aur uske anusaar kaarye karna sikh liya hai. Samay samay par main aysi prerna ka hissedaar raha hoon. Ek aysa ghatna ghata tha 1987 ke August mahine mein jab Frankfurt Germany Mandir ka samarpan ho raha tha. Pradhaan Ezra Taft Benson samarpan ke pehle aur dusre din hamare saath the magar phir ghar laut gaye the, aur tab mera saobhaagye ban gaya tha baaki ke sabhaaon ka sanchaalan karna.

Shaniwaar ko hamare Dutch sadasyon ke liye ek sabha tha jo Frankfurt Mandir ke jile mein the. Main hamare ek achche netaa jo Netherlands ka tha, Braatha Peter Mourik se achchi tarah waakif tha. Sabha se kuch der pehle hi, mujhe aysa mehsoos hua ki Bhraatha Mourik ko apne saathi Dutch sadasyon se bolne ka mauka dena chahiye sabha ke daoraan aur ki, vaastav mein, woh pehla bhaashankarta ho. Us subha mainne use mandir mein nahin dekha tha, isliye mainne Elder Carlos E. Asay ke haath ek parchi bheji, jo hamare Chetra ke Pradhaan the, puchte hue ki kya Peter Mourik us sabha mein the. Sabha shuru karne ke liye khade hone se pehle, mujhe Elder Asay se ek parchi mili batlaate hue ki Braatha Mourik yahan nahin the, ki woh kahi aur vyast the, aur woh agle din ke samarpan waale sabha mein bhaag lene ki yojna bana rahe hai saenikon ke stakes ke saath.

Jab main manch par khada hua logon ka swaagat karne ke liye aur kaaryekaram ke baare mein batane ke liye, mainne bahut saaf taur se prerna paayi ek baar phir ki mujhe Braatha Mourik ka naam pehle bhaashankarta mein lena chahiye. Yeh mere samajh se baahar tha, kyunki mainne abhi abhi Elder Asay se suna tha ki Braatha Mourik mandir mein bilkul nahin hai. Prerna par bharosa karke, phir bhi, mainne gaayakmandli ke geet ki ghoshna ki aur prarthna ki aur phir kaha ki hamara pehla bhaashankarta Braatha Peter Mourik rahenge.

Jab main apni kursi par lauta, mainne Elder Asay ki or dekha; mainne uske chehre par achambha dekha. Usne baad mein mujhe bataya ki jab mainne Braata Mourik ko pehla bhaashankarta ghoshit kiya, woh apne kaano par vishwaas nahin kar paaye. Usne kaha ki woh jaanta tha ki mujhe unka parchi mil gaya tha aur ki mainne use padha tha, aur woh samajh nahin paa rahe the kyun phir mainne Bhraata Mourik ko bhaashankarta ghoshit kiya tha, jaante hue ki woh mandir mein kahin par nahin hai.

Jab yeh sab ho raha tha, Peter Mourik Porthstrasse ke chetriye daftar mein ek sabha mein the. Sabha jaari tha ki, woh achanak Elder Thomas A. Hawkes Jr. ki or mude, jo us samay chetriye pratinidhi the, aur usse pucha, “Kitni jaldi tum mujhe mandir le jaa sakte ho?”

Elder Hawkes, jo apne chote sports gaadi mein tez chalane ke liye jaane maane the, ne jawaab diya, “Main tumhein wahan 10 minat mein le ja sakta hoon! Magar tumhein mandir jaane ki kya avashyakta hai?”

Braatha Mourik ne kaha ki woh nahin jaanta use mandir kyun jaana hai magar woh jaanta tha ki use wahan jaana hai. Donon turant mandir ke liye rawana hue.

Us badhiya geet peshgi ke daoraan, main dekhta raha yeh soch kar ki kisi bhi samay main Peter Mourik ko dekhunga. Mainne nahin dekha. Magar, phir bhi, mujhe koi chinta nahin hui. Mujhe ek meetha, shaant aashwaasan tha ki sab thik hoga.

Braatha Mourik mandir ke darwaaze se andar aaye jaise hi prarthna samaapt ho raha tha, ab bhi use wahan hone ka kaaran nahin pata tha. Jaise woh hall se guzra, usne mujhe screen par dekha aur mujhe bolte suna, “Ab hum Braatha Peter Mourik se sunenge.”

Elder Asay ke ashcharye mein, Peter Mourik turant kamre mein aaye aur usne manch par apna sthaan le liya.

Sabha ke baad, Braatha Mourik aur mainne un sab cheezon par baatein ki jo unke bhaashan dene se pehle ghata tha. Mainne us prerna ke baare mein socha hai jo mujhe us din na sirf mujhe magar Peter Mourik ko bhi mili thi. Yeh aashcharyejanak anubhav ne ek atoot gawahi pesh kiya hai mujhe prerna haasil karne ke liye yogye rehne ke baare mein aur phir bharosa karna—aur uske anusaar kaarye karna—jab prerna aaye. Main koi sandeh bina jaanta hoon ki Prabhu chahata tha ki us sabha mein jo maujood the Frankfurt Mandir ke samarpan mein Unke sewak Braatha Peter Mourik ke shaktishaali, chu lene waali gawahi ko sune.

Mere priye bhaaiyon aur bahanon, Swarg ke Pita se baat-cheet karna—jismein shaamil hai hamare prarthnaaen Unse aur Unke prernaaen hamare liye—avashyak hai jiwan ke toofaanon aur mushkilon ko jhelne ke liye. Prabhu hamein amantrit karta hai, “Ki hum Unke kareeb aaye; aur Woh hamare kareeb aayega. Agar hum Use dil se dhoondhe, hum Unhein paaenge.”⁷ Jab hum aysa karenge, hum Unke Aatma ko apne jiwan mein mehsoos karenge, hamein woh chahat aur saahas dete hue ki hum mazboot aur dridh dhaarmikta mein khade reh sakein—“pavitra sthaanon par khade rahein…, aur wahan se jaaye nahin.”⁸

Jabki hamare aas-paas ki duniya badalti rahein aur hum samaaj ke naetik aadarsh ko kamzor hote dekhein, tab hum Prabhu ke bahumulye vaade ko yaad karein jo Unhonne Unmein bharosa karne waalon ko diya tha: “Mat dar; kyunki main tere sang hoon: idhar udhar mat taak; kyunki main tera Parmeshwar hoon: main tujhe balwaan karunga; aur teri sahayta karunga; apne dhaarmik daahine haath se main tujhe sambhaale rahunga.”⁹

Kitna achcha vaada hai! Aysa ho hamara ashirvaad, main dilse prarthna karta hoon Prabhu aur Uddhaarkarta, Ishu Masih ke pavitra naam se, amen.