2015
Flora ao Ngai: Raao Aika Katiteuanaki n Ana Mwakuri te Uea
Tianuare 2015


Flora ao Ngai: Raao Aika Katiteuanaki n Ana Mwakuri te Uea

Ngkai ti reiakina te boutoka, te reitaki n tangira are e a tia Beretitenti Ezra Taft Benson ni kukurei iai ma kainabana, Flora, ti karekea te ota ae korakora riki n ana mwakuri.

Tamnei
"President Ezra Taft Benson and Sister Flora Smith Amussen Benson riding in a car that says ""Just Married 50 Years"" on the door."

N tabetai, ngkana ti kakauongo raoi, te kibu n taeka ae uarereke e kona ni mwaaka kanga te kabwarabwara. Anne bon te bwai ae riki n Nobembwa 11, 1985. E kangai te kibu “Ngai ao Flora.”

Beretitenti Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) e wareki taeka aikanne bwa kanga te rongorongo ni katauraoi imwaia taan kareke rongorongo n te bong anne ngke e kaokoroaki bwa te Beretitenti n Ana Ekaretia Iesu Kristo Ibukiia Aika Itiaki ni Boong Aika Kaitira. Beretitenti Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) e mate onoua te bong imwaina, ni katuka Beretitenti Benson bwa te tinia Abotoro.

Beretitenti Benson ao kainabana, Flora, a tia n reitaki ngke a karekei ana taeka n rainanoanga Beretitenti Kimball, ao a “waekoa ni katorobubua” n tataro.1 Ngkai, ni moan te barakarabe n te rongorongo are e na boretiaki ni kabuta te aonaaba, Beretitenti Benson e tekateka irarikin Flora. E taku: “Aio te bong are I aki kantaningaia. Kainabau, Flora, ao Ngai ti a tia n teimatoa n tataro mwaaka bwa e na kabwabwakaki ana bong Beretitenti Kimball n te aonaaba aei ao bwa e na karaoaki te kakai teuana ibukina (ni katamaroa maiuna ao ni kabwabwaka maiuna). Ngkai e a tia te Uea ni kaota Nanona (ni wetea Ezran Taft Benson bwa te beretitenti n te Ekaretia), ti na karaoa ara kabanea ni kona, iaan ana kairi ni kaetieti, ni kabirimwaka Ana mwakuri te Uea n te aonaaba.”2

Imwiin 59 te ririki ni mare, te mwakoro n taeka “Ngai ao Flora” e roko n aron ae kantaningaki nakon Beretitenti Benson. Ao ngke e taku, “ti na karaoa ara kabanea n tamaroa, iaan ana kaetieti, ni kabirimwaka ana mwakuri te Uea iaon te aba,” e aki kabongana te taeka ngaira ni kainetia nakoina ao Mataniwi ni Kabuta ake tabeman, e ngae ngke e na katiteuanaki mangaia. N te rongorongo aei, ana burabeti, tia mamata, tia kaotioti te Ekaretia e taekina te katiteuanaki ma kainabana n ana mwakuri te Uea.

Ao bukin tera ngkai tiaki teuanne? Ngaia ma Flora a tia ni katiteuanaki n ana mwakurit te Uea ibukin ae e kania onobwi te ririki. Ngkai a mwaiti kateia ni maiuia aika a bitaki inanon ririki aika mwaiti, e a tia aia reitaki n teimatoa n riki bwa reken korakoraia ibukia ni kauoman.

Te ririki aei te reirei ibukiia aine n te Bootaki n Aine ao naake iai irouia te Nakoanibonga ae te Merekitereka e raonaki ma te tai n reirei mairoun Beretitenti Ezra Taft Benson. Ngkana ko reiakin ana reirei, ko na namakinna ae ko na aki rawa n reiakina kateina. Te rongorongo aei e katauraoi tabeua aron tarakina ni maiuna ao n ana mwakuri, rinanon ana taratara kainabana, Flora Amussen Benson. Ni kabane mwakoro ao nambwan iteraniba n te boki aei a kaineti nakon Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson.

“I Tangiria ni Mare ma te Tia Kawakin Man”

N tain te bwaka n te 1920, Ezra Taft Benson n ana ririki ae 21 e mwananga man aia tabo ni man ana utu i Whitney, Idaho, USA, nako Logan, Utah, ike e kabaea arana n te Utah Agricultural College (ngkai Utah State Iuniwetiri). N te bong teuana ngke e mena n te tabo n reierei ma raoraona tabeman, e katika ana iango temanna te ataeinaine. Imwiina e taku:

“Ti mena irarikin te kambwana ni karao miriki ngke te ataeinaine—ae botonaine ao n tikiraoi—e buti irarikira n ana kaa ae uarereke iaon kawaina nakon te kambwana ni karao miriki bwa e na karekea teutana ana miriki. Ngke a katei baia ataeinimwaane nakoina, e katea naba baina rikaaki. I taku, ‘Antai te aine arei?’ A taku ‘Arei bon Flora Amussen.’

“I tuangia, ‘Kam ataia, e tibwa reke irou te namakin bwa N na mare ma ngaia.’”

A mimi raoraon Ezra n te katanoata aei. A taku, “E bon aki bootauneiei ma te ataeinimwaane ae te tia kawakin man.” Ana kaeka? “Anne are e na rangin n anainano riki.”3

E aki kona ni bure aia motikitaeka raoraon Ezra ibukin Flora Amussen. N ana ririki ni kairake neiei, e a tia n nora te bwai ae onoti irouia ataeinimwaane aika a mwakuri ma te tano. N te bong teuana ngke tinana, Barbara, e tuanga “ae aki kona ni karekea te kabanea n rietata n abanuea n akea te mare n te tiretio, E kaeka Flora, tao akea ana bure ma iai tabeua atatai n noorakin bwaai aika raba, ‘Ngkanne I tangiria ni mare ma te mwaane ae aki kaubwai, ma e kaubwai n tamneina, n te aro bwa ti na kona ni karekea ae ti riai ni uaia ni karekea.’ Imwiin tokina tabeua te tai e taku neiei, ‘I tangiria ni mare ma te tia kawakin man.’”4

Flora ao Ezra a kaitibo imwiina n 1920, n te tai ae waekoa ao a moanna ni kareke tangiria. Iroun Ezra Taft Benson, ao Flora e kunea te ataeinimwaane ae a tia ni karikirakea kaubwaina n tamnei ae rangin ni karinea. Ao n aron are e na kaman tia ni kantaningaia, wakaan korakoran tamneina e rin nako n te tabo ae nano inanon tanon ana tabo ni man ana utu.

Ni wareka taekana bwa e kanga maiun te tia kawakin man ni bita katein Ezra Taft Benson, taraa Aia Reirei Beretitenti n te Ekaretia: Ezra Taft Benson, iteraniba 2–5.

Te Uaia ni Mwakuri ni Karimoa Moa Te Atua

N aron are ngke a moanna ni kinaia bon irouia Flora ao Ezra, a reiakinna bwa a na maenako ibukin uoua te ririki. Ezra e roko weteana bwa e na beku n te British Mition. Ngaia ao Flora a rangin n ingainga nanoia ibukin reken ana tai ni beku, ao a “taekina aron aia reitaki. A tangira aia iraorao bwa e na reitinako, ma a nora naba kainnanoan Ezra bwa e na riki bwa te mitinare ae kakaonimaki. ‘Imwain ae I nako, Ngai ao Flora ti baireia bwa ti na koro [reta] tii tetaina n te namwakaina,’ e taku teuaei. ‘Anne raoi te bwai ae ti karaoia.’”5

Ni karaoan te wewete ni mitinare n te kawai aei, a kamatata bwa Ezra ae koaua e na reireiniia Aika Itiaki n ririki aika mwaiti imwiina: “Ngkana ti karimoa moa te Atua, ti ata te bwai ae kakawaki riki ao kakawakin bwaai ni kabane inanon maiura, ao ti ataia bwa bwaai aika a riai ni kanakoaki man maiura. Ara tangira iroun te Uea e na tararua ara tangira, tangiran ara tai, te bwai ae mamate nanora ae ti uaiakinna, ao karinanakin bwaai aika a kakawaki iroura.”6

Ngke e a kaan roko tokin ana mition Ezra, ngaia ma Flora a rangin n ingainga ni kan noriia i bon irouia. Ma Flora “e karaoa ae mwaiti riki nakon kantaningaan te tai ae waekoa ni kabanea ana tai ma ngaia. E bon rangin ni ingainga nanona ni koaua—nakon taai aika ana roko ao ana konabwai. … E kukurei n ana iango ae itiaki Ezra ni maeka n ana tabo ni man te utu i Whitney, Idaho. E ngae n anne, e namakinna bwa e na riai ni kabanea moa ana reirei.”7 N ana kekeiaki ni buokia ni karaoia, e raonna ni karimoa moa te Atua. E aki raka iaon teuana te ririki imwiin okina man ana mitinare, e kakubanakoa n tuanga bwa e na nako ni mitinare ngaia. N reirei riki taekan ana iango, tarai iteraniba 10–11.

Ni wareki rongorongon ana mwakuri n ibuobuoki Ezra Taft Benson ngke e mitinare n ae bwanin taina, tarai iteraniba 9–10 ao 103–4 inanon te manuo. Ni wareka rongorongon ana mwakuri n ibuobuoki n te—II Buaka n te Aonaaba Eurobe n ana tai ni burabeti, tarai iteraniba 17–21, 54–55, 69–70, 264, ao 268.

Te Taiman n Raba inanon te Tamaroa

A kabaeaki Flora ao Ezra n te Salt Lake Tembora n Tebetembwa 10, 1926. E ngae ngke raoiroin aron rikin Ezra ao ana tokanikai n te reirei, “tabeman aomata a teimatoa n titiraki ibukin ana motinano Flora. A aki ata bukina bwa e aera te aomata ae nakoraoi, e kaubwai, ao ni kinaaki e na tekateka ma te ataeinimwaane ae te tia kawakin man. Ma e teimatoa n taekinna bwa e tangiria ni mare ma te tia kawakin man. Ezra bon te aomata ae mwamwakuri, e iangoraoi ao e matoatoa, e taku neiei. Ao, noria bwa, ‘E rangin n tangiraki irouia ana karo, ao I ataia ngkana e karineia, ao e na karineai naba. E kina bwa ‘te taiman ae raba inanon te tamaroa,’ ao e taku, ‘N na karaoi bwai ni kabane ni mwakau ni buokia bwa e na kinaaki ao namakina te raoiroi, tiaki ti inanon te kawa ae uarereke ma ibukin te aonaaba ae bwanin bwa a na ataia.’”8

Ma te taratara aei n ata ana konabwai kainabana, e kukurei Flora n nakon te tabo ae a kainnanoaki bwa a na nako iai ni katauraoi ibukiia natiia ao ni beku ibukin te Ekaretia, aia kaawa, ao abaia. Aio n tabetai e tangiria bwa e na maiuakina te maiu ae bebete riki nakon are e tataneiai iai, ma e kariaia te tai aei.

N aron te katooto teuana, n aia tai ni mare, “te tai ni baka … bon ti te kabuki n te ingabong ibukiia utu ao raoraoia. Imwiin te kabuki n te ingabong, te taanga ae boou a waekoa n nako n aia kaa ae te Model T Ford turaki ibukin Ames, Iowa,” te tabo are e na karekea iai ana tikurii ae te mwatita Ezra n te ikanaomiti iaon te ununiki. “Inanon kawaia a kabanea wanua te tairiki n te oning ae raran. Ngke a roko i Ames, a kaboa te auti teuana ae uarereke n te kaembwati n te kuura n reirei. E uarereke te auti ni matu aei, ao ana utu Benson a tibwaua te tabo ae mwaawa ma taian kakarouti, ma e taekinna Ezra bwa ‘e na waekoa n taraaki bwa te auti ae uarereke ae te kabanea ni kamwengaraoi ae akea aron kabotauana.’”9

Ngke e a moanna n nakoraoi Ezra n (aroaron) maiuna, e a irekereke riki ma ana kan mwakuri n ibuobuoki itinanikun mweengana. Aio are e a riki naba bwa te kawai ni katamaroa ibukin Flora. Ngkana e nako n tabetai e kekeiaki ma te tiku ni maroa ao te aki kukurei. Ma e tangiria n riki bwa te buuaine ao te tina, ao e tataekina te kakaitau ibukin raoiroin buuna ao ibukin ana tai nakon te utu. N reiakina riki aron aia mare Flora ao Ezra ao aia kairiiri ni karo, tarai iteraniba 12–15.

Tamnei
President Ezra Taft Benson driving a vehicle with his wife Sister Flora Smith Amussen Benson, and their six children riding with him.

Maiu aika Uoua a Bitaki n rokon Tareboon

N Turai 27, 1943, e a roko ana tarebon Flora mairoun kainabana. E mena i Salt Lake City, Utah, ni katauraoia bwa e nang oki man mwanangana ni bitineti ma natia te mwaane ae Reed. E mena ni mwengaia irarikin Washington, D.C., tao 2,000 te maire (3,200 kiromiita) raroana. Imwiin te mwananga n aki mamatu ni kaonaki ma te tataro ao rannimata, e tarebon ni kaotia nakoina bwa n te bong are imwaina e a tia ni weteaki bwa e na riki bwa te membwa n aia Kooram Abotoro ake Tengaun ma Uoman.

E aki kakubanako te rongorongo aei iroun Flora. Iai “ana namakin ae korakora bwa te bwai ae rangin ni kakawaki e na riki ni mwananganan [kainabana].”10 E kaotia neiei onimakinan Ezra, ao iai mwiin ana taeka ni karau nano irouna. Imwiina e taku: “E karaunano te taetae nakoina. E aki toki ni kaota te onimaki ae bati nakoiu nakon riki are bon mai irou.”11

E ngae ngke iai onimakinan kainaban Flora irouna, e ataia e aki kona ni kakoroa nanon ana wewete n tii ngaia—e kainnanoa te boutoka mairouia ana utu ao te korakora mai karawa. N te maungatabu ni kabuta teuana, te rongorongo ae wirikirikiaki e kaota ana tangira Flora ibukin kainabana ao ana atatai iaon onimakinan te Uea (tarai iteraniba 48–49).

Flora e karekea riki te maiu ae bitaki n rokon te tareboon mairoun kainabana n Nobembwa 24, 1952. N te tai aei e kawara aonon Washington, D.C., ao e mena ngaia ni mwengaia i Salt Lake City. Dwight D. Eisenhower, are e na moana ana mwakuri bwa te beretitenti n te United States, e a tibwa tia n tuanga Unimwaane Benson bwa e na riki bwa ana tia koroboki n te ununiki, te mwakuri ae rietata are e na tangira te mwakuri ae korakora ao te tai ae bati. Unimwaane Benson e butimwaea te mwakuri, ngke e tia n tuangaki bwa e na butimwaia mairoun ana Beretitenti te Ekaretia, David O. McKay (1873–1970).

Ngke Unimwaane Benson e tuanga Flora bwa e a tia Beretitenti-Elect Eisenhower n anganna te mwakuri ao e a tia ni butimwaia, e kaeka, “I ataia bwa e na karaoia. Ao I ataia ae na butimwaia.” E ataia bwa e na kaangaanga iroun te utu ma e reitia, “E taraa n ae bon ana kantaninga te Atua.”12

Tamnei
President Ezra Taft Benson speaking to men on a porch

Unimwaane Benson e mwakuri bwa te tia koroboki n te ununiki inanon wanua te ririki. N te tai anne, e tauraoi te utu ni kaitara ma taai n raurenako, ao Unimwaane Benson e tabeakin kabuakaka ao kamoamoaki ake e airi n tabetai n te mwakuri ma te botanaomata. A karekea te tai ae mwaiti ana utu Benson. N aron te katoto, Unimwaane Benson n te taina e kaira Flora ao natia aine aika Beverly ao Bonnie n te mwananga ae aua te wiiki are e mwakuri ni karekea te reitaki ma taan iokinibwai ma aba aika 12 aika kakaokoro (tarai iteraniba 181–82). Te kakao mairoun te tia kareke rongorongo are e kairia nakon te atatai ni mitinare ae onoti ibukin te utu (taraa iteraniba 24).

Unimwaane Ezra Taft Benson e mwakuri bwa te tia koroboki ibukin te ununiki n te United States ibukin wanua te ririki ao e beku naba ngaia bwa te Abotoro. Ngkana ko kan warekia bwa e kanga ni kakoroi nanon tabena aikai, tarai iteraniba 21–25 ao 47–48.

Bwaai Ni Mwakuri Ni Bain te Uea A Ti Tebo

N aroia Beretitenti n te Ekaretia ni kabane, e a kaman katabuaki Ezra Taft Benson ibukin nakoana. Ma e aki kona ni kakoroa nanon te nakoa anne ke ni beku ma te korakora anne ni bon tii ngaia. Ni koauana akea te aomata riki temanna ae e a tia n anaa nanona nakon are e karaoia Flora. N te Ekaretia ao n aia utu, a uaia ni beku bwa bwaai ni mwakuri ni bain te Uea.

N aron are ngke a uaia ni katorobubua Beretitenti ao Titita Benson ngke a ataia bwa e na tararua te Ekaretia, a uaia ni mwakuri ni “wakina nako te mwakuri n te aonaaba.”13 Ngkai iai ana kantaninga neiei ngke te kairake n ataei ngaia, a karekea te bwai ae a uaia n—tangiria.14

Man te tabo n taetae, Beretitenti Benson e kaumakia aomata Aika Itiaki ni Boong Aika Kaitira bwa a na kaona te aonaaba ao maiuia ma Ana Boki Moomon (tarai mwakoro 9–10). N ni mweengaia, Flora e wareka Ana Boki Moomon nakoina ni katoabong, ao imwiina a maroroakina te bwai are a tia ni warekia.15 Man te tabo n taetae, Beretitenti Benson e kaungaia Aika Itiaki bwa a na teimatoa ni beku ao n taromauri n te tembora (taraa mwakoro 13). A uaia, Flora ao Ezra Benson n nakon te tembora ni katoa ingabongin te Kanimabong ngkana a uaia ni kona ni karaoia.16 Man te tabo n taetae, e kauring Beretitenti Benson iaon te bure ni kamoamoa ao te “kamoamoaki n te aonaaba.”17 Ma e ngae ngke e a tia Flora n tokanikai ni buoka “te aonaaba ae bwanin bwa a na kina,”18 a bane ni kukurei, ni kabane, ma te karaurau ni “kamoamoaki i karawa.”19

Tamnei
Ezra Taft Benson and his wife getting off an airplane.

Beretitenti Ezra Taft Benson e anga tebubua kabwarabwara ngke ngaia te Abotoro ao te Beretitenti n te Ekaretia. E kaangaanga iangoan taian kabwarabwara aikanne n akean ana kairoro taeka ni kabwarabwara ake teniua are e anga n Nobembwa 11, 1985: “Ngai ao Flora.”

Bwai aika a na taraki

  1. Sheri L. Dew, Ezra Taft Benson: A Biography (1987), 479.

  2. Ezra Taft Benson, in Don L. Searle, “Beretitenti Ezra Taft Benson Ordained Thirteenth Beretitenti of the Church,” Ensign, Ritembwa 1985, 5.

  3. Aia Reirei Beretitenti n te Ekaretia: Ezra Taft Benson (2014), 7–8.

  4. Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 74–75.

  5. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 8.

  6. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 40.

  7. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 10.

  8. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 11–12.

  9. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 12.

  10. Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 176.

  11. Ezra Taft Benson, n Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 16.

  12. Flora Amussen Benson, n Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 23.

  13. Ezra Taft Benson, i Searle, “President Ezra Taft Benson Ordained Thirteenth President of the Church,” 5.

  14. Tara Flora Amussen Benson, i Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 74–75.

  15. Tara Derin Head Rodriguez, “Flora Amussen Benson: Handmaiden of the Lord, Helpmeet of a Prophet, Mother in Zion,” Ensign, Maati 1987, 20.

  16. Tara Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 511.

  17. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 229.

  18. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 11–12.

  19. Ana Reirei: Ezra Taft Benson, 229.