UMnqophiso waNaphakade

Xa sisenza umnqophiso noThixo, sishiya umhlaba ongathabathi cala ngonaphakade. UThixo akayi kubulahla ubudlelwane baKhe nabo bathe bakha olo manyano kunye naYe. Enyanisweni, bonke abo benze umnqophiso noThixo banokufumana uhlobo olulodwa lothando nenceba. Kulwimi lwesiHebhere, olwathando lomnqophiso lubizwa ngokuba yi hesed (חֶסֶד).³

UHesed akanalo igama elifana ngokupheleleyo ngokwasesiNgesini. Abaguquleli beKing James Version yeBhayibhile banokuba batsala nzima ngendlela yokuguqulela uhesed esiNgesini. Babesoloko bekhetha “ububele bothando.” Oku kuveza okuninzi kodwa ingeyiyo yonke intsingiselo ka hesed. Ezinye iinguqulelo nazo zanikezelwa, ezinjenge “ nceba” “nokulunga.” UHesed ligama elikhethekileyo elichaza ubudlelwane bomnqophiso apho kuwo omabini amacala abophelelekile ukuba anyaniseke kwaye athembeke omnye komnye.

Umtshato weselestiyali ubobo budlelwane bomnqophiso. Umyeni nenkosikazi benza umnqophiso noThixo kunye komnye nomnye wokunyaniseka kwanokuthembeka omnye komnye.

UHesed luhlobo lothando olulodwa nenceba athi uThixo alyive kwaye ayinikezele kwabo bathe benza umnqophiso kunye naYe. Kwaye sibuyisela ngo hesed kwa kuYe.

Umfanekiso

isibini esisandula ukutshata ngaphandle kwetempile

Iifoto nguJerry L. Garns

Ngenxa yokuba uThixo ene hesed kwabo banqophisene kunye naYe, Yena uza kubathanda bona. Yena uza kuqhubeka esebenza nabo kwaye ebanika amathuba okutshintsha. Yena uya kubaxolela xa beguquka. Kwaye ukuba bathe balahleka, Yena uya kubanceda bafumane indlela yabo ebuyela kuYe.

Wakuba wena kunye nam senze umnqophiso noThixo, ubudlelwane bethu kunye naYe buya busondela ngakumbi kunangaphambili komnqophiso wethu. Ngoku sibotshelelwe kunye. Ngenxa yomnqophiso wethu kunye noThixo, Yena akanakuze adinwe kwimizamo yaKhe yokusinceda, kwaye singasoze siwuphelise umonde wenceba yaKhe kuthi. Ngamnye wethu unendawo ekhethekileyo entliziyweni kaThixo. Yena unamathemba aphakamileyo ngathi.

Uyasazi ngesibhengezo esiyimbali iNkosi eyasinika uMprofeti uJoseph Smith. Seza ngesityhilelo. INkosi yathi kuJoseph, “Esi sithembiso sesenu kananjalo, ngenxa yokuba ningabaka-Abraham, kwaye isithembiso sasenziwe kuAbraham” (IMfundiso neMinqophiso 132:31).

Ngaloo ndlela, lomnqophiso wanaphakade wabuyiselwa njengenxalenye yeMbuyiselo enkulu yevangeli ngokuphelela kwayo. Cinga ngoko! Umnqophiso womtshato owenziwe etempileni ubotshwe ngokuthe ngqo na la mnqophiso kaAbraham. Etempileni isibini saziswa ngazo zonke iintsikelelo ezibekelwe inzala ethembekileyo kaAbraham, uIsake, noYakobi.

Njengoko wenzayo uAdam, wena kunye nam buqu sangena kwindlela yomnqophiso ekubhaptizweni. Ngako oko siyingena ngokupheleleyo ngakumbi etempileni. Iintsikelelo zomnqophiso kaAbraham zinikezelwa etempileni. Ezi ntsikelelo zisivumela, ekubeni sivukile ekufeni, “ sidle ilifa leetrone, izikumkani, amandla, iziphatha mandla, kwa nobunganga, ukuya ‘kukuphakanyiswa kwethu kwa nozuko kuzo zonke izinto’ [IMfundiso neMinqophiso 132:19].”⁴

Kumazwi okuvala eTestamente eNdala, sifunda ngesithembiso sikaMalaki sokuba uEliya uya “kubuyisela iintliziyo zoyise kubantwana, kwa neentliziyo zabantwana koyise babo” (Malaki 4:6). KuSirayeli wamandulo, ukubhekisela okunjalo koobawo kumele ukuba kwakuquka oobawo uAbraham, uIsake noYakobi. Esi sithembiso siyacaciswa xa sifunda inguqulelo eyahlukileyo yalo mqolo uMoronayi ayicaphula kuMprofeti uJoseph Smith: “Yena [Eliya] uya kutyala ezintliziyweni zabantwana izithembiso ezenziwa kooyise, kwaye iintliziyo zabantwana ziyakubuyela kooyise” (Imbali—kaJoseph Smith 1:39) Abo bawo ngokuqinisekjleyo baquka uAbraham, uIsake, noYakobi. (Bona IMfundiso neMinqophiso 27:9–10.)

Umfanekiso

umfanekiso kaYesu Krestu

Inkcukacha ivela ku UKrestu kunye neNkokheli eNcinci Esisityebi, nguHeinrich Hofmann

UYesu Krestu: IZiko loMnqophiso

Idini lentlawulelo loMsindisi lenze ukuba uBawo azifezekise izithembiso zaKhe azenze kubantwana baKhe. Ngenxa yokuba uYesu Krestu “[uy]indlela, inyaniso, ubomi” kulandela ukuba “akukho namnye uzayo kuBawo, engezi [ngaYe] (Yohane 14:6). Ukuzaliseka komnqophiso kaAbraham kwenzeka ngenxa yeNtlawulo yoMsindisi wethu, iNkosi uYesu Krestu. Uyesu Krestu usembindini womnqophiso kaAbraham.

ITestamente eNdala ayiyoncwadi yezibhalo kuphela; iyincwadi kananjalo yembali. Uyakhumbula ufunda ngomtshato kaSarayi noAbram. Ngenxa yokuba babengenabantwana, uSarayi wanikezela ngomkhonzazana wakhe, uHagare, ukuba abe ngumfazi kaAbram kananjalo, ngokwesalathiso seNkosi. UHagare wazala uIshmayeli.⁵ UAbram wayemthanda uIshmayeli, kodwa wayengazukuba ngumntwana lowo wawuya kudlula kuye umnqophiso. (Bona Genesis 11:29–30; 16:1,3,11; IMfundiso neMinqophiso 132: 34.)

Njengentsikelelo evela kuThixo, ekuphenduleni kukholo luka Sarayi,⁶ wathi wakhulelwa ebudaleni bakhe ukuze umnqophiso udlule ngonyana wakhe, uIsake (bona Genesis 17:19). Yena wazalelwa emnqophisweni.

UThixo wabanika uSarayi kwa noAbram amagama amatsha—Sara no Abraham (bona Genesis 17:5, 15). Ukunikwa loo magama matsha kwaphawula ukuqala kobomi obutsha nekamva elitsha kolu sapho.

UAbraham wayebathanda bobabini uIshmayeli noIsake. UThixo waxelela uAbraham ukuba uIshmayeli wayeya kwandiswa kwaye abe sisizwe esikhulu (bona Genesis 17:20). Ngaxesha linye, uThixo wakwenza kwacaca ukuba umnqophiso wanaphakade wawuya kusekwa ngoIsake (bona Genesis 17:19).

Bonke abamkela ivangeli baba yinxalenye yomlibo kaAbraham. KumaGalati sifunda:

“Kuba nina nonke nabhaptizwelwayo kuKrestu namambatha uKrestu.

“… Nina nonke nimntu mnye kuKrestu uYesu.

“Ukuba ke nina ningabakaKrestu, niyimbewu kaAbraham ngoko neendlalifa ngokwedinga” (kumaGalati 3:27–29).

Ngaloo ndlela, sinokuba ziindlalifa kumnqophiso nokuba kungoku zalwa okanye ngokwamkelwa.

Umfanekiso

abantu bahlanganisana kwinkonzo yobhaptizo

Unyana kaIsake noRebheka uYakobi wazalelwa emnqophisweni. Ukongeza, wazikhethela ukungena ngokwentando yakhe. Njengoko usazi, igama likaYakobi latshintshelwa ku Sirayeli (bona Genesis 32:28), elithetha ukuba “vumela uThixo oyise,” okanye “lowo woyisa kunye noThixo.”⁷

KwiEksodus sifunda ukuba uThixo wawukhumbula umnqophiso wakhe kunye noAbraham, kunye noIsake kunye noYakobi” (Eksodus 2:24). UThixo wabaxelela abantwana bakaSirayeli, “ukuba nithe naliphulaphula okunene ilizwi lam, nawugcina umnqophiso wam, ngoko ke niya kuba yinqobo eyodwa kum.” (Eksodus 19:5).

Ibinzana elithi “yinqobo eyodwa” laguqulelwa ukusuka kwisiHebhere segullah, elithetha ibango lexabiso eliphezulu— “inqobo.”⁸

Incwadi yeDuteronomi ibalisa ngokubaluleka komnqophiso. Abapostile beTestamente eNtsha babesazi ngalo mnqophiso. Emveni kokuba uPetros ephilise indoda esisiqhwala kumanyathelo etempile, wathi wafundisa ababukeleyo ngoYesu. UPetros wathi, “uThixo wooAbraham, noIsake, noYakobi, uThixo woobawo bethu, umzukisile uNyana wakhe uYesu” (Izenzo 3:13).

UPetros wawuvala umyalezo wakhe ngokuxelela abaphulaphuli bakhe, “Nina ningoonyana babo abaprofeti, nabomnqophiso awanqophisana ngawo noobawo bethu uThixo, esithi kuAbraham, Yaye ke iya kusikeleleka embewini yakho yonke imizalwane yehlathi” (Izenzo 3:25). UPetros wayenza yacaca kubo into yokuba inxalenye yomsebenzi kaKrestu yayikukuzalisekisa umnqophiso kaThixo.

INkosi yanika intshumayelo efanayo kubantu beMelika yamandulo. Apho, uKrestu ovusiweyo wabaxelela abantu ukuba ngokwenene bangobani na. Yena wathi:

“Ningabantwana babaprofeti; kwaye ningabendlu kaSirayeli; kwaye ningabomnqophiso awathi uBawo wawenza kunye nooyihlo, esithi kuAbraham: Kwaye kuyo imbewu yakho ziya kuthi zonke izalamane zomhlaba zisikeleleke.

“UBawo ekubeni endivusele kuni kuqala, kwaye wandithumela ukuba ndinisikelele ekuguquleni umntu ngamnye kuni asuke kubugwenxa [benu]; kwaye oku kungenxa yokuba ningabantwana bomnqophiso” (3 Nifayi 20:25–26).

Uya kubona ukubaluleka koku? Abo bagcina iminqophiso yabo noThixo baya kuba luhlobo lwemiphefumlo exhathisayo isono! Abo bagcina iminqophiso yabo baya kuba namandla okuxhathisa impembelelo eqhubekayo yehlabathi.

Umfanekiso

indoda ithabatha umthendeleko

INkosi iyalele ukuba siyisasaze ivangeli kwaye sabelane ngomnqophiso. Yiyo loo nto sinabafundisi bevangeli. Yena unqwenela ukuba bonke abantwana baKhe bafumane ithuba lokukhetha ivangeli yoMsindisi kwaye baqalise ukungena kwindlela yomnqophiso. UThixo ufuna ukuqhagamshela bonke abantu kumnqophiso awawenza mandulo kunye noAbraham.

Ngaloo ndlela, umsebenzi wobufundisi uyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yendibano enkulu kaSirayeli. Loo ndibano ngowona msebenzi ubalulekileyo owenziwa emhlabeni namhlanje. Akukhonto nanye enokuthelekiswa nayo ngobukhulu. Akukhonto nanye enokuthelekiswa nayo ngokubaluleka. Abafundisi bevangeli beNkosi—abalandeli baKhe—bazibandakanya kowona mngeni mkhulu, eyona imbangi inkulu, owona msebenzi mkhulu emhlabeni namhlanje.

Kodwa kusekho omninzi—omninzi kakhulu. Kukho isidingo esikhulu sokusasaza ivangeli ebantwini kwelinye icala lesigqubuthelo. UThixo ufuna wonke umntu, macala omabini esigqubuthelo, onwabele iintsikelelo zomnqophiso waKhe. Indlela yomnqophiso ivuleleke kubo bonke. Sicenga wonke umntu ukuba ahambe nathi kuloo ndlela. Awukho omnye umsebenzi oquka jikelele. Kuba “iNkosi inenceba kubo bonke abaya kuthi, ngokunyaniseka kweentliziyo zabo, balibize igama layo elingcwele” (Hilamani 3:27).

Ngenxa yokuba ubuBingeleli bukaMelkitsedeke buthe babuyiselwa, abafazi namadoda abangabagcini-mnqophiso banokufikelela kuzo “zonke iintsikelelo zomoya” zevangeli( IMfundiso neMinqophiso 107:18; ugxininiso longeziwe).

Kunikezelo lweTempile yaseKirtland ngoka-1836, phantsi kwesalatho seNkosi, uEliya wavela. Injongo yakhe? “Kubuyiselwe … abantwana kooyise”(IMfundiso neMinqophiso 110:15). Kananjalo uEliyasi wavela. Injongo yakhe? Ezo kunikezela kuJoseph Smith noOliver Cowdery “ixesha lokuhlanganisela levangeli kaAbraham, esithi ukuba kuthi nakwimbewu yethu zonke izizukulwana emva kwethu zimele ukuba zisikelelwa” (IMfundiso neMinqophiso 110: 12). Ngale ndlela, iNkosi yanikeza kuJoseph Smith nakuOliver Cowdrey igunya lobubingeleli nelungelo lokuhambisa iintsikelelo ezizodwa zomnqophiso kaAbraham kwabanye.⁹

EBandleni, sihamba indlela yomnqophiso ngokubasodwa kwanangokuqukana. Kanye njengokuba imitshato kunye neentsapho zisabelana ngomanyano olulodwa olusecaleni oludala uthando olulodwa, ngokunjalo benziwa ngolo hlobo nobudlelwane obutsha xa sizibophelela iziqu zethu ngomnqophiso olujonge phezulu kuThixo wethu!

Oku kunokuba koko uNifayi wayekuthetha xa wayesithi uThixo “uyabathanda abo bamamkelayo ukuze abe nguThixo wabo” (1 Nifayi 17:40). Yiyo le nto kanye, njengenxalenye yomnqophiso, inceba ekhethekileyo nothando—okanye ihesed—ifumaneka kubo bonke abo bangena kobu budlelwane busondeleyo busibopha noThixo, “ase ewakeni lesizukulwana” (Duteronomi 7:9).

Ukwenza umnqophiso noThixo kutshintsha ubudlelwane bethu kunye naYe ngonaphakade. Kusisikelela ngomlinganiselo owongezelelweyo wothando nenceba.¹⁰ Kuchaphazela ukuba singobani nendlela uThixo anokusinceda ngayo ukuba sibe yilonto sinakho ukuba yiyo. Sithenjisiwe ukuba thina, kananjalo, sinakho “ukuba yinqobo ekhethekileyo” kuYe (Iindumiso 135:4).

Abo benza iminqophiso engcwele kwaye bayigcine bathenjiswa ubomi obungunaphakade nokuphakanyiswa “esona sipho sikhulu sazo zonke izipho zikaThixo” (IMfundiso neMinqophiso 14:7). UYesu Krestu ungumqinisekisi waloo minqophiso. (bona amaHebhere 7:22; 8:6). Abagcini bomnqophiso abathanda uThixo kwaye bavumele Yena oyise phezu kwazo zonke izinto ebomini babo benze Yena eyona mpembelelo inamandla ebomini babo.

Kumhla wethu sinelungelo lokufumana iintsikelelo zikasolusapho kwaye sifunde ngonxulumano lwethu noosolusapho bamandulo. Ezo ntsikelelo zikwasithela thsuphe ngoko kuza kwenzeka kwixesha elizayo.

Umfanekiso

UYesu ethetha noPetros

Lovest Thou Me More Than These? [Uyandithanda Na Ngaphezu Kwezi?] nguDavid Lindsley

Ubizo lwethu njengamaSirayeli omnqophiso kukuba siqinisekise ukuba lonke ilungu leBandla liyaluqonda uvuyo nelungelo elinxulumene kunye nokwenza iminqophiso kunye noThixo. Lubizo lokukhuthaza bonke abagcini-mnqophiso indoda nomfazi, inkwenkwe nentombazana, ukuba babelane ngevangeli kunye nabo banokuba kwiimpembelelo zabo. Kananjalo ikwalubizo lokuxhasa nokukhuthaza abafundisi bevangeli bethu, abathunyelwe phambili nomyalelo wokuba babhaptize kwaye bancede ekuhlanganiseni uSirayeli, ukuze sikunye sibe ngabantu bakaThixo, Yena abe nguThixo wethu (bona IMfundiso neMinqophiso 42:9).

Yonke indoda nomfazi ngamnye othatha inxaxheba kwimimiselo yobubingeleli kwaye owenza kwaye agcine iminqophiso noThixo unokufikelela ngokuthe ngqo kumandla kaThixo. Sithabathela phezu kwethu igama leNkosi njengabantu ngabanye. Kananjalo thina sithabathela kuthi igama laKhe njengabantu. Ukuba nomdla wokusebenzisa igama elichanekileyo leBandla likaYesu Krestu labaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela yindlela ebalulekileyo thina njengabantu esithatha ngayo igama laKhe kuthi. Ngokwenene, sonke isenzo sobubele seBandla likaYesu krestu labaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela namalungu ayo kukubonisa ihesed kaThixo.

Kwakutheni ukuze uSirayeli asasazwe? Kungokuba abantu bophula imithetho kwaye baxuluba abaprofeti ngamatye. UBawo onothando kodwa osentlungwini waphendula ngokusasaza uSirayeli kude le.¹¹

Nangona kunjalo, Yena wabasasaza kunye nesithembiso sokuba ngenye imini uSirayeli uya kuhlanganiselwa kwakhona kubuhlanti baKhe.

Isizwe sakwaYuda sanikwa uxanduva lokulungiselela ihlabathi ukuza kokuqala kweNkosi. Esuka kwesa sizwe, uMariya wabizelwa ukuba ngumama woNyana kaThixo.

Isizwe sikaYosefu, ngoonyana bakhe kunye noAsenathi, uEfrayim kwa noManase (bona Genesis 41:50–52; 46:20), wanikwa uxanduva lokukhokela ekuhlanganiseni kukaSirayeli, ukulungiselela ihlabathi ukuBuya kweSibini kweNkosi.

Kwelo xesha lide lobudlelwane behesed, kungokwemvelo ukuba uThixo afune ukuwahlanganisa amaSirayeli. Yena unguBawo wethu osemaZulwini. Yena ufuna ngamnye kubantwana baKhe—kumacala omabini esigqubuthelo—bawuve umyalezo wokubuyiselwa kwevangeli kaYesu Krestu.

Indlela yomnqophiso yindlela yothando—la hesed, ingakholelekiyo, la nkathalo novelwano nokufikelela omnye komnye. Ukuva olwa thando kuyakhulula kwaye kuyaphakamisa. Olona vuyo lukhulu uya kuze ube nalo kuxa uzaliswe luthando lukaThixo kunye nabo bonke abantwana baKhe.

Ukuthanda uThixo ngaphezu kwakhe nabanina okanye nantonina eyenye yeyona meko ezisa uxolo olunyanisekileyo, intuthuzelo. ukuzithemba, novuyo.

Indlela yomnqophiso ingobudlelwane bethu noThixo—eyethu ihesed kunye naYe. Xa thina singena emnqophisweni noThixo, thina senze umnqophiso kunye naYe lowo uya kusoloko eligcina ilizwi laKhe. Yena uya kwenza konke anako, ngaphandle kokwaphula ilungelo lethu lokuzikhethela, ukusinceda ukuba sigcine elethu.

Incwadi kaMormoni iqala kwaye iphele ngokubhekisele kulo mnqophiso wanaphakade. Ukusuka kwiphepha lesihloko sayo ukuya ekuvaleni kubungqina bukaMormoni noMoronayi, iNcwadi kaMormoni isalathisa kumnqophiso (bona Mormoni 5:20; 9:37). “Ukuza ngaphambili kweNcwadi kaMormoni luphawu kwihlabathi liphela lokuba iNkosi iqalile ukuhlanganisa uSirayeli kwaye izalisekisa iminqophiso Yona eyayenza kuAbraham, kuIsake, kunye noYakobi.”¹²

Bazalwane bam noodade abathandekayo, sibiziwe ngelixesha libalulekileyo kwimbali yomhlaba ukuba sifundise ihlabathi ngobuhle kunye namandla omnqophiso wanaphakade. UBawo wethu waseZulwini usithemba ngokupheleleyo ukuba singenza lo msebenzi mkhulu.