IMbali yeBandla
IiNgxelo zoMbono wokuQala
Umfanekiso
ukukhanya kwelanga emithini

IiNgxelo zoMbono wokuQala

Amagqabantshintshi

UJoseph Smith wabhala ukuba uThixo uYise noYesu Krestu bazibonakalisa kuye kwindawo yemithi ecaleni kwekhaya labazali bakhe kwintshona New York State xa wayeneminyaka eli-14 ubudala. Exhalabele izono zakhe kwaye engaqinisekanga ukuba yeyiphi na indlela yokomoya ekwakufanele ayilandele, uJoseph waye wafuna isikhokelo ngokuya ezintlanganisweni, ngokufunda izibhalo kunye nangokuthandaza. Ekuphendulweni, waye wafumana umbono wasezulwini. UJoseph wabelana kwaye wabhala ngoMbono wokuQala, njengoko wawuye waziwa , izihlandlo ezininzi; wabhala okanye wabela ababhali ukuba babhale iingxelo ezine ezahlukeneyo zalombono.

UJoseph Smith waye wapapasha iingxelo ezimbini zaloMbono wokuQala ngexesha lokudla kwakhe ubomi. Eyokuqala kwezi, eyaziwa namhlanje njengeMbali–kaJoseph Smith , yaye yafakwa kwiPerile yeXabiso eliKhulu kwaye ke yaba yeyona ngxelo idumileyo. Iingxelo ezimbini ezingapapashwanga, ezibhalwe kwincwadi yokuqala kaJoseph Smith nakwincwadi zakudala, zaye zalibaleka ngokubanzi kwade ababhali-mbali abasebenzela iBandla likaYesu Krestu labaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela baphinda bazifumana kwaye bazipapasha ngoo-1960. Ukususela ngeloo xesha, la maxwebhu aye axoxwa ngokuphindaphindeneyo kwiimagazini zeBandla, kwimisebenzi eshicilelwe ngabokushicilela iindaba zeBandla nabanxulumene neBandla, nangabafundi abaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela kwezinye iindawo.1 Ukongeza kwiingxelo zakhe buqu, zikwakhona neenkcazelo ezintlanu ngombono kaJoseph Smith ezibhalwe ngabantu awayephila nabo.2

Iingxelo ezahlukileyo zoMbono wokuQala zibalisa ibali elingaguquguqukiyo, nangona ngokwendalo zahlukile kugxininiso nakwiinkcukacha. Ababhali bembali balindele ukuba xa umntu ephinda abalise amava kwiimeko ezininzi kubaphulaphuli abahlukeneyo kwiminyaka emininzi, ingxelo nganye iya kugxininisa imiba eyahlukeneyo yamava kwaye iqulathe iinkcukacha ezikhethekileyo. Eneneni, umahluko ofana nalowo ubhalwe kwingxelo yoMbono wokuQala ukhona nakwiingxelo ezininzi ezibhaliweyo zombono kaPawulos kwindlela eya eDamasko kunye namava wabapostile ’kwiNtaba yoTshintsho.3 Kodwa nangona kukho umahluko, ukungaguquguquki okusisiseko kukhona kuzo zonke iingxelo zoMbono wokuQala. Abanye baphazame ngokuphikisa ngelithi ukuba umahluko othile ekubaliseni eli bali bubungqina bokuba liqanjiwe. Ngokuchasene noko, izibhalo ezityebileyo zeembali zisenza ukuba sifunde okungakumbi ngesi siganeko sibalaseleyo kunokuba besinokungabhalwa kakuhle.

Iingxelo zoMbono wokuQala

Ingxelo nganye yoMbono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith kunye nabantu awayephila nabo inembali yayo kunye nomxholo ochaphazela indlela esi siganeko saphinda sakhujulwa ngayo, sabaliswa kwaye sabhalwa ngayo. Ezi ngxelo ziyaxoxwa ngezantsi.

Ingxelo ka–1832. Ingxelo yokuqala eyaziwayo yoMbono wokuQala, ekuphela kwengxelo ebhalwe ngesandla sikaJoseph Smith, ifunyanwa kwimibhalo emifutshane engashicilelwanga uJoseph Smith awayivelisa kwisiqingatha sesibini sowama–1832. Kule ngxelo, uJoseph Smith wachaza isazela sakhe ngezono zakhe kwakunye nokukhathazeka kwakhe ekuthini angakwazi ukufumana ibandla elifana twatse nelo wayefunde ngalo kwiTestamente eNtsha kwaye elaliya kumkhokelela enkululekweni. Waye wagxininisa iNtlawulelo kaYesu Krestu nokukhulula enikezela ngako. Waye wabhala ukuba “iNkosi” yavela kwaye yamxolela izono zakhe. Ngenxa yalombono, uJoseph wava uvuyo nothando, kodwa, njengoko waye waphawula, wayengekafumani mntu uyikholelwayo ingxelo yakhe. Funda ingxelo ka–1832 apha.

Ingxelo ka–1835. Ekwindla ngowama–1835, uJoseph Smith wabalisa ngoMbono wakhe wokuQala kuRobert Matthews, undwendwe olwaluye eKirtland, e–Ohio. Ukubaliswa, okubhalwe kwijenali kaJoseph ngumbhali wakhe uWarren Parrish, kugxininisa ilinge lakhe lokufumanisa ukuba yeyiphi na icawa eyayilungile, inkcaso awayeyiva njengoko wayethandaza, nokubonakala komntu wasezulwani omnye owayelandelwa ngomnye kungekudala. Le ngxelo ikwaphawula ngokubonakala kweengelosi kuwo umbono. Funda ingxelo ka–1835 apha.

Ingxelo ka–1838. Ukubaliswa koMbono wokuQala owaziwa kakhulu ngabaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela namhlanje ngulowo uyingxelo ka–1838. Yayipapashwe okokuqala ngonyaka ka–1842 kwi Times and Seasons, Iphephandaba leBandla eNauvoo, e–Illinois, ingxelo yayiyimbali ende eyachazwa nguJoseph Smith phakathi kwamaxesha enkcaso enzima. Kanti ingxelo ka-1832 igxininisa ibali lobuqu likaJoseph Smith njengomfana oselula ofuna ukuxolelwa, ingxelo ka–1838 igxile kumbono njengesiqalo “sokunyuka nenkqubela phambili yeBandla.” Njenge ngxelo ka-1835, owona mbuzo uphambili wengxelo ngowokuba yeyiphi na icawa elungileyo. Funda ingxelo ka–1838 apha.

Ingxelo ka–1842. Ngokubhaliwe njengempendulo kwi -Chicago Democrat kwisicelo somhleli uJohn Wentworth ngolwazi malunga nabaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela, le ngxelo yayishicilelwe kwi Times and Seasons ngo-1842. (“Ileta kaWentworth,” njengoko isaziwa ngokuqhelekileyo, ikwangumthombo weziVumo zoKholo.)4 Ingxelo, eyayenzelwe ukuba ipapashelwe abaphulaphuli ababengaziqhelanga iinkolelo zeeMormoni, imfutshane kwaye ithe ngqo. Njengakwiingxelo zangaphambili, uJoseph Smith waphawula ukudideka awaba nakho kunye nokuvela kwabantu ababini ukuphendula umthandazo wakhe. Kunyaka olandelayo, uJoseph Smith wathumela le ngxelo kunye notshintsho oluncinci kumbhali wembali u-Israel Daniel Rupp, owayipapasha njengesahluko kwincwadi yakhe, He Pasa Ekklesia [The Whole Church]: An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States.5 Funda ingxelo ka–1842 apha.

Iingxelo eziBaliswa ngaBanye. Ngaphandle kwezi ngxelo zisuka kuJoseph Smith qobo lwakhe, iingxelo ezintlanu zaye zabhalwa ngabantu awayephila nabo abathi beva uJoseph Smith ethetha ngombono. Funda ezi ngxelo apha.

Iimpikiswano malunga neeNgxelo zoMbono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith

Iintlobo kunye nenani leengxelo zoMbono wokuQala zikhokelele abanye abagxeki ekuthandabuzeni ukuba iinkcazelo zikaJoseph Smith ziyahambelana kusini na namava akhe. Iimpikiswano ezimbini zihlala zisenziwa ngokuchasene nentembeko yakhe: owokuqala ubuza inkumbulo kaJoseph Smith yeziganeko; owesibini ubuza ukuba ingaba uzihombisile na izinto ezithile zelibali emva ixesha elide.

Inkumbulo. Enye yeempikiswano malunga nengxelo yoMbono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith ityhola ukuba ubungqina bokuba imbali ayiyixhasi nenkcazelo kaJoseph Smith yokuvuselela inkolo ePalmyra, eNew York, nakummandla wayo ngo-1820. Abanye bathi oku kuliwisela phantsi ibango likaJoseph lomdla wonqulo ongaqhelekanga kunye nengxelo yombono buqu.

Ubungqina obukumaxwebhu, nangona kunjalo, buyazixhasa iingxelo zikaJoseph Smith malunga nezimvuselelo. Ummandla awayehlala kuwo waziwa njengendawo edumileyo yenzondelelo kwezenkolo kwaye ngokungathandabuzekiyo yayiyenye yezona ndawo ziphambili zeemvuselelo yonqulo. Ababhali-mbali babiza lo mmandla “isithili esitshiswe ngokugqithiseleyo” kuba abashumayeli bayigqiba le ndawo bebambe iinkampu zemvuselelo kwaye befuna abaguquki ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1800.6 NgeyeSilimela ka–1818, umzekelo, intlanganiso yenkampu yamaWesile yenzeka ePalmyra, kwaye ngehlobo elilandelayo, amaWesile ahlangana kwakhona eVienna (ngoku eyiPhelps), eNew York, iimayile ezili-15 ukusuka kwifama yosapho lakwaSmith. Iincwadi zembali zomshumayeli owayehamba hamba waseWesile zichaza ngoninzi lochulumanco lwezenkolo kwindawo kaJosephi ngo-1819 nango-1820. Zixela ukuba uMfundisi uGeorge Lane, umfundisi waseWisile ongumvuseleli, wayephaya kuloo mmandla ngalominyaka mibini, ethetha “ngendlela kaThixo yokuzisa uLungiso.”7 Obu bungqina bembali buyahambelana nenkcazelo kaJoseph. Watsho ukuba imincili yenkolo engaqhelekanga kwisithili sakhe okanye engingqini yakhe “yaqala ngamaWesile.” Eneneni, uJoseph wathi waba “yinxalenye ngokungaphelelanga” namaWesile.8

Ukuhonjiswa. Impikiswano yesibini eyenziwa rhoqo ngokubhekisele kwiingxelo zoMbono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith yeyokuba walilungisela ibali lakhe emva kwexesha. Le ngxoxo igxile kwiinkcukacha ezimbini: inani kunye nesazisi sabantu basezulwini uJoseph Smith athi wababona. Iingxelo zoMbono wokuQala kaJoseph zichaza ngabantu basezulwini ngolwazi olunzulu ekuhambeni kwexesha. Ingxelo ka–1832 ithi, “INkosi yawavula amazulu phezu kwam kwaye ndayibona iNkosi.” Ingxelo yakhe ka-1838 ichaza oku, “Ndabona abantu abaBini,” omnye wamazisa omnye njengo “Nyana wam oyiNtanda.” Ngenxa yoko, abagxeki baphikisa uJoseph Smith ngelithi waqala ukunika ingxelo yokuba wabona umntu omnye —“iNkosi”— kwaye wagqibela ngokubanga ukuba wabona bobabini uYise noNyana.9

Kukhona ezinye iindlela, ezingqinelana ngakumbi zokubona ubungqina. Ukuvumelana okusisiseko kwingxelo ngexesha lonke kufuneka kwamkelwe kwasekuqaleni: ezintathu zengxelo ezine zicacisa gca ukuba abantu ababini bavela kuJoseph Smith kuMbono wokuQala. Eyahlukileyo yingxelo kaJoseph Smith ka–1832, enokufundwa ibhekisa kumntu omnye okanye amabini. Ukuba ifundwa ibhekisa kumntu omnye wasezulwini, iyakube iyinto ebhekisele kulowo wayexolele izono zakhe. Ngokwengxelo zakamva, umntu wokuqala wobuThixo waxelela uJoseph Smith ukuba “eve” owesibini, uYesu Krestu, ke owaye wadlulisa umyalezo ongundoqo, owawuquka umyalezo woxolelo.10 Ingxelo kaJoseph Smith ka-1832 ke, isenokuba yayigxile kuYesu Krestu, umthwali woxolelo.

Enye indlela yokufunda ingxelo ka-1832 yeyokuba uJoseph Smith wayebhekisa kubantu ababini, bobabini ebabiza “Nkosi.” Impikiso yengxelo ephuculiweyo ixhomekeke kwingcinga yokuba ingxelo ka–1832 ichaza ukubonakala komntu omnye wasezulwini. Kodwa ingxelo ka–1832 ayitsho ukuba mnye kuphela umntu owavelayo. Qaphela ukuba ukubhekiswa okubini “kwiNkosi” kwahlulwe ngexesha: okokuqala “iNkosi” ivula amazulu; emva koko uJoseph Smith ubona “iNkosi.” Oku kufundwa kwale ngxelo kuyahambelana nengxelo kaJoseph ka-1835, enomntu omnye ovele kuqala, elandelwa ngomnye kungekudala. Ingxelo ka–1832, ke, inokufundwa ngokuvakalayo njengokuthetha ukuba uJoseph Smith wabona umntu omnye owathi watyhila omnye kwaye wayebhekisa kubo bobabini ngokuthi “yiNkosi”: “INkosi yavula amazulu phezu phezu kwam ndayibona iNkosi.”11

Iinkcazelo zikaJoseph ezithile ezazisanda ngokuthe kratya zinokufundwa ngokunyanzelekileyo njengobungqina bokwanda kokukhanyiselwa, obaqokeleleka exesheni, ngenxa yamava. Ngokuyinxalenye yoko, umahluko phakathi kwengxelo ka–1832 kunye neengxelo ezilandelayo zakamva zinokuba nento yokwenza nomahluko ophakathi kwento ebhalwayo kunye nelizwi elithethwayo. Ingxelo ka–1832 imele ixesha lokuqala apho uJoseph Smith awayelinga ukubhala phantsi imbali yakhe. Kwangaloo nyaka umnye, waye wabhalela umhlobo wakhe okokuba wayeziva ebanjiwe “ngosiba lwephepha kunye ne-Inki kwakunye nalulwimi olugoso nolophukileyo kunye nolungagqibelelanga .” Wayebiza igama elibhaliweyo njenge “ntolongo emxinwa encinci.”12 Ubunzulu beengxelo zamva buyaqondakala ngokulula ngakumbi kwaye kulindeleke xa sibona ukuba zinokuba zingxelo eziyalelwayo—ndlela eyayilula, nengonqenekiyo kuJoseph Smith neyaye yavumela amagama ukuba aqengqeleke ngokulula.

Umqukumbelo

UJoseph Smith wangqina ephindaphinda ukuba wazibonela umbono kaThixo uYise noNyana waKhe, uYesu Krestu. Ayibobunyani boMbono wokuQala okanye ayizozimpikiswano ezichasene nayo ezinokuboniswa ngophando lwembali kuphela. Ukwazi inyani yobungqina bukaJoseph Smith kufuna ukuba umntu ngamnye ofuna inyani ukuba afundisise okubhaliweyo aze abonise ukholo olwaneleyo kuKrestu ukuba abuze uThixo ngokunyaniseka, ngokuthobeka nokuba oku kubhaliweyo kuyinyani na. Ukuba umntu ofunayo ubuza ngenjongo yokwenyani enze intshukumo ngokwempendulo eboniswa nguMoya oyiNgcwele, ubunyani bombono kaJoseph Smith buya kubonakala. Ngale ndlela, wonke umntu angakwazi ukuba uJoseph Smith wathetha ngokunyaniseka xa wayebhengeza, “Ndiwubonile umbono, ndakwazi oko, kwaye ndazi okokuba uThixo wakwazi oko, kwaye ndandingenako ukukuphika.”13

IBandla liyalivuma igalelo lezifundiswa kumxholo wembali oboniswe kweli nqaku; umsebenzi wabo usetyenziswa ngemvume.

Yapapashwa okokuqala kweyeNkanga 2013.

Izihloko ezifanayo

  • Ukuphendula iMibuzo yeVangeli

  • UbuThixo

  • UThixo uYise

  • UYesu Krestu

  • UJoseph Smith

  • UkuBuyiselwa kweBandla

  • UkuBuyiselwa koBubingeleli

Izibhalo Ezingcwele

Izalathiso kwiZibhalo

Imiboniso Bhanyabhanya

“IMbuyiselo”

“UJoseph Smith: uMprofeti weMbuyiselo”

“Mission Preparation Track 14: Gordon B. Hinckley”

Izixhobo zokufunda

Izixhobo ngokuBanzi

“History, malunga neHlobo, 1832,” The Joseph Papers

“Journal, 1835–1836,” The Joseph Papers

“History, malunga neyeSilimela 1839–malunga no–1841 [Draft 2],” The Joseph Papers

“‘Church History,’ 1 EyoKwindla 1842,” The Joseph Papers

“‘Latter Day Saints,’ 1844,” The Joseph Smith Papers

“Primary Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision of Deity,” The Joseph Smith Papers

Iimagazini zeBandla

“Preparing for the Restoration,” Ensign, EyeSilimela 1999

“Book of Mormon Personalities Known by Joseph Smith,” Ensign, EyoMnga 1983

  1. Bona, umzekelo, James B. Allen, “Eight Contemporary Accounts of the First Vision—What Do We Learn from Them?” Improvement Era, 73 (1970): 4–13; Richard L. Anderson, “Joseph Smith’s Testimony of the First Vision,” Ensign, Apr. 1996, 10–21; Milton V. Backman, Joseph Smith’s First Vision: The First Vision in Its Historical Context (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971; 2nd ed., 1980); Steven C. Harper, Joseph Smith’s First Vision: A Guide to the Historical Accounts (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012).

  2. Zonke ezi ngxelo zaphinda zaveliswa kuDean C. Jessee,“The Earliest Documented Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” in John W. Welch, ed., with Erick B. Carlson, Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestations, 1820–1844 (Provo and Salt Lake City: Brigham Young University Press and Deseret Book, 2005), 1–33.

  3. Izenzo 9:3–9; 22:6–21; 26:12–18; Mateyu 17:1–13; Marko 9: 2–13; Luka 9:28–36.

  4. Incwadi yembalelwano epheleleyo inokufunyanwa kuJoseph Smith, “Imbali yeCawa,” Amaxa namaXesha onyaka 3 (Mar. 1, 1842): 706–10.

  5. Joseph Smith, “Latter Day Saints,” in I. Daniel Rupp, He Pasa Ekklesia: An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States (Philadelphia: J. Y. Humphreys, 1844), 404–10.

  6. Whitney R. Cross, The Burned-Over District: The Social and Intellectual History of Enthusiastic Religion in Western New York, 1800–1850 (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1950); Paul E. Johnson, A Shopkeeper’s Millennium: Society and Revivals in Rochester, New York, 1815–1837 (New York: Hill and Wang, 1983); Nathan O. Hatch, The Democratization of American Christianity (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989).

  7. Benajah Williams diary, July 15, 1820, copy in Church History Library, Salt Lake City; spelling regularized.

  8. Ingxelo ka–1838 (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith 1:5, 8).

  9. Ingxelo ka–1832 (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith, Ehlotyeni 1832, 3, kuJoseph Smith, “Letter Book A,” Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City); 1838 ingxelo (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith 1:17).

  10. Ingxelo ka1–838 (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith 1:17); Ingxelo ka 1835 (Joseph Smith, “Sketch Book of the use of Joseph Smith, jr.,” Journal, Nkanga 9–11, 1835, Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

  11. Ingxelo ka–1832 (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith, Ehlotyeni 1832, 3, kuJoseph Smith, “Letter Book A,” Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).

  12. Joseph Smith to William W. Phelps, Nkanga 27, 1832, Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; iyafumaneka ku www.josephsmithpapers.org.

  13. Ingxelo ka–1838 (Imbali— kaJoseph Smith 1:25).