Umlando weBandla
Imibiko YomBono wokuQala
Isithombe
ukukhanya kwelanga emithini

Imibiko YomBono wokuQala

Umlando Ofingqiwe

UJoseph Smith wabhala ukuthi uNkulunkulu uBaba noJesu Kristu bavela kuye esixhobeni semithi maduzane nekhaya labazali bakhe entshonalanga neNew York ngesikhathi eneminyaka ecishe ibe yi-14 ubudala. Ekhathazekile ngenxa yezono zakhe futhi engazi ukuthi wayengathatha yiphi indlela ngokomoya, uJoseph wafuna ulwazi ngokuya ezinkonzweni, ukufunda imibhalo engcwele, nangokukhuleka. Impendulo yakhe kwaba yisibonakaliso sasezulwini. UJoseph waxoxa futhi wabhala ngomBono wokuQala, owagcina sewaziwa kanjalo, izikhathi ezahlukene; wabhala noma wanikeza ababhali ukuba babhale imibiko emine eyahlukene ngalombono.

UJoseph Smith washicilela imibiko emibili ngomBono wokuQala ngesikhathi esaphila. Owokuqala, owaziwa manje njengencwadi ethi Joseph Smith—uMlando, wafakwa encwadini eyaziwa ngokuthi yiGugu leNani eliKhulu futhi ngalokho-ke kwaba yiwona mbiko odumile. Imibiko emibili engashicilelwanga, ebhalwe encwadini yokuqala yomlando ngempilo kaJoseph Smith futhi yabuye yabhalwa encwadini yezigigaba, yakhohlakala kwaze kwathi abalandi abasebenzela iBandla likaJesu Kristu labaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina baphinda bayithola futhi bayishicilela eminyakeni yo-1960. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, sekuxoxwe kaningi ngalemibhalo kumaphephabhuku eBandla, nakumaphephandaba okungaweBandla nahlangene nalo, ngokunjalo nosolwazi abangamalungu aleliBandla abakwezinye izindawo.1 Ngaphezulu kwemibhalo exoxwe nguye uqobo, kukhona ezinye izincazelo ezinhlanu ezichaza umbono kaJoseph Smith ezibhalwe ngabanye ababenaye esaphila.2

Yonke lemibhalo ehlukene ngomBono wokuQala ixoxa indaba efanayo, nakuba ithe ukuhluka ngokugcizelela nangemininingwane. Abalandi balindele ukuthi uma umuntu ephinda exoxa indaba ezindaweni eziningi futhi exoxela abantu abehlukene eminyakeni eminingi, indaba ngayinye izogcizelela izinto ezahlukene ngokwenzakala futhi zibe nemininingwane ehlukile. Nebala, kukhona ukwehluka okufanayo nalokho okutholakala endabeni yomBono wokuQala endabeni etholakala kaningi emibhalweni engcwele ngombono kaPawulu endleleni eya eDamaseku kanye nokwehlela abaPhostoli eNtabeni yokuGuqulwa.3 Kodwa-ke, nakuba ukhona lomehluko, kukhona okusemqoka okufanayo kuyo yonke imibiko ephathelene nomBono wokuQala. Abanye banombono onephutha othi uma kukhona umehluko engxoxweni ngalendaba lokho kuwubufakazi bokuthi lendaba ingamanga. Esikhundleni salokho, lendaba yomlando enokugcizelela isisiza ukuba sifunde okuningi ngalesi sehlakalo esimangalisayo kunalokho ebesizokwazi ukuba bekubhalwe okumbalwa kuphela.

ImiBiko yomBono wokuQala

Umbiko ngamunye womBono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith nalabo ayenabo unomlando wawo nesimo sawo esaba nomthelele ekutheni indaba ikhunjulwa kanjani, idluliswa kanjani, nokuthi ibhalwa kanjani. Kuxoxwa ngalemibiko lapha ngezansi.

Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832. Umbiko wokuqala owaziwayo ngomBono wokuQala, okuyiwo wodwa obhalwe ngesandla sikaJoseph Smith, utholakala kumbhalo omfishane, ophathelene nomlando wempilo kaJoseph Smith ongashicileliwe kodwa owakhishwa phakathi nonyaka ka-1832. Kulombiko, uJoseph Smith uchaza ngokwazi kwakhe ngezono zakhe kanye nokukhathazeka kwakhe ngokungakwazi ukuthola ibandla elifana naleli ayefunde ngalo kwiTestamente eliSha elalizomholela ekuhlengweni. Wagcizelela iNhlawulo kaJesu Kristu nokuhlengwa komuntu ngamunye okwakulethwa yiyo. Wabhala ukuthi “iNkosi” yavela futhi yamxolela izono zakhe. Ngenxa yalombono, uJoseph Smith wezwa intokozo nothando, nakuba, njengoba ayesho, wayengatholi muntu owayewukholwa umbiko wakhe. Funda ngombiko wangonyaka ka-1832 lapha.

Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1835. Ngekwindla yangonyaka ka-1835, uJoseph Smith waxoxela uRobert Matthews ngomBono wakhe wokuQala, owayevakashele eKirtland, e-Ohio. Ukuphindwa kwalendaba, okubhalwe ngumbhali wakhe uWarren Parrish encwadini kaJoseph yezigigaba, kugcizelela umzamo wakhe wokuthola ukuthi ngabe yiliphi ibandla leqiniso, ukuphikiswa akuzwa ngesikhathi ekhuleka, kanye nokuvela komuntu onesithunzi owalandelwa ngomunye isikhashana nje emva kwalokho. Lombiko ukhuluma nangokuvela kwezingelosi kulombono. Funda ngombiko wangonyaka ka-1835 lapha.

Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838. Umlando womBono wokuQala owaziwa kakhulu ngabaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina namuhla umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838. Washicilelwa okokuqala ngonyaka ka-1842 kwi Times and Seasons, iphephandaba leBandla eNauvoo, e-Illinois, lombiko uyingxenye yomlando omude owalandwa nguJoseph Smith ngesikhathi ebhekene nokuphikiswa okukhulu. Njengoba umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 ugcizelela umlando kaJoseph Smith omayelana naye uqobo njengomfana owayefuna ukuxolelwa, umbiko ka-1838 ugxile kulombono njengokuqala “[koku]vela nokukhula kweBandla.” Njengombiko wangonyaka ka-1835, umbuzo osemqoka ngokulandiwe wukuthi ngabe yiliphi ibandla leqiniso. Funda ngombiko wangonyaka ka-1838 lapha.

Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1842. Wabhalwa kuphendulwa isicelo somhleli wephephandaba iChicago Democrat uJohn Wentworth efuna ulwazi ngabaNgcwele beziNsuku zokuGcina, lombiko washicilelwa kwiTimes and Seasons ngonyaka ka-1842. (“Incwadi kaWentworth,” okuyindlela edume ngayo, iphinde futhi ibe ngumthombo wemiBhalo yoKholo.)4 Lombiko, owashicilelwa ukuze kuzuze abafundi ababengazi ngokholo lwamaMormoni, ufingqiwe futhi ucacile. Njengemibiko yangaphambilini, uJoseph Smith ulanda ngokudideka aba nakho kanye nokuvela kwabantu ababili abanesithunzi kuphendulwa umkhuleko wakhe. Ngonyaka olandelayo, uJoseph Smith wathumela lombiko, usushintshwe kancane kumlandi okwakuthiwa ngu-Israel Daniel Rupp, owawushicilela njengesahluko encwadini yakhe eyayaziwa ngokuthi, He Pasa Ekklesia [The Whole Church]: An Original History of the Religious Denominations at Present Existing in the United States.5 Funda ngombiko wangonyaka ka-1842 lapha.

Imibiko Yalabo Abezwa Ngaye. Ngaphandle kwalemibiko evela kuJoseph Smith uqobo, kukhona imibiko emihlanu eyabhalwa abantu abezwa uJoseph Smith ekhuluma ngalombono. Funda ngalemibiko lapha.

Impikiswano Ngokuphathelene Nemibiko yomBono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith

Ukwehlukahlukana kanye nesibalo semibiko yomBono wokuQala kuholele ekutheni abangakholwa babuze ukuthi izincazelo zikaJoseph Smith ngabe ziyahambisana ngempela yini nokwamehlela na. Kubili ukuphikisa okuvamise ukusetshenziswa ukuzama ukumenza angakholakali: Okokuqala kungabaza ukukhumbula kukaJoseph Smith ngokwenzeka; okwesibili kubuza ukuthi ngabe wayishintsha na indaba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

Ukukhumbula. Okunye ukuphikisa okuphathelene nemibiko yomBono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith kuthi ubufakazi obukhona emlandweni abuyisekeli incazelo kaJoseph Smith ngemvuselelo yenkolo athi yabakhona ePalmyra, eNew York, nasezindaweni ezakhelene nalapho ngonyaka ka-1820. Abanye baphikisa ngokuthi lokhu kwenza okwashiwo nguJoseph ngokuvutha kwenkolo okwakungajwayelekile kanye nombiko wombono uqobo kube ngathi kungamanga.

Kodwa-ke, ubufakazi obubhaliwe, buyakusekela okwashiwo nguJoseph Smith ngaleyomvuselelo. Indawo lapho ayehlala khona yaduma ngokuvutha kwenkolo futhi kwaba yindawo evuthayo impela yemvuselelo yokholo. Abalanda imilando lendawo bayibiza “njengesifunda esivuthe sangqangqa” ngoba abefundisi babekhathaza umhlaba bebamba izinkambu zezimvuselelo futhi befuna asebeguqukile ekuqaleni kweminyaka yo-1800.6 Isibonelo, ngoJuni wangonyaka ka-1818 inkambu yamaWeseli yabanjelwa ePalmyra, futhi kwathi ngehlobo elilandelayo, amaWeseli ahlangana futhi eVienna (manje osekuthiwa yiPhelps), eNew York, amamayela ayi-15 kude nepulazi lakwaSmith. Izincwadi zezigigaba zomfundisi thizeni owayehamba owayengumWeseli zikhuluma ngokwesasa okukhulu mayelana nenkolo okwaba khona endaweni kaJoseph ngonyaka ka-1818 noka-1820. Zilanda ngokuthi uMfundisi uGeorge Lane, umfundisi wemvuselelo ongumWeseli, wayekuleyondawo ngaleyo minyaka yomibili, ekhuluma “ngendlela kaNkulunkulu yokwenza uShintsho.”7 Lobu bufakazi obusemlandweni buyahambisana nencazelo kaJoseph. Wathi ukwesasa okwakungajwayelekile ngenkolo esifundeni sakhe “kwaqala ngamaWeseli.” Ngempela, uJoseph wathi waba “nokuthanda kancane” inkolo yamaWeseli.8

Ukushintsha Indaba. Ukuphikisa kwesibili mayelana nemibiko yomBono wokuQala kaJoseph Smith ukuthi wayishintsha indaba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Lokhu kuphikisa kugxile ezintweni ezimbili: wukuthi bangobani abantu abanesithunzi uJoseph Smith athi wababona nokuthi babebangaki. Imibiko yomBono wokuQala kaJoseph ichaza kabanzi ngabantu basezulwini ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 uthi, “INkosi yangivulela amazulu futhi ngayibona iNkosi.” Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838 uthi, “Ngabona aBantu ababili ababenesithunzi,” omunye wazisa omunye njenge “Ndodana Yami eThandekayo.” Ngenxa yalokho, abangakholwa bathi uJoseph Smith waqala ngokuthi wabona umuntu oyedwa—“iNkosi”— wagcina esethi ubone uBaba neNdodana.9

Kukhona ezinye izindlela zokubona lobu bufakazi ngendlela efanayo. Okufanayo nokusemqoka ngokuxoxwayo ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kufanele kuvunywe zisuka nje: imibiko emithathu kwemine ikubeka ngokucacile ukuthi babili abantu abanesithunzi abavela kuJoseph Smith kumBono wokuQala. Okuphambukayo wumbiko kaJoseph Smith wangonyaka ka-1832, ongafundeka ngokuthi uqonde umuntu onesithunzi oyedwa noma ababili. Uma ufundwa ngokuthi uqonde umuntu wasezulwini oyedwa, nakanjani kungaba yilowo muntu onesithunzi owamxolela izono zakhe. Uma sibheka imibiko eyalandela, umuntu onesithunzi wasezulwini wokuqala watshela uJoseph Smith ukuthi “ezwe” owesibili, uJesu Kristu, owabe esemtshela konke, okuhlanganisa nokuxolelwa.10 Kumbiko kaJoseph Smith wangonyaka ka-1832, kungenzeka wagxila kuJesu Kristu, owayenomyalezo wokuxolelwa.

Enye indlela yokufunda umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 wukuthi uJoseph Smith wakhuluma ngabantu ababili, bobabili ababiza nge “Nkosi.” Umbono wokuthi wayishintsha indaba ume enkolelweni yokuthi umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 uchaza ngokuvela komuntu wasezulwini oyedwa. Kodwa-ke, umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 awusho ukuthi umuntu oyedwa kuphela owavela. Qaphela ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwegama elithi “Nkosi” kuhlukaniswe yisikhathi: Okokuqala “iNkosi” ivula amazulu; emva kwalokho uJoseph Smith ubona “iNkosi.” Ukufunda umbiko ngalendlela kuyahambisana nombiko kaJoseph wangonyaka ka-1835, onomuntu onesithunzi oyedwa ovela kuqala, kamuva alandelwe ngomunye maduzane. Ngakho-ke, umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 ungafundeka ngokuthi uJoseph Smith wabona umuntu oyedwa owabe esembula omunye nokuthi wababiza bobabili ngokuthi “Nkosi”: “iNkosi yangivulela amazulu ngabona iNkosi.”11

Ukugcizelela kwezincazelo zikaJoseph Smith ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kungafundeka njengobufakazi bolwazi olukhulayo, olukhula ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngenxa yalokho adlula kukho. Kungenzeka ukuthi umehluko phakathi kombiko wango-1832 nemibiko eminye eyalandela kuhlangene nokuthile mayelana nomehluko phakathi kokubhaliwe nokukhulunyiwe. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 yilapho uJoseph Smith aqala khona ukuzama ukubhala umlando wakhe. Ngawo lowo nyaka, wabhalela umngani ethi wayezizwa eboshiwe “yipeni no-inki kanye nolimi olutshekile noluhlakazekile futhi nolungaphelele.” Wabiza amagama abhaliwe “ngetilongo elincane eliminyene.”12 Ububanzi bemibiko eyalandela kuqondisiseka kalula futhi kuyinto esingayilindela uma sibheka ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi yimibiko eyayishiwo ngomlomo—okwakuyindlela elula, futhi ayeyijwayele uJoseph Smith futhi eyayenza amazwi aphume kalula.

Isiphetho

UJoseph Smith wafakaza kaningi ukuthi waba nombono omangalisayo kaNkulunkulu uBaba neNdodana Yakhe, uJesu Kristu. Iqiniso ngomBono wokuQala nokuphikisana okuhambisana nawo ngeke kwaqinisekiswa wucwaningo lodwa lomlando. Ukwazi iqiniso ngobufakazi bukaJoseph Smith kudinga ukuthi lowo ofuna iqiniso ngempela awufunde lombhalo bese esebenzisa ukholo olwanele kuKristu ukuba abuze uNkulunkulu ngomkhuleko weqiniso nonesizotha ukuthi ngabe lombhalo uyiqiniso na. Uma lowo ofunayo ebuza ngokuzimisela ukuba kube khona azokwenza ngempendulo elethwa nguMoya oNgcwele, ubuqiniso bombono kaJoseph Smith kuzobonakaliswa kuye. Ngaleyondlela, wonke umuntu angazi ukuthi uJoseph Smith wayekhuluma iqiniso ngesikhathi ethi, “Ngangiwubonile ngempela umbono, futhi ngangikwazi lokho, futhi ngangikwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayekwazi lokho, futhi ngangingeke ngikuphike lokho.”13

IBandla liyawuvuma umnikelo owenziwe yizazi ngolwazi lomlando olukulombhalo; umsebenzi wabo usetshenziswe ngemvume yabo.

Washicilelwa okokuqala ngoNovemba 2013.

Izihloko Ezihambisanayo Nalemfundiso

  • Ukuphendula Imibuzo YeVangeli

  • UNkulunkulu iNhloko

  • UNkulunkulu uBaba

  • uJesu Kristu

  • uJoseph Smith

  • UkuBuyiselwa kweBandla

  • UkuBuyiselwa kobuPhristi

Imibhalo Engcwele

Imibhalo Engcwele Engafundwa

Ama-video

“The Restoration”

“Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration”

“Mission Preparation Track 14: Gordon B. Hinckley”

Imithombo Yokufunda

Imithombo Yakho Konke

“History, circa Summer 1832,” The Joseph Smith Papers

“Journal, 1835–1836,” The Joseph Smith Papers

““History, circa June 1839–circa 1841 [Draft 2],” The Joseph Smith Papers

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

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

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

AmaPhephabhuku eBandla

“Preparing for the Restoration,” Ensign, June 1999

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

  1. Isibonelo, bheka, kuJames 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, Ephreli 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. Yonke lemibiko yakhishwa kabusha encwadini kaDean C. Jessee, “The Earliest Documented Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” kuJohn W. Welch, ed., no-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; ngokukaMathewu 17:1–13; ngokukaMaku 9:2–13; ngokukaLuka 9:28–36.

  4. Incwadi ephelele ingatholakala kuJoseph Smith, “Church History,” Times and Seasons 3 (ngoMashi. 1, 1842): 706–10.

  5. Joseph Smith, “Latter Day Saints,” ku-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, kukhona incwadi efanayo eMthonjeni woLwazi woMlando weBandla, eSalt Lake City; umbhalo ubekwe ngendlela ejwayelekile.

  8. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838 (Joseph Smith—History 1:5, 8).

  9. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 (Joseph Smith History, ca. Summer 1832, 3, kuJoseph Smith, “Letter Book A,” Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, eSalt Lake City); Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838 (Joseph Smith—History 1:17).

  10. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1838 (Joseph Smith—History 1:17); Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1835 (Joseph Smith, “Sketch Book of the use of Joseph Smith, jr.,” Journal, Nov. 9–11, 1835, Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, eSalt Lake City.

  11. Umbiko wangonyaka ka-1832 (Joseph Smith History, ca. Summer 1832, 3, in Joseph Smith, “Letter Book A,” Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, eSalt Lake City).

  12. Joseph Smith to William W. Phelps, Nov. 27, 1832, Joseph Smith Collection, Church History Library, eSalt Lake City; kutholakala ku www.josephsmithpapers.org.

  13. Umbiko ka-1838 (Joseph Smith—Umlando 1:25).