O Le Faavaeina o le Ekalesia a Keriso

“Ia E Faalagolago i Mea Ua Tusia” (Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 18:3)
Scene 202, Actors, portraying Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and others gather in the Whitmer home for the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, April 6, 1830.
I le aso 6 o Aperila, 1830, i le faatoa sefulu o aso talu ona muai ofoina atu le Tusi a Mamona mo le faatauina atu i le Falelomitusi o Grandin, sa potopoto ai Iosefa Samita, Oliva Kaotui, ma isi i le fale o Peter ma Mary Uitimera i Faiete, Niu Ioka, e faatulaga le Ekalesia a Keriso.

Na iu lava ina oo mai lenei aso, lea na tele ni masina na faatalitali i ai Iosefa Samita ma ē na mulimuli ia te ia.
D. Brent Walton, brent@dbwalton.com, LDSID: 3448042437151497
Fale ua Toefauina o Peter ma Mary Uitimera.
E silia ma se tausaga na muamua atu, o faaaliga ma talaiga a Iosefa Samita sa amata ta’u atu ai ia Iosefa ma ē na mulimuli ia te ia, e ao ona latou saunia mo le faavaeina o le Ekalesia a Iesu Keriso.1 Ia Mati 1829, i se faaaliga ia Matini Harisi, na folafola mai ai e le Alii e tatau ona faaopoopoina le “Mau a Molimau e Toatolu” i le Tusi a Mamona ma o le lolomiga o le tusi o le a faailo atu ai “le amataga lenei o le fanae ma le oo mai o la’u ekalesia i fafo na i le vao” (Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 5:14).

Ia Iuni, a o lata ina mae’a le faaliliuga, na ave ai e Iosefa ia Oliva Kaotui, Tavita Uitimera, ma Matini Harisi i se nofoaga tuufua i le togavao i le Faatoaga a Uitimera. Ina ua uma le tatalo, sa faaali atu i tamalii e toatolu, ua ta’ua nei o Molimau e Toatolu, ia papatusi ma isi faatufugaga moni e fesootai i le Tusi a Mamona. I a latou molimau tusitusia, o loo aofia i lomiga uma o le Tusi a Mamona, ua tautino atu ai e molimau na latou vaai i se agelu a le Atua o lē na faaali mai ia i latou ia papatusi ma sa poloaiina i latou e, “le siufofoga o le Alii,” e molimau atu e uiga i nei mea (“O Le Mau a Molimau e Toatolu,” Tusi a Mamona, Potutusi o le Talalelei).
Composite image of David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris.
O Molimau e Toatolu (agavale i le taumatau): Oliva Kaotui, Tavita Uitimera, ma Matini Harisi
O se taimi puupuu mulimuli ane, e lata i le Fale i le Faatoaga a Samita i Manaseta, Niu Ioka, na faaali atu ai i molimau faaopoopo e toavalu ia papatusi e Iosefa Samita.
Plague of Joseph Smith showing plates to eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon.
Ua Faaali Atu e Iosefa Samita ia papatusi i Molimau e Toavalu saunia e Avard Fairbanks.
Ia Iuni foi o le 1829, o se faaaliga na faatonuina ai ia Oliva Kaotui e “faalagolago i mea ua tusia,” ae maise lava i vaega na o le Tusi a Mamona lea e talanoa ai i le ekalesia i sa Nifae (Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 18:3).2 I le tali atu, sa amata ai e Oliva se iloiloga toto’a o tusiga o le Tusi a Mamona ma tuufaatasia ai se pepa o faamatalaga lea na ia ta’ua “O se poloaiga mai le Atua ia Oliva i le ala e tatau ona ia atinae ai Lana Ekalesia & le ala e tatau ona faatinoina ai.” O lenei pepa o faamatalaga, na iu ina toe faaigoaina o “Mataupu Faavae o le Ekalesia a Keriso,” na faataoto mai ai le faatulagaga aloaia o le ekalseia lea na tele ina faavae i le ekalesia a sa Nifae.3 O le pepa o faamatalaga na toe faaigoaina, lea na iu ina toe iloiloina e Iosefa Samita o “Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga o le Ekalesia a Keriso” (Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 20, ulutala o le vaega), sa taofia ina ua “faasino mai [i se isi faaaliga] ia te i matou le aso tonu lava … e tatau ona matou agai ai e toe faatulaga le Ekalesia [a Keriso], iinei i luga o le fogaeleele.”4 Faatasi ai ma le saunia o “Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga”, sa na o le lolomiga o le Tusi a Mamona na totoe ona faatoa mafai lea ona faatulagaina le Ekalesia.
Ina ua uma ona lomiaina le Tusi a Mamona ia Mati 26, sa faatulagaina loa le sauniga e faavae ai le Ekalesia. E ui e leai ni minute o le sauniga i le aso 6 o Aperila na maua, ae na i ai ni tagata auai sa tuua ni tala tusia lea ua tuuina mai ai ia i tatou ni otootoga auiliili o le sauniga. Ina ua uma se tatalo amata, sa lagolagoina Iosefa ma Oliva o ni toeaina muamua ma le lua o le Ekalesia, ma o ni faiaoga e tagata o le ekalesia na faapotopoto ai. O le taimi lava na lagolagoina ai, sa auauai e Iosefa ma Oliva ona faauu e le tasi le isi o ni toeaina, sa tufa atu le faamanatuga, ma sa faamauina e Iosefa ma Oliva na tagata o le ekalesia o e na papatisoina muamua ma faaee atu i o latou luga le meaalofa o le Agaga Paia.

Ina ua mae’a ia faamauga, sa tulai Iosefa i luma o le aofia ma faapaiaina le faaaliga lea ua maua nei i le  Mataupu Faavae ma Feagaiga 21. O le taimi lava na maua ai le faaaliga, na faauuina ai e Iosefa ma Oliva ni isi o alii o e sa auai i tofi eseese o le perisitua, ma i le mavae ai “o se taimi fiafia sa matou faaaluina e molimauina ma lagonaina ai mo i matou lava ia mana & faamanuiaga o le Agaga Paia,” sa tusia e Iosefa Samita i se taimi mulimuli ane, “sa matou taape loa ma le malamalama ua faamalieina e faapea o i matou o tagata taitoatasi, ma ua silafiaina e le Atua, ‘O le Ekalesia a Iesu Keriso,’ sa faavaeina e tusa ai ma poloaiga ma faaaliga.”5
I le va o le aso 6 o Aperila ma le aso 9 o Iuni, sa faia ai e Iosefa Samita ma isi ni sauniga faapena i Manaseta ma Colesville, Niu Ioka, lea sa latou faavaeina ai ni paranesi faaopoopo o le Ekalesia. I le aso 9 o Iuni, 1830, i le taimi o le uluai konafesi a le Ekalesia lea na faia i le Fale o Uitimera i Faiete, Niu Ioka, na faailoa atu ai mo se palota lagolago a le au paia ia le “Tulafono ma Feagaiga o le Ekalesia a Keriso,” o le pepa o faamatalaga lea sa fatuina e Oliva ma Iosefa e faataoto atu ai le ala e tatau ona pulea ai le Ekalesia.6
  1. Iosefa Samita, i le History, 1838–1856, [Manuscript History of the Church], volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], 28, josephsmithpapers.org
  2. Joseph Smith Papers, i le Historical Introduction to Revelation, June 1829–B [D&C 18], 34, josephsmithpapers.org
  3. Michael Hubbard McKay, Sacred Space: Exploring the Birthplace of Mormonism, (Provo ma Salt Lake City: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University and Deseret Book, 2016).
  4. Joseph Smith, i le History, 1838–1856, [Manuscript History of the Church], volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], 29, josephsmithpapers.org
  5. Joseph Smith, i le History, 1838–1856, [Manuscript History of the Church], volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834], 38, josephsmithpapers.org
  6. Tagai Joseph Smith Papers, i le Historical Introduction, “Articles and Covenants, pe tusa ma Aperila 1830 [D&C 20]”, josephsmithpapers.org