Akwa Mboho
Kusin Mbɔm Fo
Akwa Mbono Ɔfiɔŋ Duop 2025


10:43

Kusin Mbɔm Fo

Afo emenyene ufaŋ ɔnɔ edisana uŋwam ye erikɔk isehe mmem idem fo nte owo.

Andikpep ini kiet ama ekpep ete ke isɔnsi—okposukedide ke okpon—ikemeke ndimen owo ke ntak emi enye enyenede ekpri usuŋ-itɔŋ. Eyen anwan kiet ama ɔdɔhɔ ete, “Edi isɔnsi ama emen Jonah.” Andikpep oro ama ɔbɔrɔ ete, “Utɔ ŋkpɔ oro ikemeke nditibe.” Ke ini mikiyuhɔke, eyen anwan oro ama ɔdɔhɔ ete, “Ɔfɔn, mma nka heaven nyebup enye.” Andikpep oro asak ete, “Nso iditibe edieke Jonah ekedide anam idiɔk ndien ikikaha heaven?” Eyen anwan oro ama ɔbɔrɔ ete, “Ke ntre afo emekeme ndibup enye.”

Nnyin imisak, edi inaha nte nnyin inana odudu emi mbuk Jonah ɔnɔde “kpukpru mme oyom inemesit ke nsuhɔde idem,” akpan akpan mbon emi esuk edomode edomo.

Abasi ɔkɔnɔ Jonah uyo ete “ka Nineveh” ke kwɔrɔ erikabare esit. Edi Nineveh ekedi ata usua Israel ke eset—ke ntre Jonah ama ɔsɔp idem aka ata nsakiso usuŋ efen, ke ubom, aka Tarshish. Nte enye akawatde ɔwɔrɔ ɔkpɔŋ ikot esie, ofum-usip-ubom ama adaha. Ke ɔfiɔkde ke ntid-utɔŋ esie edi mfina, Jonah ama enyime ete etop enye esio ke ubom. Emi ama anam akpa ebit, emi akanyaŋade mbon ubom oro.

Ke mkpaidem, Jonah ama ɔbɔhɔ mkpa ke ini “akamba iyak” eke Jehovah “edi” edimen enye. Edi enye ama odu ke ekim unana idorenyin oro ye utebe ebiet ke usen ita, tutu ke akpatre etop enye edori ke nsat isɔŋ. Enye ndien enyime ikot esie ndika Nineveh. Edi, ke ini obio oro ekabadere esit ndien ebɔhɔ nsobo, Jonah ɔtɔhɔ abaŋa mbɔm emi ekenyenede enɔ mme asua esie. Abasi ada ime ekpep Jonah ete ke Enye ama onyuŋ oyom ndinyaŋa kpukpru nditɔ Esie.

Ke ɔduɔde ediwak ini ke utom esie, Jonah edi ata ntiense ete ke uwem emi ke, “ofuri owo eduɔ.” Nnyin isiwakke nditiŋ mbaŋa ikɔ ntiense eke Iduɔ. Edi ndinyene ifiɔk eke ukpep-ŋkpɔ ye ntiense eke spirit kabaŋa ntak emi edide akamba edidiɔŋ ɔnɔ nnyin kiet kiet ndiŋwana ye mme afanikɔŋ eke eti edu, obuk-idem, ye mme idaha edi akpan. Mi ke ererimbot, mme idiɔk mbiet ekɔri, ŋko mme nsɔŋ ɔkpɔ ebuŋɔ, ndien kpukpru owo “edinan ubɔŋ Abasi.” Edi idaha eti edu emi—edi edide oto mme edimak emi Adam ye Eve ekenamde—edi akpan ɔnɔ ntak emi nnyin idude: “man [nnyin] inyene idaresit”! Nte akpa ete ye eka nnyin ekekpepde, edi ke nditabi idot nyuŋ nkop ubiak eke ererimbot emi ɔduɔde ikpɔŋ ke nnyin ikeme ndikere, nnyuŋ nkop, ata inemesit.

Ikɔ ntiense eke Iduɔ ifenke inɔ idiɔk-ŋkpɔ mme ifu ke mme utom uwem, emi kpukpru ini oyomde ntiŋ-enyin, eti ido, ye ndinam ibat. Edi ana nte omum mme edikpu nnyin ke mme ini ŋkpɔ ebiarade mme nnyin ikutde mbiara ke eti ido owo ke ufɔk, ufan, mme ada usuŋ. Mme ŋkpɔ ntem esiwak ndinam nnyin ndisine ke ndiɔi eneni mme efaŋa emi osuhɔde mbuɔtidem nnyin. Edi ɔsɔŋɔ ikɔ ntiense abaŋade Iduɔ ekeme ediŋwam nnyin itim itie nte Abasi nte Jonah etiŋde, oro edi, “mbɔm, isɔpke iyaresit, ndien enyene akwa mfɔnido” enɔ kpukpru owo—ye idem nnyin—ke idaha nnyin emi mifɔnke ima.

Ke okponde akan ndiwut se iwɔrɔde ke Iduɔ, mbuk Jonah ada odudu owut nnyin Enye emi ekemede ndinam nnyin ibɔhɔ ke mme ntuk oro. Jonah ndiwa idem esie man anwam mbon ubom esie edi ido Christ ke akpanikɔ. Ndien ikata ke ini ekefinade Jesus ebaŋa utibe idiɔŋɔ kabaŋa edu Abasi Esie, Enye ɔkɔbɔrɔ ete “ke owo idinɔhɔ idiɔŋɔ ndomokiet … ibɔhɔke idiɔŋɔ Jonas [Jonah] ikpɔŋ,” ke edinɔ, ɔdɔhɔde ete nte Jonah okodude “usen ita ye okoneyo ita ke idibi isɔnsi, ntre ke Eyen owo edidu usen ita ye okoneyo ita ke esit isɔŋ.” Nte se idade inɔ mkpa uwa Andinyaŋa ye ediye Eriset ke mkpa, Jonah ekeme ndinyene ndo. Edi emi ŋko edi se inamde ntiense idem esie ye ntiŋ enyin ke Jesus Christ, emi ekenɔde ke idibi isɔnsi, enyene mbɔm ye uko.

Eyet Jonah edi eke eti owo emi enyenede mfina, enye emi edide ke enye anam. Ke eke edisana owo, ke ini ŋkpɔ ntibe otode ido emi etuade ŋkpɔfiɔk, ikɔ, mme edimek, ke misehe ata ediwak eti uduak ye ata edinam edinen ido, ekeme ndinam etie nte ke ekure onyuŋ anam enyene ekikere ke ekpɔŋ enye. Edi se ikpidedi ntak mme idaha mfina emi nnyin ikutde, kpukpru ini nsat isɔŋ eke idorenyin, erikɔk, ye inemesit edu. Ekpaŋ utɔŋ enɔ Jonah:

“Ami nseme ke ntak ukut mi nnɔ Jehovah … ; ke idibi hell ke ami nseme. …

“Koro afo ama otop mi esin ke utuŋɔ mmɔŋ, ke ufɔt akpa; …

“[Ndien] ami ndɔhɔ nte, esio mi ke iso fo; edi ami nyefiak nse edisana temple fo.

“Mme mmɔŋ ekanadere mi ekuk, tutu edisim ukpɔŋ: mkpa akanadere mi okuk, ekewaŋ mme mbiet ke ibuot mi.

“Ami mma nsuhɔde nka idak mme obot; … edi afo ememenede uwem mi osio ke mbiara. …

“Ke ini idem ekememde ukpɔŋ mi … ami mma nti Jehovah: ndien akam mi ama edi … ediduk ke edisana temple fo.

“Mbon emi enimde nsu-nsu ye ikpikpu ŋkpɔ eduɔk mfɔn mmɔ.

“Edi ami nyewa uwa nnɔ fi ye uyo ekɔm; ami nyesio se ŋkekaŋade. Erinyaŋa enyene Jehovah.”

Okposuk edide ke ekedi ediwak isua emi ekebede, ami mekeme ndidɔhɔ mbufo ata ebiet emi nketiede ye se nkekerede ke ini, nkodude ke idibi hell mi, ami mma nkut ŋwed Abasi emi. Owo ekededi mfin emi emi ekerede nte ami nkekerede ini oro—ete ke ebin fi esio, nsipde ke mme utuŋɔ mmɔŋ, ndien mbiet inyaŋ kabaŋa ibuot fo ndien mme ikpɔ obot inyaŋ ekanare fi ekuk—ebeŋe mi, ke ntide Jonah, edi kusin mbɔm fo. Afo emenyene ufaŋ ɔnɔ edisana unwam ye edikɔk isehe mmem idem fo nte owo. Mbɔm mkpaidem emi oto onyuŋ ebe ke Jesus Christ. Ke ntak emi Enye enehede ɔfiɔk onyuŋ ama fi, Enye ɔnɔ fi nte “okwo,” emi ɔwɔrɔde ke enam enɔ fi, enam ete anam mme ukut fo emem ndien ɔkɔk mme ubiak fo . Ke ntre, ke ntak heaven ye okwo, kuŋwɔŋɔde edem fo unɔ enye. Bɔ enye. Tɔŋɔ ke edisin ndikpaŋ nnɔ “mme ikpikpu abiaŋa” eke asua, emi edidomode fi ndikere ete ke ubɔhɔ edi ke ndiwat ndaha mkpɔŋ mme ubiɔŋ utom spirit fo. Edi, tiene ndausuŋ Jonah emi ekekabadere esit. Seme nnɔ Abasi. Wɔŋɔde se Temple. Mum mme ediomi fo kama. Nam utom nnɔ Jehovah, Ufɔk Abasi Esie, ye mbon efen ye uwa ye ekɔm.

Ndinam mme ŋkpɔ emi ada nkukut eke saŋa-saŋa ediomi ima eke Abasi ɔsɔk fi—se Bible Hebrew okotde hesed. Afo eyekut onyuŋ okop odudu akpanikɔ, ikpaha mba, ikureke, ye “mme suŋ-suŋ mbɔm” Abasi emi ekemede ndinam fi “okpon… ke … edinyaŋa” ke idiɔk-ŋkpɔ mme mfiak-edem ekededi. Ɔkpɔsɔŋ ye ukut emi ɔsɔpde edi ekeme ndifuk nkukut oro ke akpa. Edi nte afo akade iso “ndisio akaŋa emi ɔkɔŋwɔŋɔde,” utɔ nkukut oro eyeyama akan akpa ke ukpɔŋ fo. Ndien ye ŋkukut oro afo oyokut idorenyin ye erikɔk, edi, ke mkpaidem, afo oyokut idaraesit, kpa ke ufɔt obube ukut fo. President Russell M. Nelson ekenehede ekpep nnyin ɔfɔn ete “Ke ini se nnyin isede ke uwem nnyin edide uduak erinyaŋa Abasi … ye Jesus Christ ye gospel Esie, nnyin iyekop idaraesit isehe se itibede—mme se mitibeke—ke uwem nnyin. Idara oto onyuŋ edi ke ntak Esie.”

Mme nnyin ikut utuŋɔ mmɔŋ, ukt nte eke Jonah, mme mme mfina ke usen ke usen eke idiɔk ererimbot nnyin, ikot edi ukem: Kusin mbɔm fo. Se idiɔŋɔ eke Jonah, odu-uwem Christ, Enye emi ekesetde ke udi usen-ita Esie ke ama ekekan kpukpru ŋkpɔɔnɔ fi. Ewɔŋɔre etiene Enye. Ebuɔtidem ke Enye. Nam utom nnɔ Enye. Sak imam. Ke Enye, ye ke Enye ikpɔŋ, ke ekut ɔyɔhɔ ye edisɔbɔ inemesit emi otode Iduɔ, erikɔk emi nnyin kpukpru iyomde ke usɔp inyuŋ iyomde ke nsuhɔde idem. Ami metie ntiense nte ke emi edi akpanikɔ. Ke edisana enyiŋ Jesus Christ, amen.

Mkpri ŋwed

  1. Alma 27:18. A mere 48 verses in total, the book of Jonah is a compressed, poetic classic of numerous doctrinal truths and spiritual lessons. See Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-Day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament (1993), 653–57; D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner, Verse by Verse: The Old Testament, vol. 2, 1 Kings Through Malachi (2013), 133–38. Ogden and Skinner note that due to the power of the teachings of repentance in the book of Jonah, it is “read in synagogues on the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people—the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur—which also centers on repentance and forgiveness.”

  2. See Ogden and Skinner, Verse by Verse: The Old Testament, 134.

  3. Se Jonah 1–4.

  4. Alma 34:9.

  5. Romans 3:23.

  6. Se 2 Nephi 2:17–25.

  7. Jonah 4:2.

  8. See Luke 11:29–30; see also Matthew 12:39–41; 16:1–4.

  9. Jonah 2 is a later testimony and psalm of thanks, much of which describes Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the whale.

  10. In this way, Jonah contrasts with someone like Job, who appears seemingly innocent with respect to the suffering that comes to him. Both are stories of faith and resilience in the face of catastrophe, but Jonah’s might be more relatable for those who feel their own deeds are the justifiable source of their pain.

  11. It certainly was for Joseph Smith when his heartfelt empathy and appreciation for his benefactor Martin Harris led him to share with Harris the precious first 116 pages of translation of the Book of Mormon that then went missing, which caused Joseph to wail, “All is lost” (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 43–53).

  12. Jonah 2:2–9; emphasis added.

  13. 1 Nephi 1:20; see Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 6, 10. The original Hebrew word for mercy in Jonah 2 is hesed, which President Nelson explains is a “special kind of love and mercy” for those who have made sacred covenants with God—a mercy that he explained is loyal, untiring, and inexhaustible.

  14. Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Liahona, Nov. 2016, 82.