Yɛreyɛ Nokwafo ama Hɛn Egyanon Edzikamfo Hɔn Gyedzi

Nna John Linford edzi mfe 43 ber a ɔnye ne yer, Maria, na hɔn mba mbanyin mu baasa bɔɔ adwenpɔw dɛ wobegya hɔn fie wɔ Gravely, England, etu kwan akwansin mpempem akɛkã Ahotseweefo no ho wɔ Great Salt Lake Bɔnsa no mu. Wogyaa hɔn babanyin a otsĩa anan no wɔ ekyir, a nna ɔrosom wɔ asɛmpakã dwuma, tɔɔn hɔn ahodze, na wɔkɔr Liverpool kɔfoow nsuhɛn Thornton.

Po do akwantu dze kɔ New York City, na nkyii wɔ asaase do dze kɔ Iowa, kɔr do tɔɔtsen. Mbom Linfordfo no nye Nda a Odzi Ekyir Ahotseweefo binom so a wɔfoow Thornton faa po do no fiir edzi fii Iowa Kuropɔn wɔ Ayɛwoho 15, 1856 mu no, dɛ wɔkã James G. Willie hwiir a anantwi twe esian kuw no ho no, annkyɛr na ɔhaw hyɛɛ ase.

Wimu mframa dzen nye akwantu mu ɔbrɛ no kãa kuwmba no hɔn mu pii, a nna John kã ho. Ekyir no ɔyaree ma ɔyɛɛ mberɛw ara ma dɛ nna ɔwɔ dɛ wotwuw no wɔ hwiir no mu. Ber a kuw no duur Wyoming no, nna n’apɔwmudzen agogow koraa. Kuw bi a ofi Salt Lake rebɛgye hɔn no duur Ɔbɛsɛ 21, ndɔnhwer tsiabaa wɔ John no wu ekyir. Dɛm anapa tutu noara na owui wɔ Sweetwater Esutsen n’egya.

Ana ɔyɛɛ John yaw dɛ ɔdze n’ahomka na ahotɔ sesãa aperdzi, ankonamyɛ, na nkõdzen dɛ ɔdze n’ebusua bɔkɔ Zion?

“Oho, Maria,” ɔkãa kyerɛɛ ne yer ansaana orubowu. “Ɔyɛ me enyigye dɛ yɛbae. Merenntsena ase nndu Salt Lake, mbom ɔwo nye mbanyimba no bɔkɔ, na mennfe moho ekyir wɔ dza yɛafa mu nyina sɛ mbanyimba no botum enyin na wɔatsetse hɔn ebusua ebusua wɔ Zion a.”¹

Maria nye ne mbabanyin no wieii hɔn akwantu no. Bɛyɛ mfe 30 ekyir no Maria wuii, ɔnye John gyaa gyedzi, som na afɔrbɔ egyapadze wɔ ekyir.

Ibɛyɛ Nda a Odzi Ekyir Ɔhotseweenyi nye ibɛyɛ odzikannyi, osiandɛ odzikannyi ne nkyerɛasee nye dɛ “obi a odzi kan kesiesie anaa obuei kwan ma binom dzi ekyir.”² Edua afɔrbɔ mu a na ibɛyɛ odzikannyi. Wɔnnse Asɔrmba no bio dɛ wongyaa hɔn efiefi na wontu kwan nkɔ Zion dze, naaso otwar dɛ wɔtaa gya hɔn suban dadaw, kusum a wɔayɛ akyɛr na anyɛnkofo mapã no ekyir. Binom bɔ adwenpɔw yaayaw dɛ wobegyaa hɔn ebusuafo a wɔkõ tsia hɔn Asɔrbayɛ ho no wɔ ekyir. Naaso Nda a Odzi Ekyir Ahotseweefo kɔ kan, a hɔn mpaa nye dɛ adɔfo yinom bɛtse hɔn ase na wɔagye hɔn ato mu.

Odzikannyi n’akwan nnyɛ mberɛw, mbom yetsiatsia Odzikannyi tsitsir no—Agyenkwa no mpo—Ɔno a Odzii kan, kyerɛɛ hɛn kwan a yemfa do no, anamɔn mu.

Ɔato nsa afrɛ dɛ “Hom mbɛka Mo do,”³

Ɔsee dɛ, “Emi nye ɔkwan no, nye nokwar no, nye nkwa no,”⁴

Ɔafrɛ dɛ, “Hom mbra Me nkyɛn,”⁵

Kwan no do botum ayɛ dzen. Ɔyɛ binom dzen dɛ wobegyina atwetwesi na kasatsĩa a hɔn a wɔnnsɛ yɛ dze tsĩa ahosan, nokwardzi, nye Nyame Ne mbrasɛm ho setsie. Mbom wiadzemba ebu nkyerɛkyerɛ ne ndzi do ho enyimtsia daa. Wɔhyɛɛ Noah dɛ ɔmpaam hɛn no, dɔm a wonnyim hwee no hwɛɛ wimu a munumkum biara nnyi na nkyii wosii atwetwe na wɔserewee—kɛpeem dɛ nsu tɔree.

Mfe aha pii a abɛsen kɔ no wɔ America man do no, nkorɔfo gyee kyim, powee, na wɔyɛɛ asokyew kɛpem dɛ ogya hyeew Zarahemla, asaase hataa Moronihah do, na nsu kataa Moroni do. Na aserewserew, atwetwesi, paserew na bɔn nnyi hɔ bio. Tsinkomm, sum kebii na ɔhyɛɛ ananmu. Nyankopɔn n’abotar ber edu. Ne mber nhyehyɛɛ ahyɛ mã.

Atseetsee a nna ɔwɔ mu wɔ England, n’akwantu no mu nkõdzen dze kɔ “bea no a Nyame … esiesie,”⁶ na nsɔhwɛ a ɔtoado a ɔsɔwee ma n’ebusua na Asɔr no mpo amma Maria Linford ne gyedzi annyew dabiarada.

Afe 1937 mu wɔ ne nda ho ayɛdze a wɔdze kaa Maria no, Elder George Albert Smith (1870–1951) bisaa n’asefo dɛ: “Ana hom dze hom ewuakɔr gyedzi no bɔbɔ bra nokwar mu a?” … Hom mper dɛ hom bɛfata afɔrbɔ nyina (wɔa)yɛ ama hom no.”⁷

Ber a yɛhwehwɛ dɛ yɛbɛkyekyer Zion wɔ hɛn akoma mu, hɛn efiefi, hɛn sɔn horow mu, na hɛn aman horow mu no, hom mma yɛnkaa hɔn a wɔdze akokodur a osi pi na gyedzi a otsim dze hɔn adzeadze nyina mae ama yeenya asɛmpa nsan-ananmu ho nhyira mu dɛwdzi, nye n’enyidado na anohoba a ɔnam Jesus Christ no Werdambɔ do no.