Uthando Olugqibeleleyo Lukhuphela ngaPhandle Uloyiko

Eminyakeni engamakhulu ambalwa eyadlulayo kuMntla Melika, iphulo olwalubizwa “Imvuselelo Enkulu” laye lanwenwa kwilizwe lonke. Enye yeenjongo zalo yayikukuvuselela abantu ababebonakala ngathi balele malunga nezinto zasemoyeni.

UJoseph Smith omncinane waye waphenjelelwa zizinto awayethe waziva kubashumayeli ababeyinxalenye yalemvuselelo lwezenkolo. Lwalu sesinye sezizathu zokuba agqibe kwelokuba afune ngokunyanisekileyo intando yeNkosi kumthandazo wabucala.

Aba bashumayeli babenendlela yokushumayela ebaxayo yeqonga elilisayo, neentshumayelo ezazisaziwa ngogxininiselo lwabo olunzima kukwantyo lomlilo lwesihogo esilindele aboni.¹ Iintetho zabo zazingabalalisi abantu—kodwa kwakunokwenzeka zazibangela iinarhumane ezimbalwa. Iinjongo zabo kunye nenkqubo yabo yayibonakala ikukoyikisa abantu ukuba baye ecaweni.

Ngokwembali, uloyiko lwalusetyenziswa rhoqo njengendlela yokwenza abantu ukuba bathabathe isenzo. Abazali balusebenzisile ebantwaneni babo, abaqeshi kubaqeshwa, kunye nabapolitiki nabanyuli.

Iingcaphephe kwezentengiso ziyawaqonda amandla woloyiko kwaye ziyawasebenzisa rhoqo. Yiyo loonto ezinye iintengiso zibonakala ziqulathe umyalezo ongangqalanga ngqo kangangokuba ukuba siyohlulakala ukuthenga isidlo sabo sangentsasa okanye siphulukana nomdlalo omtsha womboniso bhanya-bhanya okanye imfonomfono entsha, sibasesichengeni sokuphila ubomi obuhluphekileyo, sife sisodwa kwaye singonwabanga.

Siye sikuncumele oku kwaye sicinge okokuba asiyokuze siwele inkqatho enjalo, kodwa ngamanye amaxesha senzenjalo. Okubi kakhulu, ngamanye amaxesha siye sisebenzise iindlela ezinjalo zokwenza abanye abantu ukuba benze into esiyifunayo.

Umyalezo wam uneenjongo ezimbini namhlanje: Eyokuqala kukusikhuthaza ukuba sijongosise kwaye sicingisise ngenqanaba esithi thina sisebenzise uloyiko ukukhuthaza abanye— kuquka nathi ubuqu bethu. Eyesibini kukubonisa indlela engcono.

Okokuqala, masixazulule ingxaki ngoloyiko. Emveni kwako konke, ngubani phakathi kwethu ongazange wanyanzelwa luloyiko ukuba atye ngcono, anxibe ibhanti lesitulo semoto, ajime ngamandla, onge imali, okanye aguquke nkqu nasesonweni?

Kuyinyaniso okokuba uloyiko lungabanempembelelo engamandla kwiizenzo zethu kunye nempatho yethu. Kodwa loo mpembelelo ithanda ukuba yelethutyana kwaye ayikho nzulu. Uloyiko lunqabile ukuba namandla okuguqula iintliziyo zethu, kwaye alusokuze lusiguqule ukuba sibengabantu abathanda into elungileyo kwaye abafuna ukuthobela uBawo OseZulwini.

Abantu aboyikayo basenako ukutsho kwaye bangenza izinto ezilungileyo, kodwa ibengu nkqi ukuziva izinto ezilungileyo. Bona bahlala beziva bengancedakali kwaye benobukrakra, nkqu benomsindo. Emva kwexesha le mizwa ikhokelela ekukrokreleni, ekuchaseni, nkqu novukelo.

Ngelishwa, le ndlela elahlekayo ebomini kunye nakubukhokheli ayipheleli kwizinto zehlabathi. Kundivisa ubuhlungu ukuva amalungu weBandla esebenzisa ubukhosi obungalunganga— nokuba kusemakhayeni wawo, kubizo lwawo eBandleni, emsebenzini, okanye kunxibelelwano lwabo lwemihla-ngemihla nabanye abantu.

Rhoqo, abantu bangakuyigweba intlonti kwabanye, kodwa bona abakwazi ukuyibona kwiziqu zabo. Bona bafuna ukuba kuhanjiswane nemithetho yabo egwenxa, kodwa xa abanye bengayilandeli le mithetho ingaqhelekanga, baye babohlwaye ngeentetho,ngemizwa, kwaye ngamanye amaxesha nkqu nasesiqwini.

INkosi itshilo ukuba “xa thina … sisebenzisa ulawulo okanye ubukhosi okanye unyanzeliso phezu kwemiphefumlo yabantwana bomntu, nakweliphi na inqanaba lokungalungisi, … amazulu ayazikhupha [kwaye] uMoya weNkosi uyakhathazeka.”²

Kungabakhona amaxa xa siye sihendeke ukuba sithethelele izenzo zethu ngokukholelwa okokuba isiphelo sithethelela iindlela. Mhlawumbi singacinga okokuba ukulawula, ukuqhatha, kwaye nokuba ngqongqo kuya kuba kokulungileyo kwabanye. Akunjalo, kuba iNkosi ikwenze kwacaca okokuba “isiqhamo soMoya luthando, uvuyo, uxolo, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ububele, ukulunga, intembeko, ubulali, [kunye] nokuzeyisa.”³

Njengoko ndisiya ndisazi uBawo wam Osezulwini ngakumbi, kulapho ndibona ukuba Yena ubaphembelela kwaye ubakhokelela kanjani abantwana baKhe. Yena akanamsindo, akanisixhiba, okanye aziphindisele.⁴ Eyona njongo yakhe— umsebenzi waKhe kunye nozuko lwaKhe— kukusiqeqesha, asisindise, kwaye asikhokelele ekupheleleni kwaKhe.⁵

UThixo wazichaza kuMosisi njengo “nemfesane, onobabalo, ozeka kade umsindo, omninzi ngenceba nenyaniso.”⁶

Uthando lukaBawo wethu Osezulwini kuthi, bantwana baKhe, lugqitha kude lee ukukwazi kwethu ukuqonda ubukhona bethu bokuqonda.⁷

Ingaba oku kuthetha okokuba uThixo uyazixhasa okanye uyazivumela izimilo zethu ezihamba ngokuchasene nemithetho yaKhe? Hayi, ngokuqinisekileyo, akunjalo!

Kodwa Yena ufuna ukuguqula ngaphezulu nje kwezimilo zethu. Yena ufuna ukuguqula izimo zethu. Yena ufuna ukuguqula iintliziyo zethu.

Yena ufuna ukuba sifikelele kwaye sibambelele ngokuqinileyo kwintonga yesinyithi, sijongane noloyiko lwethu, kwaye ngokukhalipha sinyathelele phambili kunye naphezulu kwindlela ecutheneyo kwa nemxinwa. Yena usifunela oku kuba Yena uyasithanda kwaye kuba le yindlela eya elonwabeni.

Ngoko ke, ingaba uThixo ubakhuthaza kanjani abantwana baKhe ukuba bamlandele kulomhla wethu?

Yena wathumela uNyana waKhe!

UThixo wathumela uNyana waKhe oyiNtanda, uYesu Krestu, ukuba asibonise indlela elungileyo.

UThixo ukhuthaza ngokuthundeza, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ululamo, ububele, ubulali, kunye nothando olungahanahanisiyo.⁸ UThixo ungakwicala lethu. Yena uyasithanda, kwaye xa sikhubeka, Yena ufuna ukuba siphakame, sizame kwakhona, somelele ngakumbi.

Yena ungumqeqeshi wethu.

Yena ulithemba lethu elikhulu nelithandekayo.

Yena unqwenela ukusikhuthaza ngokholo.

Yena uyasithemba ukuba siyakufunda kumanyathelo wethu awagwenxa kwaye senze ukhetho olulungileyo.

Le yeyona ndlela engcono!⁹

Enye yeendlela uSathana afuna ukuba siqhathe abanye ngayo kukuhlala phezu kwaye nkqu nokubaxa ukungcola kwehlabathi.

Ngokuqinisekileyo ihlabathi lethu lwalusoloko, kwaye luyakusoloko liqhubeka, ukungagqibeleli. Abantu abaninzi abamsulwa kakhulu bayahlupheka ngenxa yeemeko zendalo kunye nezo ziphuma ebantwini abangenabuntu. Ubuqhophololo kunye nobubi kulomhla wethu bukhethekile kwaye buyothusa.

Kodwa kuko konke oku, andingekhe nditshintshise ngokuphila kwelixesha nelinye ixesha kwimbali yehlabathi. Sisikelelekile ngaphaya kokuqonda ngokuphila kumhla wobutyebi obungalinganiyo, nowokhanyiso, kunye nowenzuzo. Ngaphezulu kwako konke, sisikelelekile nokuphelela kwevangeli kaYesu Krestu, ethi isinikeze umbono okhethekileyo kwiingozi zehlabathi kwaye isibonise ukuba singazinqanda kanjani ezi ngozi okanye sijongane nazo kanjani.

Xa ndicinga ngeziintsikelelo, ndifuna ukuwa ngamadolo wam kwaye ndinikele ndidumise uBawo wethu Osezulwini ngothando lwaKhe olungapheliyo olukubo bonke abantwana baKhe.

Andikholelwa ukuba uThixo ufuna abantwana baKhe ukuba boyike okanye baphile ebubini behlabathi. “Kuba uThixo akasinikanga moya wabugwala; wasinika owamandla, nowothando, nowesidima.”¹⁰

Yena usinike ngokugqithisileyo izizathu zokuvuya. Sidinga nje ukuzifumana kunye nokuziqaphela. INkosi iyasikhumbuza rhoqo ukuba “singoyiki,” “sibe nolonwabo,”¹¹ kwaye “ningoyiki, mhlambi omncinane.”¹²

Bazalwane kunye noodade, thina “singumhlambi omncinane” weNkosi. Thina singaBangcwele bemihla yokugqibela. Okuhamba negama lethu kukuzinikezela ekujongeni phambili kubuyo loMsindisi kwaye nokuzilungiselela thina buqu kunye nehlabathi ukuze simamkele Yena. Ngako oko, masikhonzeni uThixo kwaye sithande oogxa bethu. Masikwenzeni oku ngokuzithemba okuyindalo, ngentobeko, singasoze sijongele phantsi nayiphi na inkolo okanye iqela labantu. Bazalwane noodade, thina siyalelwe ngokufunda ilizwi likaThixo kunye nokuthobela ilizwi loMoya, khon’ ukuze “siyazi imiqondiso yamaxesha, kunye nemiqondiso yokuza koNyana woMntu.”¹³

Ngoko ke, thina, masingathi asiyazi imicelingeni yehlabathi, okanye ngathi asibuqondi ubunzima bamaxesha wethu. Kodwa oku akutsho ukuba kumele ukuba sizithwalise kunye nabanye ngoloyiko rhoqo. Kunokuthi sihlale kububanzi bemicelingeni yethu, ingaba bekungena kubangcono ukuba siqwalasele kubukhulu obungapheliyo, kubulungisa, kunye nakumandla azimeleyo kaThixo wethu, sithembe Yena kwaye silungiselele ngentliziyo egcobileyo ukubuya kukaYesu uKrestu?

Njengabantu baKhe bomnqophiso, thina asidingi ukukhutyaziswa luloyiko ngenxa yezinto ezimbi ezinokwenzeka. Endaweni yoko, singaqhubekela phambili ngokholo, ngenkalipho, ngokuzinikela, kunye nethemba kuThixo njengoko sijongana nemicelingeni kunye namathuba angaphambili.¹⁴

Thina asihambi kwindlela yobufundi sisodwa. “UYehova uThixo wakho… ohamba nawe; akayi kukuyekela, akayi kukushiya.”¹⁵

“UYehova uya kunilwela, ke nina niya kuthi cwaka.”¹⁶

Ebusweni boloyiko, masifumaneni inkalipho, siqokeleleni ukholo lwethu, kwaye sibenokuthembela kwisithembiso sokuba “zonke izixhobo ezikhandelwa ukulwa nawe aziyi kuba nampumelelo.”¹⁷

Ingaba siphila kwixesha lengozi enkulu kunye nelenkxalabo enkulu? Ngokwenene siphila kulo.

UThixo Yena buqu utshilo, “Ehlabathini niya kuba nembandezelo; yomelelani, mna ndiloyisile ihlabathi.”¹⁸

Ingaba singalusebenzisa ukholo ekukholelweni kwaye senze njengoko? Ingaba singaphila ngokuzinikela kwethu kunye neminqophiso yethu engcwele? Ingaba singayigcina imithetho kaThixo nkqu nakwiimeko zethu zemicelingeni? Ngokwenene singakwazi!

Singakwazi kuba uThixo uthembisile, “Zonke izinto zisebenziselana okulungileyo kuni, ukuba [nina] nihamba nithe ngqo.”¹⁹ Ngoko ke, masibekeni bucala uloyiko lwethu kwaye endaweni yoko siphile ngovuyo, ngentobeko, ngethemba, kunye nangokuzithemba okukhaliphileyo ekubeni iNkosi inathi.

Bahlobo bam abathandekayo, bazalwane noodade bam abathandekayo kuKrestu, ukuba kuyenzeka ukuba sizifumane siphila eloyikweni okanye exhaleni, okanye ukuba sithi sifumane amazwi wethu, impatho yethu, okanye izenzo zethu zibangela uloyiko kwabanye, ndiyathandaza ngamandla womphefumlo wam okokuba singakhululwa koluloyiko ngeyeza elibekelwe uloyiko ngobuthixo: uthando olumsulwa lukaKrestu, kuba “uthando olugqibeleleyo lulukhuphela ngaphandle uloyiko.”²⁰

Uthando olugqibeleleyo lukaKrestu luyazoyisa izihendo zokwenzakalisa, zokunyanzelisa, zokuxhaphaza, okanye zokucinezela.

Uthando olugqibeleleyo lukaKrestu lusivumela ukubasihambe ngentobeko, ngesidima, kunye nokuzithemba okukhaliphileyo njengabafundi boMsindisi wethu oyintanda. Uthando olugqibeleleyo lukaKrestu lusinika ukuzithemba ekufunzeleni kuloyiko lwethu kunye nasekubekeni ithemba lethu elipheleleyo emandleni kunye nasebulungiseni bukaBawo wethu Osezulwini kunye noNyana waKhe, uYesu Krestu.

Emakhayeni wethu, kwiindawo zethu zamashishini, kubizo lwethu eBandleni, ezintliziyweni zethu, masifakeni uthando olugqibeleleyo lukaKrestu endaweni yoloyiko. Uthando lukaKrestu luyakususa uloyiko ngokholo!

Uthando lwakhe luyakusenza ukuba siqaphele, sithembe, kwaye sibenokholo kubulungisa bukaBawo wethu Osezulwini, kwicebo laKhe lobuthixo, kwivangeli yaKhe, kunye nemithetho yaKhe.²¹ Ukuthanda uThixo kunye noogxa bethu kuya kujika intobeko yethu kwimithetho kaThixo ukuba ibe yintsikelelo kunokuba ibengumthwalo. Uthando lukaKrestu luyakusinceda ukuba sibenobubele obungcono, sixolele ngakumbi, sikhathale ngakumbi, kwaye sizinikele ngakumbi kumsebenzi waKhe.

Njengoko sizalisa iintliziyo zethu ngothando lukaKrestu, siyakuvuseleleka ngobutsha bomoya ovuselelweyo kwaye siyakuhamba ngovuyo, ngokuzithemba, sivukile, kwaye siphila ekukhanyeni kunye nakuzuko loMsindisi wethu oyintanda, uYesu Krestu.

Ndiyangqina, kunye noMpostile uYohane, “Akukho loyiko eluthandweni [lukaKrestu].²² Bazalwane kunye noodade, bahlobo abathandekayo, uThixo uyanazi ngokugqibeleleyo. Yena unithanda ngokugqibeleleyo. Yena uyazi ukuba ikamva lenu liniphatheleni na. Yena ufuna okokuba “musa ukoyika, kholwa kodwa wena”²³ kwaye “uhlale eluthandweni lwakhe [olugqibeleleyo].”²⁴ Lo ngumthandazo wam kunye nentsikelelo yam egameni likaYesu Krestu, amen.