Abaprofethi ngokuKhokela Thina

Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo, mna ndandihleli kwigumbi leTempile yaseSalt Lake apho uBongameli Bokuqala kunye neQumrhu labaPostile Abalishumi elinambini bahlangana khona kanye ngeveki. Ndaqwalasela eludongeni olujongene noBongameli Bokuqala, kwaye apho ndaqaphela imifanekiso ebunjiweyo yakhe ngamnye wooMongameli beCawa.

Njengokuba ndandijonge kubo, abo baphambi kwam—ukususela kumProfethi uJoseph Smith (1805–44) ukuyokutsho kuMongameli Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008)—ndacinga, “ndibulela kaNjani lukhanyiselo lwakhe wonke omnye wabo.”

Lana ngawo amadoda amakhulu angazange athandabuze, angazange oyisakale, kwaye engazange angaphumeleli. La ngamadoda kaThixo. Njengoko ndicinga ngabaprofethi balemihla endithe ndabazi kwaye ndabathanda, ndikhumbula ubomi babo, iimpawu zabo, kunye neemfundiso zabo eziphenjelelweyo.

UMongameli Heber J. Grant (1856–1945) wayenguMongameli weCawa ukuzalwa kwam. Njengokuba ndicinga ngobakhe ubomi kunye neemfundiso, ndikholelwa ukuba uphawu uMongameli Grant wayesoloko engumzekelo walo yayilelo lokuzingisa—ukuzingisa kwezozinto zilungileyo kwaye nezinexabiso.

UMongameli George Albert Smith (1870–1951) wayenguMongameli weCawa ngexesha ndandinguBishophu wewadi yam kwisixeko iSalt Lake. Yena waqaphela ukuba kukho imfazwe enkulu eqhubekeka phakathi kwenkosi kunye nomtyholi. “Ukuba uyakuhlala kwicala lomgca leNkosi,” yena wafundisa, “uyakuba phantsi kwempembelelo yakhe kwaye awusayi kuba nomnqweno wokwenza okungalunganga.”¹

Mna ndabizelwa ukuba ndibelilungu leQumrhu labaliShumi elinambini ngowama 1963 nguMongameli David O. McKay (1873–1970). Yena wafundisa ukubacingela abanye ngendlela awabuphila ngayo ubomi bakhe. “Obenyani ubuKrestu,” yena watsho, “luthando ngokwenza.”²

UMongameli Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972), omnye wababhali ababaleseleyo beCawa, wayenemfundo yevangeli njengomthetho-siseko osisikhokelo. Yena wayefunda izibhalo ngokungapheziyo kwaye wayeqhelene neemfundiso ezifumaneka kumaphepha azo njengaye nabani na endakhe ndamazi.

UMongameli Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) wayengumongameli wam wengqokelela yamasebe ngoko ndandise yinkwenkwana. Isicatshulwa esiyintanda kuye sasingu “Ima kwiindawo ezingcwele, kwaye ungagungqi.”³ Yena wakhuthaza abaNgcwele ukuba banxibelelane nako, kwaye baphendule kuko, ukusebeza koMoya oyiNgcwele.

Mna ndiyakholelwa ukuba umthetho-siseko osisikhokelo kubomi bukaMongameli Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) ingaba kukuzinikela. Yena ngako okugqibileyo, wayezinikele ngokungenayo intandabuzo kuyo iNkosi. Yena wayekwazinikele ekuphileni ivangeli.

Xa uMongameli Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) wayesiba nguMongameli weCawa, wandibiza ukuba ndibenguMcebisi wakhe weSibini kuBongameli bokuQala. Uthando lwalungumthetho-siseko osisikhokelo kuye, okufunjethwe kwisichatshulwa esiyintanda sakhe, esathethwa nguMsindisi: “Ngabantu abaluhlobo luni ekufanele nibe ngabo? Inene ndithi kuni, kwananjengokuba ndinjalo mna.” ⁴

UMongameli Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) wayengoyena wayesoloko ekhangela okugqwesileyo kwabanye. Wayesoloko enovelwano; wayesoloko ethobekile. Kwakulithamsanqa lam ukuba ndibe nguMcebisi wakhe weSibini.

UMongameli Gordon B. Hinckley wasifundisa ukuba senze kangangoko sinako. Wayethwele ubungqina obunamandla boMsindisi kunye neMishini yaKhe. Yena wayesifundisa ngothando. Ukusebenza njengoMcebisi wakhe wokuQala kwakuliwonga kwaye kuyintsikelelo kum.

UMsindisi uthumela abaprofethi ngoba Yena uyasithanda. Kwinkomfa yajikelele kulo Oktobha, Abasemagunyeni Jikelele beCawa bazakuba nethamsanqa kwakhona lokwaba ilizwi laKhe. Thina silukhawulela ngentobeko oluxanduva lukhulu.

Okunjani kona ukusikeleleka kuthi okokuba iBandla lika Yesu Krestu libesemhlabeni kunye nokokuba iBandla lisekelwe phezu kwelwalwa lesityhilelo. Isityhilelo esiqhubekekayo siligazi elinika ubomi kwivangeli kaYesu Krestu.

Yanga singalungiselela ukuba sifumane isityhilelo ngathi esifumaneka ngokugqithisileyo kwinkomfa jikelele. Yanga iintliziyo zethu zingazaliswa kukuzimisela okunzulu njengoko siphakamisa izandla ngokuxhasa abaprofethi kunye nabapostile abaphilayo. Yanga singakhanyiselwa, siphakanyiswe, sithuthuzelwe, kwaye somelezwe njengoko simamela imiyalezo yabo. Kwaye kwanga singakulungela ukuba sizinikele kwakhona kwiNkosi uYesu Krestu—kwivangeli yaKhe kunye nomsebenzi waKhe—kwaye siphile ngesisombululo esihlaziyiweyo ekugcineni imiyalelo yaKhe kunye nasekwenzeni intando yaKhe.