Amazwi oBuyiselo

Xa u-Abigail Calkins Leonard wayeneminyaka ephakathi kwamashumi amathathu, waziva enomdla wokuxolelwa kwizono zakhe. Wayefunda iBhayibhile manqaphanqapha, kwaye abantu abasuka kwiinkozo zobuKrestu babetyelela ikhaya lakhe , kodwa wayebhidwa kukuba yintoni eyayisahlula icawe kwenye. “Ngenye intsasa” watsho yena, “ndathatha iBhayibhile yam kwaye ndaya ehlathini, apho ndaguqa ngamadolo.” Wathandaza kwiNkosi ngokwenene. “Ngoko nangoko umbono wagqitha phambi kwamehlo wam,” watsho yena, “kwaye iimvaba ngeemvaba ezahlukileyo zagqitha kufuphi nam enye emva kwenye, kwaye ilizwi lamemeza kum, lisithi: ‘Ezi zakhelwe inzuzo.’ Emva koko, ngaphesheya, ndandibona ukukhanya okukhulu, kwaye ilizwi elisuka phezulu lamemeza: ‘Ndiza kukhulisa abantu, abo endiyakuthi ndigcobele ukubabanga nokubasikelela.’” Ixesha elifutshane emva koko, u-Abigail weva ngeNcwadi kaMormoni. Nangona wayengekabinayo ikopi, wayefuna “ukwazi inyaniso ngale ncwadi, ngesipho namandla oMoya oyiNgcwele,” kwaye “wakhawuleza wabuva ubukho bayo.” Xa wade wakwazi ukuyifunda iNcwadi kaMormoni ekugqibeleni, yena wayesele “ekulungele ukuyifumana.” Yena nomyeni wakhe, uLyman, babhaptizwa ngo-1831.

Ngethuba uThomas B. Marsh esengumntu omtsha, wafunda iBhayibhile kwaye wazimanya nenkonzo yobuKrestu. Kodwa yena waye nganelisekanga, ekugqibeleni wazikhupha kuzo zonke iinkonzo. “Ndandinomlinganiselo womoya wosiprofeto,” watsho yena, “kwaye ndaxelela [inkokeli yonqulo] ukuba ndandilindele ibandla elitsha libekho, elalizakuba nenyaniso kubumsulwa bayo.” Kungekudala emva koku, uThomas waba nempembelelo yomoya wokuba ashiye ikhaya lakhe eBoston, Massachusetts, athathe uhambo olusingise ngasentshona. Emva kokuchitha iinyanga ezintathu kwiNtshona yeNew York ngaphandle kokufumanisa ukuba yintoni le wayeyifuna, waqalisa ukuphindela ekhayeni lakhe. Endleleni, umfazi othile wabuza uThomas ukuba ukhe weva na malunga “neNcwadi yeGolide eyafunyanwa ngumntu omtsha obizwa ngoJoseph Smith.” Ebanjwe yile ngcinga, uThomas wahambela ePalmyra ngoko nangoko kwaye wahlangana noMartin Harris kwivenkile yoshicilelo, kanye xa amaphepha ali-16 okuqala eNcwadi kaMormoni ayephuma ekushicilelweni. UThomas wayevumelekile ukuba athabathe ikopi yala maphepha ali-16 , kwaye waya nawo ekhaya kwinkosikazi yakhe, u-Elizabeth. “Yena wayosonwabile” ngale ncwadi, wakhumbula, “eyikholelwa yona ukuba ingumsebenzi kaThixo.” UThomas no-Elizabeth kamva bafudukela eNew York nabantwana babo kwaye babhaptizwa. (Ngenkcukacha ethe vetshe malunga noThomas B. Marsh, bona IMfundiso neMinqophiso 31).

Njengo Thomas Marsh, uParley noThankful Pratt baphendula ukuzanyiswa ngumoya ukuba bashiye ifama yabo echumileyo e-Ohio ngenjongo yokushumayela ivangeli ngohlobo ababeyiqonda ngalo kwiBhayibhile. Njengoko uParley waxelela umntakwabo, “uMoya wezizinto weza ngamandla engqondweni yam mva nje de andakwazi nokuphumla” Ukufika kwabo empuma yeNew York, uParley waba nempembelelo yokuhlala kancinci kulo mmandla. UThankful, bagqiba kwelo kuba, babeya kuqhubekeka ngaphandle kwakhe. “Ndino msebenzi wokuwenza kulo mmandla wesizwe,” uParley wamxelela, “kwaye into oyiyo, nokuba uya kuthatha ixesha elingakanani ukuyenza, andiyazi; kodwa ndiza kuza xa sele wenziwe.” Kwaku lapho apho uParley waqala weva ngeNcwadi kaMormoni. “Ndeva umdla ongaqhelekanga kule ncwadi,” watsho yena. Wacela ikopi kwaye wayifunda ubusuku bonke. Ngentsasa, wayeyazi ukuba le ncwadi yayi yinyaniso, eyixabisile “ngaphezu kobutyebi bonke behlabathi.” Kwiintsukwana nje ezimbalwa uParley waye wabhaptizwa. Wathi wabuyela kuThankful, owabhaptizwayo naye. (Ngenkcukacha ethe vetshe malunga noParley P. Pratt, bona IMfundiso neMinqophiso 32.)

Kwindlela yakhe esuka eNew York esingise kumsebenzi wobufundisi eMissouri, uParley Pratt nabo wayesebenza nabo bema eMentor, e-Ohio, kwikhaya likaSidney noPhebe Rigdon—abahlobo abadala uParley awayebazi kwimihla yakhe e-Ohio. USidney wayengumfundisi wobuKrestu, kwaye uParley wakhe waba lilungu lebandla lakhe kwaye wayembona njengomqeqeshi ngokwezomoya. UParley wabaxelela ngomdla abahlobo bakhe malunga neNcwadi kaMormoni noBbuyiselo lwevangeli kaYesu Krestu. USidney yena buqu wayekhangela ubuyiselo lweBandla lokwenyani awalifumana licaciswa kwiTestamente eNtsha, nangona wayithandabuza iNcwadi kaMormoni ekuqaleni. “Kodwa ndiza kuyifunda incwadi yakho,” yena waxelela umhlobo wakhe uParley, “kwaye ndiza kuzama ukuqinisekisa okokuba isisityhilelo esisuka kuThixo okanye hayi.” Emva kweeveki ezimbini zokufunda nomthandazo, bobabini noPhebe babeqinisekile ukuba le ncwadi yayi yinyani. Kodwa uSidney wayesazi kananjalo ukuba ukuzimanya neliBandla kwakuza kuba lidini elikhulu kusapho lwakhe. Ngokucacileyo wayeza kulahlekelwa ngumsebenzi wakhe wobufundisi, kwakunye nezinga lobume bakhe eluntwini. Njengoko yena noPhebe babexoxa ngoko kwakunokwenzeka, uPhebe wabhengeza, “Ndizibalile iindleko, kwaye … kungumnqweno wam ukwenza intando kaThixo, nokuba kuza ubomi okanye kuza ukufa.”