IGenesis 12–17; Abraham 1–2

“Thina siphenjelelwa ziintsapho zethu [kunye] nesiko lethu,” uMdala Neil L. Andersen wafundisa, “kwaye ke ndiyakholelwa ukuba kukho indawo ngaphakathi kuthi esiyilawula ngokukodwa kwaye siyidale. … Ekugqibeleni, iminqweno yethu yangaphakathi inikwa ubomi kwaye ibonakala kukhetho lwethu nakwizenzo zethu” (“Educate Your Desires, Elder Andersen Counsels,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Cingisisa ngokokuba u-Abraham 1:1–19 ukubonisa njani oko kwafundiswa nguMdala Andersen. Imibuzo efana nale inganceda:

• Ingaba wayenqwenela ntoni u-Abraham? Yayicace njani iminqweno yakhe kwizenzo zakhe? Ingaba wayixhasa njani uThixo iminqweno yakhe?

• Ithini iminqweno yakho? Ingaba icace njani kwizenzo zakho? Ingaba ukuxhasa njani uThixo?

• Ngowuphi umyalezo le miqolo enawo owenzelwe abo banamalungu osapho angenamnqweno wobulungisa?

Omnye yeyona ibalaseleyo kwiminqweno ka-Abraham noSara—ukuba nomntwana—awuzange uzaliseke kwiminyaka emininzi (bona IGenesis 15:1–6). Ingaba yintoni oyifunda KumaHebhere 11:8–13 ngendlela u-Abraham noSara abajamelana ngayo nesi silingo? Ingaba uMsindisi ukunceda njani ukuba “uthakazele” kwizithembiso zaKhe, nokuba zona zise “kude”?

1:38

Kutheni kubalulekile kuwe ukuba wazi malunga nomnqophiso uThixo awamenza no-Abraham? Ngenxa yokuba uThixo efuna ukwenza umnqophiso onjalo kunye nawe. Yena wathembisa ukuba lo mnqophiso uya kuqhubekeka kwinzala, okanye “imbewu,” ka-Abraham kunye nokuba “bonke abayamkelayo le Vangeli baya … kubalelwa kwimbewu yakh[e]” (bona Abraham 2:10–11). Ngamanye amagama, lo mnqophiso uqhubekeka kuwe—xa ubhaptiziwe nangakumbi xa usenza iminqophiso etempileni (bona KumaGalati 3:26–29; IMfundiso neMinqophiso 132:30–32).

Ngenxa yesosizathu, usenokufuna ukufunda u-Abraham 2:6–11 kwaye wenze uluhlu lokuba yintoni, ncakasana, uThixo awayithembisa u-Abraham noSara (bona kananjalo IGenesis 12:1–3; 13:15–16; 15:1–6; 17:1–8, 15–22). Ezi ntsikelelo zingasebenza njani kuwe?

Ezinye zezi zithembiso zinezinto zanaphakade ezingqamene nazo. Izithembiso ezinjengokulidla ilifa ilizwe okanye inzala enkulu zizalisekiswa naphakade njani? (bona IMfundiso neMinqophiso 131:1–4; 132:20–24, 28–32).

Ngaphandle kokuthembisa ngeentsikelelo, uThixo waxelela u-Abraham “ube yintsikelelo” (IGenesis 12:2; ugxininiso longezelelwe). Ucinga ukuba kuthetha ukuthini oko? Ingaba uya kuba yintsikelelo njani? (bona Abraham 2:11).

Ukuze ufundise ngeminqophiso, uMdala Dale G. Renlund wathetha ngamazakazi ase-Amazon River, waze uMongameli Emily Belle Freeman wathetha ngokuhamba indlela enamatye ngeqatha elophukileyo (bona “Accessing God’s Power through Covenants,” Liyahona, uCanzibe 2023, 35–37; “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ,” Liyahona, EyeNkanga 2023, 76–79). Komnye wayo okanye kuyo yomibini le miyalezo khangela izivakalisi ezinceda ekuphenduleni umbuzo “Kutheni uThixo efuna ukuba ndenze iminqophiso naYe?”

Bona kwanaye kananjalo Topics and Questions, “Abrahamic Covenant,” Ithala leeNcwadi zeVangeli; “Iingcinga zokuGcinwa eNgqondweni: UMnqophiso,” kwesi sixhobo.

Yiba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni ubusazisa uMelkitsedeke kumntu obengamazi. Ungathini? Khangela iingcebiso ku Guqulelo lukaJoseph Smith, Genesis 14:26–27, 33–38 (kwiSihlomelo [seBhayibhile]); Alma 13:13–19; IMfundiso neMinqophiso 107:1–4. Zeziphi iimpawu ezinje ngezikaKrestu ozifumana kwezingcaciso ngoMelkitsedeke? Ukufunda ngobomi bukaMelkitsedeke kungaba kuyichaphazela njani indlela obubona ngayo ububingeleli bukaMelkitsedeke?

Ufunda ntoni ngendlela u-Abraham awayebubona ngayo ubutyebi ku Genesis 14:18–24 naku Guqulelo lukaJoseph Smith, Genesis 14:36–40 (kwiSihlomelo [seBhayibhile])? Ngokomzekelo, qaphela impendulo yakhe kukumkani waseSodom kuyo IGenesis 14:23. Kungaba ukuthobela umthetho wesishumi uyichaphazele njani indlela oyibona ngayo imali?

Njengoko ufunda IGenesis 16, use nokucinga ngexesha owawuvakalelwa ngathi awuphethwanga kakuhle ngayo, njengoko kwakunjalo kuHagare. Qaphela ukuba “u-Ishmayeli” uthetha ukuba “uThixo [u]vile.” Ingaba uThixo ukubonise njani na ukuba ukuvile wena?

Bona kananjalo “Secret Prayer,” Hymns, nombolo 144.

• Njengoko wena nabantwana bakho nifunda ku Abraham 1:18 no 2:8, ungabamema ukuba bamamele ukuba leliphi ilungu lomzimba elikhankanywe kuzo zombini iivesi. Mhlawumbi ungadlala umdlalo apho umntwana avala amehlo akhe uze umkhokelele umntwana kwindawo ethile ngesandla. Emva koko ungathetha ngokuba kuvakala njani ukuba uYesu Krestu asikhokele ngesandla okanye asikhusele.

• Abantwana bakho base nokonwabela ukulinganisa ibali elisuka kuyo IGenesis 13:5–12, benze ngathi bangu-Abraham, uLote, nabelusi. Singawulandela njani umzekelo ka-Abraham wokuba ngumxolelanisi kunye nosapho okanye abahlobo bethu? Zama ukwenza umdlalo olinganisa iimpendulo zabo.

• Cinga ngokubonisa abantwana bakho inkonkxa yesanti, iinkwenkwezi ezisesibhakabhakeni ebusuku, okanye umfanekiso osesiphelweni solu lwandlalo. Oku kuse nokubanceda baziqiqele izithembiso zikaThixo kuyo IGenesis 13:16; 15:1–6. Thetha ngokuba ukufunde njani ukuzithemba izithembiso zikaThixo, nkqu nangamaxesha ezikhangeleka zingena kwazi ukwenzeka ngawo.

• Ukuze ufundise abantwana bakho ngeminqophiso, bacele ukuba bathethe ngexesha apho benza isithembiso khona okanye bathenjiswa ngumntu. Ukuba kuluncedo, yaba imizekelo eyeyakho—uquke neminqophiso oyenze noThixo kubhaptizo okanye etempileni. Ingaba iminqophiso yakho ibuchaphazele njani ubudlelwane bakho noThixo? Khetha amabinzana ambalwa kuyo IGenesis 15:1–6; 17:1–8; Abraham 2:9–11 ukuze wabe ezinye zeentsikelelo uThixo awathembisa ngazo u-Abraham noSara.

• Ukuze uncede abantwana bakho phambi kokuba babhaptizwe, ungasebenzisa amanye amacebo emidlalo ekuboniswa ngayo kuso Isihlomelo A okanye Isihlomelo B.

• Xa ubomi buka-Abraham babusengozini, waye wathandaza kuThixo. Xa uHagare wayeyedwa entlango, wafunda okukuba uThixo wamva. Cingisisa ngokwabelana nabantwana bakho ngalamabali omabini: “UAbraham noSara” kunye naye “UHagare” kuwo Amabali eTestamente eNdala, 28–31, 32–33. Yintoni esiyifundayo malunga noThixo kula mabali? Emva koko ninokwabelana omnye nomnye ngamava xa navakalelwa kukuba uThixo univile. Ingoma enjengo “A Child’s Prayer” (Children’s Songbook, 12–13) inganceda ekungxinisiseni lomthetho-siseko.

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