Kutheni iBandla
NguMdala D. Todd Christofferson
WeQumrhu labaPostile Abalishumi Elinambini
Kufanele kukhe kumiwe kucingwe ngokuba kutheni uYesu Krestu ekhetha ukusebenzisa ibandla, iBandla laKhe, ukwenzela ukuthwala umsebenzi waKhe kunye nokaYise.
Kubo bonke ubomi bam, iinkomfa zajikelele zeBandla ziye zaba ziziganeko zomoya ezichwayitisayo, kwaye iBandla liye laba yindawo yokuba endazela iNkosi khona. Ndiyaqaphela okokuba kukho abo bazicingela ukuba bayakholelwa okanye banomoya kodwa bayala ukuthatha inxaxheba ecaweni okanye nkqu isidingo seziko elinjalo. Izenzo zenkolelo kubo zixhomekeke emntwini qha. Kanti iBandla liyindalo yaKhe lowo okwethu ngokwasemoyeni kujoliswe kuye—uYesu Krestu. Kufanele kukhe kumiwe kucingwe ngokuba kutheni uYesu Krestu ekhetha ukusebenzisa ibandla, iBandla laKhe, iBandla likaYesu Krestu labaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela, ukwenzela ukuthwala umsebenzi waKhe kunye nokaYise “ekwenzeni kubekho ukungafi nobomi obungunaphakade bomntu.”1
Kuqala ngoAdam, ivangeli kaYesu Krestu yashunyayelwa, kunye nemimiselo ebalulekileyo yosindiso, efana nobhaptizo, yayisenziwa kulawulo lobubingeleli olwalusekwe kusapho.2 Njengoko uluntu lwalukhula ngokuntsokotheka ngakumbi kunosapho nje olongezelelweyo, uThixo wabiza nabo abanye abaprofethi, abathunywa, kunye nabafundisi. Ngexesha likaMoses, sifunda ngesiseko esisesikweni ngakumbi, esiquka abadala, ababingeleli, kunye nabagwebi. Kwimbali yeNcwadi KaMormoni, uAlma waseka ibandla elalinababingeleli kunye nabafundisi.
Ngoko ke, embindini wexesha, uYesu waseka umsebenzi waKhe ngeyona ndlela yokuba ivangeli ikwazi ukusekwa ngexesha elinye kwizizwe ezininzi kwakunye naphakathi kweentlanga ezahlukileyo. Lo mbutho, iBandla likaYesu Krestu, wawusekelwe phezu kwesiseko “sabapostile nabaprofethi, inguYesu Krestu ngokwakhe ilitye lembombo.”3 Wawuquka namagosa awongezelelweyo, awanjengabalishumi asixhenxe, abadala, oobhishophu, ababingeleli, abafundisi, nabadikoni. UYesu ngokufanayo waliseka iBandla kwiSiqingatha sehlabathi kwelaseNtshona emva koVuko lwaKhe.
Ukulandela ukreqo kunye nokuphasalaka kweBandla Yena awayelisekile xeshikweni wayesemhlabeni, iNkosi yaliseka kwakhona iBandla likaYesu Krestu ngaye umProfeti uJoseph Smith. Injongo yamandulo isafana: oko kuko, ukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zevangeli kaYesu Krestu nokwenziwa kwemimiselo yosindiso—ngamanye amagama, kukuzisa abantu kuKrestu. 4 Kwaye ngoku, ngalo ulutho lweli Bandla libuyiselweyo, isithembiso senkululo sibekwe kwindawo efikelelekayo nkqu noomoya wabo baswelekayo abathi ngexesha lobomi babo emhlabeni bazi okuncinci okanye babengazi nto tu ngofefe loMsindisi.
Liyiphumeza njani iBandla laKhe injongo yeNkosi? Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuba eyona njongo ibalaseleyo kaThixo yinkqubela yethu. Umnqweno waKhe kukuba siqhubeke “ukusuka elubabalweni kuye elubabalweni, side [sibe sifumene] ukuzaliseka”5 kwako konke oko anokuphana ngako. Oko kufuna ngokungakumbi kunokuba nje silunge okanye sizive sisemoyeni. Kona kufuna ukholo kuYesu Krestu, inguquko, ubhaptizo ngamanzi nangoMoya, nokunyamezela ngokholo kude kube sekupheleni.6 Umntu akanakuyifumana ngokupheleleyo le nto eyedwa, ngoko ke esona sizathu sikhulu sokuba iNkosi ibeneBandla kukwenza uluntu lwaBangcwele oluya kuthi luxhasane “kwindlela ecutheneyo nemxinwa ekhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade.”7
“Waza kwayena [uKrestu] wabapha abanye ukuba babe ngabapostile, abanye babe ngabaprofeti, abanye babe ngabashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo, abanye babe bangalusi nabafundisi;
“Ukuze umsebenzi wolungiselelo, ukwakhiwa ke komzimba kaKrestu:
“Side thina sonke sifike kubo ubunye benkolo, nobokumazi okuzeleyo unyana kaThixo, ebudodeni obupheleleyo, emlinganisweni wobukhulu bokuzala kukaKrestu.”8
UYesu Krestu yiyo “imbangi nomgqibelelisi wokholo [lwethu].”9 Ukuzimanya kwethu kuwo umzimba kaKrestu—lona iBandla—yinxalenye ebalulekileyo ekuthabatheleni kuthi igama laKhe.10 Sixelelwa ukuba iBandla lamandulo “laye lahlangana kunye rhoqo, ukuzila ukutya nokuthandaza, nokuthetha omnye kunye nomnye malunga nentlalontle yemiphefumlo yabo”11 “nokuva ilizwi leNkosi.”12 Oko kukwanjalo nakwiBandla namhlanje. Sihlangene elukholweni, siyafundisana kwaye siyokhana kwaye sizame ukufikelela kumlinganiselo ozeleyo wobufundi, “emlinganisweni wobukhulu bokuzala kukaKrestu.” Sizama ukuncedana sifike “nobokumazi okuzeleyo uNyana kaThixo,”13 kude kufike loo mini apho “bangabi safundisa elowo ummelwane wakhe,… esithi, Yazi iNkosi: ngokuba baya kundazi bonke, bethabathela kwabancinane wabo base komkhulu wabo, itsho iNkosi.”14
EBandleni asifundi imfundiso yobuthxo kuphela; sikwazivela namava wokuyisebenzisa. Njengomzimba kaKrestu, amalungu eBandla ayalungiselelana eneneni kubomi bemihla ngemihla. Sonke asigqibelelanga; sisenokukhubekisa kwaye sikhutyekiswe nathi. Siyavavanyana rhoqo ngemikhwa esinayo. Emzimbeni kaKrestu, kumele sigqithele ngaphaya kweengqikelelo kunye kwamazwi aphakamileyo kwaye sibe namava wokwenene “wokuxakeka” njengoko sifunda ‟ukuhlala kunye eluthandweni.”
Le nkolo ayikhathalelanga isiqu somntu nje kuphela; ngoko sonke sinobizo lokunceda. Thina singamehlo, izandla, intloko, iinyawo, namanye amalungu omzimba kaKrestu, nkqu “nawo loo malungu akhangeleka ngathi aswele amandla kwamanye, abe ngawona afunekayo.”16 Siyaludinga olu bizo, kwaye sidinga ukunceda.
Enye yamadoda kwisebe lam ayizange ikhule nje ngaphandle kwenkxaso yabazali bayo kodwa yakhula ngenkcaso yabazali bayo kwinkuthalo yakhe eBandleni. Yaye yaqaphela oku kwintlanganiso yomthendeleko: “Utata wam akakuqondi ukuba kutheni umntu esiya enkonzweni xa benokuya kutyibiliza, kodwa ndiyakuthanda ukuya enkonzweni. EBandleni, sonke sikuhambo olunye, kwaye ndiphenjelelwa kolo hambo lulutsha olomemeleyo, ngabantwana abamsulwa, kwakunye noko ndikubona kwaye ndikufunde kwabanye abantu abadala. Ndiyomelezwa yintlangano kwaye ndinemincili luvuyo lokuphila ivangeli.”
Amasebe eBandla anikezela ngendibano yarhoqo ngeveki yokuphefumla kunye nokuvuselelwa, ixesha nendawo yokushiya ihlabathi ngasemva—iSabatha. Olu lusuku “lokuziyolisa ngoYehova,”17 ukuze sive ukuphiliswa ngokwasemoyeni okuhambelana nomthendeleko, kwakunye nokuba sifumane isithembiso esihlaziyiweyo sokuba uMoya waKhe ube kunye nathi.18
Enye yeentsikelelo ezinkulu yokuba yinxalenye yomziba kaKrestu, nangona isenokungakhangeleki ngathi yintsikelelo okwangoku, kukukhalinyelwa esonweni nakwimpazamo. Siyathanda ukubuthethelela nokubulungiselela ubugwenxa bethu, kwaye ngamanye amaxesha asazi nokuba siziphucule phi okanye sikwenze njani oko. Ngaphandle kwabo basikhalimelayo “ngexesha elifanelekileyo kabukhali, xa uqhutywe nguMoya oyiNgcwele,”19 sisenokusilela kubukhalipha bokutshintsha kwakunye nasekulandeleni iNkosi ngokugqibelele ngakumbi. Inguquko yinto yomntu ngamnye, kodwa ubudlelwane kuloo ndlela ithi ngamanye amaxesha ibe buhlungu buseBandleni. 20
Kule ngxoxo yeBandla njengomzimba kaKrestu, kufuneka sihlale sigcine izinto ezimbini engqondweni. Okokuqala, asizami ukuguqukela kwiBandla kodwa kuKrestu nevangeli yaKhe, inguquko ethi ilungiselelwe liBandla.21 INcwadi kaMormoni ikuvakalisa ngokugqwesileyo xa isithi ukuba abantu, “baguqukela eNkosini, baza babamanya nebandla likaKrestu. “22 Okwesibini, kufuneka sikhumbule ukuba ekuqalekeni, iBandla yayilusapho, kwaye nkqu kwanamhlanje njengamaziko ahlukeneyo, usapho kunye neBandla ziyancedana kwaye ziyomelezana. Akukho ethatha indawo yenye, kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo iBandla, nkqu kubungcono balo, alinako ukuthatha indawo yabazali. Injongo yokufundisa ivangeli nokwenza imimiselo yobubingeleli elawulwa liBandla kukuba iintsapho zikwazi ukulungela ubomi obungunaphakade.
Kukhona isizathu sesibini esikhulu sokuba uMsindisi asebenze ngebandla, iBandla laKhe, kwaye oko kokokuba kuphunyezwe izinto ebezingenakufezekiswa ngabantu abazimeleyo okanye ngamaqela amancinci. Umzekelo omnye ocacileyo kukuqubisana nendlala. Kuyinyaniso ukuba njengabantu abazimeleyo kunye neentsapho sikhangela ukuswela ngokwasenyameni kwabanye abantu, “benikela omnye komnye kunye okwasenyameni nokwasemoyeni ngokweentswelo zabo neemfuno zabo.”23 Kodwa kunye kulo iBandla, ukukwazi ukukhathalela amahlwempu nabasweleyo kuphindwaphindwa ukuze kuhlangabezane nesidingo esiphangaleleyo, kunye nokunqwenelekayo ukuvukʼ uzenzele kwenziwa kube yinto ekhoyo kubantu abaninzi.24 Ngapha koko, iBandla, iMibutho yalo yamaNina, kunye namaqumrhu alo obubingeleli anamandla okubonelela ngoncedo ebantwini abaninzi kwiindawo ezininzi ezicatshazelwa ziintlekele zendalo, imfazwe, kunye nentshutshiso.
Ngaphandle kobukho kwawo amandla eBandla laKhe, ugunyaziso loMsindisi lokusa ivangeli kwihlabathi lonke belungenako ukufezekiswa.25 Bekungena kubakho izitshixo zobupostile, ilwakhiwo, ubonelelo lwezezimali, nokuzinikela kunye nedini lamawaka ngamawaka wabafundisi bevangeli abadingeka ekwenziweni kwalo msebenzi. Khumbula, “le Vangeli yoBukumkani iya kushunyayelwa kulo lonke ihlabathi, ngenxa yobungqina kuzo zonke izizwe,, kwaye ngoko kuya kufika isiphelo.”26
IBandla lingakwazi ukwakha kwaye lilawule iitempile, izindlu zeNkosi, apho imimiselo ebalulekileyo neminqophiso ingenziwa khona. UJoseph Smith wachaza ukuba injongo kaThixo yokuhlanganisa abantu baKhe nakweliphi na ixesha “kukwakhela iNkosi indlu apho Yona [inako] ukutyhilela abantu baYo imimiselo yendlu yaYo kunye nobuqaqawuli bobukumkani baYo, kwaye ifundise abantu indlela yosindiso; kuba kukho imimiselo nemigaqo ethile, xa ifundiswa, kwaye yenziwa, kumele yenzelwe endaweni okanye endlwini eyokhelwe oko.”27
Ukuba ubani uyakholelwa ukuba zonke iindlela zisingisele ezulwini okanye ukuba akukho ziimfuneko zithile kusindiso, yena akasayi kubona mfuno yokubhengeza ivangeli okanye yemimiselo neyeminqophiso ekukhululeni abaphilayo okanye abalele ukufa. Kodwa asithethi nje ngobomi obungapheliyo kuphela kodwa nangabo ubomi banaphakade, kwaye ngako oko indlela yevangeli kunye neminqophiso yevangeli zibalulekile. Kwaye iNkosi idinga ibandla ukuze ikwenze oku kufumaneke kubo bonke abantwana bakaThixo—abo baphilayo nabo balele ukufa.
Isizathu sokugqibela endiza kusikhankanya esenza iNkosi iseke iBandla laYo sesona sikhethekileyo—iBandla, emveni kwako konke, libubukumkani bukaThixo emhlabeni.
Njengoko iBandla likaYesu Krestu labaNgcwele beMihla yokuGqibela lalisekwa ngeyama-1830, iNkosi yathi kuMprofethi Joseph Smith, “Phakamisani iintliziyo zenu kwaye nivuye, kuba bobenu ubukumkani, okanye ngamanye amazwi, izitshixo zebandla zinikelwe.”28 Kwigunya lezi zitshixo, amagosa obubingeleli eBandla agcina ubunyulu bemfundiso yoMsindisi nokuthembeka kwemimiselo yaKhe esindisayo.29 Zinceda ekulungiseleleni abo banqwenela ukuzifumana, zigwebe ukufaneleka nokulungela kwabo bafaka isicelo, baze basenze.
Ngezitshixo zobukumkani, izicaka zeNkosi ziyakwazi ukubona inyaniso nobuxoki kwaye kwakhona ngegunya batsho, “Ngoko ke itsho iNkosi. Ngelishwa, abanye baqumbela iBandla kuba bona befuna ukuchaza inyani eyeyabo, kodwa ngokwenene kuyintsikelelo egqithisileyo ukufumana “ulwazi lwezinto njengoko zinjalo [ngokwenene], nanjengoko zazinjalo, nanjengoko ziya kuza”30 kangangoko iNkosi inqwenela ukuyityhila. IBandla likhusela kwaye lipapasha izityhilelo zikaThixo—umqulu wezibhalo.
Xa uDaniyeli wayetolika iphupha loKumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenetsare, esazisa kukumkani ‟okuya kubakho ekupheleni kwemihla,”31 yena wabhengeza ukuba “uThixo wamazulu [uya] kumisa ubukumkani, obungayi konakala naphakade: obo bukumkani abuyi kusala nabantu bambi, buya kuzicola buzigqibe zonke [ezinye] izikumkani, bona bume ngonaphakade.”32 IBandla bobo bukumkani buprofethwayo bemihla yokugqibela, obungadalwanga ngumntu kodwa bumiswe nguThixo wamazulu kwaye buqengqeleka njengelitye “elazithwebula entabeni kungengazandla” ukuze buzalise umhlaba.33
Injongo yabo kukuseka iZiyon ukulungiselela ukubuya kunye newaka leminyaka yolawulo lukaYesu Krestu. Ngaphambi kwaloo mini, bona ayiya kuba bubukumkani ngokohlobo lwepolitiki—njengoko uMsindisi watsho, “Ubukumkani bam asibubo obeli hlabathi.”34 Endaweni yoko, inguvimba wegunya laKhe emhlabeni, umlawuli weminqophiso yaKhe engcwele, umgcini wetempile zaKhe, umkhuseli nombhengezi wenyaniso yaKhe, indawo yokuhlanganelana kaSirayeli othe saa, kunye nokhuselo, … negwiba kwisiphango, nasemsindweni xa uya kuthululelwa ngaphandle kokuxutywa phezu komhlaba wonke.”35
Ndigqibelisa ngesicelo nangomthandazo woMprofeti:
‟Bizani eNkosini, ukuze ubukumkani bayo bube nokuhambela phambili phezu komhlaba, ukuze abemi bawo babufumane, baze balungele imihla ezayo, kuyo kuya kuza uNyana woMntu esihla ezulwini, evathe ukuqaqamba kobuqaqawuli bakhe, ekhawulela ubukumkani bukaThixo obucwangciswe emhlabeni.
Ngako oko, bunga ubukumkani bukaThixo bungahambela phambili, ukuze ubukumkani bezulu bube nokuza, ukuze wena, Owu Thixo, ube nokuzukiswa ezulwini njalo nasemhlabeni, ukuze iintshaba zakho zibe nokoyiswa; kuba imbeko yeyakho, amandla nozuko, ngonaphakade kanaphakade.”36
Ngegama likaYesu Krestu, amen.