UJoseph Smith Jr. - umsunguli weMormonism
UJoseph Smith Jr. wazalwa ngoDisemba 23, 1805 eSharon, eVermont. Umndeni kaSmith kamuva wathuthela endaweni yaseManchester, eNew York. Njengoba umlando womlando uqopha, wakhuliswa ngokungazi, ubumpofu, nenkolelo-ze. Isithunzi sakhe besingesokuvilapha. Abangamashumi ayisithupha nesithupha omakhelwane bakwaSmith eNew York banikeze ubufakazi ngezitatimende ezifungelwe mayelana nobuntu bomndeni wakwaSmith. Ngazwilinye, laba omakhelwane baqinisekise ukuthi isimilo sikaSmith nesimilo sabalingani babo sibi. UJoseph Smith wayaziwa njengomubi kunabo bonke. Ngalobu bufakazi obufungelwe, labo ababazi uJoseph Smith bathi yena nabangane bakhe bangakholelwa ngaphansi kwesifungo, nokuthi kube nezindaba eziningi eziphikisanayo ezakhulunywa nge "Golden Bible" yakhe. Kwabhalwa ngoJoseph Smith ukuthi wayenekhono elimangazayo lokuphila ngaphandle kokusebenza, nokuthi wayezibuza ngezwe "njengomthakathi wamanzi," ethi ukhomba lapho imithambo emihle yamanzi ingukuphambuka kwenduku ye-hazel esandleni sakhe. Wabuye wenza sengathi angathola ingcebo efihliwe futhi aduke izinkomo. Ngasekuqaleni kuka-1820, wamemezela obala ukuthi wayenemibono nezambulo zaphezulu. Wathi ingelosi egama linguMoroni yamembulela lapho kwakucashe khona ezinye izingcwephe zegolide. Ngemuva kokuthola lezi zingcwecwe, wasebenzisa itshe elalifakwa esigqokweni sakhe ukuze “alihumushe”. Kulokhu kuhumusha kwavela iNcwadi kaMormoni, umbhalo oyinhloko wombhalo kaMormonism. Iqukethe imishwana nemibono yesimanje obekungaziwa kumbhali wayo ocatshangelwe ngo-420 AD Iqukethe izingcaphuno eziningi ezivela kunguqulo yeBhayibheli iKing James, eyakhishwa ngawo-1600. USmith wayenamadoda amathathu afakaza ngokubhala ukuthi abonile amapuleti akhe egolide. Enye yala madoda yaqondiswa ubugwegwe eKirtland ngokuhlala ekuphingeni okusobala nencekukazi; waxoshwa esontweni laseMissouri ngenxa yamanga, yomgunyathi nokuziphatha okubi; futhi ekugcineni washona eMissouri njengesidakwa. Omunye ufakazi waxoshwa esontweni ngemuva kokuba enqabile ukuhambisana "nesambulo somshado wasezulwini" sikaJoseph Smith esenza ukuhlala ngesithembu kudingekile. Akazange futhi avumelane nokusetshenziswa kukaSmith ngabakwaDani, iqembu lezikhulu ezinobudlova, elibizwa nangokuthi "izingelosi eziziphindiselayo." Namuhla kukholakala ukuthi umsuka wangempela weNcwadi kaMormoni ngumbhalo wesandla obhalwe nguSolomon Spaulding; okwakuyizindaba zothando zomlando eziqanjiwe. USmith no-Oliver Cowdery bangeze embhalweni wesandla kaSpaulding ophawula ngokufundisa nge-universalism, anti-masonry, nobhapathizo.
IPearl of Great Price, omunye umbhalo wombhalo wamaMormon, wagqoka imizimba ngemuva kokuba uSmith ethengile izidumbu zomunye umuntu kanye nemiqulu yomngcwabo kumthengisi owayedlula eKirtland, e-Ohio ngo-1835. Ngokungazi kwakhe, uSmith wathi ipapyrus yomngcwabo yayiqukethe imibhalo evela ku-Abraham noJoseph yeTestamente Elidala. laseGibhithe. Kodwa-ke, ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1960, izazi zeGibhithe zaqinisekisa ukuthi i-papyrus uSmith athi wayisebenzisa ukubhala iPearl of Great Price empeleni yayingumqulu womngcwabo wobuqaba; ingxenye ye-Egyptian Book of Breathings. I-Book of Breathings kwakuwumbhalo webhokisi owawugcwele amafomula omlingo athi aqinisekisa ukuthi umuntu ofile uya ekuphileni kwangemva kokufa. I-Pearl of Great Price ayihlanganise lutho no-Abraham noma uJoseph waseGibhithe. “Izimiso Zokuqala zeVangeli” zamukelwa ku-Alexander Campbell, umsunguli wehlelo leSonto LikaKristu. AmaMormon amaningi okuqala eza njengezihlubuki ezivela kwamanye amasonto obuKristu.
UJoseph Smith wahlela iSonto LikaMormon ngo-1830. Ithempeli lokuqala lamaMormon laqedwa eKirtland, e-Ohio ngo-1836. USmith wahlela futhi “isibalo sabaphostoli abayishumi nambili.” Lapho uSmith ephumelela ngokwengeziwe, waba umashiqela ngokwengeziwe. Wayaziwa ngokuphila ngokunethezeka okukhulu kakhulu kunokwabangcwele bakhe. USmith wayaziwa ngokuphinga kwakhe. Ngo-1831, wathola “isambulo” esiyala abaNgcwele ukuba bayohlala eMissouri (umhlaba “weSiyoni”). AmaMormon alahla abeZizwe (labo abangakholelwa kubuMormonism) "njengezitha zeNkosi." USmith noSidney Rigdon babalekela eMissouri ngo-1838 ukuze bagweme ukuboshwa ngemuva kokuba ibhange laseMormon elalakhiwe nguSmith lehluleka eKirtland, e-Ohio. USmith noRigdon “babenetiyela futhi benezimpaphe” ngokuqola abantu ngemali yabo. EFar West, uMissouri Smith noRigdon bamemezele “inkululeko” yabo kuhulumeni wase-United States. URigdon wethule "intshumayelo yakhe kasawoti," exwayisa ukuthi kuzoba nempi yokuqothulwa phakathi kwabaNgcwele kanye nohulumeni wabezizwe, lapho amaMormon ayolandela noma yibaphi abantu abeza ngokumelene nabo kuze kuchitheke ithonsi lokugcina legazi labo. USmith wathola esinye isambulo e-Independence, eMissouri ngo-1831 esavumela amalungu esonto “njengabameli bokuthunywa kweNkosi” ukuba bathathe impahla noma nini lapho bethanda khona kwabezizwe, futhi bakhokhele leyo ndawo kuphela uma befuna. Umlando uqopha ukuthi amaMormon alandela lesi sambulo futhi imvamisa athatha impahla kubantu beZizwe abangakholwa. AmaMormon athi uNkulunkulu wawanika umhlaba wonke. Babethi kuzokwenzeka izimpi ezichitha igazi ezizoxosha wonke amanye amahlelo enkolo kule ndawo, nokuthi labo abasinda ezimpini babe "yizinceku" zabaNgcwele. Kwaqubuka impi yombango phakathi kwabaNgcwele kanye nabezizwe baseMissouri. UMissouri Justice of the Peace u-Adam Black ukuqinisekisile ngesifungo ukuthi ama-Mormon ayi-154 ahlomile azungeze indlu yakhe futhi amsongela ngokumbulala uma engasayini iphepha avuma ukungakhiphi imvume kumaSanta. Ngenxa yezinxushunxushu nokuhlubuka okwabangelwa amaMormon, uMbusi uBoggs waseMissouri wabiza amasosha angama-400 ayeqokiwe ukuba agcine ukuthula. AmaMormon ayenedumela lokuzikhukhumeza nokuziqhenya ngokomoya, ethi “angamaKhosi nabaPristi” bakaNkulunkulu. Ukuziphatha kwabo okungenamthetho kwaholela ekubeni baxoshwe eMissouri ngo-1839 ngomyalo ovela kumbusi waseMissouri.
UJoseph Smith wayezimisele ukuba nohulumeni ophethwe ngabaphristi, noma ngamanye amazwi, abe ngentando yeningi. Abantu babulawa ezinhlangothini zombili zezingxabano zombango phakathi kwamaMormon namaMelika aseMissouri. Ekugcineni, uJoseph kanye nomfowabo uHyrum Smith kanye namanye amaMormon angamashumi amane baboshwa futhi baquliswa icala lokuvukela umbuso, ukubulala, ukuphanga, ukushisa, ukuqothula ukuthula kanye nokuphula ukuthula. Ekupheleni kuka-1838, izinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili zamaMormon zaqala uhambo lwazo ukuya e-Illinois. USmith nabanye babalekela ejele entwasahlobo elandelayo, balibangisa eQuincy, eIllinois.
Ngo-1840, uSmith wayehola izinkulungwane zamaMormon ezakha indawo yokuhlala noma idolobha elibizwa ngeNauvoo, eIllinois. Umbhalo wedolobha laseNauvoo owakhiwa nguSmith wasungula uhulumeni ngaphakathi kuhulumeni. Yamisa isishayamthetho esasivunyelwe ukwedlulisa izimiso ezaziphikisana nemithetho yezwe, kanye nebutho lezempi elawulwa yimithetho nemigomo yalo. Ngo-1841 uJoseph Smith wakhethwa njengeMeya yaseNauvoo. USmith wayengeyona imeya kuphela, kodwa uLieutenant-General wezempi, kanye neJaji eliphethe. NgoJanuwari 19th ka-1841, uSmith wathola isambulo eside esahlela kabusha ibandla lonke, futhi wangcwelisa nemali yamalungu acebile ngezinhloso ezahlukahlukene. Ngalesi sikhathi kwakuvamile ukuthi abaphangi nababulali bathutheleke eMormonism njengesembozo samacala abo. Izinkulungwane zamaMormon zabuthana ngokushesha edolobheni laseNauvoo. Ubumpofu phakathi kwabaNgcwele babudlangile. Uthando lwamahhala lwalwaziwa ukuthi luvamile phakathi kwamaMormon. USmith waba nguMason eNauvoo, okwaholela ekusungulweni komkhosi wakhe wethempeli eliyimfihlo. Izinkomo zabeZizwe ezaphambukela ngaseNauvoo zazaziwa ukuthi aziphindanga zabuya. AbeZizwe abamangalela ezinkantolo zaseNauvoo bavuzwa ngezindleko nokuthukwa kuphela. “Abadikoni abamhlophe” (amaqembu abafana abancane abanemimese) babaziwa eNauvoo ngokusabisa nokuhlukumeza noma ngubani okhuluma kabi ngoJoseph Smith. AmaDanite kaSmith, noma “izingelosi eziphindiselayo” zazizokwethusa futhi zithuke abezizwe ngezifungo nangezinhlamba eziyinqaba, ziphinde zibasongele ngokufa. NgoMeyi ka-1842, uMbusi uBoggs waseMissouri waxoshwa futhi walimala ekhanda. UMormon, u-Orrin Porter Rockwell wabekwa icala ngaleli cala, kanye noJoseph Smith njengezinsiza.
Ngo-1844 uJoseph Smith wamemezela njengokhetho lweHhovisi likaMongameli lase-US. USmith wabuye wagcoba “njengesikhulu sesikhashana,” futhi waba ngumholi ongokomoya wamaMormon. Abalandeli bakhe abaxhasa isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi bagcotshwa “amakhosi nabapristi” bakhe. USmith ubuye wafuna abaNgcwele ukuthi benze isifungo sokuzithoba kuye. Wayethi wayevela kuJoseph weTestamente eliDala. AmaMormon amemezele ngalesi sikhathi ukuthi uhulumeni wase-United States wawonakele ngokuphelele, esezodlula emhlabeni, futhi ngenxa yokuthi wayezothathelwa indawo nguhulumeni kaNkulunkulu owaphathwa nguJoseph Smith.
UJoseph Smith uthathe abafazi kwabanye abaholi abangamaMormon. Wazimisa njengomuntu okuyiMormonism kuphela owayengakhipha amalayisense omshado, futhi adayise izindlu nomhlaba notshwala. Kwabizwa iphepha Umhlaziyi yaqalwa ngenhloso yokuveza ubudlova obukhulayo bukaSmith. Umagazini wokuqala wawunobufakazi besifazane abayishumi nesithupha ababekhohliswe nguSmith nabanye abaholi bamaMormon ngokuzenzisa kwemvume “yaphezulu” (imvume yobufebe, ukuphinga, nesithembu). USmith uqoqe uMkhandlu Wakhe Ojwayelekile futhi wabamba icala lokukhwabanisa Umhlaziyi “inkathazo yomphakathi.” USmith uyalele iCity Marshall neNauvoo Legion ukuthi bacekele phansi leli phephandaba. Leli phephandaba labhujiswa futhi bobabili abeZizwe nezihlubuki baxoshwa eNauvoo besatshiswa ngokufa. USmith njengoLieutenant-General weNauvoo Legion ekugcineni wamemezela umthetho wezempi eNauvoo futhi wayala uLegion ukuba athathe izikhali. Izenzo zikaJoseph Smith ekubhubhiseni iphephandaba i-Expositor, kanye nobunye ubugebengu abenza ekugcineni kwaholela ekuboshweni kwakhe eCarthage, e-Illinois. Ushonele ejele laseCarthage ngesikhathi kudutshulwana nempi ebinolaka.
USmith wayaziwa ngomzimba wakhe omkhulu. Waziqhayisa ngokuthi kunokuningi okufanele azigabise ngakho kunomunye umuntu. Uthe nguyena kuphela umuntu owake wakwazi ukugcina isonto lonke lihlangene kusukela ngesikhathi sika-Adamu. Uthe uPowula, uJwanisi, uPitrosi, noJesu abakwazanga ukukwenza, kodwana wakghona. ISonto lama-Mormon lazama iminyaka eminingi ukufihla iqiniso ngomsunguli wabo uJoseph Smith, Jr. Noma kunjalo, namuhla ubufakazi bomlando wokuthi wayengubani ngempela buyatholakala. Ngeshwa, iSonto lama-Mormon liyaqhubeka nokuveza inkulumo-ze ngaye ukuze lingene kubantu ngaphansi kwethonya labo lokukhohlisa.
UKUFANELELA:
I-Beadle, JH Polygamy noma, The Mysteries and Crimes of Mormonism. IWashington DC: Umtapo wezincwadi weCongress, 1904.
UMartin, uWalter. UMbuso Wezinkolo. IMinneapolis: IBethany House, 2003.
UTanner, uJerald, noSandra. I-Mormonism - Umthunzi noma ubuqiniso? ISalt Lake City: Inkonzo Yombane we-Utah, ngo-2008.