The work is nothing less than a miracle and has touched the lives of millions of people all over the world. A modern-day Apostle, Elder Mark E. Petersen, in his October 1977 General Conference address titled “It Was A Miracle!” commented, “The Book of Mormon is a literary and a religious masterpiece, and is far beyond even the fondest hopes or abilities of any farm boy” (Ensign, November 1977, 11).  Nevertheless, for many years critics have done their best to discredit the Book of Mormon, and all but dismiss it as a book of fiction. The question that has caused considerable discussion and debate is, “Did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon from gold plates as he claimed, and as witnesses testified, or did he write the narrative himself?”

The Book of Mormon – A Miraculous Book

There have been many instances when great works have faltered under the scrutiny of critics. However, despite all of the negativism concerning the Book of Mormon and its authenticity, it continues to be placed into the hands of people all over the world, and those who embrace its teachings have had their lives transformed and testify of its power. Here are a few reasons why the Book of Mormon is so miraculous.

Reason 1: There Have Been Minimal Changes to the Text

Critics have long claimed that the Book of Mormon cannot be authentic because they purport that 3,913 “changes” have been made to the text of the first edition. Their argument is refuted, however, when the short period of time that it took to translate the volume, and the fact that it required fewer changes as compared to other translated works is considered. That in itself makes the Book of Mormon a miraculous work.

The fact that changes were required is not unusual for any complex manuscript. Even Bible scholars such as Daniel B. Wallace, a professor of New Testament studies, affirms that the manuscript of the Bible “has undergone three revisions, incorporating more than 100,000 changes” (“Choosing a Bible Translation,” christianity.com).

Several other tidbits of information also deserve careful consideration. First, when Joseph Smith verbally dictated the Book of Mormon manuscript to scribes, he was a 23-year-old uneducated farm boy. With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit in the translation work, the finished result was a 588-page manuscript which had as its central theme, the Lord Jesus Christ, and it contained thousands of original phrases, brilliant doctrinal speeches, and unique names.

Joseph Smith did not have the advantage of skilled editors to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. He relied heavily on his scribes and the typesetter to make such corrections. In fact, when the Book of Mormon was completed it was basically one continuous paragraph with little to no punctuation. John H. Gilbert, an employee of publisher E.B. Grandin, set the type and punctuated the first edition of the Book of Mormon.  The 3,913 “mistakes” which critics use to substantiate their claim that the Book of Mormon is not true, are indeed minor changes such as punctuation.  The fact that the Book of Mormon with its length and complexity of manuscript required so few corrections, is substantial evidence and proof that the book is of divine origin.

Reason 2: The Complexity of the Manuscript Nullifies that it is a Work of Fiction

Many critics claim that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a book of fiction, and Joseph Smith, whom they further claim is a fraud, is its author.

According to a 27 January 2015 LDS Living.com article written by Randal A. Wright:

One internet critic paints Joseph Smith as an ignorant fraud and then says, “The Book of Mormon is no more complex than many other works of fiction, such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” He failed to point out that it took Tolkien, an internationally renowned Oxford English professor, 12 years to write his classic book. It is believed that this brilliant professor knew up to 30 different languages in various degrees. He also associated daily with other renowned fantasy writers, one of which was his good friend C.S. Lewis. Perhaps no one was better prepared to write The Lord of the Rings than Tolkien. Despite his experience, at the time he finished his book, Tolkien said: “There were some frightful mistakes in grammar, which from a Professor of English Language and Lit are rather shocking” (Dennis Gerolt, “Now Read On,” BBC Radio 4, January, 1971).

Contrast J.R. Tolkien’s life to that of Joseph Smith. Joseph was a farm boy. He had very little formal education. He was not afforded the opportunity to consult with professional writers and editors, or professional translators for that matter. He was only 24-years-old when the Book of Mormon was published. The entire manuscript of the Book of Mormon was produced in 63 days. And, it should also be duly noted that Joseph did not have any notes to refer to, but rather he verbally dictated the manuscript to his scribes. Furthermore, at times when the dictation of the manuscript was interrupted, he did not have bookmarks to remind him where he had left off, but yet when he returned to the work, he was able to continue as if there had been no interruption.

Wright further comments in his article, “If Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon, he should be considered one of the great fiction writers of all time. If he translated it, he should be considered a great prophet. It is interesting that he receives no credit for being either from the world.” However, the substantiating evidence that an uneducated farm boy could not have written such a powerful book as the Book of Mormon, and that he was a true prophet of God, far outweighs any arguments presented by critics.

Reason 3: Joseph Smith is remembered for good and evil

On 21 September 1823, Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith and prophesied that Joseph’s name “should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues” (Joseph Smith—History 1:33.) Most people who are able to obtain international fame or power in their lifetime are usually thought of as being good or evil, however, Joseph Smith is remembered as being both good and evil.

In his article, Wright further comments:

What horrific crimes did Joseph Smith commit to be viewed as evil? Perhaps his “crime” was similar to that of William Tyndale, who infuriated both the religious and political authorities of his day by translating the Bible into English. Because of his actions, Tyndale was condemned as a heretic and executed.

Joseph Smith, like Tyndale, also translated into English an ancient religious record that boldly testifies of Jesus Christ. Many political and religious leaders of his day also considered this heresy. As a result, they vehemently spoke against his character and his work, they unjustly persecuted him personally and legally, and some ultimately took his freedom and his life, fulfilling Moroni’s prophecy.

The Book of Mormon is exactly what its title proclaims it to be, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The book was never intended to replace the Bible, but rather to complement the Bible in its doctrines and principles. Like the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon is a powerful testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the True and Living God, and the Savior of all mankind.

In the closing chapter of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni gives this promise:

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:3-4).

All who are willing to accept Moroni’s promise and diligently read the pages of the Book of Mormon with sincere intent will come to know for themselves that the book is true.

To date the entire book of Mormon has been translated into 91 languages, and selections of the Book of Mormon have been translated into an additional 24 languages. Thus, the volume is made available to many people in their native tongue, but the question that begs an answer is, “How many people have ever read it or know anything about it?”

In 2014, three returned missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Kyson Kidd, Jacob Justice and Jake Christensen – set out on a mission to find an answer to that question. The culmination of their quest which was dubbed “The Book of Mormon Project” was the creation of a 5:08 video called “What is the Book of Mormon?” The video was published on YouTube on 1 January 2015, and has already received over 33,000 views in its first week online.

Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon

The motivation behind their mission was their own personal testimonies of the Book of Mormon and their desire that people everywhere would have the opportunity to read the book for themselves. Christensen who is from Eagle, Idaho, originally came up with the idea to create the video after wanting to share a video about the Book of Mormon with his friends on Facebook. In searching for a video to share he discovered that a majority of the videos found in the top searches on YouTube were about the satirical Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon” and decided that something had to be done.

In a 7 November 2014 Deseret News article he gave this brief testimony of the Book of Mormon:

It’s such an important book, and it’s made such a huge difference in my life. The more I’ve read it, the more I’ve honestly grown closer to Christ … and I have become such a happier person because of the Book of Mormon, and I just want everyone to have that.

It is hoped that after reading the book, people would accept the prophet Moroni’s challenge as recorded in Moroni 10:3-5:

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

They received additional guidance and inspiration from a quote taken from an October 1988 General Conference address given by President Ezra Taft Benson titled “Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon.” In that timely address, President Benson exhorted:

The time is long overdue for a massive flooding of the earth with the Book of Mormon for the many reasons which the Lord has given. In this age of the electronic media and the mass distribution of the printed word, God will hold us accountable if we do not now move the Book of Mormon in a monumental way.

Christensen further notes that with all the technology that we have available to use, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have an even greater responsibility today to share the Book of Mormon than ever before.

The three friends, who are BYU-Idaho students, hope that the video will impact members and non-members alike. They believe that the reason that most people don’t read the Book of Mormon is because they don’t understand what it is. Christensen stated:

If people could really understand what the Book of Mormon is, they would cherish that book like their lives depended on it. That’s what we’re hoping to do with this video is ignite the spark of the importance of the Book of Mormon so both members and nonmembers will have more of a desire to read it.

We want people to see that this isn’t just for us. This isn’t just for me and you. This is for every single person on planet Earth. I think for members, it’s going to be like, ‘Wow, this is a cool thing I’m a part of.’ And then for nonmembers it’ll be like, ‘Wow, this is a big deal. How have I not heard of it? How have I not read this yet?’

On 19 August 2014, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered a message during Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, titled “To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood” in which he encouraged members to “flood the earth” with gospel messages on social media. Albeit “The Book of Mormon Project” was begun before Elder Bednar’s address was given, Christensen, Kidd, and Justice were excited to hear his message because they knew that it would help their video to succeed. As a result of Elder Bednar’s message, they believe that now, more than ever, members are willing to share gospel messages online.

A Promise to All who will Read the Book

We actually decided that Jan. 1 would be best because that’s the time of year that everyone is thinking about making changes in their lives,” Christensen explained. “So we just thought that would be the perfect time to release it as they’re thinking, ‘OK, what can I do to better my life this year?’ and then they see this video, and they think ‘Oh, that could be something that could benefit my life this year. I’ll try it.’ That’s what we’re hoping people will say and do.”

Sharing the Book of Mormon with others is an excellent missionary tool and a great way to share the gospel. As we do so, we not only bless the lives of others, but we are also blessed because of our efforts to do the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. Therefore, not only do we help others to draw closer to Christ, but we ourselves are drawn closer to Christ.

The prophet Moroni’s clarion exhortation applies to all who will read the Book of Mormon:

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts (Moroni 10:3).

The purpose of scripture is to teach the word of God. Mormons (a nickname sometimes applied to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) use four books of scripture: The Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Each came to the world in different ways. To understand the impact and meaning of Joseph Smith’s statement, we need to look at how both the Bible and the Book of Mormon came to be.

How We Got the Bible

The Bible was written in ancient times by a variety of people. In fact, we don’t always know who actually wrote each section. It was not written as a single book, but was compiled from a large number of manuscripts by committee. There has never been just one canon for the Bible and various groups include different combinations of ancient books in their own canon. These canons were all compiled long after Jesus and the apostles were gone (approximately 200 A.D)—the Bible didn’t exist during the time the Bible events were happening and so no one with authority from Christ selected the books, although Mormons believe God did help to guide those making these choices.

Over the centuries, the original texts of the Bible were copied again and again by scribes, since no printing press existed. As they were copied, mistakes were made, as is natural. But sometimes changes came about intentionally as things were added or dropped to suit political or religious desires. For this reason, scholars today debate many of the books and passages in the Bible as being later additions. We do not have the original copy of even one book of Bible scripture and must rely entirely on copies of copies. Despite these errors, man-made decisions, and complications, Mormons revere the Bible as the word of God. They teach that as it was first written, it was perfect. Any mistakes and changes are the mistakes of mortals.

How We Got the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon came about a little differently. The first writer was a man named Lehi, who was a prophet. His son Nephi then added his own words, including copying over many of his father’s writings. Lehi’s records were lost, but we still have the ones Nephi copied. When Nephi died, the records were passed on to another person. This continued throughout the entire span of time the Book of Mormon was being written. Each new writer received the complete record that had come before.

When the records reached Mormon, for whom the book is named, God commanded him to go through the records and pull out just the most important parts to make a more manageable record. He died before this was completed, so his son Moroni finished the task, recording it on golden plates so they would last longer. Of course, this took a great deal of time and material, so he wrote them in what he referred to as reformed Egyptian, which was apparently more compact, but which was not his native language.

Both books, then, were written by mortals, and mortals are imperfect. In the Book of Mormon, Mormon himself noted:

And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire (Mormon 8:17).

Is the Book of Mormon Perfect?

In other words, Mormon also agreed that man is imperfect. However, these imperfections in either the Bible or the Book of Mormon do not take away from the sacredness of the scriptures themselves and should not be used to judge the original intent of the books.

A recent in-depth study of the changes made to the Book of Mormon found that there were many changes, but none altered doctrine. They were largely errors in punctuation and spelling. Some were the result of the scribe mis-hearing what Joseph said. He did not do the writing himself. He translated orally and scribes wrote his words. Many of these mistakes were found by Joseph himself and corrected. Some were, however, inserted by printers. The few doctrinal types of errors, when corrected, restored the teachings the church offers today, rather than altering them. Joseph taught the doctrines correctly, even when very small word changes would seem to have altered them.

See Critical Text Project Evaluates Changes in the Book of Mormon.

Saying that it is the most correct book, then, is not saying is it a perfect book. It is not saying there are not man-made errors, inevitable in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. What does it mean, then?

It means that the purpose of the Book has been fulfilled more completely than it has in any other book. Translation problems are minimal, since there is only one translation per language. The initial translation was carried about by a prophet and today’s translations into other languages are carefully monitored to be certain political or manipulative changes are not introduced.

The Book of Mormon was translated by a prophet. While there may be some limitations due to the imperfectness of our language, God guided the translation to make certain no important doctrine was changed in any way. The book was written and abridged by prophets. It outlines many essential saving doctrines more completely and more clearly than the Bible, with verses tending to be longer and sermons more completely recorded.

The purpose of the Book of Mormon was to bring people to Jesus Christ and its perfectness must be measured against its ability to do just that. It is the purpose that matters, not minor spelling or punctuation errors. (The original dictation did not even contain punctuation.) The book contains more references to Christ and his gospel than does even the Bible. It is estimated that this is mentioned on average in every 1.7 verses.

In 1984, Monte Nyman, who was an associate dean of religious education at Brigham Young University addressed this bold statement concerning the correctness of the Book of Mormon. He wrote:

“The most important principle, of course, is acceptance of Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God and the Savior of the world. To this principle, the Book of Mormon bears a second witness in dozens of instances. Its primary objective is to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God. This correct second witness has become more and more valuable as the world has increasingly entertained various alternate opinions of Jesus. The Book of Mormon proclaims him to be more than a great teacher, or a great philosopher, or a great moral and ethical proclaimer. These opinions have replaced Isaiah’s prophetic designation of the Christ as “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa. 9:6.) In making a substitution, splintered Christianity has assimilated fragments of philosophies and rituals that took the place of original Christian unity and the plan of salvation. For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the Book of Mormon corrects the false doctrine and affirms the true….Man’s recognition of these teachings and his step-by-step growth and development are highlighted by the third part of the Prophet’s statement that “a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (See Monte Nyman, The Most Correct Book, Ensign, June 1984)

The Bible offers a clue to people who want to know if the Bible is true:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5, King James version of the Bible)

The Bible promises that if we need to know something important, we can ask God and He will tell us if we ask in faith. This same promise applies to the Book of Mormon. In fact, the Book of Mormon comes with its own promise:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is. (Moroni 10)

Mormons who are considering joining the Church, and those who are already in the Church, are taught not to take the word of any mortal person concerning the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. They learn that all truth comes from God and that a testimony from Him is one we can’t deny. If a mortal person tells us something is true, that can help us, but it is shaky—if our relationship with that person changes, we may find ourselves doubting his words. However, if God tells us something is true, we know it is.

For that reason, Mormons are taught to read the Bible and the Book of Mormon and to pray as they read. Then they should ponder what they’ve learned, make a decision, and pray for confirmation of their decision. A warm, peaceful feeling of truth is reassurance they have made the right choice.

The person who made this promise, Moroni, was an extraordinary young man. He was a child of war. His society was at war with another group of people and all his people were killed. He lost his parents, siblings, friends…everyone. The only people remaining in his part of the world were the enemy, who had sworn to murder anyone who would not deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. He would not, and so, alone in the world and possibly only a teenager, he hid away and finished the work his father, an ancient prophet, had started. His father, Mormon, had been abridging the records of their people to make them a more manageable size. Moroni finished the task, translated some additional records, and added the end of his civilization’s story. He was alone and sad:

3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.

4 Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not.

5 Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not. (Mormon 8)

This is one of the most powerful portions of an extraordinary record. Moroni had been kept alive, faced daily with loneliness and the potential of being murdered, solely to preserve this record for people in our times. It had been written just for us and saved until our time. Mormons consider it a debt of honor to read the record and to gain a testimony of it, to make his extraordinary sacrifice worthwhile.

We owe it to Moroni to find out if he is real, if his record is real, and if we have been called by God to learn of it. It is a companion to the Bible, testifying of it. It is impossible to believe in the Book of Mormon and not also believe in the Bible or the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Read the Book of Mormon free online.

The official statement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a single sentence:

“The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people’s lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ” (Church Statement Regarding The Book of Mormon Musical, 07 February 2011).

Michael Otterson, the managing director of the Mormon’s Public Affairs Department, wrote a less official personal response to the musical for the Washington Post. There he explained he would not be seeing the Book of Mormon Musical. “But I’m not buying what I’m reading in the reviews. Specifically, I’m not willing to spend $200 for a ticket to be sold the idea that religion moves along oblivious to real-world problems in a kind of blissful naiveté.” The Mormon Church’s official statement along with other LDS news and events can be found at the LDS Newsroom.

Brother Otterson took an interesting approach to the topic. He learned it took seven years to create the musical that made fun of African suffering. He wondered what the Mormons were doing in those seven years. Were they ignorant of real-world problems and suffering? He quickly learned Mormons weren’t making fun of Africans during those seven years. They were working diligently to resolve some of the hardships the musical mocks. In Africa, Mormons were bringing clean water to four million Africans who had never had it, providing wheelchairs for 34,000 children, vaccinating millions of children, training 52,000 Africans to resuscitate newborns, and providing emergency supplies to 20,000 people in flooded Niger. In the long run, who had the most important impact on the world in those seven years?

The world has protested the desecration of sacred Muslim texts, as they should, but the same outcry has not really been present for the desecration of sacred Mormon texts through crude language and portrayals in the musical. Mormons have a great respect for sacred things—our own and the sacred things of others.

A Mormon instructor once explained how Mormons could show respect for people of other faiths. He wrote:

“We can treat things that are sacred to them with respect. The yarmulka of an orthodox Jew, the crucifix or rosary of a Catholic, the icon of a Greek Orthodox, the shrines and temples and sacred places of other faiths—we can treat all these things with the tolerance of heart we desire people to have for our way of life. This does not mean that we need to adopt their religious practices: but it does mean that we should not treat lightly these things or their use of them. “

He also suggested, “We must never ridicule another person’s manner of worship. Many of our practices may seem strange to him, too! Though we may disagree with another person’s form of worship, we ought not to make light of it or criticize him for it. For these things represent other people’s sincere efforts to worship God, and though we may make every reasonable effort to give them a fuller understanding in the appropriate setting, these methods of worship are still the outgrowth of the individual’s sincere faith.” (See Gerald E. Jones, “Respect for Other People’s Beliefs,” Ensign, Oct 1977, 69.)

There are some who have suggested Mormons need to see the musical in order to evaluate it. Most people study reviews prior to deciding how to spend their money and reviews make it clear Mormons who practice strict obedience to the commandments and the teachings of the prophets will be unwilling to see the musical. This is not just because of its attacks on Mormons, religion, and Africans, but also because the language and content are labeled vulgar even by those who liked it.

Mormon teenagers are given a pamphlet that outlines the moral standards a good Mormon will follow. It has been made clear these standards are not just for teens—they are for everyone. Concerning media and entertainment choices, Mormons are taught:

“Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you. Good entertainment will help you to have good thoughts and make righteous choices. It will allow you to enjoy yourself without losing the Spirit of the Lord.

While much entertainment is good, some of it can lead you away from righteous living. Offensive material is often found in web sites, concerts, movies, music, videocassettes, DVDs, books, magazines, pictures, and other media. Satan uses such entertainment to deceive you by making what is wrong and evil look normal and exciting. It can mislead you into thinking that everyone is doing things that are wrong.

Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable,” (“Entertainment and the Media,” For the Strength of Youth: Fulfilling Our Duty to God, (2001).

From this and other statements, it is easy to discern why good Latter-day Saints simply cannot attend a musical in which “vulgar” is the one word every reviewer uses to describe the script. Mormons subscribe to what are called the Articles of Faith, a statement of thirteen basic beliefs. The last one ends with the following sentence: “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” Conversely, then, Mormons avoid anything that is not virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.

Some who ask this question are interested in a sincere journey to find out whether or not there is a God. Others ask as a challenge, hoping to prove the faithful wrong. First we’ll deal with the concerns of the sincere seeker of truth. Then we’ll focus on the concerns of the challengers.

One reason God sent us here to live on earth was to gain faith. Mormon beliefs teach that we lived with God, as spirits,

before we were born. Because He was with us then, we didn’t need faith. The apostle Paul, who served as Jesus’ apostle during the Savior’s lifetime, taught, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, King James version of the Holy Bible)

Once we came to earth-something we voluntarily agreed to do-a symbolic veil was drawn over our memories, causing us to forget the previous life we’d led. This way, we’d be forced to seek out truth and learn to have faith. It’s easy to believe in something you can see, touch, and prove. Faith is a higher level of knowledge in many ways, harder to achieve and requiring greater personal character and strength. Because we must learn to have faith, it is very unlikely God will make it possible for every person to have proof-the world’s version of proof– of God’s existence.

A Book of Mormon prophet named Alma delivered one of history’s greatest sermons on faith. In it, he said:

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. (Alma 32:27)

This scripture gives hope to a person who wishes he were able to believe in God. At the beginning level, faith requires no more than a desire to believe. From there, Alma outlines a personal experiment each person can take to find out if there is a God, if Jesus is the Christ, if the gospel is true, and if living the way the scriptures teach is the right thing to do.

With this desire as a starting place, Alma asked his listeners to imagine faith as a seed, a comparison that is also made in the Bible.

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves-It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

Religious people often describe feelings of faith or the presence of the Holy Ghost in similar terms-a swelling or a warm feeling in the heart. It is often similar to the feelings one has when experiencing strong love for a child or another person you care deeply for. However it feels to that individual person, it is a good and wonderful feeling, and the person experiencing it longs for it to continue.

Alma tells his listeners that receiving this first confirmation will increase the faith of the seeker, not to a level of perfect faith, but to a level that allows you to continue your experiment, gradually increasing your faith.

31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own likeness.

32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.

33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

34 And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand.

Alma demonstrates that by continuing to nourish the seed, your faith will become perfect in the one area in which you were seeking truth. You can then move on to another step. For instance, after knowing there is a God, you will want to know if Jesus Christ was His Son. You will want to gain a testimony of the Bible and then you’ll want to know which church is God’s church, because you’ll quickly realize each religion contradicts the other. God isn’t a God of confusion, and truth is absolute, so you will use the tools you gained in developing a testimony of these other things to find His church.

Learning whether there is a God is much like learning other things. You must first study it out in your mind. Read the Bible and the Book of Mormon to find out who God is and what His relationship with His children has been. Learn what He wants of you. As you are studying, pray to God, even if you’re not sure anyone is listening. If you approach prayer with a hope that God is there, He will begin to make you aware of His presence. Once you know He is there, begin to develop a personal relationship with Him by continuing to study, to pray, to live His commandments, and to attend His church.

This is not enough for some people. Some, generally those who are not seeking truth, but are trying to discredit religious people, will argue for something more than a personal experiment. Boyd K. Packer is an apostle of the Lord in the modern church. Long before he received this call, he met an atheist on an airplane. Elder Packer bore testimony of God’s existence, but the man was not convinced. The atheist, a lawyer, demanded to know how Elder Packer knew there was a God. Elder Packer explained how he answered the man:

Such an idea came into my mind and I said to the atheist, “Let me ask if you know what salt tastes like.”

“Of course I do,” was his reply.

“When did you taste salt last?”

“I just had dinner on the plane.”

“You just think you know what salt tastes like,” I said.

He insisted, “I know what salt tastes like as well as I know anything.”

“If I gave you a cup of salt and a cup of sugar and let you taste them both, could you tell the salt from the sugar?”

“Now you are getting juvenile,” was his reply. “Of course I could tell the difference. I know what salt tastes like. It is an everyday experience-I know it as well as I know anything.”

“Then,” I said, “assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like.”

After some thought, he ventured, “Well-I-uh, it is not sweet and it is not sour.”

“You’ve told me what it isn’t, not what it is.”

After several attempts, of course, he could not do it. He could not convey, in words alone, so ordinary an experience as tasting salt. I bore testimony to him once again and said, “I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just because you don’t know, don’t try to tell me that I don’t know, for I do!” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, Jan 1983, 51

From this object lesson, we easily see there are many things that are true that we cannot describe. In addition, there are many things that are true that we cannot prove in a laboratory. For instance, have you ever loved someone? Did you insist on a lab test to prove to you that you were experiencing this love before you spoke of it-testified of it-to the object of your love? Of course not, and yet, although you never took time to prove your feelings, you believed in them entirely, even knew they were true. In the same way, you know when you’re happy or sad, when you’re hungry, or when you’re tired. You don’t have to rush to a lab to decided any of these things.  You simply know them to be true.

In the same way, those who know there is a God don’t need a laboratory to tell them so. They know.

There is indeed a God, and choosing not to believe in Him won’t make Him not real. Whether or not we choose to believe in God, He is real and the guidelines He created for us and that we agreed to live by are real and we will be held accountable for them. We will also receive the blessings that come from honoring His truths. God loves us-even those who don’t believe in Him-and He is only waiting for each of His children to make the personal journey to know Him.

Personal Response by Lance

I have known for a long time that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but only in the last couple of years, while serving as a Mormon missionary, was I finally able to put into words the way that my answer came. There is a promise given by Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon that if a person reads, ponders, and prays to know the Book of Mormon is true, the truth will be manifest to them by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5)

I read the Book of Mormon a few times growing up and I always felt that it was true, but I could never clearly express how I had come to that knowledge. I could honestly say that I knew by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, but I couldn’t describe what that meant. It was more than just a simple feeling. It was a strong conviction.

As a missionary I came across people who had highly varying beliefs about the Holy Ghost and the way that the Holy Ghost affects us. This caused me to search even more to find a way to clearly explain how I had received a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. I was reading in the Book of Mormon one day and I found my answer.

In the beginning of the book of Mosiah there is an account of a prophet and king named Benjamin. Just before he died he preached a powerful sermon to all the people of his kingdom. At the end of this sermon he asked the people if they believed his words. Their response, exactly what I had been searching for, is given in Mosiah 5:2: “And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

The people of King Benjamin testified that they knew his words were true because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, or in other words, by the power of the Holy Ghost. The part of this verse that stuck out to me was that they described the effect that the Holy Ghost had on them. They said that the Spirit “wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”

As I read this verse I realized how I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true because when I read it my heart is changed by the Holy Ghost. I don’t simply feel that it is true. It motivates me to change and to be more Christlike. I want to be a better person. My very desires are changed. My desire to sin is removed and I am given a greater desire to serve my Father in Heaven and my fellowmen.

I invite anyone who may read this to read the Book of Mormon along with the Bible. I can promise, just as the prophet Moroni promises, that anyone who sincerely reads and ponders the Book of Mormon and asks God in faith to know that it is true will know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. This can’t be just a simple prayer of interest either. We must ask “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ” (Moroni 10:4). Real intent means that we are willing to act on the answer that we receive. God will only let us know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon if we intend to follow His teachings. The Holy Ghost will change your heart and guide you to live a more Christlike life. Living the teachings of the Lord in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible has brought so much joy to my life and will do the same for everyone who follows the same course.

Personal Response by Kent Brown

The Book of Mormon preserves records of three ancient peoples who came to the Americas and flourished. The high point of the book rests in the account of a three-day visit by the Risen Jesus Christ, a narrative that is unequaled in ancient literature. In the end, except for one group, all were destroyed by war.

Notably, Jesus Christ presses himself upon readers of the Book of Mormon from beginning to end. Most who spend time in the pages of the Book of Mormon come away with schooled impressions about Him and His wondrous work. For He forms the major focus of the book from its earliest pages. Nephi, the first author, pushes the Redeemer onto the stage both by narrating his own vision about the Messiah and by quoting his father’s words about the coming Redeemer. Moreover, Mormon, the chief compiler and editor of the work, shaped the final version of the record to bring the Redeemer into a clear light for readers. For instance, at the end of his own account, he writes poignantly about those who squandered their chance to come to Jesus:

O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord!

O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! (Mormon 6:17.)

The first pages of the Book of Mormon open onto a scene in Jerusalem about 597 BC, soon after King Zedekiah ascended the throne of the kingdom of Judah. A man named Lehi, called by God in a vision, joins other prophets in warning the city’s inhabitants of a pending disaster if they do not repent. But after hearing this message for thirty years from Jeremiah, people were not in a mood to respond warmly. Instead, many turned against Lehi, forcing him to flee with his family into Arabia. From there, his party makes its way to the New World. Thus begins the grand saga of the book, tracing many of the triumphs and hardships that descendants of this family experienced over a thousand-year history.

The Book of Mormon offers its own promise to those who read its pages “with real intent.” If a person will ask God “with a sincere heart” whether the book is true, God “will manifest the truth of it” to the earnest inquirer (Moroni 10:4).

Additional Resources:

S. Kent Brown, Voices from the Dust: Book of Mormon Insights (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 2004).