How Do I Know That the Book of Mormon Is True?
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)
Two Witnesses- Greg K. Olsen
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.
Tags: Book of Mormon, Mormon Beliefs, Prayer, the Holy Ghost
This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am and is filed under Book of Mormon, Faith, Modern Scripture, Mormon Beliefs, Prayer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
August 10th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
You say,”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.”
Isn’t this also called “being inspired”? I think you even named it “motivation.” I ask because a friend has introduced me to LDS. I am interested, yet have a difficult time believing what the book of Mormon says to be true (Right now, I am reading the kid version so that I can better understand the regular version).
So many people describe a feeling wash over them when they feel that God has let them know that the book of Mormon is true. One person described it as a burning sensation. That can’t be explained…I cannot say that was the power of God or that it wasn’t. However, I can research the writings in the book of Mormon, and the more I research, I become less and less convinced.
Why?
October 16th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Tammy, when I was first learning about the church, I tried to do it very intellectually. I made charts and lists and all sorts of things. Satan can attack the intellect, and I became more and more confused. This is why you’re having the reaction you are–Satan does not want you to learn the truth. If he can stop you at the intellect level, you won’t pray about it.
The Bible tells us to have faith, not intellect, where the gospel is concerned. In James 1:5, the Bible says that if we lack wisdom, we can turn to God for advice. When I finally did this, I got my answer.
There are people who say not to pray about the Church because you can’t tell who is answering. I disagree. In the above mentioned scripture, God told us to pray for answers. God always keeps His promises–always. If He tells us to pray, then He will also give us an answer we can recognize as His. He can do anything, so certainly He can help us recognize His voice (not literally, but we can recognize who is giving us the answer.) It’s a matter of trusting God to be able to keep His promises.
The more you practice praying, even about little things, the easier it will be to recognize His answers. You can prove or disprove anything by trying to do it with your brain. But only God knows the answer to your question, and He wants you to find out for yourself, not to take anyone else’s word. The only way to find out is to go to the source of all truth–God–in prayer.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Tammy~
I love and agree with Terrie’s answer and would like to share some personal thoughts as well.
I was talking with a student a few weeks ago who asked me a similar question. She said she’d prayed about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon but wasn’t sure she’d gotten her answer. We talked about the promise in the Book of Mormon. God “will” respond to the honest inquirer,and you are an honest inquirer. I testify that He knows how to reach you and give you an assurance of eternal truths.
When something is right, we have peace, and a sense of our hearts expanding and our outlook opening up. Ponder again how you’ve felt reading and how you’ve felt at Church. It’s easy to override those feelings with intellectual struggle. The gospel does make sense intellectually, but it can’t be proven that way. Think about it. If God had made it so, then there would be no test of faith to believe, and we’ve come for that very purpose. There is “spiritual evidence”, however, sufficient for each one of us personally.
Also, sometimes we don’t see God’s hand as He is answering our prayers until we look back in retrospect. Sometimes he guides us through others, like the friend who invited you to Church. Sometimes we bump into websites so further understanding and light can come. As we recognize these non-coincidental events in our lives, we see that God is there and hearing us along and then it distills on us that the peace we felt reading the Book of Mormon and other divine interventions are not to be unnoticed. They then shape into testimony and witness that our prayers are heard and these things are divine.
I testify in humility, that I know that God knows you, your heart, your name, your questions and that He is beside you, guiding you, and waiting for you to recognize His influence in your life. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true account and that it contains so many principles that unfold just as we need them and testifies of the Savior’s atonement and love for each of us personally and every nation. I testify that the gospel has been restored to the earth by the Lord through Joseph Smith. It has changed my life forever.
God bless. Please let us know if you have further questions.
Love, Karen
km@moregood.com
January 5th, 2009 at 6:59 am
since my life i have realize one thing in my life and that is to say that the book of mormon has change my life and has also taught me how to live in harmony with my fellow being.i love the all the prophets teachings.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Thank you for your testimony of the Book of Mormon on our unofficial site, Mormonchurch.com.
Where are you from? Would you like to share your expression of faith online? I’m sure others would greatly benefit from your witness. Let us know if you would like to write or post a video witness of your beliefs, or otherwise help us to move the work forward in your native language.
All the best,