Since coming to the Bloggernacle over two years ago, I’ve read many post and comments where writers relate that they are active members, keep the commandments well enough to maintain a temple recommend, read the Book of Mormon, prayed about it, and still haven’t received a witness of its truthfulness by the power of the Holy Ghost as promised.
Here is an example of one brother stating his frustration:
I have been in the Church my whole life for 40+ years. I served a mission. I married in the temple. I have served in numerous callings. I have always had a temple recommend with all that that implies. I have probably read the Book of Mormon at least 15 times, including in at least 2 languages. I have followed Moroni’s promise probably at least 100 times, with all sincerity. Yet, at the end of it all, I have never received an answer that it is true… Yet, probably out of inertia and a hope that someday I will get an answer, I persist in the journey and am still “active”.
I’ve been troubled by these “testimonies”. It’s easy to dismiss them as being insincere, or worse—deceptive. But being dismissive to all such claims is wrong headed, in my opinion.
The Lord has given us the scriptures to help us deal with the issues we encounter in life. When I turn to the scripture looking for possible answers I find the following. Please add to my list anything that helps you understand this issue.
1. 1 Nephi 15:8 -9
“And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.”
Their answer to Nephi’s question is that they haven’t even asked. Nephi’s response to his older brothers is revealing:
“. . . the Lord hath said-If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known Unto you.” (1 Nephi 15:11.)
Conclusion:
Remember, we’re not talking about members who are like Nephi’s older brothers. But based on verse 11, a reason for unanswered prayers could be in not asking, “…me in faith, believing that ye shall receive…”
2. 3 Nephi 1:24
“And there were no contentions, save it were a few that began to preach, endeavoring to prove by the scriptures that it was no more expedient to observe the law of Moses. Now in this thing they did err, having not understood the scriptures.”
Conclusion:
This scripture teaches that some can err, having not understood the doctrine of the gospel correctly. This is the same thing the Lord told Martin Harris when he failed to translate (D&C 9:7) and could be a reason for unanswered prayers.
3. 2 Nephi 28:14
“… a few, who are the humble followers of Christ…are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.”
Conclusion:
Some church members err because of the precepts of men, even though they are humble followers of Christ. The precepts of men lead followers of Christ astray and could be a reason for unanswered prayers.
4. D&C 98:2
“Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.”
Conclusion:
This scripture teaches us that some church members are required to wait patiently on the Lord before their prayers will be answered. This could be a reason for unanswered prayers.
Summary
I can only guess at the frustration a worthy member of the church must experience when they struggle to obtain an answer to prayer regarding the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I didn’t struggle for my answer to prayer regarding the Book of Mormon. I have however, been through the furnace of affliction in other areas of my life that allow me to have some understanding. Based on that, I’ve learned to wait on the Lord, stay close to Lord, and the day of deliverance will come.
Your post reminded me of something I read by Daniel H. Ludlow. I tried to edit it, but content doesn’t allow much, because each piece is important to the point.
He basically establishes that most members think Moroni’s promise exists in verse 4, and often do not take the surrounding verses into consideration as PART of “the promise”. Then he goes over subtle details in verses 1-5.
Regarding Verse 3 he says:
“Ponder” the dealings of God with men as recorded in the Book of Mormon, and then compare them with the dealings of God with men as recorded in the Bible. Although the word Bible is not found in this verse, Moroni indicates that the person should “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” (emphasis added). The Bible provides a story of the Creation and the history of events from that time forward. However, the account of the Creation and subsequent happenings are not contained in the Book of Mormon. In fact, Moroni had earlier acknowledged that the Book of Mormon would not include this information. In explaining his abridgement of the book of Ether, Moroni wrote:
“And now I, Moroni . . . take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether. And as I suppose that the first part of this record, which speaks concerning the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower, and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews—therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time” (Ether 1:1-4; emphasis added).
Thus, if a sincere person hasn’t gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon after reading it, he should—as Moroni seems to suggest here—read the Bible as well, pondering in his heart both scriptural accounts of God’s dealings with his children.”
Verse 4:
“Note that the word read is not even included in this verse; rather, the verb is receive. In other words, after the person has (1) read the Book of Mormon and (2) pondered the dealings of God with the peoples of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, he must then put himself in a frame of mind where he would be willing to “receive” or “accept” all these things. Then he must ask “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ.” Sincere pondering of the scriptures helps put a person into an appropriate frame of mind to ask for—and receive—divine guidance.”
He then covers asking “with real intent” etc.
I think there is a significant key in reading “all” of God’s word-which includes the Bible-and in pondering on “how merciful the Lord has been” to mankind, from Adam until now. When these people pray have they fully comprehended how merciful and loving God is? Do they “believe” in a loving, merciful, gracious, ready to bless Father?
Second, being “willing” to “receive”. To me this is not an attitude of “Well Lord, is it true?” or “I’ll believe it when YOU tell me it’s true”…which indicate a sort of arms folded “prove it” mentality. To me it is an arms open, humble submissive attitude-readiness to accept a gift-a bestowal of knowledge. I believe that if God knows that there is even the slightest chance that we might not accept it, or may later reject it-He determines that we aren’t “ready”, and as much as He loves us, He withholds blessings that might later turn into cursings against us.
I would love to ask the brother you quoted-”Why have you spent 40+ years serving, obeying, working in the Church, and teaching it’s precepts to your family?” I wonder if he might not say “Because it (meaning the Church) is true”. In which case, the BOM would be “true” by default and he’s known it all along. Some people expect a brilliant fire of testimony to suddenly burst forth to “prove” the BOM is true, when a warm coal of truth has been glowing continually in them for a long time and they just have never realized what it is.
I think SisterofJared has something there. As I was reading through the comment, it occurred to me that in pondering God’s dealings and mercy towards man throughout history, it would lead a person to feel gratitude, and that gratitude opens us up to revelation.
SisterofJared–
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m also grateful to have Bro Ludlow’s quote to read and ponder.
The fact that there are members who say that they struggle to obtain answers to prayer regarding the Book of Mormon is an enigma wrapped in a mystery for me. I’ve softened my attitude, but I admit that I struggle with the image of the parable of the ten virgins when I contemplate their words. The parable of the virgins depicts ten outwardly worthy members, but points out with awful arithmetic that fully half haven’t acquired the gift of the Holy Ghost. Why, the parable appears to teach that their drawn to the church and its culture, but not to the Father and His only begotten Son.
I also agree with your point that some know it’s true by default but just don’t realize it a some level.
I think this is a subject that needs to be explored more fully in the ‘nacle.
Michaela Stephens–
It’s always a pleasure to know you’ve been by. Thanks for leaving a comment about gratitude. That sums it up.
Jared,
I don’t know that I’d agree totally that the “unwise” virgins “haven’t received the gift of the Holy Ghost”…per se. They had lamps, and there was oil in their lamps in the beginning. But the bridegroom tarried longer than they had anticipated, and their oil ran out.
The brother in the quote above doesn’t say he’s never felt the Spirit, nor does he seems to lack faith sufficient to keep him attending Church and fulfilling callings etc. In fact, if it was me and I felt that I had done all that was in power and STILL had not obtained an answer to that specific question, I’m not sure I’d still be plugging along. My testimony, and the spiritual witnesses that I have been blessed with have often been the very things that have KEPT me active in the Church. Without more of the story of this particular brother, I am prone to see him as valiantly pushing forward when I might be tempted not to. If that makes sense…
SisterofJared–
This parable, as with all parables, is subject to a wide range of interpretations regarding the details.
The main point of the parable is the oil, having it or not at the coming of the bride groom. The oil represents the Holy Ghost. And as you point out, that could mean the unwise virgins had the HG at one time, but then at the critical time were without it. This brings up the subject of enduring to the end in righteousness. But that is another topic.
SisterofJared: “…a warm coal of truth has been glowing continually in them for a long time and they just have never realized what it is.”
I have had an experience somewhat like this. I received an answer to sincere prayers I offered regarding a particular phrase in my patriarchal blessing (not the Book of Mormon), but it didn’t come in a form I expected and so I more or less ignored it. This ‘answer’ often popped up in the back of my mind as I continued to pray about the matter. Nevertheless, I grew frustrated and frequently felt discouraged about the matter.
Part of the difficulty for me was that the answer came as a simple (but very specific) thought. It was easy to ignore or dismiss as my own thought. For a long time I didn’t even seriously consider that it might be my answer. In the end, it took me nearly seven years to have enough faith to accept the answer as coming from God, but once I did my life was filled with peace.
JB-
Sounds like you are as stubborn as I am.
I’ve found that I rarely get answers to my prayers while I’m on my knees, or even sometime relatively close to that time. It’s usually on another day in a different place when it hits me, but when I look back in time it’s obvious that I needed to put more pieces of the puzzle into place before my “answer” fit.
Once I had an amazing spiritual experience that didn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time, but I knew it was sacred, and I treasured it. Years later, in the middle of a painful trial, it all suddenly fell into place and I realized that the Lord had blessed me with my “answer” years before my heart would form the question.
I was just on another LDS blog and loved the way he described sanctification as a process. Sometimes answers to prayer take time and experience until they are fully answered (Gift of the Holy Ghost a Higher Endowment).