“Remember How Merciful the Lord Hath Been”

Bryan Richards

Not everyone who has prayed about the Book of Mormon has received an answer. There are investigators who have prayed to know whether the Book of Mormon is true who adamantly declare that they did not feel a thing! They conclude that the book must not be true and that Moroni’s promise is hollow.

Yet, we know that the Lord keeps his promises. Therefore, any investigator who has not received an answer has not kept his part of the deal. Typically, the first response is to remind them that they must ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, but these are not the only requirements. Anyone challenging an investigator to pray about the Book of Mormon should never read verse 4 without also reading verse 3. Often, when an investigator does not get the desired response, it is because some of the steps in verse 3 were omitted.

The overall pattern is to read—remember—ponder—pray in sincerity and faith. None of these steps may be left out. If the individual has not read the Book of Mormon, and more importantly, remembered the Lord’s mercy throughout the ages, they have no promise. For many Christians, this will require that they ponder the Lord’s great mercy as revealed in the Bible—they must remember and ponder what the Lord has already done. Without these elements, even a sincere prayer and an intense prayer may yield nothing. Again, the indispensable elements are:

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