Peter said, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15.) In that spirit, I offer the following brief outline. The principal reason I believe is found in point #10. But if I didn’t already have that as my foundation, I would find any or all of the other points sufficiently compelling to move me to a serious investigation of the claims of the Church and to seek my own personal witness, as promised in the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:4.
Evidence in nature of a divine Creator
1. The complexity of the universe and the human body is evidence to me of a power beyond our own. Nothing in inanimate nature, left to itself, gets more complex or heals itself. Only God’s creations do so. No one believes that an explosion in a print shop could produce a bound copy of Webster’s unabridged dictionary. But that’s more likely than the chance emergence of life on earth, with its infinitely greater complexity.
The existence of beauty
2. The beauty in nature gives evidence not only of God’s existence but of his goodness. Ugliness, when it appears, is typically evidence of man’s corruption of God’s creation. It is at least as easy to notice the beauty and loveliness around us as to focus on the ugliness and tragedy.
Testimony of prophets ancient and modern
3. Prophets through the ages testify to having seen and spoken with God. Many of them even died for that testimony, including Joseph Smith in modern times and many from Biblical days. Joseph Smith could have avoided martyrdom, but chose to endure it to seal his testimony with his blood. The more I have learned of him, the stronger has become my conviction he was all he claimed to be. Neither he nor any of his successors ever claimed to be perfect.
An occasional erroneous belief or display of human weakness does nothing to invalidate the divine authority they held. It is far more rewarding to focus on their virtues than to highlight their supposed flaws. If we would not expel Babe Ruth from the Hall of Fame because he occasionally struck out, why do it to prophets of God?
Testimony of Church members
4. Millions of Latter-day Saints testify to knowing through the power of the Holy Ghost that God lives. They know the scriptures are true and that we are currently led by living prophets. In testimony meetings and Church magazines we hear of spiritual experiences which can strengthen our own faith. I find it significant that the most loving and intelligent people I know are convinced the gospel is true.
The fact that anti-Mormon critics commonly resort to factual distortions and poor logic is reveals the weakness of their position. Strident atheism is logically untenable. To know with certainty that God does not exist, one would have to simultaneously see into all parts of the universe, with perfect powers of perception. So, the only one who could possibly do so would be the very Being whose existence the atheist is trying to disprove! The opinion of a deer hunter that there are no deer in a forest can’t compare to that of another with a five-point buck. Likewise, the opinion of the atheist pales into insignificance before those who know because they have seen!
Evidence from Church leaders
5. I have had the privilege of meeting all the current members of the First Presidency. Likewise, I have interacted with over twenty apostles, past and present, and with many members of the Seventy. I have had significant experience with some of them up close. I can testify that they are uniformly good, honest, and highly capable men whose only desire is to serve the Lord and do His work. They would not say they knew the work is true if they did not. I have seen first-hand the Lord working through them to build His kingdom.
External and internal evidences for the Book of Mormon
6. The Book of Mormon is full of evidences of its own divinity. The testimony of the three and the eight witnesses is much easier to believe than to think that Joseph Smith somehow coerced or coaxed eleven intelligent and upright individuals into participating in a fraud, or managed to deceive them in broad daylight.
And the Lord has brought forth multiple other impressive external and internal evidences of the divinity of the book. They include the correspondence between the Book of Mormon’s description of Lehi’s route across the Arabian Peninsula with what we now know of the area. Equally impressive is the presence of Hebrew idioms and poetical patterns in the book, the evidence from wordprint analysis, and much more. There are numerous web sites which detail such evidences. They are at least as easy to find as the sites which argue against the book or against the Church which teaches it.
The fruits of Mormonism
7. “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16.) The programs and accomplishments of the Church, and its marvelous organization testify to a divine power behind them. Examples include
• the missionary program
• the Church Educational System, including seminaries and institutes of religion
• the Family History program, including the digitization of billions of records
• programs to strengthen the home and family and promote self-reliance and temporal as well as spiritual welfare
• the Perpetual Education Fund
• LDS Family Services
• humanitarian aid programs
• the Church’s websites, Church magazines, conference broadcasts and other wonderful tools to aid families and individuals
• the system of lay leadership in the Church
• and much, much more that no other human organization has been able to match.
The testimony of reason
8. The simplicity yet profundity and logical consistency of the doctrine is unmatched in any other system of belief. It simply makes sense and resolves doctrinal questions that have baffled millions throughout the ages.
Signs along the road
9. The Lord promised “these signs shall follow those that believe.” (Mark 16:17.) Just as road signs can assure one that he is on the right road, so can personal spiritual manifestations let one know he is on the right path spiritually. My family has been blessed with multiple such signs, including answered prayers, spiritual promptings, and regular mini-miracles.
In short, It works! When I follow the teachings of the gospel, I’m happy, and blessings flow. When I don’t, I’m neither happy nor blessed in the same way. I have never met a happy apostate, no matter how much he pretended to relish his new-found “freedom.” Nor have I ever met a truly unhappy faithful Church member. There are many who encounter hardships, disappointments, trials, and sufferings. Nothing in the scriptures promises we would escape those. But the promise to those who keep the commandments is of “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23.) Having found the first part of the promise is true, I have every confidence in the second half.
Witness of the Holy Ghost
10. Most compelling of all is the personal witness I have received through the power of the Holy Ghost. It began when I first read the Doctrine and Covenants as a teenager. The experience cannot be adequately described to one who hasn’t experienced it. It would be like explaining salt to one who had never tasted it, or colors to one born blind. But those who have felt the Holy Ghost know the joy, peace, love, certainty, and even ecstasy that accompany it. I have felt that on multiple subsequent occasions as I have repeatedly read other volumes of scripture. It has come again as I have listened to living prophets, read their writings, and on occasion enjoyed their association.
In conclusion
None of the above is expected to convince anyone else of the existence of God or the reality of the modern prophets. But I would hope it might move some to at least consider the possibility that those things could be true. I invite them to find out for themselves. Those who hope it is not true, because of the implications for their lifestyle, will mercifully be left in darkness. A loving God would want to limit their accountability for poor choices.
But those like Lamoni’s father, who was willing to give up not only half his kingdom but all his sins to find the great joy which Ammon and his brethren had, will find the answers they are looking for. (Book of Mormon, Alma 22:15-18.) Scripture reading is part of the process, as is heartfelt prayer. It can be as simple as the Lamanite king’s petition. He simply asked, “Oh God, … if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me….” (Alma 22:18.)
The final step is that proposed by Jesus. He promised, “If any man will do his [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17.) That is, for at least a month, live as though you really believed it to be true. Keep the commandments, pray, attend church, participate in meetings and activities. Do all that an active and believing Latter-day Saint would do. I have challenged numerous people to do just that. I have yet to have one tell me they did it and didn’t get the answer they were seeking. Thousands, even millions, can testify that it works. I am grateful to be among their number.