A Sincere Heart and Real Intent

Ever since I made my last post this morning, this scripture from the Book of Mormon has been going through my head:
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.
Moroni 10:3-5

In particular, the phrase, "if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent,.." has been going through my mind. I have known those who have read the Book of Mormon without real intent. Their reason for reading it was to prove it wrong. If a person reads with the intent to prove it wrong, they have already made up their mind about its truthfulness. A person with pure motives will read to see if it is of God or not.

The next part of that scripture also stands out to me, "...having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." Some people might fear to read the Book of Mormon. But if they rely on their faith in Christ, and use the feelings they get from the Holy Spirit to guide them, they need not fear. The Holy Ghost cannot lie. When a person receives a witness of the spirit, that is a sure witness. It extends beyond a person's intellectual knowledge. When a person knows something by the spirit, they not only are sure in their mind, but they are sure in their heart.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. How do I know this? I have read the Book of Mormon numerous times. I have pondered its message. I have prayed to ask God if it is true. As I have read the Book of Mormon, I have felt the Spirit's confirmation to my soul that it is true. I invite each of you to read the Book of Mormon, with a pure heart and real intent. If the Book of Mormon is true, then you need to know it. I know that as you read, you will feel the spirit enter your heart, and you will know that it is the word of God.

You can read the Book of Mormon online by clicking this link. The chapters are listed in order; the first book being First Nephi. As you read, you can click the forward arrow at the bottom of the page to turn to the next chapter.