The Test That Cannot Fail

A Critical Examination of the LDS “Burning in the Bosom”
Method for Discerning Religious Truth

A Traditional Christian Response to the Latter-day Saint
Approach to Revelation and the Book of Mormon

Introduction

Among the many religious movements that have emerged from American soil, few have developed such a sophisticated and emotionally compelling method of conversion as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Central to their missionary enterprise is an epistemological approach—a method of knowing truth—that hinges upon a subjective spiritual experience often termed the “burning in the bosom.” This experience, according to LDS teaching, serves as divine confirmation of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith, and ultimately the authenticity of the entire Latter-day Saint religious system.

When young LDS missionaries arrive at a prospect’s door, their approach follows a carefully structured methodology designed to lead the investigator through a series of emotional and spiritual steps culminating in an invitation to “read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.” They promise that if one prays with “a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ,” God will manifest the truth of the Book of Mormon through the power of the Holy Ghost—often experienced as a warm feeling, a sense of peace, or literally a burning sensation in the chest.

The strategy is elegant in its simplicity: bypass rational investigation, historical evidence, and doctrinal comparison in favor of a purely subjective spiritual test. The investigator is assured that God Himself will confirm the truth directly to their heart. What could be more spiritual? What could seem more trusting of God?

Yet careful examination of this approach reveals profound problems faithful Christians must understand in order to respond effectively to LDS missionary efforts and to help sincere Latter-day Saints discover the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This essay examines the LDS approach from a traditional Christian perspective, drawing upon Scripture, logic, historical Christian understanding, and even internal LDS sources that inadvertently undermine their own epistemological methodology. While recognizing that many LDS adherents hold their beliefs with genuine conviction, we must nevertheless subject their claims to the scrutiny that Scripture itself demands. As the Apostle John wrote:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
—1 John 4:1

The evidence examined in this study confirms that the biblical pattern is clear: we are not to accept religious claims based on feelings alone, but to test them—rigorously, honestly, and against the standard of God’s revealed Word.

Part I: Presentation of Official LDS Doctrine and Philosophy

The Book of Mormon as the “Keystone”

The official LDS position on the Book of Mormon and its role in conversion is clearly articulated in their missionary manual, Preach My Gospel, which serves as the primary training resource for LDS missionaries worldwide. This manual has undergone revisions over the years, but its core message regarding the Book of Mormon’s centrality has remained constant. The 2023 edition states unequivocally:

“The Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is your most powerful resource in conversion. It provides powerful evidence for the divinity of Christ. It is also proof of the Restoration through the Prophet Joseph Smith. An essential part of conversion is receiving a witness from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true. As a missionary, you must first have a personal testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. This testimony can lead to a deep and abiding faith in the power of the Book of Mormon during the conversion process. Have confidence that the Holy Ghost will testify to anyone who reads and ponders the Book of Mormon and asks God if it is true with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in Christ. This witness of the Holy Ghost should be a central focus of your teaching.”
—Preach My Gospel

Note the absolute confidence expressed here: the Holy Ghost “will testify to anyone” who meets the specified conditions. There is no room for the possibility that someone might sincerely pray and receive a negative answer. The result is presented as guaranteed. But this raises a critical question: How can you tell if you’ve prayed sincerely? If someone prays earnestly and receives no confirmation—or worse, a spiritual impression that the Book of Mormon is not true—are they told they didn’t pray with sufficient sincerity, real intent, or faith? The formula effectively insulates itself from falsification by making the seeker’s sincerity the variable rather than the truthfulness of the claim itself.

The Prophet Joseph Smith himself established the centrality of the Book of Mormon when he declared it to be “the keystone of our religion,” explaining that “a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” On another occasion, Smith stated even more starkly: “Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none.”

President Ezra Taft Benson elaborated extensively on this keystone concept, teaching that the Book of Mormon serves as keystone in at least three ways:

As a Witness of Christ: “The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity.”
As Containing the Fulness of Doctrine: “The Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the ‘fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ’ (Doctrine and Covenants 20:9; 27:5). In the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of [the doctrine] required for our salvation.”
As the Foundation of Testimony: “Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon… if the Book of Mormon be true—and millions have now testified that they have the witness of the Spirit that it is indeed true—then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it.”

Moroni’s Promise: The Foundation of LDS Epistemology

The scriptural foundation for the LDS approach to truth-seeking is found in Moroni 10:3-5, a passage missionaries quote with great frequency:

“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. 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. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
—Moroni 10:3-5

This “Moroni’s Promise” forms the bedrock of LDS evangelistic methodology. The promise is presented as both certain and comprehensive—if the proper conditions are met (sincerity, real intent, faith in Christ), the result is guaranteed.

The “Burning in the Bosom” Concept

The specific language of “burning in the bosom” derives from Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9, where Joseph Smith recorded what he claimed was revelation to Oliver Cowdery, who was an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement:

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.”
—Doctrine and Covenants 9:8-9

While this passage was originally given in the specific context of Oliver Cowdery’s attempts to translate ancient records, LDS culture has generalized this experience into a primary method for discerning all religious truth. This pattern is emblematic of a broader problem throughout LDS apologetics: a theological remix of “odds and ends” borrowed from various religious themes and traditions, often misapplying traditional Christian doctrine to support uniquely Mormon claims.

The “burning in the bosom” concept appropriates the language from Luke 24:32 (where the disciples’ hearts “burned within them” as Jesus opened the Scriptures) but strips it from its biblical context and transforms it into a standalone epistemological method that contradicts the biblical model of testing prophets through objective standards. Similarly, Mormonism borrows Christian terminology like “salvation,” “grace,” “atonement,” and “gospel” but redefines these terms with fundamentally different meanings. This practice of theological borrowing and remixing creates confusion and makes it difficult for uninitiated investigators to recognize that they are being introduced to an entirely different religious system under the guise of familiar Christian language. And yet, they will insist that they are, indeed, Christians.

The Missionary Methodology in Practice

The LDS missionary approach follows a carefully structured pattern designed to lead investigators toward this subjective confirmation experience:

Step One: Introduction of the Book of Mormon. Missionaries give prospects a copy of the Book of Mormon, emphasizing its role as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” They highlight passages that depict Jesus favorably.
Step Two: Preconditioning Through Selected Passages. Before asking investigators to read the entire book, missionaries direct them to specific chapters, particularly those presenting Jesus positively. They also reference selected Bible verses about the Holy Spirit.
Step Three: The Prayer Challenge. Investigators are challenged to pray according to Moroni 10:4-5, asking God to reveal whether the book is true.
Step Four: Interpretation of Feelings. When investigators report feeling “peaceful” or “good,” missionaries interpret this as the Holy Spirit’s confirmation of truth.
Step Five: Immediate Baptism Invitation. Following reported positive feelings, missionaries quickly press for commitment to baptism.

The sequence is designed to create an emotional experience and then immediately channel that experience toward commitment before the investigator has opportunity to research, reflect, or compare LDS claims with Scripture.

An Interesting Thought Experiment

The Book of Mormon contains approximately 275,000 words. An average reader reading non-stop would take over 18 hours to finish the book. A slow, careful, thorough reader will need approximately 30 hours to complete the assignment. At what point does one “pray to God so he will reveal that it is true”?

An official LDS article provides a disturbing answer. In October, 2011, Elder Walter F. González, of the Presidency of the Seventy wrote,:

“I started reading the Book of Mormon. I was only a few verses into the book, in 1 Nephi, when I felt something different. I began to debate between my feelings and my intellect. So I decided to ask God in prayer.”

Only a few verses into a 275,000-word book—and the investigator was already receiving supposed divine confirmation. This illustrates how the LDS approach bypasses careful investigation in favor of immediate emotional response.

Part II: Discrepant Narratives Among Mormon Apologists

The Problematic Variability of the Experience

A significant tension exists within LDS teaching regarding the “burning in the bosom” experience. While it remains central to missionary work, LDS leaders and apologists have increasingly acknowledged that the experience varies greatly—or may not occur at all—for many sincere seekers.

The official LDS publication New Era published an article titled “What If I Don’t Feel a Burning in the Bosom?“ which acknowledges this difficulty:

“If you’ve never felt a burning in the bosom, don’t worry. There are many people who recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost in this way, but He also speaks in many other ways too, and you don’t have to feel a burning in the bosom to feel His presence.”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, now President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, directly addressed the ambiguity:

“What does a ‘burning in the bosom’ mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word ‘burning’ in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity.”
—Elder Dallin H. Oaks

This admission from a senior LDS apostle is remarkable. Elder Oaks redefines the “burning” as merely “comfort and serenity”—but this reinterpretation creates a significant problem. If the promised spiritual confirmation is nothing more than feelings of comfort and serenity, how does one distinguish such common emotional states from genuine divine revelation? A person can experience comfort and serenity from countless sources: listening to beautiful music, spending time with loved ones, enjoying a satisfying meal, or sitting in a peaceful setting. By reducing the witness of the Holy Ghost to these ordinary emotions, Elder Oaks inadvertently undermines the entire epistemological foundation of Mormon testimony. If “burning in the bosom” simply means feeling comfortable, then the spiritual confirmation process becomes indistinguishable from everyday pleasant experiences that have nothing to do with divine communication.

The No-Fail Guarantee Problem

The structure of Moroni’s Promise creates what former Mormon missionary Timothy Oliver identified as a circular, unfalsifiable test. If an investigator prays and does not receive the expected confirmation, the fault is attributed to the pray-er, not the book being tested. The investigator must have lacked sincerity, or real intent, or sufficient faith.

As a writer at Mormon Research Ministry observes:

“In essence, the test of Moroni 10:4 is a no-win situation. The one who is challenged must accept the book as true otherwise his integrity is placed under suspicion. If a person does accept the challenge and concludes that the Book of Mormon is not of God, it is obvious to the Mormon that the person who prayed Moroni’s prayer either did not have a sincere heart, real intent, or perhaps even their faith in Christ was somehow inadequate.”

Manufactured Testimony: The “Bear It Until You Believe It” Approach

These revealing statements from LDS Apostles expose a troubling psychological technique: testimony should be manufactured through repetition—essentially “faking it until you make it”—rather than received through genuine spiritual experience:

Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

“It is not unusual to have a missionary say, ‘How can I bear testimony until I get one? How can I testify that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the gospel is true? If I do not have such a testimony, would that not be dishonest?’ Oh, if I could teach you this one principle: a testimony is to be found in the bearing of it!”
—Elder Boyd K. Packer

Elder Dallin H. Oaks similarly counseled:

“Another way to seek a testimony seems astonishing when compared with the methods of obtaining other knowledge. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained on the feet bearing them than on the knees praying for them.”
—Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Elder Neil L. Andersen advised:

“It may come as you bear your own testimony of the Prophet… Consider recording the testimony of Joseph Smith in your own voice, listening to it regularly… Listening to the Prophet’s testimony in your own voice will help bring the witness you seek.”
—Elder Neil L. Andersen

These counsels essentially instruct members to declare certainty before possessing it, to speak testimony into existence through repetition. This approach raises profound ethical concerns about the distinction between authentic spiritual conviction and psychological self-persuasion.

This ex-Mormon on reddit explains:

Mormonism’s Practices Inculcate Psychological Conditioning To Create The “Spirit”

I know because I was there.

When you pray and pray and pray and pray. And doubt, and face uncertainty that makes you feel inadequate. Eventually, you purposefully suppress feelings that associate negativity with the church because this is “the devil”.

You embrace feelings that associate positivity with the church because you’re excited for finally feeling “the spirit”.

Do this for hours and hours and days and days, and years and years – guess what? You’ve conditioned yourself emotionally and psychologically.

You associate “the church” with those feelings. You hear “the church” and automatically generate these happy feelings. And vice versa.

Mormonism begins with: “well, assume it’s true and see what happens.” But you’re not allowed to just say: “Yeah, so I asked God and nothing happened so this probably isn’t true.”

Well, “Try Again”. “Read the Book of Mormon more.”

“I did read it, and it seems nuts and I don’t feel anything.”

“Well, you’re reading it insincerely.”

“So what does reading it sincerely mean.”

“Just, assume its true and let it make you feel good, and then, see if that doesn’t make you feel good.”

The Prophet’s Own Admission: “Some Revelations Are of the Devil”

The most damaging internal evidence against relying solely on subjective spiritual experiences comes from Joseph Smith himself. When a revelation through his “peep stone” directed Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery to Toronto, Canada to sell the Book of Mormon copyright, the mission failed completely.

LDS apologists have produced a staggering 21,368-word treatise desperately attempting to salvage Joseph Smith’s prophetic credibility. Rather than acknowledge the obvious—that Joseph Smith received a false revelation—the BYU Studies authors construct elaborate defenses involving conditional clauses, legal technicalities, and semantic gymnastics. They argue the revelation didn’t promise success but merely directed the men to go, and that failure resulted from “unworthiness” or insufficient “spiritual receptivity.” This defense reveals a critical problem: if every failed prophecy can be explained away by blaming the faithful rather than the prophet, the entire system becomes unfalsifiable.

David Whitmer, one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, recorded what happened when Joseph inquired why the revelation proved false:

“…and behold the following revelation came through the stone: ‘Some revelations are of God; and some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil.’ So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copyright was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man.“
—David Whitmer, An Address to All Believers in Christ

Joseph Smith’s own subsequent “revelation” admitted his previous revelations could be false—yet provided no objective method for distinguishing divine revelations from human or demonic ones. This admission demolishes the entire epistemological foundation that Mormon missionaries present to investigators.

The implications are staggering. If even Joseph Smith—the founding prophet—could not reliably distinguish between revelations from God, man, or the devil, how can ordinary members or investigators trust this same method to confirm ultimate truth?

Elder Boyd K. Packer acknowledged this problem:

“Be ever on guard lest you be deceived by inspiration from an unworthy source. You can be given false spiritual messages. There are counterfeit spirits just as there are counterfeit angels. Be careful lest you be deceived, for the devil may come disguised as an angel of light. The spiritual part of us and the emotional part of us are so closely linked that it is possible to mistake an emotional impulse for something spiritual.”
—Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Candle of the Lord

Part III: The CES Letter Challenge—A Former Mormon’s Questions About Testimony

Introduction to the CES Letter

Among the most significant documents to emerge from within the LDS community in recent years is the “CES Letter” (PDF download – Letter to a CES Director), written by Jeremy Runnells in 2013. Runnells was a lifelong, active member of the LDS Church who served a mission and held various leadership positions. His letter began as a sincere attempt to find answers to troubling questions about LDS history and doctrine, addressed to a Church Educational System (CES) director who had offered to help resolve his concerns.

The CES Letter quickly became one of the most widely-read documents among questioning Latter-day Saints and has been credited with prompting thousands to reexamine their faith. While the letter addresses many topics—Book of Mormon anachronisms, Book of Abraham problems, First Vision inconsistencies, and more—its analysis of the “testimony” methodology is particularly relevant to our examination.

The following extended quotation from the CES Letter presents Runnells’ critique of the subjective testimony approach. His observations deserve careful consideration because they come from someone who sincerely attempted to apply the LDS methodology and found it wanting.

The CES Letter on Testimony and Spiritual Witness

Jeremy Runnells writes:

“Every major religion has members who claim the same thing: God or God’s spirit bore witness to them that their religion, prophet/pope/leaders, book(s), and teachings are true.”

“Just as it would be arrogant for a FLDS member, a Jehovah’s Witness, a Catholic, a Seventh-day Adventist, or a Muslim to deny a Latter-day Saint’s spiritual experience and testimony of the truthfulness of Mormonism, it would likewise be arrogant for a Latter-day Saint to deny others’ spiritual experiences and testimonies of the truthfulness of their own religion. Yet, every religion cannot be right and true together.”

“Praying about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon does not follow that the LDS Church is true. The FLDS also believe in the Book of Mormon. So do dozens of Mormon splinter groups. They all believe in the divinity of the Book of Mormon as well. Praying about the first vision: Which account is true? They can’t all be correct together as they conflict with one another.”

“If God’s method to revealing truth is through feelings, it is a very ineffective and unreliable method. We have thousands of religions and billions of members of those religions saying that their truth is God’s only truth and everyone else is wrong because they felt God or God’s spirit reveal the truth to them. Each religion has believers who believe that their spiritual experiences are more authentic and powerful than those of the adherents of other religions. They cannot all be right together, if at all.”

Runnells then addresses the failed Toronto revelation:

“Joseph Smith received a revelation, through the peep stone in his hat, to send Hiram Page and Oliver Cowdery to Toronto, Canada for the sole purpose of selling the copyright of the Book of Mormon, which is another concern in itself (why would God command to sell the copyright to His word?). The mission failed and the prophet was asked why his revelation was wrong.”

“Book of Mormon witness David Whitmer testified: ‘…and behold the following revelation came through the stone: “Some revelations are of God; and some revelations are of man: and some revelations are of the devil.” So we see that the revelation to go to Toronto and sell the copyright was not of God, but was of the devil or of the heart of man.'”

“How are we supposed to know what revelations are from God, from the devil, or from the heart of man if even the Prophet Joseph Smith couldn’t tell?”

Runnells then addresses the troubling counsel from LDS apostles:

“The following are counsels from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on how to gain a testimony: In other words, repeat things over and over until you convince yourself that it’s true. Just keep telling yourself, ‘I know it’s true…I know it’s true…I know it’s true’ until you actually believe it and you have a testimony that the Church is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet.”

“How is this honest? How is this ethical? What kind of advice are these apostles giving when they’re telling you that if you don’t have a testimony, bear one anyway? How is this not lying? There is a difference between saying you know something and saying you believe something.”

“What about members and investigators who are on the other side listening to your ‘testimony’? How are they supposed to know whether you actually do have a testimony of Mormonism or if you’re just following Packer’s, Oaks’, and Andersen’s counsel and you’re lying your way into one?”

Runnells concludes with the central epistemological problem:

“There are many members who share their testimonies that the Spirit told them that they were to marry this person or go to this school or move to this location or start up this business or invest in this investment. They rely on this Spirit in making critical life decisions. When the decision turns out to be not only incorrect but disastrous, the fault lies on the individual and never on the Spirit.”

“This poses a profound flaw and dilemma: if individuals can be so convinced that they’re being led by the Spirit but yet be so wrong about what the Spirit tells them, how can they be sure of the reliability of this same exact process and method in telling them that Mormonism is true?”

“How are faith and feelings reliable pathways to truth? Is there anything one couldn’t believe based on faith and feelings? If faith and feelings can lead one to believe and accept the truth claims of any one of the hundreds of thousands of contradictory religions and thousands of contradictory gods… how then are faith and feelings reliable pathways to truth?”
—Jeremy Runnells, CES Letter

The Significance of These Questions

The questions Runnells raises are not hostile attacks from an anti-Mormon critic. They are sincere questions from someone who genuinely tried to make the LDS system work. His central question deserves an answer: If feelings can lead people to contradictory conclusions—if Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Latter-day Saints all report similar spiritual confirmations—how can feelings serve as a reliable pathway to truth?

The LDS church has no adequate answer. They can only assert that their feelings are authentic while everyone else’s are somehow mistaken. But this is precisely the claim every other religion makes.

Part IV: A Biblical Rebuttal Through Questions and Analysis

Question 1: Does the Bible Teach That We Should Pray to Discern the Truthfulness of Religious Books?

The short answer is no. Scripture nowhere directs believers to pray for a subjective feeling to determine whether a religious claim is true. Instead, the Bible consistently directs believers to test claims against established revelation.

The Apostle Paul commended the Bereans specifically because they did not simply accept his teaching based on spiritual feeling:

“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
—Acts 17:11

Note the methodology: The Bereans compared Paul’s teaching to Scripture—objective, established revelation. They did not pray for feelings; they examined evidence.

Similarly, the Apostle John instructs:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
—1 John 4:1

The Greek word translated “test” is dokimazō, (pronounced do-kee-MAD-zo) meaning to examine, prove, or scrutinize. It implies testing to approve or demonstrate that something is authentic, rather than testing to cause failure, and appears over 20 times in the New Testament. This is an objective, rational process—not a subjective emotional experience.

Question 2: Does James 1:5 Support the LDS Approach?

LDS missionaries frequently cite James 1:5 as biblical support:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
—James 1:5

However, a careful examination reveals that the LDS application fundamentally misrepresents James’s meaning.

First, James is addressing believers experiencing trials, not seekers evaluating competing religious claims.
Second, the context is about enduring trials (James 1:2-4), not evaluating new revelation.
Third, James promises wisdom (Greek: sophia)—the application of existing knowledge—not knowledge (Greek: gnōsis)—the acquisition of new information.
Fourth, if James 1:5 taught the LDS approach, we would find numerous passages reinforcing this methodology. Instead, we find the consistent pattern: test claims against Scripture.

Question 3: What Does Scripture Teach About the Reliability of Feelings?

The Bible repeatedly warns against trusting feelings as arbiters of truth:

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”
—Jeremiah 17:9
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
—Proverbs 14:12
“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.”
—Proverbs 28:26

The Apostle Paul explicitly warns:

“Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
—2 Corinthians 11:14

Furthermore, Scripture reveals that God Himself may permit deceptive experiences as judgment:

“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false.”
—2 Thessalonians 2:11

Question 4: How Does God’s Word Instruct Us to Test Prophets?

Deuteronomy provides two clear tests for prophets:

Test One: Fulfilled Prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:21-22)

“When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”

Joseph Smith made numerous prophecies that failed, including that New York would be destroyed if they rejected the Mormon gospel (D&C 84:114-115). Note that LDS apologists will often refer to these as “alleged” failed prophecies and then attempt to explain them away as illustrated in the above Mormon copyright example.

Test Two: Doctrinal Consistency (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet.”

The God of Mormonism—once a man who became God, one among many gods, with a heavenly wife—is radically different from the God of the Bible. By the Deuteronomy 13 test, such teaching constitutes leading people after “other gods.”

Question 5: Is the Circular Reasoning of Moroni’s Promise Logically Valid?

The LDS approach asks investigators to assume the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon in order to test it. This is textbook circular reasoning:

1. Moroni 10:4 (found in the Book of Mormon) promises that God will confirm the Book of Mormon’s truth.
2. Therefore, to apply this test, we must assume Moroni 10:4 is reliable.
3. But Moroni 10:4 is only reliable if the Book of Mormon is true.
4. Therefore, we must assume the very conclusion we are trying to establish.

No court, no scientific inquiry, no logical system would accept such methodology.

Part V: The Traditional Christian Understanding of Experiencing God

Knowledge: Both Cognitive and Affective Dimensions

Historic Christianity has always recognized that genuine relationship with God involves both the head and the heart—both understanding (cognitive) and experience (affective). As J.I. Packer articulates in Knowing God (download PDF):

“If the decisive factor was notional correctness, then obviously the most learned biblical scholars would know God better than anyone else. But it is not; you can have all the right notions in your head without ever tasting in your heart the realities to which they refer; and a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a far deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct.”
—J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Traditional Christianity does not reject spiritual experience—it situates experience within proper boundaries.

The Priority of Objective Revelation

The critical distinction between LDS epistemology and traditional Christian epistemology lies in the order of priority:

LDS Approach: Subjective experience confirms objective claims. The feeling of the “burning bosom” validates the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and LDS doctrine.

Traditional Christian Approach: Objective revelation provides the standard against which all subjective experiences are evaluated. The Bible is the measuring rod; experiences that contradict Scripture are rejected regardless of their emotional power.

As Jonathan Edwards understood, genuine spiritual experience begins with Scripture and ultimately points back to Scripture:

“My mind was greatly engaged, to spend my time in reading and meditating on Christ; and the beauty and excellency of his person… The sense I had of divine things, would often of a sudden as it were, kindle up a sweet burning in my heart; an ardor of my soul, that I know not how to express.”
—Jonathan Edwards, Personal Narrative

Edwards’ experience began with Scripture reading and meditation. The affective “burning” arose from cognitive engagement with revealed truth. He was not testing whether the Bible was true by his feelings; he was experiencing truth already confirmed.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

Traditional Christianity affirms that the Holy Spirit works in believers’ hearts—but within specific parameters:

The Spirit works through the Word: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
The Spirit never contradicts Scripture: Any “spiritual” prompting that contradicts biblical teaching is, by definition, not from the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit’s witness is confirming, not investigatory: Romans 8:16 describes an internal witness of sonship to those already regenerated—not a mechanism for testing new religious claims: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
The Spirit produces fruit: The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is character transformation—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Part VI: Conclusion

The Central Issue: How Does God Reveal Truth?

The fundamental question separating traditional Christianity from Mormonism is not merely what we believe but how we know what we believe.

Mormonism grounds its truth claims in subjective spiritual experience—the “burning in the bosom” that missionaries promise will confirm the Book of Mormon’s truthfulness. This methodology has several fatal flaws:

It is biblically unsupported: Scripture nowhere instructs believers to test new religious claims through prayer for subjective feelings.
It is logically circular: Asking someone to pray the prayer of Moroni 10:4 requires assuming the very truth being tested.
It is empirically unreliable: Adherents of mutually contradictory religions all report similar “spiritual confirmations.”
It is practically unfalsifiable: Any negative result is attributed to the investigator’s lack of sincerity, not to the material being tested.
It is internally inconsistent: Even LDS leaders acknowledge that emotional impulses can be mistaken for spiritual promptings.

A Call to Biblical Testing

The traditional Christian approach offers a more reliable path: objective testing against established revelation. When new religious claims arise, we examine evidence: Does this teaching align with Scripture? Has this prophet’s predictions been fulfilled? Does this system lead to the God of the Bible or to “other gods”?

By these tests, Mormonism fails. Its God is not the God of Scripture—eternal, uncreated, alone divine. Its gospel is not the gospel of grace—requiring temple ordinances and human works for exaltation. Its prophet’s prophecies remain unfulfilled.

A Word to Those Considering Mormonism

To anyone challenged to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it: you are not obligated to submit yourself to this test. God has already spoken. He has revealed Himself fully and sufficiently in the sixty-six books of the Bible. He has provided clear tests for evaluating prophets—tests that Joseph Smith fails.

Consider this: masses of people have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on a regular basis through the gospel message found in the Bible alone. Their lives are changed dramatically—freed from addiction, restored in broken relationships, filled with genuine peace and purpose—and they go on to serve in local churches and ministries all around the world. These conversions happen without any need for the Book of Mormon, without believing in golden plates, and without subjective “burning in the bosom” experiences. They simply hear the gospel proclaimed from Scripture, recognize their sin, and place their faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. This pattern has repeated itself for two thousand years across every culture and continent. In contrast, LDS converts are typically baptized into the church based primarily on subjective feelings rather than objective truth, often with minimal understanding of the significant theological differences between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. Their “conversions” are to an organization and its additional scriptures, not solely to the Christ of the Bible.

Do not entrust your eternal destiny to feelings that may deceive. Trust instead in the God who has revealed Himself in Scripture and supremely in His Son Jesus Christ.

A Word to LDS Friends

To our LDS friends: we do not question your sincerity. We believe you genuinely seek to follow God as you understand Him. But sincerity cannot substitute for truth.

The Bereans were called “noble-minded” because they examined Scripture to verify what even the Apostle Paul taught them. Follow their example. Open the Bible. Compare. Test. And discover the true God who offers salvation not through temple ordinances or endless works, but through simple faith in His Son:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
—Ephesians 2:8-9

This is the Gospel. Not “do” but “done.” Not achievement but gift. Not burning in the bosom but resting in the finished work of Christ.

May God grant you eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts that respond to His truth.

Soli Deo Gloria