The Difference Between Believing and Knowing

A missionary once spoke to our family about the difference between believing and knowing, and it was a lesson I'll never forget. He started by explaining how you can believe something but that doesn't mean you'll always believe in it. For example children often believe in Santa Clause but over time that belief fades. (Disclaimer: I believe in Jack Frost. I got your back Jack.)

However, when we know things, it's rooted in us and cannot be swayed. I know I am made up of cells. I know this. Nothing will change my knowledge of that. Likewise, I know God is real. This is something I know. (I recommend reading A Quest for Spiritual Knowledge by Boyd K. Packer on Knowing God Lives) But, this particular missionary decided to ask us if we knew the Book of Mormon was true.

I never thought about that question, so when he asked me I said no. I didn't know. I believed it was true but I didn't know it was true. This is crucial. Those words say so much more than one would think. It says I have not received the spiritual witness or come to know of the promises made in the Book of Mormon.

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 ^amerciful 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 ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may ^aknow the ^btruth of all things. - (Moroni 10:3-5)

So began my journey to discover if in fact I knew the Book of Mormon was true. I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty details. The bottom line is it was fairly simple. It wasn't like I had some huge miraculous moment where God showed himself to me and told me so (that's too easy) and it wasn't a long trial playing the "what if" game before I finally figured it out. God is a simple God and it was a pretty simple answer.

As I studied and thought about it, I came to find my answer wasn't grand or crazy or miraculous but simple. It went something like this: "You know the Book of Mormon is true, Janine. Of course it is."

I heard a talk once where a man described receiving a similar answer. When he asked if certain things were true right away the spirit would testify to him, "Of course it's true. You know it's true." And so it was for me.

I know I say that these are my beliefs, but this is really my knowledge of The Way. What needs to be understood is that the scriptures, the gospel, everything is not just beliefs. They're not just commandments, rules, or standards. They're knowledge of the deepest and greatest things which our Heavenly Father has so gladly bestowed upon us. The Book of Mormon, as I've come to know, is a book that leads us to eternal joy.

We can all come to know these things. Through Christ we can come to know all the things we must know. It's not hard. In fact you can start right now. There are young men and women right now willing to help each and every one of us, member and nonmember, to come to know these things. I also recommend reading this talk on Moroni's promise in the Book of Mormon and this fantastic article in the New Era by the equally fantastic Gordon B. Hinckley on the Book of Mormon.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and it can bring the greatest joy into our lives. I know the gospel is true, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that Thomas S. Monson is the only true living prophet on this earth. I know this church is true and I know my Heavenly Father and Savior love us and they live.

I know.

Do you?