D&C 46:8: 63:7-12; 3 Ne. 2:1-2; Jacob 7:13-20; Ether 12:5; Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, McConkie and Millet, 2:87-89; Matt. 12:38-39; 16:4; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.156-159; History of the Church, Smith, 1:226; 5:268; D&C 63:7-16; 66:3, 10; New Era, Toscano, June 1973, p. 44; Ensign, Dec. 1994, pp. 60-61
Sign seeking may be an attempt to gain faith and knowledge without humility, obedience and paying the price.
“In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression ‘seeing is believing’ promotes the attitude,‘You show me, and I will believe.’ We want all of the proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith. When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about—that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith.” (Boyd K. Packer, Faith, p. 43)
“Show me Latter-day Saints who have to feed upon miracles, signs and visions in order to keep them steadfast in the Church, and I will show you members of the Church who are not in good standing before God, and who are walking in slippery paths. It is not by marvelous manifestations unto us that we shall be established in truth, but it is by humility and faithful obedience to the commandments and laws of God. When I as a boy first started out in the ministry, I would frequently go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing, in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and until doubt and fear had been absolutely purged from me. He did not have to send an angel from the heavens to do this, nor did he have to speak with the trump of an archangel. By the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit of the living God, he gave to me the testimony I possess. And by this principle and power he will give to all the children of men a knowledge of the truth… . And no amount of marvelous manifestations will ever accomplish this.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 7)
“Some great examples of this can be found in Church history. Ezra Booth, in company with others (including Mrs. John Johnson), visited Joseph Smith at his home in Kirtland in 1831. While there Ezra Booth witnessed a miracle. Mrs. Johnson, who had had a lame arm for a number of years, was healed by the Prophet Joseph. Booth was so awe-struck by this that he joined the Church. It was not long, however, until his faith waned and he finally apostatized and wrote a series of letters against the Church. (See History of the Church, 1:215-217.) Another example is that of Simonds Ryder, who joined the Church after what he felt was a supernatural experience. A short time later, he left after his name was misspelled in an inspired mission call. ‘He thought if the Spirit through which he had been called to preach could err in the matter of spelling his name, it might have erred in calling him to the ministry as well’ (History of the Church, 1:261). Having lost whatever faith he had, and encouraged by Booth’s letters, Simonds Ryder led a mob against the Prophet Joseph at Father Johnson’s home where Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were tarred and feathered. This incident also caused the death of one of Joseph and Emma’s adopted children. (See History of the Church, 1:261-265.) Whenever we base our belief on miracles, we must constantly be fed by miracles or our belief grows weak… . Perhaps some members of the Church today are troubled with a less dramatic form of sign seeking. In section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to members aspiring to the honors of men. One of the reasons we aspire to position is that we somehow feel that being called to a high position is a ‘sign’ that the Lord approves of our efforts and that if we are not called, we have failed to measure up.” (Michael K. Parson, Book of Mormon Symposium, Aug. 1982, pp. 73-75)
“A Campbellite preacher … came to Joseph Smith, I think his name was Hayden. He came in and made himself known to Joseph, and said that he had come a considerable distance to be convinced of the truth. ‘Why,’ said he, ‘Mr. Smith, I want to know the truth, and when I am convinced, I will spend all my talents and time in defending and spreading the doctrines of your religion, and I will give you to understand that to convince me is equivalent to convincing all my society, amounting to several hundreds.’ Well, Joseph commenced laying before him the coming forth of the work, and the first principles of the Gospel, when Mr. Hayden exclaimed, ‘O this is not the evidence I want, the evidence that I wish to have is a notable miracle; I want to see some powerful manifestation of the power of God, I want to see a notable miracle performed; and if you perform such a one, then I will believe with all my heart and soul, and will exert all my power and all my extensive influence to convince others; and if you will not perform a miracle of this kind, then I am your worst and bitterest enemy.’ ‘Well,’ said Joseph, ‘what will you have done? Will you be struck blind, or dumb? Will you be paralyzed, or will you have one hand withered? Take your choice, choose which you please, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it shall be done.’ ‘That is not the kind of miracle I want,’ said the preacher. ‘Then, sir,’ replied Joseph, ‘I can perform none; I am not going to bring any trouble upon any body else, sir, to convince you.’” (George A. Smith, Journal of Discourses 2:326)