“To access information from heaven, one must first have a firm faith and a deep desire. One needs to ‘ask with a sincere heart [and] real intent, having faith in [Jesus] Christ’ (Moroni 10:4). ‘Real intent’ means that one really intends to follow the divine direction given” (Nelson, “Ask, Seek, Knock,” 81).
Moroni 10:3–5 contains an invitation and a promise from Moroni about coming to know the truth of the Book of Mormon. A similar process can be used to build one’s personal testimony of the gospel. Why is it important to have such a testimony?
President Heber C. Kimball, a [counselor to Brigham Young in] the First Presidency, prophesied: “Let me say to you, that many of you will see the time when you will have all the trouble, trial and persecution that you can stand, and plenty of opportunities to show that you are true to God and his work. This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory … .
“ … The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, 449–50).