Helaman 16:20

But behold, we know that this is a wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing which should come to pass, but not among us, but in a land which is far distant, a land which we know not; therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes that they are true.

Physical proof is always demanded by those who refuse faith. The thing is, when they get the proof they demand, they do not accept it. Signs, wonders, and miracles are happening all around these people, and they dismiss the prophecies as lucky guesses. This is a lesson for us to learn about the Book of Mormon. Many people claim they would believe the Book of Mormon if they could only see the gold plates. But the reality is that they would only try to prove that the plates are a fraud. We first choose to believe, and then we are strengthened by evidence. Evidence never produces faith. It may catch our attention, but sooner or later we must make a conscious choice regardless of the evidence.

Alma 30:15

How do ye know of their surety? Behold, ye cannot know of things which ye do not see; therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.

Korihor, an Anti-Christ, challenged Alma's testimony of the Savior with the accusation that he could not know what he could not see. If people believe only in what they see, they believe in nothing, for seeing is not believing. At the same time, seeing is easily fooled, as evidenced by every illusionist and con artist. Eye witnesses are, of all forms of evidence in a court of law, the most unreliable.  How often do several people see the same event and yet come to different conclusions about what happened!

These same people, who put so much stock in seeing, take on faith the theories of evolution, geological ages, the big bang, global warming and other speculations for which they have never personally seen physical evidence. They will take the word of a scientist who claims to have seen something in an electron microscope or the Hubble telescope, but they will not take the word of a prophet. I am not disparaging science, but I offer that believing in unseen science is not any different from believing in the testimony of prophets, seers, and revelators. I may never get to look into an electron microscope, but I can test and confirm for myself the testimonies of prophets and scriptures.