3 Nephi 12:2

And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

As marvelous as it would be to see the resurrected Christ face to face, we are just as blessed (even more so) if we can humble ourselves and believe without seeing. We are not second-class citizens of the kingdom because we have not seen Christ in open vision or heard his audible voice in our ears. Faith is not measured by what we have seen but by what we do.

Helaman 16:23

I Choose to Believe - Phillips, Craig and Dean

And notwithstanding the signs and the wonders which were wrought among the people of the Lord, and the many miracles which they did, Satan did get great hold upon the hearts of the people upon all the face of the land.

I repeat: we choose what we believe. It is as easy to believe in God as to believe in Satan, or evolution, or humanism, or shamanism, or atheism, or any other -ism. We can find "proof" for whatever we choose to believe. But ultimately only one truth exists independent and outside of all tangible evidence. Those who witness that truth know the difference between reality and everything else. We can accept their testimony and put it to the test. God is no respecter of persons, and if we do as his witnesses have done before us, we can have the same witness. Nevertheless, it always begins with our choice.

Alma 31:38

https://gregolsen.com/

And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

The Lord did not exempt his missionaries from afflictions, but he strengthened them to be able to bear them. He promised them perspective. They would recognize that preaching Christ is more important than being comfortable. They would suffer afflictions, not as a punishment, but as a way for them to bear testimony and witness for Christ. They would be comforted because they would know the purpose of their suffering. This can be true for all of us who bear witness of Christ. Our afflictions will be swallowed up in the joy of Christ.

Mosiah 5:2

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.

One form of a testimony is a mighty (powerful) change of heart that makes evil unattractive and creates in us a desire to do only good. The natural man, the enemy to God, loses his grip on us, and the Spirit of God gets a firmer hold upon our hearts and our desires. Remember that king Benjamin's people were already believers. So this mighty change can happen to us throughout our lives in the Church. It can happen many times and any time that we try to get closer to the Lord.

Jacob 7:12

And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.

More powerful than hearing and seeing is the power of the Holy Ghost to convince us of the truth. We hear and see things all the time that are not true. The film making industry thrives on the ability to show us things that are not real. Yet despite how real the images on the screen look, we know they are the product of computers, props and engineering. The Holy Ghost, on the other hand, has the power to not just make us think something is real, but to testify to the reality. Seeing an angel is not convincing unless the Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts and mind that we have seen an angel. That is why Laman and Lemuel could see angels and hear the voice of God and still rebel. They did not allow the Holy Ghost to testify to them. Which suggests another principle about the power of the Holy Ghost, namely, that it is never coercive. He never exercises his power without an invitation. If we do not ask, he does not act.

Second Nephi 26:13

And that he manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost; yea, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, working mighty miracles, signs, and wonders, among the children of men according to their faith.

When we choose to believe, God will justify our choice with a witness from the Holy Ghost. We can know with a surety that God lives and Jesus is the Christ. Our choice, however, must come first. Then his proofs follow.

Second Nephi 25:20

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.

The whole purpose of the Book of Mormon is to make the gospel plain. Not only did the prophets speak and write plainly, but the translation was inspired and unencumbered by traditions. It passed through a single set of hands. No unscrupulous and designing men intervened between the original writing and the one true translation. It is pure, plain and precious. I revere the Bible and the unfathomable sacrifices that went into preserving it and producing it. I love the Book of Mormon for its purity, clarity and power. Together, they witness of Christ.