The Book of Mormon is true?
In 1961 I was serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Syracuse, New York. My companion and I visited a couple that had received several of the missionary discussions previous to our visit but they told us they had decided not to continue, they did not want us to come back. As we parted we encouraged them to read the copy of the Book of Mormon they had been given and call us if they had questions (though we didn’t expect they would). However, a couple of months later the husband called us and asked if we would come back, we did and he shared this experience: he was a student at Syracuse University and the pressures of his discipline had really discouraged him, nothing seemed to help until he noticed the copy of the Book of Mormon, picked it up, dusted it off and began to read. As soon as he began to read a peace came over him that was almost tangible. It lifted him, encouraged him and gave him confidence again. He told us that the peace returned every time he read from the Book of Mormon and he knew it was true. Needless to say he did continue investigating and was baptized even though his wife did not share his feelings.
His experience is not unique – anyone can feel the same peace he felt. That feeling comes from the Holy Ghost, anyone who reads the Book of Mormon ‘with real intent, having faith in Christ’ will know it is true. This is a blessing promised by the Lord through the last Prophet (Moroni) who wrote in the book, his promise is on page 529: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
I know the Book of Mormon is true, I have applied Moroni’s test and so has my wife, my children and grandchildren. Age doesn’t matter, intent is what matters. Yes, anyone (and everyone) can really know the Book of Mormon is true.