Book of Mormon Keys to Prayer

When Nephi’s brothers asked him about their father’s teachings that they couldn’t understand, saying that they hadn’t asked God because He hadn’t spoken to them, Nephi responded, “Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you” (1 Nephi 15:11).  Nephi had just come from having a glorious vision that the Lord had given him in response to his asking about his father’s words—so Nephi could testify of this promise because it had been fulfilled for him.  Nephi’s formula tells us that with a humble heart, faith in Christ, a belief that God can truly respond to us, and while seeking to live according to the commandments that we already have, God will grant us answers.  This verse is one of many powerful promises contained in the Book of Mormon about how we can receive answers to prayers.

               Other verses in the Book of Mormon give similar requirements for receiving answers from the Lord.  Enos, who himself received divine manifestations to his petitions to the Lord, quoted this promise from the Lord: “Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it” (Enos 1:15).  Again, faith in the Lord and a belief in His power to really answer us are prerequisites.  King Benjamin taught the Nephites that God “doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive” (Mosiah 4:21).  Here the requirement is added that the thing we ask for must be right, and perhaps this requirement isn’t mentioned in the other verses because we can’t truly believe we are going to receive something from the Lord if that something is not right for us.  The Savior spoke similarly when He was among the Nephites, saying, “And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:20).  Again asking for the right thing and believing in the Lord’s power to respond are key in our petitions to the Lord.  Mormon quoted the Lord’s words in a similar manner: “And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you” (Moroni 7:26).  With faith, asking for the right thing in the name of Christ with a belief that God will grant it brings answers to our prayers.  Moroni testified that this invitation is for all of us when he said, “Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth” (Mormon 9:21).  These promises of divine responses to our prayers are for all of His children who will have faith in Christ and believe that He can answer.  The Nephites had power in their petitions because of the “faith in their prayers,” and putting faith in our prayers is how we can gain the answers we seek for in our own petitions (D&C 10:47, 49).