After reading the book of Mormon, an investigator will be asked by the Missionaries and the book to pray about its truthfulness.
Mormons often talk of their testimony. The first Sunday of every month is dedicated to Fast and Testimony meetings in their churches. (The exceptions to this rule are April and October when the General Conferences take place.)
Despite terminology that often makes Catholic and Protestant Apologists say that Mormons use the same words but apply different meanings to them, a testimony means the same thing to members of the church as it does to those outside of it.
An investigator looking into the faith will be asked to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover and pray about it. The missionaries give the advice of Moroni, the last author of the Book of Mormon. If a person follows the advice of the ancient prophet, he or she is supposed to receive a revelation about the truthfulness of the book.
The Response to Moroni's Promise
People who have left the Mormon faith mock the Burning in the Bosom promise given by Moroni almost as much as those outside it mock the temple garments, if they know about it. But the burning in the bosom is the first step in gaining a testimony for a new convert. If the prospective member receives this personal revelation, then the Missionaries who gave him the discussions schedule a baptism for a potential convert.
If the personal revalation of the burning in the bosom happens to a person born into the Mormon church later in his life, no special missionary intervention is required. The missionaries and members of the church believe that only one response to the prayer can be given, that the book itself and therefore the church is true. Not everyone will get this answer, although the official explanation is that a person who does not receive a personal revelation of the church has been deceived by Satan.
This may cause a BIC Mormon to have a crisis of faith, but an investigator may realize that the Mormon church is not the right place for them. An investigator may gain a testimony of anotherr faith, if that is a part of their spiritual journey.
The Significance of Moroni's Promise
The last Book of Mormon prophet lets you know what to do in order to gain a testimony of the gospel that the Mormon church teaches. In some ways it is a litmus test to see if a person is ready to become a full-fledged member of the church if he is brought into it through the conversion process. For a life-long member, the Burning in the Bosom may be that eureka moment that affirms their faith.
Sources:
Mornoni 10:21. The Book of Mormon
