The Sin of Needing a Sign

I have often been asked if I have any evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, as if somehow physical or tangible proof is the best way to prove such things.  While I do have many credible tangible reasons for believing, I rely more on my witness from God through the power of the Holy Ghost than by any other means.  This is the proper way of things.  In the Book of Mormon we are taught;

17 Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a^asign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe.

 18 Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to ^abelieve, for he knoweth it.

 19 And now, how much ^amore ^bcursed is he that ^cknoweth the^dwill of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into ^etransgression?

 21 And now as I said concerning faith—^afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye ^bhope for things which are ^cnot seen, which are true.

These verses from Alma 32 show that needing signs before belief is not only an unwise path to follow, but can also bring greater condemnation if the sign is not followed.  

In Matthew 16 in the New Testament we read;

4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Wicked people seek after a sign before they will believe.  They are also the first to disbelieve once they have received a sign! (aren't things ironic?)  We learn of this truth in 3 Nephi in the Book of Mormon

 1 And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also, and the people began to forget those ^asigns and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen—

 2 ^aImagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and^bdeceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a ^cfoolish and a vain thing.

Requiring a sign before belief is probably the worst way to try and gain a witness of the truth.  

My experience and testimony is that God places a premium on belief without a sign more than on belief with having received a sign.  Perhaps this seems backwards to some, but scriptural evidence confirms this fact.  John 20 in the New Testament shows this;

29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast ^aseen me, thou hast believed: ^bblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have ^cbelieved.

I don't know why this is the way of things, I only know it is true.  It is how I received my witness.  I believed and did everything I was taught that I should do, and it wasn't until after that period of testing that I received a witness from God.  But I now have this witness and I will do all I can to be faithful to it.