The missionaries pointed out "Moroni's experiment," encapsulated in the Introduction to The Book of Mormon:

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost."

Given my science background, Moroni's experiment was very appealing to me - after all, it is an experiment! Notice that the hypothesis consists of three conditions: read, ponder, and pray. If the conditions are met, the conclusion will follow - that is, the truth and divinity of the book will be made manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost.

So far, I had satisfied only two conditions in the spiritual experiment - reading and pondering The Book of Mormon. I had not yet started praying.