My name is Howard
Roice Nelson, Jr. 
My dad is Howard and I am Roice, named after my Grandfather,
Roice Bengt Nelson of Cedar City, Utah. Recently called as a stake
missionary in The Katy Texas Stake, it seems logical to start by making
my testimony available to anyone who is told its URL or who happens to
find it surfing the net.
Our generation has learned to intellectually conceptualize complex ideas that we can not directly experience in our lives. These concepts include the geologic time scale, evolution, prehistoric man, the speed of light, photosynthesis, the distance to the nearest stars, etc. To many, our limited understandings imply we, humanity, are an isolated anomaly in time and space. With this type of "knowledge" it is no wonder people do not seek after an understanding of God, even though His spirit can be directly experienced in our lives.
I know from personal experience that having an open mind and a sincere heart and then combining scripture study with fasting and prayer results in a testimony or a knowledge of spiritual truths as consistently as the scientific method unravels new knowledge about the physical world. I know that God lives. I know that I am important to Him and that He loves me. I know that He loves you, and each of His other children in a way we can not yet comprehend. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, our elder brother, to die for us and to redeem us from our sins. I believe this with all of my heart. I know that He has called prophets in our own day to help us return to Him. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is His mechanism, in these last days, for helping us in our quest to find Him and live so that we may be with Him again.
The summer of my 18th year of life is my first recallection of asking and having a prayer answered, and it has transformed my life for the better. Two years later I chose to be a missionary and was called to the British Mission, which was renamed the England East Mission before our group arrived. This experience provided me a firm foundation for my life. In my profession as a geophysicist, there has been an opportunity to travel the world, and meet people of other faiths (in Australia, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Israel, Japan, Mauritania, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Venezuela, etc.) and often the chance to study with them. Now 45 years old, it seems more important than ever that the message of the restoration be shared with all of our common Father's children. Although far from perfect, I do my best to live my life as an example, such that others might be led to the same testimoney of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Savior, that I have.
I will send a Book of Mormon to anyone interested in following the same experiment I have tried. I am willing to do this for the purpose of sharing a portion of the basis for my conviction there is a God, that He loves each one of us, and that He has provided a way for us to return to Him through His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is an important gift. When joined with and studied with the Bible and other books of scripture, it becomes a key to understanding God and experiencing His spirit in our lives. We do not yet completely understand the relationships between our scientific knowledge and the scriptures. However, we will not find scientific knowledge disproving the scriptures (unless we are looking for an excuse not to believe). Desiring to believe (planting a seed), then reading and studying (watering and weeding) will result in a sure knowledge of God (plucking the fruit), as described in Alma 32, pages 288-291. I have followed this formula, and, for what it is worth, I continue to test my faith.
I know the Book of Mormon is God's word, targeted for us today. It does not replace the Bible or other scriptures, but supplements them, providing additional information about God's interactions with mankind on earth and providing a second witness of the mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have experienced God and his influence in my life many times, and gained a personal knowledge of the truthfulness and importance of the scriptures. It is on this basis I encourage you to try out Moroni's challenge (Moroni 10:3-5, page 529), to read, study, ponder and pray about this book of scripture, that you both might further experience God and His spirit in your life.
Roice Nelson, 1307 Emerald Green, Houston, TX 77094, (713)578-3966, rnelson@hypermedia.com
P.S. A few of my favorite parts of the Book of Mormon are: