Paul Recounts the Story of His Conversion
Acts 22:1–16
1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
“How many times had Paul borne this testimony? The story itself is first recounted in Acts 9, but here we have it in Paul’s own words, words that burn like fire into the hearts of those with sufficient spiritual endowment to believe the truth. There is no debate where testimony is concerned; a testimony is either true or false; there is no other issue to decide. Jesus said, ‘I am the Son of God’ (John 10:36), Joseph Smith, ‘I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air’ [Joseph Smith—History 1:17], and Paul, ‘I saw a light and heard a voice.’ And in this manner is the witness of the truth proclaimed to the world. Those who hear, or to whom a knowledge of the testimony comes, accept or reject it at the peril of their own salvation. [See Acts 9:1–19.]”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 2:187.)
