You're not going to be here. Why does Joseph Smith directly compare himself to the apostle Paul?

What did he see in Paul's experience that made him feel that the two held so much in common?

Welcome to Meridian magazine's Come Follow Me Podcast, and for the next 30 minutes, we will explore the lesson called The Lord had called us

for to preach the gospel, which is Acts, chapters 16 through 21. We hope you are daily reading Meridian magazine which is

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Joseph Smith said that it was hard for him to understand why, quote, an obscure poor boy of a little over 14 years of age,

should be thought a character of sufficient importance to attract the attention of the great ones

of the most popular sex of the day, and in a manner

to create in them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling.

But he added, I have thought since that I felt much like Paul when he made his defense

before King Agrippa and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light and heard a voice, but still there were but few who believed

him. Some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad, and he was ridiculed and reviled but all this did not destroy the reality

of his vision he had seen a vision he knew he had and all the persecution under

heaven could not make it otherwise, and though they should

persecute him unto death, yet he knew and would know to his latest breath that he had both

seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him and all the world

could not make him think or believe otherwise. So it was with me the Prophet

continued I have actually seen a vision. And who am I that I can

withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision, I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not

...