Paul and the Doctrine and Covenants

Early in the Restoration the Lord said this to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer: “And now, Oliver Cowdery, I speak unto you, and also unto David Whitmer, by the way of commandment; for, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:9). Their instruction was to become like Paul in their efforts to preach the gospel and call others to repentance. Paul was, at least for the Lord in this revelation, the archetype of an effective and powerful missionary of the Savior. This is not the only place that Paul was mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, and his life and words clearly had an important impact on this book of scripture.

                Paul and his writings were particularly important for Joseph Smith in two of the letters he wrote which became a part of the Doctrine and Covenants. As he ran from his own enemies, he wrote to the Saints, “But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth” (Doctrine and Covenants 127:2). He was likely referring to this statement from Paul who faced tribulation with incredible zeal and confidence: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4). In another letter to the Saints Joseph relied heavily on the words of Paul to teach the doctrine of baptisms for the dead. He quoted 1 Corinthians 15:46-48 as he taught the need for “that which is earthly conforming to that which is heavenly.” Joseph also quoted Hebrews 11:40 as he continued to explain this doctrine: “And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.” And of course, he quoted Paul’s famous reference to baptisms for the dead: “And now, in relation to the baptism for the dead, I will give you another quotation of Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:13-16) Paul had a significant impact on Joseph’s understanding of the doctrine of baptisms for the dead, and these letters now canonized give great weight to the teachings of Paul.

                The Lord referenced the words of Paul in at least two other revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 74 begins with a quotation from 1 Corinthians 7:14 which states, “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean, but now are they holy.” The Lord used this to teach what Paul meant and what the problem was among the Jews at that time, and then He gave us this great truth based on Paul’s words: “But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean” (v1,7). The Lord also referenced the words of Paul two sections later in the great vision of the three degrees of glory. Clearly the language and imagery is similar to this statement of Paul: “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory” (1 Corinthians 15:40-41). The Prophet Joseph recorded, “And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one. And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one. And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one.” Paul’s words were again quoted in the subsequent verses describing those who would receive a telestial glory: “For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas. These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch” (v96-100). This was clearly referring to the problem Paul addressed in his letter to the Corinthians about converts being divided regarding the person who baptized them: “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?... For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13, 3:4-5). The Lord used Paul’s idea to suggest that those who are divided, even in His church, will not have a place in the celestial kingdom. All of these references to Paul and his words in the Doctrine and Covenants highlight the importance of Paul’s life and epistles, and surely the Lord’s invitation to David Whitmer and Oliver Cowdery is applicable to all of us who receive a call to teach the gospel in any form: “I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same calling with which he was called.”