us they were halted by an
occurrence of awe-inspiring grandeur.[1433] At noontide there suddenly
appeared a light far exceeding the brightness of the sun, and in this
dazzling splendor the whole party was enveloped, so that they fell to
the ground in terror. In the midst of the unearthly glory, a sound was
heard, which to Saul alone was intelligible as an articulate voice; he
heard and understood the reproving question spoken in the Hebrew tongue:
"Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" In trepidation he inquired: "Who
art thou, Lord?" The reply sounded the heart of Saul to its depths: "I
am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest"; and continued, as in
sympathetic consideration of the persecutor's situation and the
renunciation that would be required of him: "It is hard for thee to kick
against the pricks."[1434] The enormity of his hostility and enmity
against the Lord and His people filled the man's soul with horror, and
in trembling contrition he asked: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
The reply was: "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee
what thou must do." The brilliancy of the heavenly light had blinded
Saul. His companions led him into Damascus, where, at the house of
Judas, in the street called Straight, he sat in darkness for three days,
during which period he neither ate nor drank.

There lived in that city a faithful disciple named Ananias, to whom the
Lord spake, instructing him to visit Saul and minister unto him that he
might be healed of his blindness. Ananias was astonished at the
commission, and ventured to remind the Lord that Saul was a notorious
persecutor of the saints, and had come at that time to Damascus to
arrest and put in bonds all believers. But the Lord answered: "Go thy
way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how
great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Ananias went to Saul,
laid his hands upon the penitent sufferer, saying: "Brother Saul, the
Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest,
hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with
the Holy Ghost." The physical obstruction to vision was removed; scaly
particles fell from the eyes of Saul, and his sight was restored.
Without delay or hesitation, he was baptized. When strengthened by food
he communed with the disciples at Damascus and straightway began to
preach in the