1 Corinthians 7:25-40
In these verses Paul is speaking to the brethren and sisters that are either engaged or who are considering marriage, and they are getting ready to serve a mission.
The reason that Paul would say to not marry before you go on a mission is that it would be very distracting. I would dare say that even before you get engaged I would consider how much a distraction it would be. When you are on a mission we learn that we need to put all are soul in the work. The scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 4:2 states that we need to put are whole heart, mind, and soul. There really is no room for other feelings. Speaking from experience it is very hard to stay focused when you do not put your whole heart, mind and soul into the work. If you are in a position were you are girlfriend and boyfriend and you are in a position were you are waiting for a missionary. It can be very hard on the missionary when the non missionary sends to many letters, or distracts the missionary from the work. When we do not allow the missionary to have full concentration in the field it will be very hard to harvest when the time comes for they will not have all their hear, mind and soul in the work. Paul then goes in to the question about the question “I want to join but my spouse does not what do I do?” The spouse that want to join should join and the spouse should not hinder that decision. If they do leave be peaceful, for God has called us to peace. We need to remember that it is our duty to be more Christlike in all that we do. Love them that hate you and that desipitfully use you. I think that the Lord would want us to continue to love the person that left us but we should be considerate of their feelings.
Now in verses 7 and 8 we might get the idea that Paul would be encouraging celabicy, but this is not so. Elder Spencer W. Kimball said that these scriptures would more likely be talking about how we should be more true to our spouse in that we control ourselves, use self-control and live the Law of Chastity with complete obedience. (Miracle of Forgiveness, pg. 64)
If we are to argue the fact that Paul was not married then I feel you have very few evidences. First I would like to say that the fact that Paul was part of a very high ruling body of Jewish leaders if not the Sanhedrin something very similar to it. This body was required to be married. So the likely hood that he was not is very very slim. Also we receive some of the best council about marriage from Paul and in order to give good council you usually have first had experience. So that would be another fact. Then the last fact I would like to present is that the culture of the time and part of the religion of the Jews during that time. The young men would be urged and directed to get married when they were 14 years of age. And we know that Paul is very much past his twenty’s. so again the likely hood that he was not married is slim to none. The only really evidence that he could not be is that when he talked to the widows and the widowers he said, “For I would that all men were even as I myself … I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.” I believe that he might have been referring to something else as I mentioned before. I would even say that he could have been referring to missionary work.
