Many people who attend Christian churches see no problem with foreign missionaries exposing paganism and false doctrine by handing out literature and witnessing in public places. However, for some strange reason, some of these same people have a problem with Christians exposing false doctrine in a similar manner here in the United States.
It is not uncommon for Christians who witness at Mormon pageants or hand out literature at Mormon temple openings to hear comments like, “Get a life!” or “You oughta be in Waco!” or “I’m a Christian and I’m ashamed of what you’re doing!” While we expect such responses from the Mormons, it is disheartening to hear from it from professing Christians.
Is it biblical to present a Christian witness at such events? Should Christians “rain on the parade” of those who disseminate false doctrine? I think the Bible unequivocally proclaims “yes!” to both questions.
Jesus didn’t allow festive occasions to prevent Him from preaching the truth. He used the celebration of one feast to heal an impotent man at the pool of Bethesda. By doing this He attempted to instruct the people in attendance about the true doctrine concerning Himself as the Son of God.
The Jews celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles to commemorate the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. During this festive public event Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for their attempts to kill Him and chided them for their lack of Scriptural understanding. This eight-day celebration concluded with a procession which would draw a pitcher of water from the Pool of Siloam. While the Jews used this symbolism to joyously remember when God miraculously gave forth water out of the rock, Jesus used this occasion to point out that He was the Living Water sent from God.
Another clear example of using public events to preach the Gospel is the Apostle Paul. He met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and soon discovered that his religious zeal was ill spent defending a faith which denied biblical truths concerning Christ being the Savior. This experience would lead him to the home of a faithful Christian follower named Ananias. After resting certain days at the home of this Christian, Paul immediately commenced preaching the Gospel. Where did he preach it? Acts 9:20 tells us Paul immediately went to the local synagogue and preached that Christ is the Son of God.
Some modern-day critics would say, “That’s just terrible, leave those folks alone, they’re happy in their religion.” This was never the attitude of the Apostle Paul. The book of Acts says Paul’s “manner” was to find out right away where his fellow Jews were in order to preach Christ unto them. He went where they were.
Had Paul taken the advice of many “arm chair” missionaries, our Bible would be many verses shorter in length. Had Paul succumbed to pressure and agreed not to “rock the boat” while he was in Antioch of Pisidia, we would not read how many of the Jews and Gentiles glorified God and received eternal life (Acts 13:43,48). Paul pulled no punches in his original sermon in Antioch. He powerfully demonstrated to the Jews how they had missed the mark by thinking that forgiveness of sins came by the law and not by faith (vs.38,39). He went where they were.
Had Paul piously decided to merely be still and “just pray” for lost souls, we may have never read of Lydia whose heart was opened when Paul dared to take the Gospel message to a Jewish prayer meeting. He went where they were.
Why do we at Mormonism Research Ministry and other Christian ministries defy unbiblical pluralism and this new wave of “spiritual correctness?” Why do we dare take the Gospel message to Mormon events? Because that’s where the Mormons are and that’s where the public is being deceived by them.
Many of the people attending these events have no clear understanding as to what Mormonism really teaches. A great multitude listen only to the fine-tuned, emotional commercials and fail to see just how non-Christian Mormonism really is.
A person who would have a problem with Christians declaring the truth of God’s word at a Mormon event would probably also criticize Paul for crashing a synagogue meeting. As long as the Mormon Church continues to send out tens of thousands of missionaries in order to persuade people to join their organization, they really have no room to complain about the relatively few who seek to witness to the Latter-day Saints.