Voice of Warning

Why are there so many people on this forum preaching against certain religions instead of preaching about Jesus Christ?

Preaching about Jesus Christ goes beyond what may be commonly supposed. John Wesley hit the nail on the head:

Paul judged himself to be preaching Christ....not only the declaring the love of Christ to sinners, but also the declaring that he will come from heaven in flaming fire, is, in the Apostle's sense, preaching Christ; yea, in the full scriptural meaning of the word. To preach Christ, is to preach what he hath revealed….so that you are really preaching Christ, when you are saying, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God," as when you are saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!"

Consider this well; -- that to preach Christ, is to preach all things that Christ hath spoken; all his promises; all his threatenings and commands; all that is written in his book; and then you will know how to preach Christ....

I agree that to preach against certain or, better, other churches is a mistake. However, to preach against false doctrine taught by those churches certainly is our duty. No church is all bad. No church is all good. All churches have picked up false, sometimes horrendous, doctrines through the ages. We are to serve God, not only with all our hearts, but also with all our minds. Reasoning with those who we think in error should not be considered as attacks if done in love.

When we preach against cheats, we are preaching Christ. When we are preaching against idols, we are preaching Christ. When we are preaching against priestcrafts, we are preaching Christ. When we preach against false doctrine we are preaching Jesus Christ. Any time we preach against or for anything revealed thru the scriptures, we are preaching Jesus Christ. Preaching against must also be accompanied before, during or after by preaching for, preaching the scriptural alternative. Preaching against only is incomplete.

When we are inspired to warn members or attempt to correct false concepts in churches, ours or others, we are preaching Jesus Christ if our words are clearly backed, even if only our opinion, by chapter and verse in His scriptures.

Jesus went after religious men, organizations and concepts.

Matthew 15

6. …..ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

When we detect that the people whom we should love and care about are worshiping in vain with doctrines that are of men or devils and not of God, we should, as opportunity presents itself (like on Quora), follow the example of Jesus.

The wise will appreciate your efforts whether they accept your warnings and teachings or not. They will have learned from personal experience how difficult and brave it is to leave one’s comfort zone to converse with others about gospel subjects. They will see the love for God and Man in your heart that compelled you to act and say as you did. Fools will misinterpret and turn and attack you. Oh well.

Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Duty to Warn

There is a certain responsibility, however, to engage in the calling to repentance and teaching the truth.

Jacob 1:19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

This teaching is put forth in Ezekiel 33:

1. AGAIN the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2. Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3. If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4. Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
6. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
7. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:81 ....it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.