thetruthaboutdarrick
2003-10-27 02:48:18 UTC
For those unfamiliar with more than 20 years of deceipt from Darrick
Evenson, you will be interested in the following article about Darrick
(alias Troy Lawrence)
Cornerstone Archives, Issue #95]
Troy Lawrence Identified
Like the writers Crying Wind, John Todd, Alberto Rivera, and Lauren
Stratford, another writer with false claims has descended to plague
the Christian world. "Troy Lawrence," an alias for Darrick Evenson,
has written and been published as a Mormon returning from
Protestantism, a New Ager on the inside track, and a Mason disproving
evangelical John Ankerberg's anti?Masonic literature. He also claims
to be a Jehovah's Witness and a believer in the Baha'i faith.
Christians know Troy Lawrence as the author of New Age Messiah
Identified, released by Huntington House in 1991. In this book he
tells how he was raised in Theosophy and eventually became a "highly
respected" worker at the Tara Center, a New Age group. By 1982, he
expected to see the arrival of "Lord Maitreya," a pseudomessiah whose
coming was heralded by Benjamin Creme. But when the date for
Maitreya's unveiling came and went without an appearance by the
Aquarian messiah, "Troy" writes that he grew disillusioned and became
a bornagain Christian in 1984.
The back cover of the book summarizes his next step: "Lawrence
conceals his conversion to Christianity while feverishly gathering
vital information from one of the nerve centers of New Age activity.
Years of groping through obscure files and secret memos in a desperate
attempt to identify the New Age Messiah has finally paid off. Writing
under an assumed name, Troy Lawrence reveals to the world the true
identity of Tara Center's New Age Messiah, the man they call 'Lord
Maitreya.' "I
Lawrence's story isn't true. He now admits that his real name is
Darrick T. Evenson. This is the same Darrick Evenson who, from 1979 to
the present, has been an ardent defender of Mormonism. The pseudonym
may have been necessary because many Christian countercult ministries
knew of Evenson through a book he authored in 1989five years after his
alleged Christian conversion. Entitled The Gainsayers, the book
attacks Christian ministries to Mormons and is published by Horizon, a
Mormon press.
Evenson's life is a study in contradiction. For example, in March
1991, the day after "Troy Lawrence" lectured on the New Age movement
at Paradise Valley Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, Darrick Evenson
was in front of the Mormons' Arizona Temple in Mesa calling Christian
evangelists "fools" and promoting Mormon doctrine!
The director of the Phoenix chapter of Saints Alive in Jesus, Mike
Mistretta, witnessed Evenson's antics in Mesa and recalls first
meeting him at the Easter pageant at the same temple in 1979. Evenson
was there to defend Mormonism and told Mistretta he visits Latter?day
Saint (LDS) temples across the country for the purpose of
counteracting Christian missionaries distributing tracts. He candidly
admitted that his purpose was to upset the "anti?Mormon" ministries
"at any cost."
But that's not all Evenson's been defending. Evenson also has to his
credit two cassette tapes and a booklet promoting Freemasonry and
"refuting" Christian TV host John Ankerberg and the Free the Masons
ministry. These items were listed in the Sept. 1, 1990, catalog of the
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company.2
In a phone conversation with Cornerstone on June 4, 1991, Evenson told
us he was currently "an evangelical Christian, a Mormon, a Mason, and
a Jehovah's Witness." We'd never heard of him claiming to be a JW
before, so we asked him if he was a baptized Jehovah's Witness. He
replied that he was planning to be baptized, but because of the
impending publicity, he probably wouldn't be able to do so. And
finally, Evenson has also told Mistretta and Christian expert on
Mormonism Sandra Tanner that he is a Baha'i as well.
WHO IS DARRICK EVENSON?
In a 1981 testimonial letter to a Mormon publishing house, Darrick
Troy Evenson claimed to have been converted to the Mormon church in
1978.3 According to the Missionary Department of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter?day Saints, Darrick T. Evenson was a fulltime Mormon
missionary from July 1983 to January 1985, stationed in San Jose,
California. Note that this period overlaps the time he claims to have
been working at the Tara Center in Los Angeles and to have been
"born?again" in 1984. San Jose is 350 miles north of L.A., making it
unlikely that he was in both groups at once.
What about his alleged activity at the Tara Center? Tara Center staff
members say he was never employed there, nor was he "highly respected"
by anyone. Christian radio host Al Kresta reports: "Lynne Girdlestone
at the Tara Center in Los Angeles remembers him appearing at odd
intervals over the last few years [i.e., 198890]. He would hang
around for several days, using their files and copying materials. He
never worked there under any kind of discipleship arrangement, let
alone a close relationship with the elite of the organization. They
confronted him in the last two months about the Troy Lawrence claims
and, predictably, he denied everything."4
During this time (January 1989) the Mormon?based Horizon Publishers
printed his book The Gainsayers, subtitled A Converted Anti?Mormon
Responds to Critics of the LDS Church. Though Evenson received several
requests to speak and give media interviews, Duane Crowther of Horizon
Publishers discouraged Evenson's appearances because he was so
emotionally unpredictable. Others were subjected to this emotional
instability as well. For example, in August 1987, Evenson entered a
building owned by Saints Alive in Jesus after hours and made a veiled
threat to one of the women on the premises. Saints Alive cautioned him
with a certified letter mailed the following day.5
In February 1990, Here's Life Publishers in San Bernardino released
The Secret Message of the Zodiac, written by "Troy Lawrence." This
book claimed that the twelve constellations of the zodiac were a
pictorial "gospel in the stars," divinely prefiguring the drama of
redemption. (We consider this a very dubious theory.) Les Stobbe,
president of Here's Life, said they had so many problems and conflicts
with "Troy" that they broke off their relationship with him even
before the book was printed. Here's Life has ceased publication of the
book and notified bookstores that full credit will be given for
returns of Zodiac.
Three months later, Evanson showed up in Salt Lake City to disrupt a
presentation on Mormonism featuring guest speaker Dick Baer at Sandra
Tanner's church. Evenson became so loud and unruly that he had to be
escorted from the room. He then had a confrontation with the pastor in
the hallway and threatened to kill him. Dick Baer later called the
chief of security for the Mormon church to notify them of their errant
devotee.
In February 1990 "Troy Lawrence" called Cornerstone and asked if we
would do a story to promote a major new ministry he was directing:
Ex?New Agers For Jesus. We asked Troy (who never told us his real
name) how many former New Agers were associated with his ministry at
that time. He said only he was. Later that summer "Troy Lawrence"
called us again, asking for our mailing list to promote his anti?New
Age ministry, which had now changed its name to the Society for the
Propagation and Revival of the Gospel, Inc. Constance Cumbey told us
he'd also contacted her, but as Darrick Evenson, volunteering to take
over her newsletter and asking for her mailing list also. Neither of
us complied with his requests.
"Troy Lawrence" met Pat Matrisciana, owner of Jeremiah Films, at a
prophecy conference in 1989 and told Matrisciana he was a former New
Ager. He said he'd been converted after reading Gods of the New Age,
written in 1985 by Pat's wife, Caryl. "Troy" wanted to publish a new
manuscript and needed help finding a publisher. Pat contacted
Huntington House on his behalf. (Pat had no idea Darrick/Troy had just
published a book attacking Pat's film The Godmakers as a "perverted"
portrayal of Mormon doctrine.6) Ironically, when his New Age book
Messiah Identified came out in 1991, "Troy" said he had been converted
through reading Constance Cumbey's Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow in
1984!
The first printing of twenty thousand copies of Messiah was sold out
in less than five months, and the book was offered to May 1991 donors
by evangelist Jack Van Impe's ministry. The book promoted Evenson's
new S.P.R.G. ministry in Tacoma. Evenson claims that donations to
S.P.R.G. are tax deductible, but the S.P.R.G. is not incorporated in
Washington state and has no standing with the IRS, nor has an
application ever been made for tax?exempt status.
TACOMA'S "MYSTERY MAN" IS REVEALED
Huntington House and Constance Cumbey had known since 1989 that "Troy
Lawrence" was really Darrick Evenson, but were unaware of his Mormon
background. But shortly after Messiah was published, Cumbey ran across
a newsletter from Utah Missions which mentioned Darrick Evanson and
his pro?LDS book. She immediately had a conference call with the
president of Huntington House and Evanson, who denied ever being a
Mormon but claimed that he wrote Gainsayers to bring people out of the
Mormon church.
Evenson's grand facade finally cracked on April 23, 1991. Radio host
Al Kresta had called Mrs. Cumbey, asking her opinion of "Troy
Lawrence," whom he would be interviewing for his radio program that
afternoon. Constance gave him Troy's real name and taxed him the
newsletter article. Kresta called several other people for
information, and on the air he confronted Troy with the actions of his
alter ego (Darrick Evanson).
Evenson denied ever being a Mormon, claiming that Gainsayers was part
of a "Trojan horse" method of evangelizing Mormons without their
suspecting it. When challenged, Evenson lost control and finally had
to be cut off the air. Evenson had one other disastrous interview on a
Denver radio station, and after that he asked Huntington House to
cease all interviews and tours. Huntington House has not yet decided
whether to issue a second printing of his book.
Evenson's Mormon publisher, Duane Crowther, is uncertain whether he
will continue printing The Gainsayers. He is aware Evenson is trying
to play both sides of the fence, but told one of our researchers he is
inclined to reprint the book anyway. He believes many of the arguments
defending Mormonism are valid, since he rewrote much of the original
manuscript himself to make it suitable for publication. Gainsayers is
also one of their better?selling books.
"TROY" SUPPORTS THE "TROJAN HORSE"
Huntington House and Evenson have both tried to defend Evanson's
actions as a "Trojan horse" method of evangelism. Troy/Darrick
explains that he infiltrates and joins false religions (Mormonism,
Masonry, and the New Age) so he can later share the "true" gospel in
his books, which are read by members who would never read an overtly
Christian book.
An open letter from Evenson says, "I 'played the part' of a New Age
advocate after my conversion to Christianity. I even helped write
several pro?New Age articles. All this was for the same reason a cop
pretends to be a drug smuggler, or a spy pretends to work for the
other side.... If you wanted to reach Jehovah's Witnesses, but know
they never read anything from nonJehovah's Witnesses, how would you
get them to read something to witness to them? If you can figure that
one out, then you'll know where I have come from."7
We think his excuse for these "Trojan horse" methods falls flat for
several reasons:
First and foremost, it's unbiblical. "Cursed is he who does the work
of the Lord deceitfully." God's people have "renounced the hidden
things of shame, not walking in craftiness," but have laid aside "all
guile [and) hypocrisy."8
Second, if Evenson is doing "undercover" work in Mormonism, Masonry,
the Watchtower, etc., he is making false professions and giving false
testimony in the process. In Gainsayers, he proclaims that Joseph
Smith is God's prophet for this dispensation. He also defends the
Mormon doctrines of the plurality of Gods, a Heavenly Mother, the law
of eternal progression (that men can become Gods), the validity of LDS
temple rites, and many other heresies. God holds us accountable for
every idle and untrue word we speak.
Third, even if lying for God were somehow justifiable, nowhere in
Evenson's pro?Masonic or pro?Mormon writings does he present the true
gospel! The Gainsayers does not present a message which differs in any
respect from what the Mormons currently hold as truth today. Cultists
are supposed to read Evenson's books and get the true gospel in them,
but there is absolutely no evidence of this "true gospel" in
Gainsayers!
Fourth, if Evenson has been saved for the past seven years, why does
he continue to push Mormonism privately to Evangelicals? Evenson has
contacted numerous Christian ministries since 1984, but he has always
presented himself as a Mormon (except when trying to get his books
published), never as an ex?New Ager or a born?again Christian.
We could give many more examples of this behavior, but we hope this
one will suffice. Sandra Tanner told us that Evanson entered her
bookstore this April (1991), started a conversation with some
Christian customers, and presented himself as a Mormon. The ladies
tried to share the gospel with him, and he became verbally abusive.
When the women realized the futility of the conversation, they moved
to the other side of the store. Evenson continued his verbal abuse
loudly enough to carry throughout the store, calling one of the women
"a tub of lard," and accusing the women of lesbianism and masturbating
in his presence. Sandra ordered him to leave the store.
This incident not only shovft Evenson's ongoing commitment to Mormon
doctrine (even though most good Mormons would rebuke him for his
behavior); it also highlights his emotional instability. Person after
personwhether evangelical, Mormon, or New Agevolunteered their
opinion that Darrick is a very disturbed young man.
The end of this story isn't told, but we pray that Huntington House
drops this author for good and that Darrick Evenson gets the emotional
and spiritual counseling he so desperately needs.
If the question is asked, "Why publicize the story of yet another
emotionally troubled testimony writer?" our answer focuses on truth.
Many Mormons believe that Darrick Evenson is a champion for their
cause, thanks to Horizon Publishers and Darrick's book. Many
Christians believe that Troy Lawrence is a defender of Christianity
against the New Age, thanks to Huntington House and Troy's book.
TroylDarrick needs our prayers, but he does not need protecting from
the consequences of writing falsehoods in the name of whatever God it
is he serves.
?Eric Pement
REFERENCES Note: All Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New
King James Version, Prophecy Edition. Copyright 1985 by Thomas Nelson.
1. The punch line is the suggestion that the Tara Center's "Lord
Maitreya," the probable Antichrist of Scripture, is an Ahmadiyya
Muslim named Rahmat Ahmad. Lawrence's theory was previously published
by J. H. Church in Prophecy in the News (Oct. 1988) and in a booklet
distributed by Peter Popoff in 1988. 2. Macoy Masonic Catalog (I Sept.
1990): 108 (cited in Saints Alive in Jesus newsletter [May 1991]: 3).
3. Photoreprinted In Robert L. and Rosemary Brown's They Lie in Wait
to Deceive, vol. 1 (Mesa, Ariz.: Brownsworth Publishing Co., rev. ad.,
1982): 279?280. 4. Al Kresta, typescript report on Darrick Evanson (7
May 1991), 7. 5. A highly edited version of this was later published
in World (18 May 1991): 12?13. 5. The office was In Issaquah, Wash.
Copy of letter on file. 6. Darrick T. Evanson, The Gainsayers,
(Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers and Distributors, 1989), 57. 7.
Fax letter from Darrick Evanson, dated 20 May 1991, addressed "TO WHOM
IT MAY CONCERN," and sent to Huntington House; pp. 1, 2. Original text
in solid caps. S. Jer. 48:10; 2 Cor. 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:1.
Evenson, you will be interested in the following article about Darrick
(alias Troy Lawrence)
Cornerstone Archives, Issue #95]
Troy Lawrence Identified
Like the writers Crying Wind, John Todd, Alberto Rivera, and Lauren
Stratford, another writer with false claims has descended to plague
the Christian world. "Troy Lawrence," an alias for Darrick Evenson,
has written and been published as a Mormon returning from
Protestantism, a New Ager on the inside track, and a Mason disproving
evangelical John Ankerberg's anti?Masonic literature. He also claims
to be a Jehovah's Witness and a believer in the Baha'i faith.
Christians know Troy Lawrence as the author of New Age Messiah
Identified, released by Huntington House in 1991. In this book he
tells how he was raised in Theosophy and eventually became a "highly
respected" worker at the Tara Center, a New Age group. By 1982, he
expected to see the arrival of "Lord Maitreya," a pseudomessiah whose
coming was heralded by Benjamin Creme. But when the date for
Maitreya's unveiling came and went without an appearance by the
Aquarian messiah, "Troy" writes that he grew disillusioned and became
a bornagain Christian in 1984.
The back cover of the book summarizes his next step: "Lawrence
conceals his conversion to Christianity while feverishly gathering
vital information from one of the nerve centers of New Age activity.
Years of groping through obscure files and secret memos in a desperate
attempt to identify the New Age Messiah has finally paid off. Writing
under an assumed name, Troy Lawrence reveals to the world the true
identity of Tara Center's New Age Messiah, the man they call 'Lord
Maitreya.' "I
Lawrence's story isn't true. He now admits that his real name is
Darrick T. Evenson. This is the same Darrick Evenson who, from 1979 to
the present, has been an ardent defender of Mormonism. The pseudonym
may have been necessary because many Christian countercult ministries
knew of Evenson through a book he authored in 1989five years after his
alleged Christian conversion. Entitled The Gainsayers, the book
attacks Christian ministries to Mormons and is published by Horizon, a
Mormon press.
Evenson's life is a study in contradiction. For example, in March
1991, the day after "Troy Lawrence" lectured on the New Age movement
at Paradise Valley Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, Darrick Evenson
was in front of the Mormons' Arizona Temple in Mesa calling Christian
evangelists "fools" and promoting Mormon doctrine!
The director of the Phoenix chapter of Saints Alive in Jesus, Mike
Mistretta, witnessed Evenson's antics in Mesa and recalls first
meeting him at the Easter pageant at the same temple in 1979. Evenson
was there to defend Mormonism and told Mistretta he visits Latter?day
Saint (LDS) temples across the country for the purpose of
counteracting Christian missionaries distributing tracts. He candidly
admitted that his purpose was to upset the "anti?Mormon" ministries
"at any cost."
But that's not all Evenson's been defending. Evenson also has to his
credit two cassette tapes and a booklet promoting Freemasonry and
"refuting" Christian TV host John Ankerberg and the Free the Masons
ministry. These items were listed in the Sept. 1, 1990, catalog of the
Macoy Publishing and Masonic Supply Company.2
In a phone conversation with Cornerstone on June 4, 1991, Evenson told
us he was currently "an evangelical Christian, a Mormon, a Mason, and
a Jehovah's Witness." We'd never heard of him claiming to be a JW
before, so we asked him if he was a baptized Jehovah's Witness. He
replied that he was planning to be baptized, but because of the
impending publicity, he probably wouldn't be able to do so. And
finally, Evenson has also told Mistretta and Christian expert on
Mormonism Sandra Tanner that he is a Baha'i as well.
WHO IS DARRICK EVENSON?
In a 1981 testimonial letter to a Mormon publishing house, Darrick
Troy Evenson claimed to have been converted to the Mormon church in
1978.3 According to the Missionary Department of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter?day Saints, Darrick T. Evenson was a fulltime Mormon
missionary from July 1983 to January 1985, stationed in San Jose,
California. Note that this period overlaps the time he claims to have
been working at the Tara Center in Los Angeles and to have been
"born?again" in 1984. San Jose is 350 miles north of L.A., making it
unlikely that he was in both groups at once.
What about his alleged activity at the Tara Center? Tara Center staff
members say he was never employed there, nor was he "highly respected"
by anyone. Christian radio host Al Kresta reports: "Lynne Girdlestone
at the Tara Center in Los Angeles remembers him appearing at odd
intervals over the last few years [i.e., 198890]. He would hang
around for several days, using their files and copying materials. He
never worked there under any kind of discipleship arrangement, let
alone a close relationship with the elite of the organization. They
confronted him in the last two months about the Troy Lawrence claims
and, predictably, he denied everything."4
During this time (January 1989) the Mormon?based Horizon Publishers
printed his book The Gainsayers, subtitled A Converted Anti?Mormon
Responds to Critics of the LDS Church. Though Evenson received several
requests to speak and give media interviews, Duane Crowther of Horizon
Publishers discouraged Evenson's appearances because he was so
emotionally unpredictable. Others were subjected to this emotional
instability as well. For example, in August 1987, Evenson entered a
building owned by Saints Alive in Jesus after hours and made a veiled
threat to one of the women on the premises. Saints Alive cautioned him
with a certified letter mailed the following day.5
In February 1990, Here's Life Publishers in San Bernardino released
The Secret Message of the Zodiac, written by "Troy Lawrence." This
book claimed that the twelve constellations of the zodiac were a
pictorial "gospel in the stars," divinely prefiguring the drama of
redemption. (We consider this a very dubious theory.) Les Stobbe,
president of Here's Life, said they had so many problems and conflicts
with "Troy" that they broke off their relationship with him even
before the book was printed. Here's Life has ceased publication of the
book and notified bookstores that full credit will be given for
returns of Zodiac.
Three months later, Evanson showed up in Salt Lake City to disrupt a
presentation on Mormonism featuring guest speaker Dick Baer at Sandra
Tanner's church. Evenson became so loud and unruly that he had to be
escorted from the room. He then had a confrontation with the pastor in
the hallway and threatened to kill him. Dick Baer later called the
chief of security for the Mormon church to notify them of their errant
devotee.
In February 1990 "Troy Lawrence" called Cornerstone and asked if we
would do a story to promote a major new ministry he was directing:
Ex?New Agers For Jesus. We asked Troy (who never told us his real
name) how many former New Agers were associated with his ministry at
that time. He said only he was. Later that summer "Troy Lawrence"
called us again, asking for our mailing list to promote his anti?New
Age ministry, which had now changed its name to the Society for the
Propagation and Revival of the Gospel, Inc. Constance Cumbey told us
he'd also contacted her, but as Darrick Evenson, volunteering to take
over her newsletter and asking for her mailing list also. Neither of
us complied with his requests.
"Troy Lawrence" met Pat Matrisciana, owner of Jeremiah Films, at a
prophecy conference in 1989 and told Matrisciana he was a former New
Ager. He said he'd been converted after reading Gods of the New Age,
written in 1985 by Pat's wife, Caryl. "Troy" wanted to publish a new
manuscript and needed help finding a publisher. Pat contacted
Huntington House on his behalf. (Pat had no idea Darrick/Troy had just
published a book attacking Pat's film The Godmakers as a "perverted"
portrayal of Mormon doctrine.6) Ironically, when his New Age book
Messiah Identified came out in 1991, "Troy" said he had been converted
through reading Constance Cumbey's Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow in
1984!
The first printing of twenty thousand copies of Messiah was sold out
in less than five months, and the book was offered to May 1991 donors
by evangelist Jack Van Impe's ministry. The book promoted Evenson's
new S.P.R.G. ministry in Tacoma. Evenson claims that donations to
S.P.R.G. are tax deductible, but the S.P.R.G. is not incorporated in
Washington state and has no standing with the IRS, nor has an
application ever been made for tax?exempt status.
TACOMA'S "MYSTERY MAN" IS REVEALED
Huntington House and Constance Cumbey had known since 1989 that "Troy
Lawrence" was really Darrick Evenson, but were unaware of his Mormon
background. But shortly after Messiah was published, Cumbey ran across
a newsletter from Utah Missions which mentioned Darrick Evanson and
his pro?LDS book. She immediately had a conference call with the
president of Huntington House and Evanson, who denied ever being a
Mormon but claimed that he wrote Gainsayers to bring people out of the
Mormon church.
Evenson's grand facade finally cracked on April 23, 1991. Radio host
Al Kresta had called Mrs. Cumbey, asking her opinion of "Troy
Lawrence," whom he would be interviewing for his radio program that
afternoon. Constance gave him Troy's real name and taxed him the
newsletter article. Kresta called several other people for
information, and on the air he confronted Troy with the actions of his
alter ego (Darrick Evanson).
Evenson denied ever being a Mormon, claiming that Gainsayers was part
of a "Trojan horse" method of evangelizing Mormons without their
suspecting it. When challenged, Evenson lost control and finally had
to be cut off the air. Evenson had one other disastrous interview on a
Denver radio station, and after that he asked Huntington House to
cease all interviews and tours. Huntington House has not yet decided
whether to issue a second printing of his book.
Evenson's Mormon publisher, Duane Crowther, is uncertain whether he
will continue printing The Gainsayers. He is aware Evenson is trying
to play both sides of the fence, but told one of our researchers he is
inclined to reprint the book anyway. He believes many of the arguments
defending Mormonism are valid, since he rewrote much of the original
manuscript himself to make it suitable for publication. Gainsayers is
also one of their better?selling books.
"TROY" SUPPORTS THE "TROJAN HORSE"
Huntington House and Evenson have both tried to defend Evanson's
actions as a "Trojan horse" method of evangelism. Troy/Darrick
explains that he infiltrates and joins false religions (Mormonism,
Masonry, and the New Age) so he can later share the "true" gospel in
his books, which are read by members who would never read an overtly
Christian book.
An open letter from Evenson says, "I 'played the part' of a New Age
advocate after my conversion to Christianity. I even helped write
several pro?New Age articles. All this was for the same reason a cop
pretends to be a drug smuggler, or a spy pretends to work for the
other side.... If you wanted to reach Jehovah's Witnesses, but know
they never read anything from nonJehovah's Witnesses, how would you
get them to read something to witness to them? If you can figure that
one out, then you'll know where I have come from."7
We think his excuse for these "Trojan horse" methods falls flat for
several reasons:
First and foremost, it's unbiblical. "Cursed is he who does the work
of the Lord deceitfully." God's people have "renounced the hidden
things of shame, not walking in craftiness," but have laid aside "all
guile [and) hypocrisy."8
Second, if Evenson is doing "undercover" work in Mormonism, Masonry,
the Watchtower, etc., he is making false professions and giving false
testimony in the process. In Gainsayers, he proclaims that Joseph
Smith is God's prophet for this dispensation. He also defends the
Mormon doctrines of the plurality of Gods, a Heavenly Mother, the law
of eternal progression (that men can become Gods), the validity of LDS
temple rites, and many other heresies. God holds us accountable for
every idle and untrue word we speak.
Third, even if lying for God were somehow justifiable, nowhere in
Evenson's pro?Masonic or pro?Mormon writings does he present the true
gospel! The Gainsayers does not present a message which differs in any
respect from what the Mormons currently hold as truth today. Cultists
are supposed to read Evenson's books and get the true gospel in them,
but there is absolutely no evidence of this "true gospel" in
Gainsayers!
Fourth, if Evenson has been saved for the past seven years, why does
he continue to push Mormonism privately to Evangelicals? Evenson has
contacted numerous Christian ministries since 1984, but he has always
presented himself as a Mormon (except when trying to get his books
published), never as an ex?New Ager or a born?again Christian.
We could give many more examples of this behavior, but we hope this
one will suffice. Sandra Tanner told us that Evanson entered her
bookstore this April (1991), started a conversation with some
Christian customers, and presented himself as a Mormon. The ladies
tried to share the gospel with him, and he became verbally abusive.
When the women realized the futility of the conversation, they moved
to the other side of the store. Evenson continued his verbal abuse
loudly enough to carry throughout the store, calling one of the women
"a tub of lard," and accusing the women of lesbianism and masturbating
in his presence. Sandra ordered him to leave the store.
This incident not only shovft Evenson's ongoing commitment to Mormon
doctrine (even though most good Mormons would rebuke him for his
behavior); it also highlights his emotional instability. Person after
personwhether evangelical, Mormon, or New Agevolunteered their
opinion that Darrick is a very disturbed young man.
The end of this story isn't told, but we pray that Huntington House
drops this author for good and that Darrick Evenson gets the emotional
and spiritual counseling he so desperately needs.
If the question is asked, "Why publicize the story of yet another
emotionally troubled testimony writer?" our answer focuses on truth.
Many Mormons believe that Darrick Evenson is a champion for their
cause, thanks to Horizon Publishers and Darrick's book. Many
Christians believe that Troy Lawrence is a defender of Christianity
against the New Age, thanks to Huntington House and Troy's book.
TroylDarrick needs our prayers, but he does not need protecting from
the consequences of writing falsehoods in the name of whatever God it
is he serves.
?Eric Pement
REFERENCES Note: All Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New
King James Version, Prophecy Edition. Copyright 1985 by Thomas Nelson.
1. The punch line is the suggestion that the Tara Center's "Lord
Maitreya," the probable Antichrist of Scripture, is an Ahmadiyya
Muslim named Rahmat Ahmad. Lawrence's theory was previously published
by J. H. Church in Prophecy in the News (Oct. 1988) and in a booklet
distributed by Peter Popoff in 1988. 2. Macoy Masonic Catalog (I Sept.
1990): 108 (cited in Saints Alive in Jesus newsletter [May 1991]: 3).
3. Photoreprinted In Robert L. and Rosemary Brown's They Lie in Wait
to Deceive, vol. 1 (Mesa, Ariz.: Brownsworth Publishing Co., rev. ad.,
1982): 279?280. 4. Al Kresta, typescript report on Darrick Evanson (7
May 1991), 7. 5. A highly edited version of this was later published
in World (18 May 1991): 12?13. 5. The office was In Issaquah, Wash.
Copy of letter on file. 6. Darrick T. Evanson, The Gainsayers,
(Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers and Distributors, 1989), 57. 7.
Fax letter from Darrick Evanson, dated 20 May 1991, addressed "TO WHOM
IT MAY CONCERN," and sent to Huntington House; pp. 1, 2. Original text
in solid caps. S. Jer. 48:10; 2 Cor. 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:1.