The Baha'i Faith Vs. the Noble Spiritual Faith of Daheshism

By Darrick Evenson

A comparison between the Baha'i Faith founded by Baha'u'llah and the Noble Spiritual Faith of Daheshism founded by Doctor Dahesh of Lebanon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dahesh Mission International
• Release date: Oct 8, 2025
• ISBN: 9798232849504

Book preview

CHAPTER: Why I joined and later resigned from the Baha’i Faith

Iwas born in Los Angeles California in 1960 to poor working parents. We moved a lot. I grew up with no religion. My mother was Agnostic and my father believed in reincarnation but hated organized religion.  I was close to my brother who was one year older, and we grew up in Los Angeles, and Palm Springs, and West Sacramento, and the San Francisco Bay Area, but mostly Los Angeles. 

While in Los Angeles we lived not far from the beautiful Los Angeles Mormon Temple, which I really admired. At about age 12 I would take the bus to that temple and go through the Visitor’s Center: since tours inside the temple itself were not allowed. 

In 1978 I joined the Marines, and went to San Diego. Another recruit invited me to Mormon Church services.  So, I went, and was soon baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I got water-on-the-knee and got out of  Marines with a medical discharge, and I returned to Tacoma to rejoin my family. I became active in the Mormon Church, and decided I wanted to serve a Mormon mission for two years like just about all young Mormon men did.  I was called to be a Mormon missionary to San Jose and San Francisco California.

Joseph Smith's 1990-91 Prophecies

In 1980, while a Mormon only for a brief time, I visited a local Christian bookstore, and ran accross an entire shelf of anti-Mormon books. These books confused me, and I spent the next 17 months (full-time) investigating anti-Mormon claims. This including meeting many anti-Mormon authors (there are about 50 full-time anti-Mormon lecturers in North America). I was successful in refuting almost all anti-Mormon claims (i.e. that the Church was false and Mormonism a fraud and cult). However, there was one anti-Mormon claim that I could not refute; the 1890-91 Prophecies of Joseph Smith.

Joseph Smith claimed to be a Prophet of God. He claimed that Jesus and the Father appeared to him in a vision in 1820. He claimed that many angels appeared to him. He claimed that one of them showed him ancient records (on gold tablets) which he translated into English; it becoming known as The Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith prophecied that Christ would return in the years 1890-91. Anti-Mormons use these prophecies to prove that Joseph Smith was a false prophet.I searched, asked Mormon historians, and searched again for many months for answers to refute this. I had found none. I only found further evidence that Mormons were expecting Christ to return in His Glory in the years 1890-91. Mormon historians and others offered only the lamest excuses on why Christ didn't appear in those years: the members of the Church weren't prepared or the Lord decided to delay His coming etc. None of them satisfied me; because they could be used to explain-away any unfulfilled prophecy—including all false prophecies!

Finds Baha'i Center

I decided to pray to God, asking Him to reveal the truth regarding these prophecies; whether they were from God, or simply false prophecies. Soon after that I (now working as a security patrolman in Los Angeles) was given an area to patrol near Beverly Hills. In this small area was the old Los Angeles Baha'i Center (on Pico Blvd.). I spent most of my lunch hours in the Center; reading books and asking questions. Realizing the claims of Baha'u'llah, I asked many people there, Do the years 1890-91 have any significance in the Baha'i Faith? I was always told, Well, 1844 does, 1863 does, but...no, the years 1890-91 have no particular significance!

Called to a Mission

After moving to Tacoma, Washington, I was called (in 1983) to serve as a full-time Missionary for the LDS Church. Having faith, I decided to go. However, I still was not content with the answers I'd received regarding Joseph Smith's 1890-91 prophecies. The Baha'is had given me nothing to satisfy my need. I decided to go to God again in prayer. I knew of the Universal House of Justice, and that they claimed to be inspired of God. I prayed to God again, asking Him to reveal the truth; asking to meet one of the members of the Universal House of Justice, because if he doesn't have the answers I am seeking [i.e. if the years 1890-91 have any significance in the Faith] then nobody does!

Meets Charles Wolcott (over the phone)

I was assigned to to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, for three weeks of instruction. Then, I was flown to the California San Jose Mission (which included San Francisco, San Jose, and all cities in between). I was assigned first to Morgan Hill. The very first night there, I had an overwhelming urge to call the Baha'is. I looked in the San Jose telephone book, and called a number. I got a recorded message, but at the end another number was given for further information. I called the number and got a woman. I asked the woman if the years 1890-91 had any significance in the Baha'i Faith. I was told no, but you should ask Marsha Gilpatrick...her father is on the Universal House of Justice. She may know the answer! I was given and called her number. I called Marsha, and asked her the same question. Marsha replied, No, I don't think so, but let me ask my father! He's Charles Wolcott...he's a Member of the Universal House of Justice, and he's visiting us here from Haifa for a few days, but he's very ill. I'll see if he's well enough to speak with you!

Charles Wolcott, an original House member first elected in 1963 who was still a member of the House, came to the phone. I introduced myself, and asked him if the years 1890-91 had any significance in the Baha'i Faith. He excused himself, and, in a few minutes, came back and appeared to read me a quote. Later, I discovered the quote was from H.M. Balyuzi's book _Baha'u'llah_:

In that year, 1890, Baha'u'llah visited Haifa, and pitched His tent on Mount Carmel. To the Mountain of God came the Lord of Hosts, and the prophecies of old as well as His own emphatic promise were fulfilled. (Baha'u'llah-The Word Made Flesh,p.63)

I felt an incredible sensation. I felt as if his prayers had been answered....to the letter! I thanked Mr. Wolcott, and Marsha got back on the phone and invited him to dinner. She said that her father was ill, and could not take guests, but that her and her husband would like to have me over for dinner at some future date. I agreed.

Darrick told "Joseph Smith not a Prophet!"

Several weeks later, I decided to meet the Gilpatricks. My missionary companion didn't want to go, but another missionary (a former Baha'i from Alaska) said he wanted to go. At the Gilpatricks I asked if Baha'is considered Joseph Smith to be a Prophet? Mr. Gilpatrick retrieved a book from his shelf