Luke Evans: The Boy Who Found Acceptance

Evans writes about his personal journey growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, grappling with faith, family, and personal identity, particularly regarding his sexuality.

Luke Evans was raised in a Jehovah’s Witness household where faith dictated every aspect of his life. His new book is a deeply personal story discussing his religious, sexual, and emotional struggles on a journey towards acceptance.

Evans writes about a lot more than Jehovah’s Witnesses in his book, Boy from the Valleys, but our review focuses firmly on his upbringing as a Jehovah’s Witness and how that had a profound impact on his life in terms of family, friends, sexual relationships, his personal identity and ambitions. After all, “as a Jehovah’s Witness you weren’t encouraged to have career ambitions. You would need to have a job … only to support your main work, which was spreading the word of Jehovah.”

“The answers were always annoyingly vague”

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Armageddon is a future, divinely orchestrated war in which God will eliminate wickedness and establish His Kingdom on Earth. Their understanding of Armageddon is based on Bible passages, particularly Revelation 16:14, 16, which describe it as “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”

They do not see it as a nuclear conflict or a war between nations but as a battle where God, through Jesus Christ, will intervene directly to end all wickedness. Armageddon is seen as a means for God to remove all those who oppose His rule, making way for a righteous new world under His Kingdom.

Those who faithfully serve Jehovah – baptized believing Jehovah’s Witnesses – and align with His will are expected to survive Armageddon and live in a paradise on Earth. After Armageddon, Satan will be bound for 1,000 years, preventing him from misleading people (Revelation 20:1-3).

The new paradise earth will be governed by Jehovah’s Kingdom, ruled by Jesus and 144,000 chosen ones in heaven. During that time, people who have died would be resurrected to a life of perfection. Their belief is based on Bible passages like John 5:28-29 and Acts 24:15, which speak of a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe and have been preaching for over 150 years that Armageddon is imminently near. This is the motivating factor for their preaching work, as they see it as their duty to warn others and help them find salvation. And even if they eventually die before their belief is realized, they are convinced by Watch Tower, the organization behind the Jehovah’s Witnesses, that they will be resurrected.

Evans questioned this belief and was frustrated by their “annoyingly vague” answers to pertinent questions about resurrection of evil people and those who were cremated.

Life within Jehovah’s Witnesses

Becoming a Jehovah’s Witness brings significant changes to a person’s life. Since their beliefs emphasize living according to Bible principles, new members are expected to align their lifestyle with Jehovah’s standards.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are required to avoid morally or spiritually harmful behaviors including premarital or extramarital sex, smoking, drug use, excessive consumption of alcohol, gambling, celebrating holidays such as birthdays, Christmas and any holidays they perceive as having pagan origins.

Bible study, which involves study of Watch Tower materials, becomes a major part of their life. They are expected to attend meetings regularly, twice a week. Their preaching of an ever imminent Armageddon is a central activity and members are expected to engage in some form of public ministry each month.

Jehovah’s Witnesses prioritize spiritual unity in relationships. They are encouraged to marry only fellow Witnesses to avoid conflicts in faith. Family life is expected to follow Bible-based roles, with husbands acting as head of household, and wives are supportive partners. Close relationships with those who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses is discouraged, particularly if such relationships may affect their spiritual routine.

They are required to remain politically neutral, not voting in elections, or participating in military service. They are forbidden from saluting national flags or singing national anthems, as they believe their allegiance is only to God’s Kingdom.

If careers or jobs conflict with their beliefs, they are required to give them up, or avoid them. Entertainment choices are filtered based on their moral and spiritual impact. For example, they may avoid watching movies that are graphically sexual or violent. Also they may avoid movies that contain scenes of magic and sorcery, such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

This is the world Luke Evans was introduced to at the tender age of 4. To him, this life “just felt normal”, where he’d start and end each day with prayer. Scriptures were read at breakfast and prayers would be said before meals. On Tuesdays, they’d go to a fellow Witness’s house for Bible study. On Thursday Evenings and Sunday Mornings, they’d attend two-hour meetings at the Kingdom Hall, the name Jehovah’s Witnesses prefer to use for their Churches. He discusses his childhood relationships, and how he would convince himself that he got “presents all year round” rather than just at Christmas and birthdays. He was continually informed that they were lucky to be Jehovah’s Witnesses, because while all those poor non-JWs would be destroyed at Armageddon, he and his fellow believers would survive.

His family on his mother’s side accepted her choice of religion but they never understood it. To them, it was just a bizarre religion obsessed with the Bible and fixated on what they can and cannot do when it came to family events such as Christmas.

The Anointed, Blood Transfusions, and Homosexuality

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that only 144,000 faithful Christians (the “anointed”) will go to heaven to rule with Jesus in God’s Kingdom (Revelation 14:1-3). The rest of obedient humanity will live forever on a paradise Earth under their leadership. The anointed receive a spiritual calling from God, and they partake of the bread and wine at the annual Memorial of Christ’s Death (Jehovah’s Witnesses’ version of Communion). Most Jehovah’s Witnesses do not claim to be anointed and instead hope to live eternally on Earth, although the number claiming to be anointed has been increasing in recent years.

Jehovah’s Witnesses reject blood transfusions, even in life-threatening situations, based on scriptures like Acts 15:28-29 and Leviticus 17:10-14, which they interpret as prohibiting consuming blood. They believe that accepting a transfusion violates God’s law and could jeopardize their eternal life. They do accept alternative medical treatments, such as bloodless surgery, non-blood volume expanders, autologous procedures (using their own blood if collected in a closed-loop system). Many carry a Medical Directive Card stating their refusal of blood. Non-compliance can result in expulsion from the group.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that homosexual acts are sinful, based on passages like Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. They teach that same-sex attraction is not sinful in itself, but acting on it is. LGBTQ+ members are expected to remain celibate, just as they expect unmarried heterosexual members to abstain from sex. Controversially, an animated video published by JWs entitled, “One Man, One Woman” promotes the idea that homosexuals can change. Those who engage in same-sex relationships and do not repent are faced with expulsion, meaning they are shunned by the congregation.

Evans’ take on the anointed and blood transfusions is dismissive of the Witnesses’ understanding of these subjects. But he also highlights the danger of not being permitted to question doctrine at the risk of being expelled, particularly as members and children of members have died because they have complied with their belief based on ancient Bible verses written long before blood transfusions became a medical practice.

As readers, our first introduction to Evan’s religiously-induced fear comes from a discussion of the story of the biblical character, Lot’s Wife, featured in the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ publication for children, My Book of Bible Stories. He describes some of the images in their horrific glory but understates the violent imagery found throughout that book with the words, “It’s pretty terrifying for a children’s book.” He later learns that those horrific acts described in the book are towards homosexuals and he informs us that in the Bible, homosexuals are right up there with thieves, adulterers, and murderers.

No ambitions for Jehovah’s Witnesses

A belief in an imminent Armageddon can significantly affect a person’s ambitions, especially if they view worldly success as temporary or irrelevant in light of their spiritual beliefs. For those who strongly believe in Armageddon, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, this conviction can shape their priorities and approach to life. The belief that “everything will soon be destroyed” leads them to focus less on long-term material achievements. Spiritual ambition takes precedence, with individuals investing more time and energy in preaching, attending religious meetings, and other activities they believe will secure their place in God’s Kingdom or help others do the same.

Some Witnesses feel a sense of urgency to fulfill their religious duties and saving others from Armageddon, which leads them to make hastier decisions or prioritize short-term goals over long-term ones. This often manifests in such ones abandoning a career to dedicate more time to religious work, or avoiding further education because they believe it won’t be necessary in the near future.

This background to Witnesses’ lack of ambition brings home how much Evans had to do to beat the odds, to make something of himself, despite the conflict of beliefs that raged against his drive to be someone. Surprisingly, at a young age, he never thought about becoming an actor or singer. He explains how he wanted to have a career in something else entirely. This aspect of the book highlights the strong bond between mother and son. And “she won gold every year for being the best mother ever.” It is not mentioned in the book, but he has starred in at least one role where he played a character that had a connection with this first career ambition.

Luke Evans’ Sexual Orientation

A large portion of the book centers around Evans’ sexual orientation. He knew he was gay at a young age. He admitted that Jehovah’s Witnesses loudly and repeatedly claimed that homosexuality was perverted. He mentions how an openly gay man in another Witness family was treated like he was dead. Like many other gay Jehovah’s Witnesses, Evans had to keep his sexual orientation secret, and would pray to Jehovah to stop him having gay thoughts. It was a terrible period for the young man. In those early days he found freedom in trips to London, a city accepting of gays.

Curiously, his struggles with his sexual identity didn’t hamper his zeal for Jehovah. He got baptized as a member at a young age, with “zero concept of the lifelong consequences” that decision would have on his life. He thought such a commitment to Jehovah would “cure” him. And when it didn’t, he didn’t have anyone to talk to, or an internet to find answers to reassure him. Here was a young gay boy, alone, failed by his god and his religion, and he couldn’t even talk to his parents about it.

He discusses his first long-term relationship and how that was the stepping stone to helping him first of all to come to terms with his sexuality, but it also helped him kick-start his career, albeit it wasn’t a career in film acting. Throughout the book, we read about a boy coming of age, becoming a man, and all the relationships, hardships, and fortunate events that would color his world.

Pride in the Name of Love

As the book progresses, talk of the Jehovah’s Witnesses becomes less and less. However, there are some key situations that are wonderful moments, especially for those of us who have been expelled from the group for whatever reason, and are now shunned by our family and friends. It is a message of hope, where love overcomes religious dogma. The elders of Jehovah’s Witnesses came round to Evan’s parents’ home to lecture them about associating with their disfellowshipped son. His dad’s response is priceless.

He mentions his Fast & Furious 6 co-star, Michelle Rodriguez, as being a former Jehovah’s Witnesses and how she is being her authentic self. His mother met her and still asks after her.

But for me, the most poignant moment in the book is the pride a father can have for his son, a pride that is not in the name of Jehovah, but in the name of Love.

Luke Evans book, Boy from the valleys is available in all good book shops in Hardcover, Paperback, eBook and Audiobook. It’s also on Amazon and Barns & Noble.