Get ready for yet another awkward first kiss in front of a couple thousand wedding guests!
The Duggar family announced today that Josiah Duggar and Lauren Swanson are courting.
Rumors of Lauren and Josiah’s romantic involvement began last week, when she joined his family on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.
“I came up behind her at a meal while she was hanging out with some of my siblings and surprised her, and
“We’ve been friends for a while and got to spend a lot of time together.
“They’re really similar our families, with a lot of the same goals.”
“We’re excited about sharing our journey on Counting On,” Lauren concluded.
Josiah elaborated on his feelings for Lauren in an interview published today by People magazine.
“We are overjoyed to begin this new phase of our lives together,” he told the magazine.
“Through the years our families’ friendship has allowed us to get to know one another as friends. I can definitely say I have found a great friend … even better than I could have hoped for or imagined.”
Josiah went on to explain that he and Lauren were drawn to one another due to their similar values:
“I so appreciate Lauren’s Christlike character and tender heart toward others,” he said.
“She bring sunshine into the room and encourages everyone around her. It’s always stood out to me that in every situation, she looks for the one who appears to be sad or lonely and quickly can brighten their day by sharing words of hope, an encouraging scripture, a prayer or even a simple smile with them.”
Josiah is unique amongst his siblings in that he’s entered a romantic relationship that did not result in marriage.
Josiah courted Marjorie Jackson back in 2015, but the couple called it quits after four months together.
“Marjorie and I had a good time together,” he said at the time of their split.
“We were just trying to follow God’s lead on everything. She didn’t feel that it was the right timing then, so we called it quits for a bit.”
Our sincere congratulations go out to both Josiah and Marjorie.
Watch Counting On online for more on the Duggars unique courtship practices.
