Entertainment

6 Surprising Facts About Josiah Duggar, The Most Recently Engaged Duggar

by AnnaMarie Houlis

Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar's eighth-born child, Josiah Duggar is marrying his girlfriend, Lauren Swanson, which leaves a lot of fans wondering about Josiah Duggar recently, according to E!. The Counting On star proposed to his now-fiancée in the exact spot where her parents got engaged, E! reported. The news of the couple's engagement comes less than three months since they announced their courtship in late January.

"Lauren and I are engaged!" Josiah reportedly told E! "This is an exciting big step in our lives and the whole thing was very meaningful... There's a lot of family history on this property making it a special place for Lauren."

The couple reportedly said that they're excited to see both of their two families come together in this union, knowing that the wedding will certainly take a lot of planning since they have such big families on both sides, according to E!

"We're very excited to get started and so thankful for how God has brought our lives together," Josiah added, E! reported.

Lauren was apparently caught off guard when Josiah proposed, but she reportedly can't wait for what the future has in store for the soon-to-be husband and wife.

"I'm really excited to be getting married to Josiah," she said, according to Christian Today. "The engagement was such a special moment for me. I'm especially looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him!"

So who really is Josiah Duggar? Here are 15 facts to know about him.

1. He's Courted Another Woman Before

Back in 2015, Josiah courted another family friend, Marjorie Jackson. After four months, however, they decided to break off the relationship and just remain friends. "Neither families have offered the real reason for the break up, but they've both maintained that things ended amicably" between Duggar and Jackson, according to Christian Today. According to The Hollywood Gossip, the failed relationship makes Josiah the first of his generation to enter a courtship that didn't result in marriage.

2. He May Have More Lax Courting Rules Than His Sisters

He recently posted an Instagram photo FaceTiming with Swanson captioned: "Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve always been a talker. ☺️ But now I love being a listener, too. ❤️ #facetimewiththebest."

But, according to AOL, the Duggar family rule states that no one is allowed to have social media like an Instagram account before they're married. All phone and text conversations also have to be monitored, and this conversation doesn't appear to be chaperoned, so many fans think Josiah's courting rules are less strict than they were for his sisters.

3. He's A Total Foodie

Apparently, this Duggar has quite the affinity for good restaurants. Many of his social media posts have to do with food at places he loves — from pizza to burgers. Like the Lumberjack burger at one of his fave local hot spots.

4. He's A Republican

In 2015, Josiah posted a photo with Michael Dale Huckabee, an American politician, Christian minister, author, and commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He captioned the post: "Excited to stand with @govmikehuckabee for President!#huckabee2016#mikehuckabee#govhuckabee#mikehuckabeeforpresident#hopetohigherground -05-05-15"

5. He's An Alert Academy Alumni

In 2014, Josiah joined the International ALERT Academy, which is a Christian training and service organization with a mission to equip people with the tools to prepare them for "the specific callings God has placed on their lives," according to the organization's website. Duggar posted a photo to his Instagram account recalling the lessons he'd learned in the academy. He also called the ALERT Unit 51 "one of the best experiences" he's ever had.

"Looking back, the most important lessons I learned there were how to make the most of every moment, and to be ready for whatever opportunities God places in front of me next!" he wrote on the photo, encouraging young men 17 years and old who were "up to the challenge" to check it out for themselves.

6. He's Anti-Abortion

OK, this one may not come as a shock, since he is a Duggar, but he's been spotted at anti-abortion protests before. He even publicly posted a photo holding a sign that read, "Abortion Kills Children," in October.

As he gets closer to marrying his bride, I'm sure more surprising facts will come out about him and his relationship, too. Until then, congrats to the happy couple.

Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:

Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch.