Joseph Duggar prioritized his faith after he was arrested for alleged child molestation.
“I’m doing good. They had so many people, like, 20 people, to check in this morning that I wasn’t able to [call],” Joseph, 31, told his wife, Kendra Duggar, during a phone call while he was in custody at Arkansas’ Washington County Sheriff’s Office late last month, per audio obtained by Luxury Handbag Shopping. “[This] is the first time I’ve been out all day myself. It’s been a very encouraging day.”
According to Joseph, he spent most of his time reading the Bible.
“I read the whole book of Psalms,” he told Kendra, 27, noting he “just finished” the passage before their call. “I focus on my Bible reading. … This Bible is the New Living Translation. It’s actually been really encouraging, because they have, like, little things below it that kind of either describe it or just give a different perspective of it, of a verse. It’s been really good.”
Joseph was arrested in Arkansas on March 18 on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior after allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in Florida in 2020. The victim, now 14, told police that Joseph “eventually apologized for his actions” at the time before “the incidents stopped.”
Two days later, news broke that Joseph is also facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor, second-degree, and four counts of second-degree false imprisonment. Kendra was arrested on the same charges before being released on bond within hours. While speaking on the phone with Joseph, Kendra revealed that she doesn’t presently have custody of their four children.
“I’ve been praying for y’all. It’s a lot to deal with,” Joseph told his wife, whom he married in 2017. “I’ll continue to pray that things will settle and people will all be good there.”
Both Joseph and Kendra have tried to maintain their faith amid their arrests.
“The first day was really hard for me,” Joseph admitted. “I felt like, as I started reading the Psalms and stuff, I got through. I went through the whole devotional [and read] all the comments they had about different things. I just started reading the Bible today. I was [feeling] pretty anxious this morning, but now I feel really encouraged. I just encourage you to just read the Bible. I was amazed how comforting the psalms are.”
In response, Kendra told Joseph that they will see where “God takes [them] through all this” to “come back stronger.”
“I think that we’re gonna realize how much we need [God],” he replied. “I think it’s a good place to be. Being dependent on God’s always a good thing. That’s just what I want to encourage you about is to keep remembering that we can depend on God. Even if it’s bad things that come our way, God’s going to keep us right where he wants us, and when you know, right now, it’s probably hard to hear his voice.”
Joseph added, “I know it is for me, but it’s the more that we put our efforts towards him, I think he’s going to come through for us. I think that’s one of the promises I’m holding too. God’s gonna be there. I know things are wild and crazy, but you can just remember that in the back of your head.”
Kendra also believed that her faith has “been sustaining” her.
“I’m very weak, physically, like I’ve never felt quite this week before,” she told her spouse. “I’ve not gone this long without really eating [or] being able to eat. I’ve never been through something this intense. … Maybe we can just encourage each other with whatever you’re reading.”
For Joseph, he encouraged Kendra with the words from Psalms.
“I just want to encourage you that, no matter what crazy trial we’re going through, God knows where we are in it,” he stated. “Even when we don’t feel him speaking to us and feel we may not feel his presence, he’s still there. … I’m actually probably going to focus on Psalms, because I think that is really the most encouraging thing that I’ve done. Psalm 119 is one that really focuses on a lot on God’s word and how God’s word is a shelter, it’s a shield, it’s your buckler, it’s all those things.”
Joseph continued, “I think that we need to remember that. It’s going to be really hard for you because you’re getting blasted from every angle. But remember that, even when the times are hard, say, ‘Hey, God’s my shield, God’s my buckler.’”
Through it all, Joseph planned to continue praying.
“It’s hard to pray still. I know that God’s probably got layers of things he’s gotta do because we live busy lives and we’re so distracted that it’s hard to hear this little, small voice,” he said. “I feel like that’s kind of the thing that I’m learning, is like, ‘Okay, I had a lot of moving parts, and I busied myself in a lot of ways.’ I feel like it’s gonna be good in the end because God’s gonna teach us something valuable through this.”
Joseph was extradited to Florida earlier this week, where he pleaded not guilty to the accusations. He was released on $600,000 bail.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
