Josiah Duggar, 18, ends his four-month courtship with 17-year-old Marjorie Jackson as the teenagers' parents insist the split is 'in step with the Lord's will'
- The two began courting on April 6, several years after Marjorie's mother started teaching Josiah how to speak Spanish
- The couple also went on a mission trip to El Salvador, where Josiah’s sister Jill and her family are currently living, late last year
There may not be another Duggar wedding in the works after all, as the Duggar family has announced that 18-year-old Josiah has broken up with 17-year-old Marjorie Jackson.
The two officially began their courtship four months ago in April, but it seems that the teenage twosome will never make it past a side hug.
'A few weeks ago Marjorie and Josiah agreed to end their courtship, keeping in step with what they believe the Lord’s will is,' the Duggar and Jackson families said in a joint statement released on the Duggar family Facebook page.
Courting no more: Josiah Duggar (left) and Marjorie Jackson (right) have ended their courtship
Formal family: The teenagers officially began courting in April, on the same day that Josiah's big sister, Jill, gave birth to her son, Israel
'Both are thankful for the time getting to know each other, and their families continue to enjoy each other’s company and close friendship.
'As parents we are very pleased to see two young people searching out their futures with God's will as their first priority!'
They added: 'Both Josiah and Marjorie have enjoyed getting to know each other and to build their friendship over the past months.
We are so grateful that they each are seeking the Lord’s will for their future.'
Josiah and Marjorie met several years ago when the fifth-eldest Duggar son was taking Spanish lessons from Marjorie's mother, Analucia.
Last December, they got to know each other better while on a mission trip to El Salvador, where Josiah's older sister Jill is also currently on a mission with her husband Derrick Dillard and their four-month-old son Israel.
Adios, chica: They met several years ago when Marjorie's mother began teaching Josiah to speak Spanish
Amicable split: Their parents released a joint statement in which they said that the two would remain friends
During their courtship, the two were allowed to side hug - but not hug front-to-front, hold hands, or kiss
In fact, Josiah and Marjorie officially began their courtship on April 6, the same day that Jill and Derrick welcomed their newborn son.
The couple's brief courtship was well documented in the Duggar family's TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting, which was cancelled after it was revealed that Josiah's eldest brother Josh, 27, reportedly molested five girls - including four of his sisters - as a teenager.
But while many teens might have hidden away from the prying glare of the cameras, which captured the moment that Josiah first asked the teen to enter an official courtship, Marjorie seemed more than confident in her new-found, if short-lived, role as a reality TV star.
Josiah and Marjorie even made their own video explaining their courtship to the show's fans, with an enthusiastic Marjorie saying to the camera: 'Hey guys, my name's Marjorie Jackson and I have some Duggar insider news for you.
'You guessed it! It's a courtship. Who is courting? It's one of the boys, and it's not John David. It's not Joseph, not Jedidiah... Did I skip someone? Josiah!'
Family plan: Jill Duggar and her husband, Derrick, and son, Israel, are currently on a mission trip to El Salvador
Mom and dad's statement: Josiah's parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, have said that they are grateful that their son is 'seeking the Lord's will'
But despite his initial intentions, Josiah and Marjorie's relationship never progressed beyond side hugging; the young couple never had the chance to kiss, hold hands, or even enjoy a more traditional front-facing hug.
In the Duggar household, male-female relationship rules dictate that children 'date with a purpose'. When one of the 19 kids has his or her eye on a member of the opposite sex and wants to get to know them better, they can do so while meeting in group settings.
When they see the potential for marriage down the line, they can then begin courting that particular person. While they are still courting, however, the only displays of affection allowed are side hugs, in which both parties wrap one arm around each other and make only side-to-side contact.
Once they are engaged, they may also choose to hold hands.
Courting - and even engagement - also requires a chaperone. While each of Josiah's older, married siblings were courting and enjoying their engagements, many of their other siblings tagged along on their dates to provide accountability.
Fast families; Josiah's shamed older brother Josh (left), who admitted to molesting his younger sisters, welcomed his forth child, Meredith, with his wife, Anna (right)
Proud aunt: Jessa - who is expecting her first child in November - shared a picture on Instagram of herself with her new niece
It is unknown who was chaperoning when Josiah and Marjorie discussed their relationship and came to the conclusion to end their courtship.
However, the former couple's parents have said that they are satisfied with the youngsters' decision to part ways.
And it's not just Marjorie and Josiah's relationship that appears to have felt the strain since the Duggar family's successful show was taken off the air.
Last month, Amy Duggar - niece of 19 Kids And Counting's Jim Bob and Michelle - and her new fiance Dillon King revealed that they had their dreams of a televised wedding dashed after TLC declined to broadcast their wedding day.
It's not all sad news for the Duggars, however. Josiah's sister Jessa, 22, and her husband Ben Seewald, 20, are expecting their first child in November, and Josiah's disgraced older brother, 27-year-old Josh, has just welcomed his forth child, Meredith Grace, with his wife Anna, 27.
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