Latter-day Saint Life

LDS Missionaries Tract Home of Twenty One Pilots' Drummer's Mother

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When Elder Hayden Merchant and his companion headed out to tract one day while serving in the Ohio Columbus Mission, they might have noticed a few mundane landmarks along the way.

A street sign with a seesaw, neighborhoods with large trees lining the road, and, most of all, a two-story home with light green siding.

And when they knocked on the door to this house, Elder Merchant got the surprise of his life.

Greeted by a woman named Laura, Elder Merchant soon found out that this was the home of the mother of Josh Dun, the drummer for Twenty One Pilots. 

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Elder Merchant, who liked the band so much he sang the song "Forest" by the band for his high school graduation ceremony, "had a great visit" with Laura, according to his mother Gaylene. 

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Video Companion
Forest - twenty one pilots (Acoustic Cover) by Hayden Merchant

The visit could not have come at a better time. Three months ago, Carson, Elder Merchant's best friend, died suddenly in a tragic accident. The two shared a love of music and had planned to play in a band together once Elder Merchant completed his mission. 

Despite this tragic news, Elder Merchant continued to serve faithfully. 

"Call it luck or coincidence, but Hayden's family knows that knocking on the door of Laura was not an accident but a sign of God's love that Carson and Heavenly Father knows where Hayden is. Truly a 'house of gold'," Gaylene wrote. 

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Top: photo courtesy of Gaylene Merchant
Bottom: screenshot from youtube.com
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Photo courtesy Gaylene Merchant

And after the visit, Elder Merchant and his companion took pictures by the seemingly mundane landmarks, all of which were part of the music video to one of Twenty One Pilots' most popular songs, "Stressed Out."

Elder Merchant even had some good news to share in his email to his family.

"So for anyone who gets the reference in the subject of this email, ("I've been so stressed out") here we are outside of Josh Dun's parent's house. We were able to meet his mom Laura and she said we could come back. Pretty cool!"

Lead image courtesy Gaylene Merchant

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