He's Older than His Parents • followHIM Favorites • October 13-19 • Come Follow Me

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: followHIM
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Episode: He's Older than His Parents • followHIM Favorites • October 13-19 • Come Follow Me
Date: November 6, 2025

---

Main Theme

This episode’s central theme is the power of eternal connections and family, as illustrated through a remarkable true story. The hosts, Hank and John, share an inspiring account that parallels the “Come, Follow Me” sections 129-132 focus on eternity, celestial kingdom, and sealing families, exploring what it really means to belong and be connected—literally and spiritually—across generations.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Story of Harry: An Unlikely Family

• Introduction of Harry ([00:03]–[01:32])

  • Harry was born in 1932 to young parents but was institutionalized due to his mental handicap—a common practice at the time.
  • He spent his life in various state-run facilities, largely devoid of familial affection or connection.
  • “He’s going to spend most of his life in mental hospital, group homes, things run by the government.” (Host, 01:13)

• Contrast with Megan’s Childhood

  • Megan, born 47 years later, had a typical loving upbringing, highlighting the stark differences in their childhoods.

• Megan and Cody Become Caregivers ([02:30]–[04:58])

  • As an adult, Megan becomes certified to care for mentally handicapped adults, bringing clients into her home to support them like foster care.

  • In December 2008, after Harry’s group home was condemned due to neglect, Megan and Cody are asked to consider taking Harry, then 76, into their family.

    “From the parking lot, Megan calls Cody and says, ‘I’m bringing Grandpa home.’” (Host, 04:11)

  • Harry quickly adapts, finding joy in simple routines and affection, calling Megan and Cody “Mom” and “Dad.”

2. The Path to Becoming a Family

• Legal Adoption and Blessing ([05:48]–[07:13])

  • After seeing Harry’s lack of family, Megan and Cody feel prompted to make Harry a permanent part of their family.

  • Supported by their bishop and a lawyer friend, in March 2015, they legally adopt Harry at age 82.

  • Megan explains the meaning of adoption to Harry:

    “‘Do you know what it means to be adopted?’ Harry said, ‘It means I don’t have to worry anymore.’” (Host quoting Megan, 06:22)

  • Harry receives a name and blessing in their ward—a unique event as all involved are much younger, including his newly adopted father, age 38.

    “He was surrounded by uncles, grandfathers and friends, all of which were younger than him. And his father gave him a name and a blessing.” (Host, 07:04)

3. Sealed for Eternity: The Celestial Family ([07:13]–[08:19])

• On May 2, 2015, Harry, at 82, is sealed in the Rexburg Temple to his adopted family, surrounded by relatives—including a great-grandmother who is only three years older than him.

• This sealing ceremony profoundly embodies the Come, Follow Me lesson of eternal family bonds.

  “This mentally handicapped orphan boy was sealed for time and all eternity to his new family. It was a story 82 years in the making.” (Host, quoting Diane, 07:50)

• A touching moment:

  “It warms my heart to hear that when he passes the computer and the picture of his family all dressed in white in the temple, he points at it, laughs, and says, ‘That was fun.’ Yes, Harry. Eternity is fun.” (Host quoting Diane, 07:58)

4. Reflections and Spiritual Application ([08:19]–[08:46])

• John reflects on the unique nature of the story and its universal message:

  "It makes me think about the importance of feeling connected to a family. Isn't that a great message?" (John, 08:19)

• Hank emphasizes that the story mirrors the week’s study focus: the power and necessity of eternal connections.

5. Teaser for the Main Episode

• The hosts preview their main episode guest, Brittany Chapman Nash, who will help address the historical context and challenges of plural marriage in Doctrine & Covenants section 132.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adoption and Belonging:

  “Do you know what it means to be adopted? Harry said, ‘It means I don’t have to worry anymore.’”
  (Host/Megan, 06:22)

• On the Uniqueness of the Family Sealings:

  “That's the only case I've ever heard of your parents being 30 years younger than you are, 40 years younger than you are.”
  (John, 08:36)

• On the Central Message:

  “Connections. Eternal connections.”
  (Host, 08:28)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:03] – Episode intro and story setup
• [01:13] – Harry’s background and early life
• [02:30] – Megan’s caregiving certification and Harry’s placement with her family
• [04:11] – Harry’s first meeting and becoming ‘Grandpa’
• [05:48] – Realization: Harry should be part of their eternal family
• [06:22] – Harry’s response to adoption
• [07:04] – Harry receives a name and blessing
• [07:13]–[07:55] – Temple sealing and family connection
• [08:19] – Reflection on the story’s importance

---

Tone

The conversation is warm, heartfelt, and full of quiet awe at the miracles of connection and belonging. The hosts narrate with a touch of humor, tenderness, and reverence—capturing the spirit of faith and family that infuses both the story and the Come, Follow Me sections under discussion.

---

Conclusion

This followHIM Favorites episode uses Harry’s unexpected journey—being adopted and sealed to a family decades younger than him—to beautifully reinforce gospel themes of eternal families, compassion, and divine connection. Listeners come away uplifted, with a fresh lens on what it means to be part of God’s eternal family and why those connections truly matter.

Transcript

[John]

Foreign.

[Host]

To follow him Favorites this is where John and I share a single story to go with each week's lesson. John Do I have a story for you. We are in sections 129 through 132. This week we're talking quite a bit about eternity, celestial kingdom, ceilings. Well, what would you say if I told you that on Saturday, May 2, 2015, the Rexburg Temple was abuzz because John listen to this. An 82 year old man was going to be sealed that day to his 35 year old mother and his 38 year old father. Are you interested?

[John]

They were born on leap year. I know. How does that happen?

[Host]

Yeah, I think you're gonna love this. Now, this story is told by Diane Packer. She's a friend of mine. Her daughter is Julie Lewis and I need to give them credit for this, John because Diane is an excellent writer and Julie is an excellent speaker. I actually heard Julie tell this story and I was able to get the copy of what Diane had written. So they get full credit for how well this story is told and how beautiful it is. JOHN the story starts on September 9, 1932. A baby is born to young parents. He is mentally handicapped and at some time in his early, early childhood he is quote, institutionalized. So apparently this is very common for that day to take a mentally handicapped child and give them to the state. JOHN this boy, this little boy, his name is Harry. He's going to spend most of his life in mental hospital, group homes, things run by the government. Now, 47 years after Harry is born, Megan is born. She has a completely different life than Harry. There's almost no information about him but her from the minute she was born, Diane writes to her first sounds. She had doting parents and siblings who cuddled her, nurtured her and delighted in her very existence. She has lots of pictures and journal entries as evidence about the time that Megan is taking her first steps. Harry was moved into a yet another group home where he would spend 30 years. It was a converted motel. There were several cabin type rooms. He's got his room and to go eat somewhere he's got to go outside and go down to that room and eat. Not a lot of information about him. Definitely a hard situation. JOHN yeah, a sad situation. Megan grows up, she goes to college, she meets the amazing Cody apparently and they welcome their first child in 2000. They end up having two other children, one in 2003 and another in 2005. John what happens next is that Megan becomes certified to care for mentally handicapped adults. It was Much like foster care, they help these older adults. Maybe their parents are aging and they can't care for them, or maybe there is no family at all. So you interact with these mentally handicapped adults and this is something that Megan and Cody and their family did in December of 2008. The home that Harry is in, there's some investigations. They find out that he and the others there have been in deplorable living conditions. John, there's locks on the heaters so they can't use them if they need them. They are going to shut down this home. 33 of these mentally handicapped adults are going to need somewhere to go. They have nowhere to go. A caseworker calls Megan and Cody. She said, there's someone I think you should meet. He could be a good fit for your home. His name is Harry. He's 76 years old, but he has the mental age of a five year old. Megan questioned how this could be a good fit. She has an eight year old, a five year old and a three year old. He was much, much older than anyone they had ever had in their home before. But Megan trusted this caseworker and they set up a meeting. Okay, listen to this, John. This is what Megan writes. I remember walking into the office where Harry was sitting. He looked up at me and did the cutest chuckle. Laugh, she said. I smiled and laughed back. This sweet old man who is just 4ft 8 inches tall. From the parking lot, Megan calls Cody and says, I'm bringing Grandpa home. They learned a little bit more about Harry. And within just a month, they were packing up Harry's few belongings and were moving him from this very unpleasant place where he had been hidden away for so long. And he settled easily into his new home. I would love to tell you all of this, John. He chuckles and giggles. He loves to have a good time. He loves John Wayne movies. He wants his meals on time. He wants to be in bed precisely at 8pm and he wants to get up as early as possible. Says Megan tries to hold him off and says, please be quiet and wait until 6:30am to get dressed. So he has two clocks in view and his clothes in hand. When the clock hits 6:30, he now can begin to dress. He starts calling Megan and Cody, mom and dad and their parents, Grandma and Grandpa. Just like the other kids in the house, Megan and Cody learn more about him. They find out he literally has no family. Unlike these other clients, there's no history here, I guess. Megan and Cody's children started asking, who is Harry gonna spend eternity with?

[John]

Wow. I think I know where you're going.

[Host]

An idea was born, as Megan called it, a feeling, a feeling that Harry should be part of their family, their eternal family. John there's a lot of details here, and things just start falling into place where Cody is spending time with a bishop who's interested, and then a lawyer friend who says, I think I could help with that. Finally, In March of 2015, at the age of 82, Harry is legally adopted into Megan and Cody's family. Megan asked him, do you know what it means to be adopted? Harry said, it means I don't have to worry anymore. John One thing they decide is that Harry does not need to be baptized. But get this, he's going to need a name and a blessing. This is kind of an unusual event, isn't it? On a Sunday, Harry walked to the front of the chapel with the help of his father, who had just celebrated his 38th birthday. The Ward had embraced and then fallen in love with Harry, and they looked with joy. On this occasion, he was surrounded by uncles, grandfathers and friends, all of which were younger than him. And his father gave him a name and a blessing.

[John]

Imagine that.

[Host]

Then, like I told you at the beginning of the story, John, on May 2, 2015, with his mother and his father, his 12 year old sister, his two brothers, his aunts, his uncles, his grandparents, even his great grandmother, who is just three years older than him, his great grandmother, grandmother, Harry kneels at an altar and is sealed to his family, to his eternal family. Diane writes, this mentally handicapped orphan boy was sealed for time and all eternity to his new family. It was a story 82 years in the making.

[John]

Beautiful.

[Host]

Diane writes, it warms my heart to hear that when he passes the computer and the picture of his family all dressed in white in the temple, he points at it, laughs, and says, that was fun. Yes, Harry. Eternity is fun. John. Megan and Cody Searle adopted their son Harry. John, what do you think?

[John]

I've never heard anything like that, but it makes me think about the importance of feeling connected to a family. Isn't that a great message?

[Host]

Yeah.

[John]

Yeah.

[Host]

And John, that's what we're talking about this week on Follow him is sections 129 through 132. Connections. Eternal connections.

[John]

Eternal. Yeah. And that's the only case I've ever heard of your parents being 30 years younger than you are, 40 years younger than you are. Great story, John.

[Host]

Like I said, that's what we're spending our time on. Our podcast this week. We're with sister Brittany Chapman Nash and wow, John, does she know a lot. She's going to help us with a bit of a difficult topic, which is polygamy, plural marriage in section 132. And she does an incredible job with that. You can find it wherever you get your podcast. Then come back here next week. We'll do another follow him favorites.