5 Lessons of Faith from Down Syndrome Advocate Brady Murray

This week on the Why We Believe show, I had the privilege of interviewing Brady Murray. Brady is an inspiring individual who has dedicated his life to serving others and living his faith. As the founder and president of Rod's Heroes, a non-profit organization that helps special needs kids get adopted, Brady has helped over 100 children with Down syndrome find loving homes. In addition to his work with Rod's Heroes, Brady is also an Ironman triathlete, a three-time Boston Marathon finisher, a certified financial planner, and a chartered special needs consultant.

Brady's passion for helping children with Down syndrome stems from his personal experience. His second child, Nash, was born with Down syndrome, and Brady and his wife Andrea have since adopted another child with Down syndrome, Cooper, from China. The Murrays have a total of 11 children, seven of whom are adopted from three different countries.

Brady's journey with Down syndrome and fatherhood has been the subject of his podcast, Conquering Your Clownfish, a podcast dedicated to sharing the inspiring stories of parents and caretakers empowering their loved ones to sing the song they were meant to sing. 

During our interview together, I was fortunate enough to learn some very powerful and important things about faith that I think we all could learn from. So here are 5 powerful lessons I learned from our interview.

Lesson 1: Listen to the Promptings of the Spirit

Brady's journey of faith began when, despite his inactivity in the Church, his friend Melissa challenged him to pray about serving a mission. Despite his initial reluctance, Brady accepted the challenge and felt the undeniable promptings of the Spirit telling him that God wanted him to serve. This experience taught Brady the importance of listening to the Spirit and acting on its promptings, even when it means making significant changes in our lives.

By following the Spirit's guidance, Brady embarked on a life-changing mission to Peru, where he not only learned the gospel of Jesus Christ but also developed a deep love for the Latino culture. This love later influenced his family's decision to later adopt 4 children from Colombia.

Lesson 2: Serve the Pain You Know Best

When Brady's son Nash was born with Down syndrome, it was a challenging and emotional experience. However, Brady felt in his heart that he was meant to lean into this experience and serve the pain he knew best. Together with his wife Andrea, Brady created Rod's Heroes to inspire families to adopt children with Down syndrome.

Through this service, Brady has witnessed the incredible impact that adoption can have on the lives of these children. By giving them a chance to have a family, these children are able to unlock their divine potential and become the superheroes they were meant to be.

Lesson 3: Allow Yourself to be Caught Up in a Cause Bigger Than Yourself

Brady has learned that when we allow ourselves to be caught up in a cause bigger than ourselves, we witness miracles. His work with Rod's Heroes and his family's adoption journey are testaments to this principle. By dedicating himself to serving others and living his faith, Brady has seen countless miracles unfold in his life and the lives of those around him.

When we focus on serving others and living our faith, we open ourselves up to experiences and blessings that we could never have imagined. You can't script it. You can't say if we do X, Y will be the result. Let's go ahead and go do X. You just can't make this stuff up.

Lesson 4: Eternal Marriage and Family Are Central to God's Plan

Brady's faith in Jesus Christ and His restored church has been the foundation for his life and his family. He knows that when we make and keep sacred covenants in LDS temples, including the covenant of eternal marriage, we are blessed with divine guidance and strength.

Through his own eternal marriage to Andrea and their experiences in raising their 11 children, Brady has seen firsthand the importance of family in God's plan. He knows that by putting faith in Christ and striving to live the gospel, families can overcome challenges and grow together in love.

Lesson 5: Consecrate Your Life to the Lord

For Brady, the law of consecration is a gospel principle that resonates deeply. He believes that everything we have – our time, talents, and resources – are temporary stewardships that we will one day give an accounting for. By consecrating our lives to the Lord and striving to use our blessings to serve others, we can return to Him with a pure heart, knowing we did our best.

Brady's life is an example of consecration in action. From his missionary service to his work with Rod's Heroes and his dedication to his family, Brady has consistently put the Lord first and sought to use his blessings to bless the lives of others.

Putting Our Faith in the Hands of the Savior

Brady Murray's story is a powerful testament to the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ. Through his experiences, we learn the importance of listening to the Spirit, serving others, allowing ourselves to be caught up in a cause bigger than ourselves, building eternal families, and consecrating our lives to the Lord.

As we strive to follow Brady's example and trust in the path that God has for us, we can be confident that Christ will be our guide. By putting our faith in Him and dedicating ourselves to serving others, we open ourselves up to a life filled with miracles, love, and purpose. Let us all strive to live our faith with the same courage, compassion, and conviction that Brady Murray exemplifies.

Key Takeaways:

1. Life often entrusts us with experiences we don't choose, but how we respond to those experiences can dictate the course of our lives.

2. Brady's life has been significantly impacted by two experiences he didn't choose: being adopted and having a child with Down syndrome.

3. A pivotal moment in Brady's faith journey came when he felt prompted to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leading him to put his baseball dreams aside and serve in Peru.

4. Brady gained his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ while serving his mission and teaching others in Spanish.

5. After his son Nash was born with Down syndrome, Brady felt inspired to serve the Down syndrome community, which led to the creation of Rod's Heroes, an organization that helps children with Down syndrome find adoptive families.

6. Brady and his wife Andrea have witnessed miracles as they've opened their hearts to adoption, welcoming 11 children into their family, including a sibling group of four from Colombia.

7. Brady believes that when we allow ourselves to get caught up in a cause bigger than ourselves, we will witness miracles time and time again.

8. The gospel principle of consecration resonates deeply with Brady as he strives to use his time, talents, and resources to serve others and further God's work.

Thank you for joining us for this episode. I pray Brady’s message of trusting in God to lead you to experiences that will strengthen your testimony to do the same.

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