Music, Missions, and Miracles: The Michael Young Story

Sometimes the most awkward beginnings lead to the most extraordinary destinies. Michael D. Young's transformation from a socially struggling Air Force kid to a 15-year missionary with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir shows that God can use our deepest challenges to prepare us for our greatest callings. As a member of one of the world's most recognized religious choirs, an author of 40 books, and an instructional designer at BYU developing world language courses, Michael brings unique perspectives to discussions about faith, perseverance, and divine purpose.

Michael's credentials extend far beyond his musical talents. His multilingual abilities as a German-speaking missionary have opened doors in his professional career, while his prolific writing spans both nonfiction music history and fantasy fiction. His YouTube channel "Mike Drop Music" serves as a ministry platform where he performs hymns and takes requests for uplifting music, showing that talent combined with faith can create unexpected opportunities for service. His story, shared on the Why We Believe show, reveals that the very struggles that seem to hinder us often become the foundation for our most meaningful contributions.

In this episode of the Why We Believe show with Nathan Gwilliam, Michael shares his journey from childhood awkwardness to worldwide ministry, showing that God's timeline for our development often includes seasons of preparation we don't recognize at the time. Michael's experiences with constant relocation, social challenges, missionary service, and family trials have all contributed to a faith that encompasses both steady devotion and miraculous interventions. His story encourages anyone who feels overlooked or struggles with confidence that their current challenges may be preparing them for service they cannot yet imagine.

Constant Movement Creates Unexpected Strength  

Growing up as an Air Force child meant that Michael's childhood was defined by constant change and new beginnings. Every three years brought not just a move across town, but relocations to entirely different states or countries, each requiring complete social and cultural adjustment. This pattern of upheaval created unique challenges for a naturally introverted child who struggled with social connections and found making friends difficult even under normal circumstances.

The repetitive cycle of building relationships only to lose them when the next assignment arrived taught Michael that friendships often came with built-in expiration dates. During the 1980s and 1990s, before social media and widespread cell phone use, maintaining long-distance friendships proved nearly impossible for children. Each move meant starting completely over, learning new social dynamics, and finding ways to fit into established peer groups that had formed years before his arrival.

What seemed like a series of traumatic disruptions actually became intensive training in adaptability and relationship building. The necessity of constantly reinventing himself and learning to connect with diverse groups of people developed skills that would prove essential in his later missionary service and public ministry. The young man who once struggled to maintain friendships eventually became someone comfortable performing for millions worldwide and connecting with strangers through music and testimony.

Sacred Service in the Tabernacle Choir  

Joining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at age 25 marked the beginning of a unique form of missionary service that few church members experience. The choir sets apart its members as missionaries, creating a calling that combines musical excellence with spiritual ministry on a global scale. This distinction transforms weekly rehearsals and performances into acts of worship and evangelism that reach audiences far beyond traditional missionary work.

The physical and emotional demands of choir membership test dedication in unexpected ways. Early Sunday morning rehearsals, hours of performance time, and international tours that include arriving in foreign cities at dawn create challenges that require both physical stamina and spiritual strength. Michael discovered that these demanding schedules became opportunities to experience divine assistance, as prayers for renewed energy and focus were consistently answered during performances and rehearsals.

The global reach of the choir creates ministry opportunities that extend far beyond formal performances. Michael has encountered recognition from strangers across the world, including visitors to the Rome, Italy Temple and young people in the Philippines, showing that television broadcasts and digital media allow choir members to touch lives in ways they may never fully comprehend. These unexpected connections reinforce that service through music becomes a form of testimony sharing that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.

Mission Challenges Lead to Miraculous Moments  

Michael's mission to Germany presented cultural challenges that tested his faith and communication skills in ways he never anticipated. German society's general reluctance to discuss religious topics, combined with cultural norms that discourage approaching strangers, created an environment where traditional missionary methods proved largely ineffective. The formality and privacy preferences of German culture meant that building the personal connections necessary for gospel conversations required patience and creativity.

The presence of American military bases in his mission area provided familiar territory where Michael could connect with fellow military families who shared his background. This connection to his Air Force upbringing created opportunities to serve both German investigators and American military personnel, showing that personal experiences often become tools for ministry in unexpected ways. The bishop's recognition of Michael's musical talents led to involvement in an Easter production that would change the trajectory of his entire mission.

The culmination of two years of challenging work came through a single musical performance that created the connection leading to his only personal baptism. A woman from Texas, also musically inclined, attended the Easter production and connected with Michael's performance, leading to gospel conversations and ultimately her conversion. This experience on his final day in the mission field taught Michael that God can use individual talents and backgrounds to reach specific people in ways that standardized approaches cannot achieve.

Family Trials Reveal Divine Timing  

Michael and his wife's journey to parenthood began with secondary infertility that challenged their assumptions about family size and God's timeline for their lives. Coming from a large family himself, Michael had envisioned following his father's example of raising multiple children, making the inability to conceive naturally both emotionally difficult and spiritually puzzling. Medical consultations revealed that natural conception was unlikely without intensive interventions that carried significant financial costs.

The unexpected solution came through a former missionary companion who had achieved business success and offered to pay for IVF treatments. This generous offer showed that missionary relationships often create bonds that extend far beyond the formal service period, and that God can work through the prosperity of some to bless others facing different challenges. The successful first round of treatment resulted in pregnancy with their daughter Maggie, creating joy and gratitude after years of uncertainty.

Maggie's premature rupture of membranes at only 20 weeks of pregnancy created a medical emergency that required 76 days of hospitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. The statistics were daunting: most women deliver within a week of water breaking, and the infection risks were severe. Yet Michael's priesthood blessing promised that Maggie would live, and through a series of medical miracles and divine interventions, she was born healthy despite her early arrival. This experience taught the family that God's promises may be fulfilled through circumstances that seem impossible, and that faith sometimes requires trusting divine assurance despite overwhelming medical odds.

Key lessons from Michael's experience with family trials include:

• Infertility challenges can become opportunities for others to serve through generous assistance

• Medical crises during pregnancy require both medical intervention and spiritual faith

• Divine promises given through priesthood blessings may be fulfilled through miraculous circumstances

• Premature babies can overcome statistical odds through divine intervention and medical expertise

• Family struggles often become testimonies of God's goodness and miraculous intervention

Embrace Your Unique Path to Ministry  

Michael Young's transformation from an awkward military child to a globally recognized minister through music shows that God can use anyone's background and struggles to prepare them for meaningful service. His journey encourages those who feel overlooked or struggle with confidence that their current challenges may be developing strengths they will need for future callings. The same social difficulties that made childhood moves traumatic ultimately prepared him for connecting with diverse audiences worldwide.

Consider examining your own life experiences for patterns that might indicate divine preparation for service opportunities you haven't yet recognized. Michael's musical talents, missionary experience, language skills, and family trials all combined to create unique qualifications for his current ministry through the Tabernacle Choir and his writing. Your own combination of talents, experiences, and even struggles may be preparing you for service that will impact lives in ways you cannot currently imagine.

Take time to evaluate whether you're recognizing and responding to opportunities for ministry that already exist in your current circumstances. Michael's YouTube channel and book writing show that modern technology creates platforms for sharing faith and testimony that previous generations never had available. Whether through music, writing, teaching, or simple acts of service, your unique background and talents may be exactly what someone else needs to hear or experience in their own faith journey.

Thank you for reading this week's blog post inspired by the Why We Believe show. If you are interested in more stories like this, you can check out our other blog posts and episodes at WhyWeBelieve.com.

Follow the Why We Believe Show:

• Website: whywebelieve.com/

• YouTube: youtube.com/@WhyWeBelieveShow

• Instagram: instagram.com/whywebelievepodcast/

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/why-we-believe-show/

Follow Nathan Gwilliam:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/

Follow Michael D Young:

• Twitter/X: x.com/mdybyu

• Facebook: facebook.com/mdybyu/

• Website: authormichaelyoung.com/about/

• Facebook: facebook.com/authormichaelyoung

• Vocal Coach Website: micdropauditions.wordpress.com

• Sheet Music Website: thesongoftherighteous.wordpress.com

Links in Blog:

• The Tabernacle Choir Page: thetabernaclechoir.org

• Brigham Young University: byu.edu/