Born with Half a Heart, Now a Rapping Missionary: Elder Logan Castleton's Story - Latter-Day Lights

LDS Podcast "Latter-Day Lights" - Inspirational LDS Stories

When our story veers off-script, how do we find a faith-filled purpose that transcends our expectations?
Born with half a heart, 20-year-old musician Elder Logan Castleton entered his mission knowing his path would look different than most. Having undergone countless heart surgeries and struggles throughout his life, he was thrilled to be called as a proselyting missionary in Chicago.
However, when his health took a turn, he found himself unable to continue in that role and was unsure about his future as a missionary. But rather than surrendering to discouragement, he focused on his faith, transforming his health challenges into a unique opportunity to share the Gospel through rap music.
Now known as “The Rapping Missionary,” Elder Castleton intertwines his passion for music with his steadfast testimony, using the power of inspired melodies and honest storytelling to uplift others, testify of Christ’s love, and show the world that even the most fragile heart can become an instrument of divine purpose.
Elder Castleton’s authentic reflections illuminate the truth that, even when your mission doesn’t follow the script you’d planned, there’s still purpose, growth, and genuine hope to turn things around for the better. His journey proves that God’s love shows up in unexpected ways—and that the covenant path is always worth walking, no matter how unfamiliar the scenery.
*** Please SHARE Elder Castleton's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***
To WATCH to this episode, visit: https://youtu.be/5SrLlLXPFAg
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To LISTEN to Elder Castleton's latest song "Light The World", visit: https://open.spotify.com/track/5osZ7DO4FUiZdioQA0zfb2?si=dbc232fb75b04ea8
To LISTEN to Elder Castleton's first song "Notice", visit: https://open.spotify.com/track/3UlLwxxx5t5P8iMEVxbcB8?si=b94cb70af2b04785
To LISTEN to the rest of Elder Castleton's discography. visit: https://rappingmissionary.org/listen
To WATCH Elder Castleton's videos, visit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNg88wB7c4iGnH3jZvWATlg
To FOLLOW Elder Castleton on Instagram, visit: https://www.instagram.com/rappingmissionary
To FOLLOW Elder Castleton on TikTok, visit: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCNg88wB7c4iGnH3jZvWATlg
To FOLLOW Elder Castleton on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/rappingmissionary/
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Also, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.

Hoofdstukken

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Welcoming Elder Logan Castleton to the show (00:00:35)

3. Life with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (00:02:00)

4. Logan’s musical talents (00:04:15)

5. Logan’s Make A Wish wish gets granted (00:08:40)

6. Life in middle school (00:10:17)

7. Denver School of the Arts (00:13:10)

8. Moving to Utah + finding friends (00:18:00)

9. Growing testimony through college (00:25:18)

10. Logan’s mission call (00:28:20)

11. Logan transitions to a service mission (00:33:05)

12. Logan goes on oxygen (00:38:04)

13. Discovering “missionary rap” (00:40:47)

14. Logan releases his first song “Notice” (00:44:06)

15. Continuing music (00:46:48)

16. Addressing mental health (00:48:38)

17. Getting out of mental health struggles (00:51:08)

18. Finding peace with our stories (00:54:45)

19. Serving through rap music (00:58:32)

20. 2 Nephi 31 (01:01:00)

21. Logan’s testimony (01:04:20)

22. Where to find Elder Logan’s work (01:06:00)

23. Final thoughts (01:07:06)

24. Outro (01:08:55)