A Utah social media influencer who often encouraged his followers to “keep your knees on the ground and your eyes toward heaven” died Friday as he drove to a conference about defending and promoting the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Chandler “Chuck” David Hendry, 27 — who often dedicated his online content to encouraging missionary work — died Aug. 7, 2026, in a car accident in Lehi, Utah, on his way to the FAIR apologetics conference.
“In a day when Latter-day Saint beliefs are criticized, mocked and caricatured online, Chuck instilled confidence in thousands of Latter-day Saints to stand firm in their faith and be confident in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Hendry’s friend, Colton Miller.
Maddy Packer, influencer at “The Sure Foundation,” agreed. Hendry was a “fellow defender of the faith, someone who shouldered the burden of being disliked in the public space for declaring hard truths,” Packer said.
“He wanted others to stop taking the gospel for granted and believed its restored truths were the most powerful witness of God’s love for us, his children.”
‘Didn’t want to speak’
Before his death, Hendry organized an in-person event on Saturday, hoping to bolster young Latter-day Saints preparing for missions. With the encouragement of his wife, Analynn Hudson Hendry, several friends decided to hold the event as planned.
Many attendees were unaware Hendry had died, and the “Missionary Prep” event turned into a tender tribute.
Hendry’s parents, Chad and Cheri Hendry, recalled their son’s earlier hesitance to speak publicly. When offered a chance to speak in front of other Primary children, Chandler cried. And when the ”bishop asked him to speak as a senior in high school, he said ‘no,’” said Chad Hendry.
But after accepting a call to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Chuck Hendry was promised in a blessing that he would be bold. “You will speak in the name of Christ and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he was told.
Five years after returning from his mission in Jackson, Mississippi, Chuck Hendry began sharing his faith online. Since that first video in March, 2025, roughly 250 additional videos have reached millions of people across five different social media platforms, with nearly 100,000 combined subscribers.
Travis Anderson, host of YouTube Channel “Missionary Discussions,” spoke at the event Saturday about Chuck Hendry’s special focus on encouraging missionaries. “Chandler was filled with passion and love for the restored gospel,” he said.
“He was on a mission to share his testimony, to share the gospel,” Chad Hendry said.
In a spring video that Chuck Hendry “pinned” at the top of several platforms, he witnessed of the Book of Mormon, saying that the invitation to “come unto Christ” is what “pulses through almost every page.”
He said, “It doesn’t just teach about God. It creates the conditions to encounter him.… The Book of Mormon is one of the biggest reasons I believe God is real.”
Devoted husband
Chuck Hendry died just weeks before his second wedding anniversary.
“He was the best person that I knew,” Analynn Hendry told the Deseret News.
“I felt God’s love for me through him every single day,” she said.
Broader impact
Jacob Hansen, host of the “Thoughtful Faith” podcast, said he witnessed dozens of young people in person or in written messages telling him that Chuck Hendry was “the reason people went on a mission or chose to be baptized.”
As a fellow passionate, bold and unapologetic LDS content creator I always appreciated that Chuck was out there with even more passion and skill. I can't tell you how many times I've had to tell my husband to turn off Chuck's Tik Tok Lives so we could go to sleep 🤣
— Sarah Clark (@Sarahsred7) August 9, 2026
In this… pic.twitter.com/R2tAXEj6Wb
Chase Dahl, once inactive in the Church of Jesus Christ, recalled being struck by seeing someone his age “taking faith seriously and living the gospel seriously.”
“I need to take my faith more seriously,” he concluded, crediting Chuck Hendry with motivating him to quit drinking, go to church regularly and start studying the scriptures for himself.
Now, Dahl is posting his own videos to encourage others’ faith.
‘Get in the fight, dude’
Dalton Williams described starting his own “Unashamed Truth” channel after Chuck Hendry told him, “you’ve got to get in the fight, dude.”
“Chuck led by example and inspired us all to live our faith more boldly,” he said, and “instill the courage and confidence into all of us that the ‘restored truth’ really did have all the answers to life’s questions.”
“Chuck wanted all of us to be confident before God, confident in our faith and confident in our religious convictions,” added Cade Alvey, co-host of the “All Those in Favor” YouTube channel.
‘Keep your eyes toward heaven’
“It never felt like a performance,” said fellow Latter-day Saint influencer Caden Neider, who called Chuck Hendry an “unapologetic apologist.”
“It felt like he was genuinely sharing what he felt in his heart.”
Chuck Hendry often ended his videos with the same three lines: “The Restored Truth is that God has never stopped reaching out to humanity. He continues to reveal, guide and pursue a relationship with us today. So remember: Keep your knees on the ground and your eyes toward heaven!”
Cardon Ellis, “Ward Radio” host who coordinated the Saturday event, called Chuck Hendry a “kingdom builder.”
“I really loved being in the same platoon of God’s army with him…. He will be dearly, dearly missed.”
