A 27-year-old Mormon YouTuber from Utah has died in a traffic crash, just hours after posting a video in which he reflected on life after death.
Chandler David Hendry, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was involved in a fatal collision Friday in Lehi after authorities said he drove through a red light, according to KUTV.
Investigators said Hendry was heading west when his vehicle struck two other cars at the intersection — one traveling north and the other moving south.
Hendry, who police said was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death came only weeks before what would have been his second wedding anniversary, Deseret News reported.
Officials said no one else suffered serious injuries in the crash.
Online, Hendry had built a following of more than 70,000 people and was known as the creator of the Restored Truth podcast, a faith-focused project rooted in the belief that God restored the gospel of Jesus Christ after original teachings had been lost or distorted.
He regularly closed his videos with a signature message: “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.”
His sign-off ended with the reminder: “So remember: Keep your knees on the ground and your eyes toward heaven!”
He died just hours after attending the FAIR conference in Lehi – a three-day event that answers questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The final video shared on his Instagram was a reflection of that event, where he commented on a picture of the afterlife which was presented by Anthony Sweat at the conference.
The illustration showed one line in the center and several lines coming off each side.
“That is what the eternities will look like,” Hendry said in the video.
“A link of the family unit of God.”
It refers to the teaching that families will be together after death.
Before his death, Hendry, affectionately known as “Chuck,” had organized an event for young members of the church gearing up to take part in missions.
The event went ahead on Saturday and it turned into a memorial event with his relatives recounting stories.
Hendry’s dad Chad recalled how his son wasn’t initially enthusiastic about public speaking.
When the “bishop asked him to speak as a senior in high school, he said ‘no,’” Chad told the audience at the Orem, Utah, event.
But his attitude changed after his first mission in Jackson, Mississippi.
“You will speak in the name of Christ and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Hendry was told, according to his dad.
Tributes have poured in following his death.
“In this world where so many Latter Day Saints are apologizing for their faith, Chandler stood firm, and didn’t back down,” fellow member Sarah Clark, who describes herself as a “bold and unapologetic” content creator, wrote on X.
“May we all be more like him, proclaiming the truth continually.”
Chase Dahl told how he was inspired by Hendry to take his faith more seriously.
Doltan Williams, the founder of the Unashamed Truth platform, said Hendry “led by example and inspired us all to live our faith more boldly.”
“Thank you for being the epitome of what a brother meant,” Hendry sister Chaleigh Rowley said,
“Thank you for loving me through all these phases of life we both endured. thank you for being at all my important milestones.
“Your light here on this earth will be missed. Your energy, your smile, your laugh, will be remembered daily. it’s left us too soon.”
And his wife, Analynn, said, “He was the best person that I knew.
“I felt God’s love for me through him every single day.”
