Popular YouTuber Luke J. Nichols, the soft-spoken Alaskan wilderness storyteller behind the massively successful Outdoor Boys channel, has been appointed to the Young Men General Advisory Council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), the Church announced.
Nichols joins 13 other council members who will advise the Young Men General Presidency as they work with global and local Church leaders to “teach, serve and watch over” teenage boys in the faith. Their appointments took effect on December 1, 2025.
Nichols, 47, is no stranger to massive audiences. His YouTube channels have generated more than three billion views, drawing millions of loyal fans into a world of backcountry camping, bushcraft projects, family adventures and the occasional run-in with an Alaska-sized bears.
Raised in Alaska, Nichols served a mission in Fukuoka, Japan, before graduating from Brigham Young University. He later earned a law degree from George Mason University and went on to work as a criminal defense attorney in Virginia.
Only after several years in law did he transition full-time into digital storytelling, eventually growing Outdoor Boys into a global phenomenon.
But with fame came unexpected burdens.
In a May farewell video titled “Goodbye,” Nichols shocked fans when he announced his retirement from YouTube after 11 years, saying the explosive growth of his channel had reshaped his life in uncomfortable ways.
“Even good things can be taken too far,” he reflected, noting that the sheer volume of fans approaching him in public had become overwhelming.
“The volume of people trying to contact me, take pictures with me or just come up to talk could be a bit much at times.”
The decision marked the end of an era for fans who had watched his children grow up onscreen and followed his wilderness journeys like serialized storytelling.
In November, he briefly resurfaced to announce that he would release three previously unfinished episodes as a final send-off.
The Church, in a statement, said Nichols and the other council members will play an important advisory role, offering guidance on programs that support the development, faith and well-being of young men across the world.