Last Friday evening, the Church released the video An Apostle’s Easter Thoughts on Christ, based on a recent general conference address by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, available in both English and Spanish.

In less than 24 hours (by Saturday afternoon), the video became the #31 most-watched video on all of YouTube and was climbing fast. At that time, it was also the #1 most-watched video in YouTube’s Nonprofits & Activism category.

By Sunday morning, it was the #11 most-watched video on YouTube, as was still climbing. By then, it had been watched nearly 100,000 times. The video was named the #1 “viral” video on the Internet, according to ViralVideoChart.com.

At this writing, the views are approaching 350,000. The Church’s Newsroom article has more information about the success of this video.

Although we expect that many of the views were from members of the Church, it was clear from the comments that some nonmembers were watching it. Here are some sample comments posted to the video (with responses from members):

brahmamurti: powerful message. i wish i could believe because it is so full of beauty and sounds so comforting i want to believe

marinathemom (in response to the previous statement): Believing is not always about knowing. Sometimes it starts out as just feeling. If you pursue how that feeling makes you feel, you can have that comforting feeling available all the time. Sometimes when we go through difficult times or choose to walk a path that is familiar instead of the one we think will bring us happiness, it can seem overwhelming or unattainable. My hope is that you will seek out the true source of the comfort you felt by this message. God bless.

Theroymustang: Why did he not mention anything specifically Mormon related? That could have very easily been a Catholic or Protestant message.

5boysdeep (response to the previous statement): The difference is that the message came from an Apostle of Jesus Christ, rather than simply someone who has studied His life or even dedicated their life to Him.

1KYfriend: Thank you. I have never heard these ideas put so simply and beautifully. I do not feel so lonely any more. Thank you. (Is he really an apostle?)

tawnjohns (response to the previous statement): Yes, Elder Holland really is an apostle of the Lord. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, our Church was established in the same manner as Christ organized His Church on the earth in his time, with a prophet and 12 apostles. He truly is an apostle of the Lord–and those feelings you have while watching this are the Spirit testifying to you that what Elder Holland has said are true.

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