Podcast appearances and mentions of Brent L Top

Brent Top, author, educator, and former mission president, joins me this week to talk about his deeply personal book, When You Can't Do It Alone: Take the Savior's Hand. I wanted to chat with him about his candid journey navigating severe anxiety, depression, and panic attacks while serving in church leadership roles, and how those trials reshaped his understanding of grace, vulnerability, and the enabling power of Jesus Christ.We explore breaking cultural stigmas surrounding mental health within faith communities, the dangers of perfectionism, what it truly means to allow the Saviour's Atonement to heal us daily beyond checklist discipleship, and how a transformative encounter with Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught Brent the life-changing power of extending mercy.Highlights from this episode include:Vulnerability as Strength: Brent discusses why sharing our mortal weaknesses creates authentic connections, drawing on Elder Neal A. Maxwell's insight that trials allow us to testify of the Savior with genuine authenticity.The True Meaning of Succour: A look at the linguistic roots of "succour" as running alongside someone to cheer them on, illustrated through a vivid mountain bike race metaphor.Breaking the Mental Health Stigma: Reflecting on the turning point of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's open discussions on mental health and how it gave members permission to seek help without shame or guilt.Presidency and Panic Attacks: Brent opens up about the overwhelming weight of perfectionism during his time as a mission president in Illinois, the onset of severe panic attacks, and how medication, counseling, and spiritual refocusing helped him through.Five Practical Principles for Relief: A breakdown of key daily practices from Brent's book: thinking on Christ, thanking Him, serving Him, and holding fast to His promises."Allowing" the Atonement: Moving away from a mechanical approach to grace and exploring what Peter walking on the water teaches us about reaching out, getting out of the boat, and allowing the Saviour to lift us.Extending Mercy in the Temple: The powerful moment in the Winter Quarters Temple with Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf that transformed Brent's leadership approach and taught him the life-changing impact of extending mercy to others.About Brent L. TopBrent L. Top is an author, professor, and religious educator. He served as the Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University, where he taught for many years. Throughout his church service, he has served in numerous callings, including as a bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, and as president of the Illinois Peoria Mission. He is the author of numerous books and articles focusing on Latter-day Saint doctrine, Church history, and spiritual well-being.Links to Brent's Book and Work:When You Can't Do It Alone: Take the Savior's Hand on Deseret Book: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/5101539.htmlBook on Amazon: https://a.co/d/00ptMsPwBrent L. Top Author Page at Deseret Book: https://www.deseretbook.com/search/?q=Brent%20L.%20Top&start=0&sz=48&page=1 BYU Religious Studies Center Publications by Brent L. Top: [https://rsc.byu.edu/author/top-brent-l]Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.

Brent L.Top was a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University. Top served as dean of religious education at BYU and the director of BYU's Religious Studies Center from 2013 to 2018.I wanted to speak to Brent as there are so many milestones that occur in Church History in the month of March, one of them being the organisation of The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Some highlights from this episode include times when the First Presidency hasn't run as standard, whether there have ever been occasions where someone who wasn't an Apostle was called on to the First Presidency, and Brent's personal experience briefing the Brethren.--Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.

"All of us, at some time or another, will feel like we are sinking - whether emotionally, spiritually or physically. We like Peter will cry out "Lord, save me!" As painful as those times may be, they may be among the most significant learning periods of our lives and the most powerful evidences of the Lord's grace and tender mercies." Brent L. Top is a professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU. Brent L. Top has worked for the Church Educational System as a seminary teacher, institute teacher, administrator, as associate dean of Religious Education and held for two years the endowed professorship in moral education. In 2009, he was appointed department chair of Religious Education, the college where he currently serves as dean. He is the author of several LDS books and has published numerous articles in academic journals.

"This Is My Work and My Glory." Come Follow Up host, Ben Lomu, meets with our guests, Melissa Inouye and Brent L. Top, to discuss the importance of the books of Abraham and Moses and God's work and glory. These discussions correlate with the weekly Come, Follow Me resource from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With participation from the live studio audience and engagement via social media for viewers at home, Come Follow Up complements your personal and family scripture study.

Brent L. Top is a professor of Church History & Doctrine at Brigham Young University, but will be retiring in July after 45 years as a religious educator within the Church Educational System, the last 34 years at BYU. He served for several years as Dean of Religious Education, and prior to that as department chair and associate dean. He is the author of more than 20 books, primarily directed to the Latter-day Saint audience, and scores of articles and book chapters in both academic and church venues. Brent has served in many capacities within the Church, including as bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the Illinois Peoria Mission, and president of the Pleasant Grove Utah East Stake. He currently he serves as a sealer in the Mount Timpanogos Temple and as a Gospel Doctrine Sunday School teacher in his ward. Brent is married to his high school sweetheart, the former Wendy Cope from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and they have four children, 24 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In this podcast, Kurt and Brent discuss leadership within the context of callings such as Bishoprics, Stake Presidencies and Mission Presidencies. They relate the experiences of these callings to other leadership opportunities and discuss how to better prepare missionaries, serve in leadership capacities, and relate those experiences to living the gospel. Highlights 8:05 Leadership Experiences: 10:09 “As Leaders we need to remember who's kingdom it is.” Serving is often overwhelming. “I had to remember it's not about MY plans.” Sometimes what I thought wasn't what was needed. I often heard the Lord tell me “These are my missionaries; this is my church I will not let you fail.” 14:37 I have had feelings about callings, names etc. and I pushed those away. They were uncomfortable. I found that often those times were the Lord preparing me. Tells story of being called to Stake President and needed to find his counselors within 15 minutes. The Lord had been preparing him to call those counselors by bringing people to his mind previously. 16:49 No matter how the call is received (by shock or with inspiration that it was coming) the Lord is giving us life experiences, insights, thoughts so that we don't come into his kingdom to serve totally unprepared. Expectations when called as a Bishop? 17:41 Two things I learned: No matter if you're 30 or 60 when the keys are conferred upon you, you are changed. Things change. I began focused organizationally. The Lord wanted me to focus individually. He wanted me to Love. Stake President vs Mission President Stake Presidents are “therapists” to many bishops. They have nowhere else to turn. As a Stake President I had a lot of people to support me in my calling. There were many who served well and lightened my load. As a Mission President I was literally in charge of making sure my 150-200 missionaries stayed alive! I was responsible for them at all times. That can feel overwhelming. Mission Presidents see non-stop action. Mission Presidents don't have the supporting roles Stake Presidents do. It often feels lonely. ADVICE for leading: *The key in one-on-one leadership 22:57 I was often overwhelmed when I thought of all the moving pieces. Things are more manageable one on one. The church and therefore the kingdom of God is really no bigger than an individual or a family. The more complex the leadership the less effective: The more I focused on administration, the more I micromanaged. The more I did that, the less I represented the Lord. As a mission president my time with each individual was so small. I knew the time I did get really had to matter. Interviews really had to be used to connect to the individual, they needed to feel loved. Meeting had to have meaning. They needed to provide a way for individuals to connect with one another. 29:00 BEST PRACTICES for INTERVIEW (esp. EQ/RS Presidents) Your calling is a calling of Love.

Brent L. Top is a professor of Church History & Doctrine at Brigham Young University, but will be retiring in July after 45 years as a religious educator within the Church Educational System, the last 34 years at BYU. He served for several years as Dean of Religious Education, and prior to that as department chair and associate dean. He is the author of more than 20 books, primarily directed to the Latter-day Saint audience, and scores of articles and book chapters in both academic and church venues. Brent has served in many capacities within the Church, including as bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, president of the Illinois Peoria Mission, and president of the Pleasant Grove Utah East Stake. He currently he serves as a sealer in the Mount Timpanogos Temple and as a Gospel Doctrine Sunday School teacher in his ward. Brent is married to his high school sweetheart, the former Wendy Cope from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and they have four children, 24 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In this podcast, Kurt and Brent discuss leadership within the context of callings such as Bishoprics, Stake Presidencies and Mission Presidencies. They relate the experiences of these callings to other leadership opportunities and discuss how to better prepare missionaries, serve in leadership capacities, and relate those experiences to living the gospel. Highlights 8:05 Leadership Experiences: 10:09 “As Leaders we need to remember who's kingdom it is.” Serving is often overwhelming. “I had to remember it's not about MY plans.” Sometimes what I thought wasn't what was needed. I often heard the Lord tell me “These are my missionaries; this is my church I will not let you fail.” 14:37 I have had feelings about callings, names etc. and I pushed those away. They were uncomfortable. I found that often those times were the Lord preparing me. Tells story of being called to Stake President and needed to find his counselors within 15 minutes. The Lord had been preparing him to call those counselors by bringing people to his mind previously. 16:49 No matter how the call is received (by shock or with inspiration that it was coming) the Lord is giving us life experiences, insights, thoughts so that we don't come into his kingdom to serve totally unprepared. Expectations when called as a Bishop? 17:41 Two things I learned: No matter if you're 30 or 60 when the keys are conferred upon you, you are changed. Things change. I began focused organizationally. The Lord wanted me to focus individually. He wanted me to Love. Stake President vs Mission President Stake Presidents are “therapists” to many bishops. They have nowhere else to turn. As a Stake President I had a lot of people to support me in my calling. There were many who served well and lightened my load. As a Mission President I was literally in charge of making sure my 150-200 missionaries stayed alive! I was responsible for them at all times. That can feel overwhelming. Mission Presidents see non-stop action. Mission Presidents don't have the supporting roles Stake Presidents do. It often feels lonely. ADVICE for leading: *The key in one-on-one leadership 22:57 I was often overwhelmed when I thought of all the moving pieces. Things are more manageable one on one. The church and therefore the kingdom of God is really no bigger than an individual or a family. The more complex the leadership the less effective: The more I focused on administration, the more I micromanaged. The more I did that, the less I represented the Lord. As a mission president my time with each individual was so small. I knew the time I did get really had to matter. Interviews really had to be used to connect to the individual, they needed to feel loved. Meeting had to have meaning. They needed to provide a way for individuals to connect with one another. 29:00 BEST PRACTICES for INTERVIEW (esp. EQ/RS Presidents) Your calling is a calling of Love.

Will the Lord come like a “woman in travail” or a “thief in the night?” Dr. Brent Top continues his discussion of the signs of the times and teaches how the Lord encourages us four times more than warnings. Join John, Hank, and Dr. Top for Part II as they discuss how our relationship to the Lord is what we should focus on and then we will be in a position to recognize when He comes because we will be near Him.Shownotes: www.followhim.coYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcast00:00  Welcome to Part II 01:13 Ratio of Lord's Counsel vs. Warning in Section 45 05:00 Dr. Top's Confidence in God Helps with Anxiety06:07 God Will Be With Zion in the Last Days and Will Swallow Up Any Threat09:22 Reminder That Section 45 Isn't a Negative Section12:14 Prepper Kits Won't Help Us If We Haven't Filled Our Souls with Righteousness13:51 Virtue is the Power of Christ: Not Just Moral Cleanliness15:08 Dr. Top's Personal Experience as a Temple Sealer17:21 Hank Shares How Parable of the Ten Virgins Relates to Us and Why We Can't Share Our Oil19:45 Two Metaphors for Jesus's Sudden Return Depend on Our Relationship: Laboring Mother or Thief23:31 Why We Can't Put the Signs of the Second Coming in Sequential Order26:45 What the Lord Means When He Says “Quickly” or “Soon”28:51 Gathering Includes People From All Faiths32:13 Jesus Appears to the Lamanites in the Americas33:20 Bishop of Stockholm Great Friend to the Church34:20 Holy Envy of Great Parts of Other Faiths38:40 Dr Top Shares Story of High School Friend Who Joined Church But Didn't Know Dr. Top was LDS43:00 Dr. Top's Closing Testimony

Does opposition lead to more revelation? (Hint: Yes!). The Saints move to the Ohio and experience opposition, false reports, and hardships.  Dr. Brent Top discusses how the parallels the opposition the Saints are experiencing parallel the Last Days. Dr. Top reminds listeners that the Saints should rejoice because the Lord's promises are listed four times more than the desolation prophecies. Join us as we learn why Advocate is John's favorite title of the Lord.Shownotes: www.followhim.coYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcast

Brent L. Top is a professor of Church history and doctrine and former dean of Religious Education. He was born and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and served a full-time mission to the Denmark Copenhagen Mission. He received all of his degrees from Brigham Young University—a BA in history, a master’s degree in instructional media, […] The post FAIR Voice Podcast #30: Come Follow Me with Brent Top appeared first on FAIR.

Brent L. Top - BYU Education Week - Aug 18, 2008

Brent L. Top - BYU Education Week - Aug 18, 1997

Brent L. Top - BYU Education Week - August 16, 1999

Brent L. Top - BYU Women's Conference - May 02, 2002

Brent L. Top - BYU Education Week - August 18. 2003

Brent L. Top - BYU-I Devotional - Dec 09, 2003

Brent L. Top - BYU Women's Conference - Apr 30, 2004

Brent L. Top - Ensign - February 2006