Mission President: "I Had A Breakdown On My Mission" - Brent Top | 155

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 [email protected] or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.