Brent L. Top

Brent L. Top was dean of Religious Education and former chair of Church history and doctrine at BYU. Brother Top has written numerous books, including coauthoring LDS Beliefs: A Doctrinal Reference, and is a popular speaker at BYU Education Week. He served as mission president of the Illinois Peoria Mission. Brent and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of four children.

May 31, 2019 01:01 PM MDT
The signs of the times can sometimes have us feeling gloomy or despondent. But the Savior’s promise can give us hope and optimism.
5 Min Read
November 03, 2018 04:04 PM MDT
Here are just a few of these profound principles about the after-life that are unique to the Church.
10 Min Read
August 30, 2018 09:15 AM MDT
Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow. But if He knows I am going to do so-and-so, how can I be free to do otherwise?
7 Min Read
August 03, 2018 08:00 AM MDT
Despite apostolic warnings and repeated admonishments to avoid becoming caught up with Second Coming sensationalism and apocalyptic alarm, there have been many in every generation that assume the answer to the age-old question “When will He come again?” is “Now.”
9 Min Read
June 05, 2018 02:00 PM MDT
One of the most important lessons learned by those people who have glimpsed beyond the veil of death is what is most important and lasting in life. It often brings a radical reordering of their priorities in mortality. These glimpses into the spirit world remind us that one of the greatest blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we know which things matter most; what our eternal priorities should be. . . .
7 Min Read
May 28, 2018 11:15 AM MDT
Many years ago when my children were small, my wife prevailed upon me to “be a good father” and buy a swing-set for the family. She envisioned the children swinging and playing happily in a yard full of neighbor kids, and then she could be a “Kool-Aid mom” by providing treats. In contrast to her vision of all the great things a swing-set would do for our children, I envisioned fights, broken arms, and worn spots on my grass.
6 Min Read
April 21, 2018 03:00 PM MDT
There is another kind of reunion with departed family members. It sometimes occurs even before we enter into the spirit world.
7 Min Read
April 14, 2018 03:00 PM MDT
This is the first in a two-part series excerpted from Brent L. Top's book, What's on the Other Side.
5 Min Read
October 27, 2017 09:00 AM MDT
In virtually all of us, there is some sort of innate yearning to know what was before this life and how it affects us here.
11 Min Read
June 14, 2017 01:30 PM MDT
The following is an excerpt from Brent L. Top's Beyond Death's Door: Understanding Near-Death Experiences in Light of the Restored Gospel.
5 Min Read
July 14, 2016 02:07 PM MDT
The following is an excerpt from Brent and Wendy Top's Beyond Death's Door: Understanding Near-Death Experiences in Light of the Restored Gospel.
3 Min Read
June 11, 2015 09:00 AM MDT
All illustrations courtesy of Alex NabaumLatter-day Saints know that we lived before we came to earth and that we will live again after death. But exactly how many details do we know about this spiritual existence? Find out what Church doctrine teaches us about our premortal and postmortal life.
14 Min Read