When the Stake President Struggles with Mental Illness | An Interview with Michael and Susan Dayley

Michael and Susan Daley are currently serving as temple
missionaries in the Palmyra, New York Temple. They lived in Las
Vegas, Nevada for 40 years and later moved to Logan, Utah. Michael
has served as a stake president, stake Young Men president, bishop,
bishop’s councilor, elders quorum president, stake mission
president, Seminary teacher, and as a young missionary in the
Switzerland, Geneva Mission. He earned a bachelor's degree in
Communications and Media Sales from Brigham Young University, and
worked as a media sales manager for Don Rey Media and Stephens
Media in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here is a picture a few months after
this interview when Kurt visited Michael and Susan in Palmyra, New
York. Highlights 02:00 Introduction to Elder and Sister Daley,
serving as missionaries in the Palmyra Temple. 05:00 Michael’s
story and his mental health struggles. He was released as stake
president and was out of a job when the depression and anxiety
started to take over his life. 10:00 Michael talks about how he got
help for his depression and his treatment. The things that worked
and didn’t work. 14:00 Working in the temple every day helped ease
his depression. He would work and pray. 15:00 Michael began working
at Deseret Industries when the temple closed down during the
pandemic. It was important for him to serve and work again. 17:45
At Deseret Industries they helped Michael create future goals. His
next goal would be a mission. 20:00 He still has his bad days.
However, through medication, temple service, his wife, family, and
friends, Michael has been able to get his depression under control
and feels more like his old self. 21:15 The key to Michael’s mental
health when he was a bishop and stake president was having a great
executive secretary. Between his wife and secretaries they were
able to monitor him and help support him. 29:45 Don’t let pride get
in the way of getting treatment and getting help. There is a stigma
around mental health that causes many people to avoid getting
professional help. 31:30 Kurt and Michael share experiences of
getting released from big callings in the bishopric and stake
presidency and feeling a loss. Michael encourages others to embrace
their new calling or ask for a calling. 37:15 Susan shares her
perspective on Michael’s transition from huge leadership callings.
39:00 Michael talks about his mental health after losing his job
and being released from the stake presidency. His biggest advice to
others struggling with mental health is to find something to do and
finding a sense of purpose. 42:20 Co dependency issues. Feeling
like your self worth is tied to helping people. 46:00 Susan shares
how going through these mental health struggles with her husband
has made her a better follower of Jesus Christ. 47:45 D&C 121
and 122 have helped Michael through his mental health journey and
he encourages others to read and study them. Links Why working at
Deseret Industries helped a former stake president heal from
depression Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Watch on YouTube Get
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