Dr. Holzapfel attended BYU, Hebrew Union College, and the University of California, Irvine (BA, MA, and PhD) with an emphasis in Middle Eastern studies, Jewish history, ancient history, American history, and nineteenth-century American religious history. He married Jeni Broberg in 1978 and is the father of five children. Richard came to BYU as an assistant professor in 1993, teaching in the Church History and Doctrine, Ancient Scripture, and History Departments, including teaching the honors sections of the Doctrine and Covenants and New Testament. He taught at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies from 1997 through 1998. He served as the publications director of the Religious Studies Center at BYU before being called as a mission president in the Alabama Birmingham Mission. In addition to teaching and filling various committee assignments at BYU, Richard continues a heavy research, writing, and publication agenda.