Todd A. Knowles was the director of the Seattle Institute of Religion when this was written. He has also served as a released-time seminary teacher, a designer/writer of teacher and student manuals for the seminary and institute program, a coordinator of early-morning seminary, and as an Institute teacher. He has also taught for many years at summer youth conferences (like EFY and YFE), Campus Education Weeks, and other Continuing Ed programs. He received three degrees from Boise State University: a bachelor's in history-social science-secondary ed.; a master's in reading education; and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction.

Over the years, he and his wife have not only done extensive US and LDS Church History site visits, but they have directed numerous US and LDS history bus tours. His church service includes: counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, executive secretary to both, a young men's president, elder quorum president, and others. He served a full-time mission in southern Florida and in Jamaica, West Indies. He currently serves on the High Council and as the Stake Sunday School President in the Shoreline Stake.

He and his wife, Lisa, have 6 children and live in Shoreline, WA.