R. Q. Shupe was an attorney and a collector of rare historical documents when this was written. He received a BA degree from Brigham Young University and a JD degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. He is also the coauthor of the book Joseph F. Smith: A Portrait of a Prophet, a pictorial biography of the sixth President of the Church. He and his wife, Susan Taylor Shupe, are the parents of seven children and reside in San Juan Capistrano, California.