Alonzo L. Gaskill was a professor in the Department of Church History and Doctrine when this was written, where he served as a Richard L. Evans Fellow in the Office of Religious Outreach. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a master's degree in theology, and a PhD in biblical studies. He has taught at Brigham Young University since 2003. Before coming to BYU, he served in a variety of assignments within the Church Educational System—most recently as the director of the institute of religion at Stanford University. Gaskill is the author of twenty books and the editor or coeditor of five.