Holzapfel was born in Blackfoot, Idaho, and moved regularly as a child, due to his father's naval career. In addition to his native state, his family resided in California, Hawaii, and Maine. He attended Castle Park High School and graduated from York High School in 1972. Holzapfel served from 1973 to 1975 as a missionary for the LDS Church in Italy and Switzerland. Holzapfel attended BYU, Hebrew Union College, and the University of California, Irvine, receiving B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees respectively, with an emphases in Middle Eastern Studies, Jewish History, Ancient History, American History, and Nineteenth Century American Religious History. Holzapfel met Jeni Carol Broberg at BYU, and they were married in 1978. A year later their first child, Nate, was born and Holzapfel moved the family to California to pursue graduates studies, completing his doctorate at UC Irvine. While at UC Irvine, he simultaneously worked for the LDS Church's seminary and institute program. His first book, Old Mormon Nauvoo 1839-1846 was released in 1990 and received the citation for Significant Contribution from the John Whitmer Historic Association. He is the author of the state history textbook used in Utah public schools, Utah: A Journey of Discovery. Holzapfel taught at BYU from 1993 until 2018 when he began working for the LDS Church's Missionary Department overseeing the development of worldwide missionary curriculum. Holzapfel and his wife reside in Springville, Utah and are the parents of five children. In 2007, Holzapfel assisted the More Good Foundation in launching , a website intending to bring people closer to Jesus Christ.
Academia and scholarship
Holzapfel earned his Ph.D. in history from UC Irvine in 1993. Following his graduation in 1993, Holzapfel went to BYU as an assistant professor, teaching in the Church History and Doctrine, Ancient Scripture, Honors, and History departments. His courses included World Civilization, Utah History, American Heritage, Doctrine and Covenants, New Testament, and Foundations of the Restoration. He taught at the BYU Jerusalem Center from 1997 to 1998 and directed the BYU Study Abroad program in Italy and Greece in 2009. Holzapfel has lectured around the United States and around the world including in Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, England, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Holzapfel served as the Publications Director of the Religious Studies Center at BYU from 2006 to 2010, and as editor of the Religious Educator, a quarterly publication from 2000 to 2010. Throughout his academic career, Holzapfel received several awards including:
Numerous awards from the Charles Redd Center for Western History
Alcuin Fellowship in General Education
Honors Professor of the Year
Karl G. Maeser General Education Professorship
In addition to teaching and filling various committee assignments at BYU, Holzapfel continued a research, writing, and publication agenda. He has been published in several national and regional journals including the Utah Historical Quarterly, The History Teacher, Western Historical Quarterly, Christian Century, Journal of Mormon History, Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, and Utah History Encyclopedia.
Works
Holzapfel has written over 45 books, including biographies and various photographic works. Following is a partial list.
He Will Give You Rest: An Invitation and a Promise
Within These Prison Walls: Lorenzo Snow's Record Book, 1886-1897
Joseph Smith's Prophetic Ministry: A Year-by-Year Look at His Life and Teachings
Holzapfel also edited, along with Thomas A. Wayment, a three-volume series The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. He has also published several book reviews and over 100 articles or book chapters on a wide variety of subjects including LDS Church leadership and succession, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Life of Christ, New and Old Testament culture and history, Jewish religious practices, and women's perspectives on religion both ancient and modern.
LDS Church Service
Holzapfel has served in the LDS Church as a bishop, as president of the AlabamaBirminghamMission from 2010 to 2013, and as president of the church's Provo Utah YSA 1st Stake from 2014 to 2018. In 2018, Holzapfel was called as an area seventy.
