Kevin L. Barney received his BA in classics (Latin major, Greek minor) from Brigham Young University in 1982, his JD from the University of Illinois in 1985, and his LLM from DePaul University in 1990. He is active in Mormon studies, particularly with respect to Mormon scripture, and has published in many venues. He serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), an Internet-based LDS apologetics organization.

Jeffrey R. Chadwick is an associate professor of Church history at Brigham Young University. He also teaches at BYU's Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He holds a PhD in archaeology from the University of Utah Middle East Center and has worked at several excavations in Israel, including Tel Miqne (biblical Ekron). He currently serves as senior field archaeologist with the Tell es-Safi (biblical Gath) Archaeological Expedition.

Terryl L. Givens received his PhD in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond and holds the James A. Bostwick Chair of English. He is the author of The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy and By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion, both published by Oxford.

Grant Hardy is a professor and chairman of the History Department at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He has a BA in ancient Greek from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Chinese language and literature from Yale. His scholarly publications include The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (University of Illinois Press) and Worlds of Bronze and Bamboo: Sima Qian's Conquest of History (Columbia University Press).

Robert J. Matthews, professor emeritus of ancient scripture, taught at Brigham Young University from 1971 to 1996. During this time he served on several Church and university committees in addition to teaching classes, and he was dean of Religious Education at BYU for nine years.

Kerry Muhlestein is an assistant professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He earned an MS in psychology with a Hebrew minor and an MA in ancient Near Eastern studies, both from BYU, as well as a PhD from UCLA in Egyptology. His recent publications include "Death by Water: The Role of Water in Ancient Egypt's Treatment of Enemies and Juridical Process" and "Prelude to the Pearl: Sweeping Events Leading to the Discovery of the Book of Abraham."

Steven L. Olsen is the associate managing director of the Family and Church History Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago and is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at Brigham Young University.

Robert A. Rees is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds advanced degrees in literature and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught at various universities. Rees was a Fulbright professor of American studies in the Baltic States and has lectured at a number of foreign universities. A specialist in American literature, Rees has published a number of scholarly works on American literature and on the Mormon experience. He is the editor of Proving Contraries: A Collection of Writings in Honor of Eugene England and of the forthcoming Re-Reading the Book of Mormon: Personal Perspectives on a New World Scripture, both by Signature Books.