Dr. Beck is a native of central Utah and grew up on a sugar beet and cattle farm. He now lives in Smithfield, Utah. He received degrees from Brigham Young University and served on the faculty and also on the faculty of Arizona State University. He received a doctorate from the University of Montana. He is a member of various professional organizations (AMCAP and the Utah Bar Association, etc.). Dr. Beck and his wife, Marilyn Call, are the parents of ten children. He was a teacher and family counselor in Oregon before moving to Utah in 1999.