Michael Scott Van Wagenen attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1992 with his bachelor's degree.
[2] His documentary Mundo Milagroso was awarded the Gold Apple from the National Educational Film and Video Festival in 1996.
[2] Wagenen was the author of The Texas Republic and the Mormon Kingdom of God which was published in 2002.
He also collaborated on the book Between Pulpit and Pew: The Supernatural World in Mormon History and Folklore.
[6] He has received grants from the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and Clements Center for Southwest Studies at Southern Methodist University.