Klebingat was born in Zweibrücken, West Germany. In 1985, he joined the LDS Church. He served in the German army for 18 months and later became a full-time missionary for the church in the Colorado Denver Mission. He earned both a bachelor's degree in Russian language studies and a master’s degree in organizational behavior from Brigham Young University. Klebingat's professional career included time as a business consultant for Price Waterhouse and Arthur Andersen. He was later employed by the LDS Church in several capacities.