Worthen was born in and he grew up in Price, Utah. He has four older brothers and sisters. He served as an LDS missionary in Monterrey, Mexico. Worthen earned an associate's degree from the College of Eastern Utah (CEU). While he was in college, Worthen worked as a coal miner during the summers. He was a co-captain of the varsity basketball team. He graduated in 1978 with the best grades in his class. After that, he went to BYU. He graduated in 1979 with highest honors ("summa cum laude") with a bachelor's degree in political science.