Background
Larsen was born in Hyrum, Utah.
Larsen was born in Hyrum, Utah.
After briefly serving in the United States Navy at the end of the Second World War, Larson attended the University of Utah and Utah State University, graduating from Utah State with a degree in English and Spanish.
Larsen married Geneal Johnson and they became the parents of five children. He taught for one year at the Institute of Religion at the University of Utah and then was asked to become president of the church"s Texas South Mission. Upon completing this three-year assignment, Larsen taught at the Institute of Religion in Ogden, Utah.
In 1976, Larsen became the editor of all church magazines.
He also served a term as Church Historian and Recorder, succeeding G. Homer Durham. After he was released in 1997, the office of Church Historian remained vacant until Marlin K. Jensen was called in 2005.
From 1998 to 2001, Larsen was the president of the church"s Provo Utah Temple.
Later in 1976, he became a general authority and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, where he served until being designated an emeritus general authority in 1997. From 1980 to 1993, Larsen was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. He was the senior member of the presidency from 1986 to 1993.