And the Earth Shall Reel To and Fro

Title: And the Earth Shall Reel To and Fro

Author: Anthony E. Larson
Series: The Prophecy Trilogy – Volume II
Publisher: Originally self-published, now available via Smashwords
Analyzed Edition: Full-text (user-supplied)

Overview and Summary

Volume II deepens Larson’s thesis that the prophetic language of the scriptures—especially in apocalyptic passages—is rooted in ancient, literal experiences of planetary catastrophe. Building on the foundation of And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood, this volume pivots more strongly into scriptural exegesis, particularly from the Book of Mormon, Isaiah, Revelation, and modern LDS scripture.

The focus here is more doctrinal than planetary physics. Larson attempts to show that the future judgments of God—as prophesied in the Last Days—will mirror those past cosmic upheavals that shaped the memories of ancient civilizations. The “reeling of the earth” is not poetic metaphor but a physical pole shift or axial wobble, caused by another planetary encounter, possibly with a rogue body still unknown to modern astronomers.

Major Themes:

• Prophetic Parallels: The conditions of the Last Days are compared with the Exodus, the days of Noah, and the destructions at the death of Christ—all seen as caused by planetary disturbances.
• The Book of Mormon as Apocalyptic Record: Larson argues that the Book of Mormon records a historical planetary catastrophe at Christ’s crucifixion, evidenced by three days of darkness, cities sinking, tempests, and vaporous clouds.
• Modern Prophecy: Teachings from Joseph Smith, the Doctrine and Covenants, and early LDS leaders (especially Orson Pratt and Heber C. Kimball) are cited extensively to argue that the Saints have been warned of literal, physical judgments—not merely symbolic moral decay.
• Temple and Visionary Language: Symbolism in Latter-day Saint temples and apocalyptic literature (Revelation, Ezekiel, Isaiah) is read as encoding cosmic memories of sky events involving massive objects, columns of fire, and skies “rolled together as a scroll.”

Analysis and Interpretation

1. Apocalyptic Realism

Larson insists that apocalyptic scriptures are not symbolic allegories for personal or institutional turmoil. Instead, they are literal, observational records of natural disasters caused by celestial events. This perspective demystifies prophecy while simultaneously restoring its urgency and gravity.

Interpretation: Larson is reasserting that the material cosmos is the medium of divine judgment—that God has always used the heavens to warn and to act.

2. The Book of Mormon as Cosmic Document

Perhaps the boldest doctrinal move in this volume is Larson’s proposal that the destruction of the Nephite cities at Christ’s death was a real, observable planetary catastrophe, not just a localized earthquake or volcanic event.

Interpretation: This reading invites the Book of Mormon to be understood as a witness not only of Christ but of planetary disruption tied to redemptive history—a claim few LDS commentators explore.

3. Pole Shift and Earth’s Instability

The title theme—“reeling to and fro”—is developed as a literal axial displacement or wobble triggered by the gravitational tug of another celestial body. Larson compares this to myths of a “tilted earth” and modern theories about crustal displacement.

Interpretation: These ideas resonate with fringe geophysics and align with some Velikovskian thinking, but Larson offers them as doctrinally grounded, not just speculative science.

4. Covenant and Catastrophe

A central theological motif is that God’s covenant people are always warned prior to destruction, but that those warnings come encoded in symbols, dreams, and heavenly signs. Larson suggests the restored Church must reclaim this prophetic literacy or risk being unprepared.

Commentary: He is challenging modern Saints to view their religion not as a safe institution, but as a preparation platform for literal End-Time tribulation.

✍️ Writing Style and Tone

• Tone: Earnest, confrontational toward mainstream complacency, yet devotional and prophetic.
• Style: A mix of scriptural commentary, prophetic collage, and cosmic speculation.
• Voice: At times pastoral (pleading for readiness), at others polemical (rebuking institutional blindness).

Larson’s style is clear and passionate. He is not trying to win debates—he is trying to wake people up before it’s too late.

Intended Audience

• LDS truth-seekers dissatisfied with surface-level interpretations of prophecy.
• Those already open to or curious about catastrophist cosmology.
• Readers comfortable with non-institutional prophetic voices.

✅ Strengths

• Theological originality: Larson takes Restoration doctrine seriously and boldly expands its cosmological implications.
• Intertextual integration: He draws from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the D&C, temple ritual, and early LDS leaders in ways that feel coherent and sincere.
• Urgency and sincerity: There is no posturing or ego. Larson sees himself as a lone messenger, not a guru.

❗ Limitations

• Scientific criticism left unaddressed: As in Volume I, mainstream astronomy is neither engaged nor rebutted.
• Repetitive at times: Larson revisits themes with little variation, which can lead to rhetorical fatigue.
• No scholarly apparatus: Absence of footnotes or rigorous citations may limit adoption by academics or institutional educators.

Commentary: These are less failings of logic than of genre. This is prophetic literature, not academic theology.

Final Evaluation

And the Earth Shall Reel To and Fro is a prophetic call to cosmic awareness—one that challenges both casual believers and institutional authorities to reconsider the literalness of the Last Days. It reframes sacred history as a cycle of celestial warning and judgment, and urges modern Saints to recover the symbolic vocabulary of the heavens.

Though scientifically controversial and stylistically polemical, Larson’s vision is deeply rooted in scripture and earnest Restoration faith. He is neither heretic nor scientist—he is a watchman on the wall, calling out to a sleeping city with a message that few are ready to hear, but many should consider.