Title: And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood
Author: Anthony E. Larson
Series: The Prophecy Trilogy – Volume I
Originally Published: 1980s
Analyzed Edition: Full-text (User-provided)
Overview and Summary
This first volume introduces Anthony Larson’s central thesis: that ancient scriptural prophecies—particularly those concerning the Exodus, the Second Coming, and apocalyptic imagery—are literal descriptions of astronomical catastrophes. He argues that ancient peoples recorded global upheavals triggered by near approaches of planetary bodies, especially Venus and Mars, and that these records—preserved in myth, scripture, and temple symbolism—point to cyclical cosmic events tied to divine intervention.
Key Components:
- Opening Fictional Scenario: The book begins with a short, speculative narrative depicting a near-future catastrophic scenario involving red dust falling from the sky, seismic events, societal collapse, and the ignition of a planetary tail in Earth’s atmosphere. This dramatization serves as a forecast of what Larson believes prophetic scriptures describe.
- Scriptural Reinterpretation: Larson reexamines scriptural events—particularly the Exodus plagues, the visions of Isaiah and John, and Latter-day Saint revelations—through the lens of Velikovsky-inspired catastrophism, positing that many “miraculous” occurrences are best understood as cosmic, not metaphorical.
- Historical Parallels: Ancient records from Egypt, China, Mesoamerica, and Babylon are compared to scriptural accounts, suggesting a global memory of dramatic planetary events involving fire, darkness, floods, and celestial omens.
- Venus and Mars as Agents of Catastrophe: Following Velikovsky’s controversial theory, Larson proposes that Venus was once a cometary body, ejected from Jupiter, whose orbit brought it dangerously close to Earth, triggering physical devastation and inspiring myths such as the “serpent in the sky.” Mars followed a similar disruptive trajectory.
- Symbolism and Prophetic Imagery: Larson suggests that symbols common to temples, visions, and religious rituals—pillars of fire, wheels within wheels, blood moons, and stars falling—represent ancient observations of planetary phenomena, misremembered as gods or allegories.
Analysis and Interpretation
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Doctrinal Depth
Larson’s approach blends scriptural literalism with speculative cosmology, particularly the idea that God communicates through cosmic signs. He is not dismissing spiritual power or divine intervention; rather, he posits that the Lord uses natural law—including celestial mechanics—to fulfill prophecy. In this light, miracles become mechanisms of divine judgment via planetary alignments.
Interpretation: This is a return to pre-modern cosmotheology, where signs in the heavens were taken as literal messages from God.
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Temple and Restoration Theology
Larson’s Latter-day Saint lens is crucial. He sees the restored gospel as the key to unlocking the meaning of past catastrophes, especially through temple ritual and Joseph Smith’s prophetic visions. His claim that the Book of Abraham and Egyptian facsimiles encode lost astronomical knowledge is bold but rooted in Restoration themes of recovering ancient truth.
Interpretation: Larson sees himself as continuing Joseph Smith’s unfinished cosmological project.
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Use of Velikovsky
Larson’s debt to Immanuel Velikovsky is central. He draws not only on Velikovsky’s science (largely discredited in academic astronomy), but more importantly on his method of correlating global mythologies and historical records to reconstruct past celestial configurations. Larson is less concerned with proving Velikovsky right and more focused on how such catastrophes match scriptural accounts.
Commentary: While mainstream science rejects Velikovsky’s orbital mechanics, Larson’s strength lies in drawing symbolic parallels, not in defending planetary physics.
✍️ Writing Style and Tone
- Tone: Persuasive, earnest, and occasionally dramatic.
- Style: A hybrid of journalistic clarity, devotional exposition, and speculative science writing.
- Structure: Alternates between fictional dramatizations, historical exposition, doctrinal commentary, and myth analysis.
The tone is one of sincere conviction. Larson writes not to impress academia, but to awaken his fellow Saints to neglected truths. His writing is pastoral at heart, though couched in cosmological language.
Intended Audience
- Primarily Latter-day Saints, especially those open to prophetic symbolism, temple theology, and alternative science.
- Secondarily, Velikovsky enthusiasts, catastrophism researchers, and those exploring the Electric Universe model.
- Not ideal for skeptics or those requiring peer-reviewed scientific citations.
Review and Commentary
✅ Strengths
- Originality: Larson carves a truly unique niche by merging LDS doctrine with planetary catastrophe theory.
- Vision: His view of temple imagery as encoded celestial memory is evocative and spiritually resonant.
- Cross-cultural analysis: His inclusion of non-biblical ancient records lends credence to a unified global memory of catastrophe.
❗ Limitations
- Scientific credibility: Mainstream science overwhelmingly rejects Velikovsky’s celestial mechanics. Larson never directly answers these objections.
- Lack of scholarly apparatus: There are few formal citations, no footnotes, and no engagement with critical counterarguments.
- Speculative leaps: Some conclusions rest more on pattern recognition and intuition than on evidentiary rigor.
Commentary: These weaknesses are not failings of intent but of genre. Larson is not writing as a scholar; he is writing as a seer—or perhaps a theological storyteller of cosmic truths.
Final Evaluation
And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood is not a science book, nor a devotional in the conventional sense—it is a cosmic sermon, a visionary synthesis of scripture, myth, and astronomy. For readers willing to suspend disbelief and explore the heavens through a prophetic lens, it is both illuminating and provocative. It opens a door rarely walked through: one in which God’s power is inscribed in the stars, and ancient temples are maps of a forgotten sky.
