Larsen was born to Luther College president Laur. Larsen and his wife Ingeborg Astrup Larsen on July 13, 1878.  He graduated from Luther College in 1896.  After graduation, he enrolled at Luther Theological Seminary and graduated from that institution in 1900.  He immediately accepted a call as a pastor in Minnesota.  In 1902, he moved to North Dakota to serve several congregations there.  A year later, he moved again within North Dakota and stayed with a congregation there for eight years.  He married his first wife, Tora Ylvisaker in 1904 who died six years later.  He married Marie Weltzin, whom he met after accepting a call to Our Savior’s Church in Tacoma, Washington in 1911.  Together they performed missionary work in China, and in 1925 he became the president of the Union Lutheran Theological Seminary in China.  Upon his return from China, he received a call to First Lutheran Church in Sioux City, Iowa.  In 1933, Luther conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity.  He was elected president of the Iowa District of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in 1934, serving that position until his retirement fifteen years later.  He died in 1961 at the age of 83.

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Larsen ble født 13. juli 1878. Han var sønn av Luther College president Laur. Larsen og Ingeborg (Astrup). Han tok eksamen ved Luther College i 1896. Deretter begynte han ved Luther Theological Seminary og gikk ut derfra i 1900. Kort etter takket han ja til et kall som prest i Minnesota. I 1902 flyttet han til Nord Dakota for å tjenestegjøre for flere menigheter der. Han giftet seg med Tora Ylvisaker i 1904. Hun døde seks år senere og han giftet seg da med Marie Weltzin, som han møtte etter å ha takket ja til et kall fra Our Savior’s Church i Tacoma, Washington, i 1911. Sammen jobbet de som misjonærer i Kina, og i 1925 ble han president for Union Lutheran Theological Seminary der. Da han kom tilbake til USA fikk han et kall fra First Lutheran Church i Sioux City, Iowa. I 1933 mottok han en æresdoktorgrad, Doctor of Divinity, fra Luther. Han ble valgt til president for Norwegian Lutheran Church, Iowa District i 1934, en jobb han hadde til han gikk av med pensjon femten år senere. Han døde i 1961, åttitre år gammel.