The Greatest Destruction Ever Known

We know Nephi’s record is true, for he was a just man. He performed many miracles in the name of Jesus, and no man could do a miracle in the name of Jesus unless he was completely cleansed from sin.

According to Nephi, if he has made no mistake in the reckoning of our time, the year was 33 when the people began to earnestly look for the sign that Samuel had given—that there would be three days of complete darkness. Yet the people started to doubt, arguing with one another in spite of the many signs that had been given. On the fourth day of the first month in 34, a terrible tempest arose like no other that had ever been known. There was thunder and intense lightening, and the whole earth shook as if it were about to break apart. The city of Zarahemla caught fire, and the city of Moroni sank into the ocean, and its inhabitants were drowned. A great mountain rose up and covered the city of Moronihah. There was great and terrible destruction in the southern land, but even greater and more terrible destruction in the northern land. The whole face of the land was changed by tempests and tornadoes, thunder and lightning, and great earthquakes. Highways were broken up, level roads were ruined, and many smooth places were made rough. Many great and notable cities were either sunk, burned or leveled by earthquakes, and all the inhabitants thereof were killed. The cities that did remain were heavily damaged, and many people in them died. Some people were carried away and lost in tornadoes. All the land became deformed because of the tempests, thunder, lightning, and earthquakes, and rocks were broken up all over the land. This terrible destruction lasted for three hours, and then the earth became calm, and covered in darkness.

The darkness was so thick, people could feel it. No light could be made by candles, torches, or fires, even when the people tried to light very fine, dry wood. There was no light from the sun, moon, or stars because the mist of darkness over the land was so great. This darkness lasted for three days. During this time, there was great and continual mourning, howling, and weeping among all the people because of the darkness and great destruction that had come upon them. In one place they cried, “If only we had repented before this great and terrible day. Then our brethren would have been spared instead of being burned in the great city of Zarahemla.”

In another place the people mourned and cried, “If only we had repented before this great and terrible day, and our people had not killed, stoned or exiled the prophets. Then our mothers, our fair daughters, and our children would have been spared instead of being buried in the great city of Moronihah.”