Prophecies of the Nephite Destruction

Continuing the effort mentioned yesterday to search the scriptures in response to Mormon’s invitation of 3 Nephi 10:14 to find prophecies about the great destructions in Nephite lands at the time of the Savior’s death, there are at least two other prophecies in the Book of Mormon which foretold the events.  One of those is the prophecy of Nephi, for he saw much of what would happen to his people in vision.  He wrote, “I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof” (1 Nephi 12:4).  This description of the upheavals of the earth match very well the account that we have from Mormon of what actually happened.  Nephi certainly must have been one of the holy prophets referred to by Mormon.    

Nephi was writing about 630 years in advance; Samuel the Lamanite also foretold the events about 40 years in advance.  He announced to the Nephites, “But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death…. At the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath…. Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath. And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great” (Helaman 14:20-23).  He prophesied of darkness, tempests, earthquakes, and the whole upheaval of mountains and valleys, and of all the prophecies of this event, his were foremost on the minds of the righteous when 34 A.D. came around.  When the time was close, we read that “the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite” (3 Nephi 8:3).      

               Thus, from the Book of Mormon we see that Nephi, Samuel the Lamanite, Zenos, Zenock, and Jacob (Israel) all prophesied of the destructions that came upon the land at the time of the death of Christ.  There may be other prophets in the Old Testament who also testified of these things, though I’m not sure which positively refer to the Nephites.  Some passages certainly could apply if we take them as dualistic.  For example, Joel said, “I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness” (Joel 2:30-31).  This is generally understood to be a prophecy of the last days, but it fits what happened to the Nephites.  If the words of Joel were on the brass plates and the Nephites read those in 34 A.D., they certainly would have felt they applied to themselves.  Isaiah also wrote this in a passage Nephi associated with his people, “Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire” (Isaiah 29:6).  This was written about “Ariel” which generally is understood to mean Jerusalem, but it very well may have been meant to apply to the Nephites at this time as well.  We know that the Nephites did have these words on the plates of brass, and though Nephi specifically used them to speak of “the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles,” again I’m sure that any Nephite reading this Isaiah passage after the three days of darkness would have felt sure it was meant for them.  And there certainly may have been other Old Testament prophets who foretold these events, but perhaps the most important point that Mormon wanted us to understand is that the Lord had warned his people.  These destructions did not come without a clear warning in advance from the Lord’s prophets.  As Amos taught, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (JST Amos 3:7).