1 AND now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record [ Nephi see 3 Nephi 23:7 ] —for he truly did many miracles [ See 3 Nephi 7:19-20 (cast out devils and raised the dead. ] in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity— [ Miracles happen by the power of righteous living and by the authority through ordination of the priesthood 3 Ne 7:17. ]

2 And now it came to pass, if there was no mistake made by this man [ Why do you suppose that Mormon would add that little phrase? interesting side note – even though Nephi or any other leader for that matter is cleansed every whit from iniquity – they still have the possibility to make honest mistakes. So as Mormon is summarizing and in so doing is teaching us that even though we have a great leader, they are still mortal, just because they are the leader does not mean that they are infallible. ] in the reckoning of our time, the *thirty and third year had passed away;

3 And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign [ Eagerness, Anxious care; solicitude; intenseness of desire, Fixed desire or attention; seriousness. So in other words it moved from something in the back of their mind that was going to happen at some time in the future, to something that is about to happen now. They became awake we might say. ] which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land. [ So the sign promised by Samuel the lamanite of three days of darkness had not happened at the end of the 33rd year. ]

4 And there began to be great doubtings and disputations among the people, notwithstanding so many signs had been given. [ What is the nature of signs? We all believe what we want pretty much - it is the nature of unbelievers to ignore all of the evidence in favor of the belief and focus solely on perceived flaws and failures. Their disbelief precedes the collection and review of evidence, so they are simply looking for things to substantiate their preconceived disbelief. Believers can sometimes be over zealous in the fact that they can come to wrong conclusions regarding the signs and make fulfillment out to many things that are not so. For example how many times in the past have others suggested that the Savior will come next year or the next? Verses 5-7 tell what signs We have been instructed that it is the minority that believe at this point. see 3 Ne. 1:5-7; 3 Ne. 7:21 What was the cost to the disbelievers for not harkening to the signs given them? Because they had hardened their hearts they were not in any condition to watch for and see the signs that were to proceed the 3 days of darkness. As such they were wicked, and were therefore wiped out before they ever got a chance to see the ultimate sign that they were waiting for - the destruction of the wicked left them dead before the 3 days of darkness. Those signs were given in 2 Ne. 26. ]

5 And it came to pass in the *thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day [ 2033? The first month was Nissan, and Nissan 14 was passover. Christ was born on Nissan 10(that is when the Nephite's saw the sign of his birth and started their calendar(their new recogning of time).) I believe that the new year for them as well as the Jews was associated with the first month(late March/April) after the vernal equinox. This was so that they could celebrate the Passover using young lambs Ex 12:5-10 mandates that the lambs of the passover should be slain and roasted on the 14th day of the first month. In Ex. 5:2 it suggests to them that this month shall be the beginning of months to you. The month was called Nisan by the Jews and was their first month of the year. It is tied to the Passover which was to occur at the time of the full moon after the vernal equinox (spring). Interesting thought here how could Joseph Smith have known all of that? For additional detail so essentially 4 days into a new year the natural disasters begin to happen. Reference to when this happened see 3 Nephi 2:8 the Book of Mormon also provides key data which point to Thursday as the day of the crucifixion. The book of Third Nephi reports that at the very time Jesus died in Jerusalem a great storm arose in ancient America ( compare Helaman 14:21). After the storm, which lasted for three hours, there was darkness over all the land for three days, which served as a sign of Jesus’ death, and coincided with the time that his body was in the tomb in Jerusalem (see 3 Nephi 8:19-20 & 10:9, compare 1 Nephi 19:10 and Helaman 14:20). Because of the earth’s rotation, there is a time difference of several hours between Jerusalem and the Americas – specifically, the difference between Jerusalem and the American Central Time Zone is eight hours, with any point of time in America being eight hours earlier than in Jerusalem. Since Jesus died at “the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:46), around 3:00 PM Jerusalem time, the hour of his death would have been about 7:00 AM Central Time in America. At that point the three hour storm in America would have abated, and the thick darkness would have commenced. Taking this into account, if Jesus’ death is modeled on a Friday at 3:00 PM Jerusalem time, then the beginning of the darkness in America must be placed at 7:00 AM on Friday morning. This would allow for darkness in America all day Friday, and also all day Saturday. But it would be impossible for three days of darkness to have occurred prior to Jesus’ resurrection, as he rose from the dead and left his tomb early on Sunday morning in Jerusalem, well prior to midnight on Saturday night in America. No darkness would have occurred in America on Sunday at all under a Friday crucifixion model. And darkness on Friday and Saturday is only two days, not three. On the other hand, if the crucifixion is modeled on a Thursday at 3:00 PM in Jerusalem, then darkness commenced in America on Thursday at 7:00 AM Central Time, and would have continued through the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – three complete days – before Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday. Thus, the Book of Mormon data, which report three days of darkness, clearly indicate that the day of the crucifixion must have been Thursday. The tradition of Jesus’ death on a Friday first appears in gentile Christian sources in the second century AD, invented by well-meaning but under-informed folk who were not connected to the New Testament church, and who were unfamiliar with the Jewish calendar and festivals. The New Testament is joined by the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, in identifying Thursday as the day of Easter Week on which he completed his atoning sacrifice for us all. http://byustudies.byu.edu/content/dating-death-jesus-christ ] of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land.

6 And there was also a great and terrible tempest; [ Prophecy from Samuel see Helaman 14:23 ]and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder. [ As predicted in 2 Ne. 26:3-8 So first the church was broken up 3 Ne 6:14; then the government 3 Ne 7:2 and now here the land. ]

7 And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, [ Prophecy from Samuel see Helaman 14:21 So the lightening was most likely hitting the earth and not sheet lightening. Lightening bolts seem much more intense - so that is the picture being painted here. Remember the lightening hitting the field across the street from our house - it felt like an earthquake. ] such as never had been known in all the land.

8 And the city of Zarahemla did take fire. [ See Hela. 13:13]

9 And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned.

10 And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain.

11 And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.

12 But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; [ Why do you suppose that there was greater destruction in the land northward? This was where Nephi was entirely rejected and ultimately expelled because of their unbelief some 30 years earlier, see. Hela. 7:1.  One could conclude from that things hadn't improved any there since then, hence the destruction visited on them. ] for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, [ Pretty significant then if what was once there is in other words no longer there. ] , because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;

13 And the highways were broken up, [ Prophecy from Samuel see Helaman 14:24 ] and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.

14 And many great and notable cities were sunk, [ Cities of such a size that anyone would have said that it was not possible to destroy them. ] , and many were burned, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate. [ So total destruction. How do you think that the people who were left felt? what would some of their emotions have been? Hopelessness, fear, anger, pain, loss, un-certainty. ]

15 And there were some cities which remained; [ Do we have any clues to which ones remained? We would assume the city Bountiful was one of these given the Temple was spared destruction per 11:1 ] but the damage thereof was exceedingly great, and there were many in them who were slain.

16 And there were some who were carried away in the whirlwind; [ Where they taken up to heaven, or was this the manner or their destruction? ] and whither they went no man knoweth, save they know that they were carried away.

17 And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, [ Or changed from what they knew it to be before. Where there was once a mountain it was now flat, where there was flat ground it was now broken up, maybe even a mountain. Rivers changes coarse... ] , because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth.

18 And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land.

19 And it came to pass that when the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease—for behold, they did last for about the space of three hours; [ How long did the Savior hang on the cross? The Savior was on the cross for about 6 hours from about 9:00 am until 3:00 pm It was in the last three hours that the earth was covered with darkness (Jesus The Christ p661) ] and it was said by some that the time was greater; [ Do you think that if you were in total darkness for a short period even, with all the destruction around that it would seem like a greater time period? ] nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours—and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land.

20 And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, [ Prophecy from Samuel see Helaman 14:20. ] insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; [ What do we know about their darkness? Was it just any darkness? This was not just the lack of light, remember the ash, darkness, that followed Mt St Helens eruption, some people even died because of asphyxiation from ash as it shows in 3 Ne 10: 13 “overpowered by the vapor of smoke and of darkness”. Visiting Grand Canyon caverns in Arizona 2006 - tour guide turned of the lights - total darkness. Most people get vertigo in less than 45 minutes some as short as 20 seconds - lose all balance and since of direction. ]

21 And there could be no light, because of the darkness, [ What does this suggest - look closely at the words? There could be no like - because of the darkness. Because the world was left without the source of all light the Savior of the world. And without that light there was nothing but darkness (which is the absence of light of any kind). ] neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all; [ How symbolic can this be. What would life have been like for them? How would they have felt? Compare to the cave in Grand canyon; only those with a hope in God would have had any sense of direction as everyone else would have had their world in complete chaos. How important is light to life? What is the symbolism here? ]

22 And there was not any light seen, [ Could that imply that there was light that was felt? ] neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land.

23 And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days [ How long did the darkness last? Prophecy from Samuel see Helaman 14:27. ] that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them. [ So it is so dark that you cannot begin to put your life back together, you cannot search for the lost because it is so dark, there is literally very little you can do but feel the great destruction and even then you do not know the complete extent because you cannot see it. ]

24 And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented [ How typical is that phrase? How often do we hear these remarks when we talk about death? While we have a witness of what those who were still alive felt - we also need to remember that for the dead it is too late. See Hel 13: 30-39. ] before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, [ There is both a physical sparing and a spiritual sparing that would have taken place - but now they are dead both ways. ] and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla.

25 And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, [ "Great and terrible day" are the typical words used for the Day of the Lords coming Joel 2:11. ] and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible.

[*** Role play **** Put yourself in their frame of mind…so we can better understand what happens next. Being in that frame of mind will help you appreciate what comes next.

Stop tape ask you hear and see all this destruction –

How long do you think that was? 3 minutes – Can you imagine that for 3 hours?

" READ 3 Nephi 8:6"  And there was also a great and terrible tempest [Prophecy from Samuel READ Helaman 14:23]; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.

 " READ 3 Nephi 8:7"  And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings [Prophecy from Samuel READ Helaman 14:21], such as never had been known in all the land.

" READ 3 Nephi 8:13"  And the highways were broken up [ Prophecy from Samuel Read Helaman 14:24], and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.

 

Play (read in darkness) 3 Ne 9

 

What kind of trials had the Nephites had in the past few years – what were conditions like?
These survivors were a generation of people that needed healing.  They had:
            Endured war with the Gadianton robbers.
            They had watched the collapse of their government.
            They were witnesses to the holocaust that had just occurred in the cities of the American continent.

Now is that not interesting? Are any of those events happening today?

What do you think that means to/for us? ]