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Nephi, the Disciple.
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city and tower, leaving blank desolation in their train; the earth trembled to its foundations, belched forth fire, uprose in giant peaks or sank in deep abysses. The whole face of the land was changed by these indescribable commotions. Some cities were burned, some sank in the depths of the sea; some were entombed in the earth, while mountains covered the place where others had before stood. It is not our intention here to detail the horrors of the three days of mental and physical darkness that followed the hurricane and the earthquake, nor to dilate upon the great and terrible mourning of the people for their kindred slain, their cities destroyed and their treasures lost. The mental horror of those black days was intensified by the fear that they had sinned away their day of grace, as they realized the tens of thousands of the dead had done. Then was heard a voice from heaven, crying, “Wo, wo, wo unto this people, except they shall repent.” That voice was the voice of the Redeemer, and He recounted to them the destructions, the tribulations, the sorrow that had come upon them because of their abominations, but added the pleasing news that they who survived had been spared because they were more righteous than those who had fallen victims to the fury of the storm. He bore record of Himself, of His sufferings and death — that He had given His life as a ransom for the sins of the world — and many words of counsel and instruction He added to His testimony for their future guidance. When the voice ceased, there was silence throughout the land for the space of many hours. Afterwards the voice of the Savior was again heard, repeating to the humbled Nephites how often He would have gathered and spared His people Israel, but they would not. Thus did the three days of terror pass away. At its close the darkness dispersed and the wailing of the people stopped, for their mourning was turned into praise