The Seer

802 iMPROVEr.:r:iT era

over the land, with thunderings, lightnings, and both elevations and depressions of the earth's crust, so that mountains were sundered, and many cities were destroyed by earthquake, fire and the inrush of the sea. For three hours the unprecedented holocaust continued; and then thick darkness fell, in the which it was found impossible to kindle a fire. The awful gloom was like unto the darkness of Egypt in that its clammy vapors could be felt. This condition lasted until the third day, so that a night a day and a night were as one unbroken night; and the impenetrable blackness was rendered the more terrible by the wailing of the people, whose heartrending refrain was everywhere the same: "O that we had repented before this great and terrible day!" Then, piercing the darkness, a Voice was heard, proclaiming that destruction had befallen the people because of wickedness, and that thoee who had lived to hear were the more righteous of the inhabitants, to whom hope was offered on condition of more thorough repentance and reformation. (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi, 2:8-10.) Calamitous phenomena, before which the wicked shall fall, are definitely predicted as accompaniments of the second advent of our Lord. This is the prediction made through the prophet Joseph Smith in these days; and the fulfilment is nigh: "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man, and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light, and the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall become exceeding angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree. And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground, and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea, heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:87-91.) It may be argued that the storms, earthquakes, and other destructive occurrences heretofore cited, are not natural but supernatural phenomena, specially inflicted by Divine intent. Sav rather that these happenings are supernaturally directed, following naturally and inevitably the sins of mankind and the unregenerate state of the race. "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the latus, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." (Isa. 24:5).