The description of destruction in 3 Nephi (which never mentions volcanoes) matches the description of the massive earthquakes in Madrid, Missouri, in 1812-13.
A recent video describing the events is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-cYe9yMNU
538,792 views • Feb 7, 2022 • #thehistoryguy #history #Missouri
The largest recorded earthquakes in the history of the US east of the rocky mountains are still somewhat of a mystery to both scientists and historians, but the few first-hand accounts from this then sparsely populated land paint a grim picture indeed.
Source: Letter VII
2 thoughts on “New Madrid earthquakes”
I’ve often wondered how more destruction could have occurred in the land northward in ancient America at the time of the crucifixion. With the New Madrid seismic zone located between St. Louis and Memphis that would be in the land southward. It would seem to make sense that the more severe destruction would have occurred in the land southward. However, I believe the land northward was in the Michigan and south Ontario area where the people had learned to construct with cement (not concrete) and wood.
Unfortunately, people get cement and concrete mixed up. Cement is made from clay and limestone. Concrete is made with cement, sand and gravel and water. Nephite construction was probably like stucco or lath and plaster. Think about Moroni’s cement and stone box which Saints Vol 1 incorrectly called a stone box, contradicting what Joseph stated. “The box in which they lay was formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement” (JSH 1:52). Note that the entire box was not made out of cement or concrete. There was a shortage of trees and lumber in the land of desolation, but lumber was shipped in. Construction in the land northward was more prolific and so there was more opportunity for destruction even though it was farther away from the New Madrid Seismic Zone. People living in the land southward (including Lamanites) predominately lived in tents, so damage to structures would be less.
Helaman 3:8 (49-39 B.C.) states, “8 And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east.” These were the Great Lakes (much higher levels) which was like one body of water with branches.
Here is 3 Nephi Chapter 8:11-12 (A.D. 33-34), “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; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;”
For more information, read my article in Wayne May’s new March 2023 magazine, Land of Promise Uncovering Ancient America. The title of my article is “Book of Mormon Geography: It’s all About the Water.” Call Wayne to subscribe, 715-962-1422.
The “cosmism” component is startling. The comet of 1811 was visible for 260 days and a close pass by earth would have unleashed some galactic electro-magnetic forces possibly causing the earth to tremble and quake violently. Remember, electro-magnetic forces are a billion-billion-billion times stronger than gravity.
Immanuel Velikovsky maintained along with modern day comparative mythologists that the planet Venus in an erratic comet-like near earth fly by was the agent of the Exodus. An eliptical cometary orbit means that you may get two approaches past the earth, one towards the sun and another moving back away from the sun. Ancient people claimed Venus continued to menace the earth after on 52 year cycles until its last approach between 650 and 800 B.C. when its orbit stabilized where we see it today.
Finally, Joseph Smith, preaching in front of the Nauvoo temple said the “Grand Key” of the Second Coming would be what people on the earth would simply believe was a comet or planet but would also be a harbinger of destruction and usher the Lords appearance…..parrallelling the Book of Mormon account in Helaman and 3 Nephi of destruction and the Lord appearing at the Bountiful temple following intense darkness.
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