Episode 52: When Jesus died, God went on a rampage

3 Nephi 7-9

Nephi casts out devils and raises his brother (Timothy) from the dead

7 ¹ In the year 30 CE, the chief judge was murdered as he sat on the judgment seat. ^2-4 When he died, the government was destroyed, and the people divided into exceedingly great tribes. ⁵ The people yielded themselves to the power of Satan, so there were no wars among them. ⁶ All of the government regulations were destroyed because of the secret combinations of the friends and kindreds of the evil lawyers and judges. ^7-8 Things got confusing in the land, with more righteous part of the people nearly all becoming wicked, like a dog returning to its vomit, so to speak.

⁹ The secret combination appointed a man whom they called Jacob to be their king. ^12-13 Jacob flattered the people, so many of them joined his kingdom. Jacob and his people fled to the northernmost part of the land.

¹⁴ Everything was peaceful with the tribes, each following its own very strict laws. But their hearts were turned away from God and they stoned prophets.

^15-17 Then Nephi, after being visited by angels and the voice of the Lord, began to preach the things that everyone had heard before: they all have hard hearts and blind minds, they should repent and have faith in Jesus. He said lots of other things, but they can't all be written and a part of them would not suffice. So you're just going to have to do without.

¹⁹ In the name of Jesus, Nephi casts out devils and unclean spirits. He even raised his brother from the dead after the people stoned him to death. (The dead brother's name, by the way, was Timothy, and he later becomes one of Jesus's twelve disciples 3 Nephi 19:4). ²⁰ The people were angry with Nephi when they saw him cast out devils, raise his dead brother back to life, and perform many other miracles. ²¹ There were a few people, however, that were impressed by Nephi's miracles. And it's important to remember that whoever was brought into repentance was baptized with water.

When Jesus died, God went on a rampage

8 ^1-2 We know that Nephi's record is true, because Nephi was a just man who did many miracles. So unless Nephi made a mistake, it was the year 33 CE. ^3-4 So the people began to look for Samuel's sign -- three days of complete darkness -- which was supposed to happen in 33 CE. Although some doubted that this would ever happen.

^5-7 But then, on a certain day (the fourth day of the first month) in the next year (34 CE), a great storm came up, with terrible thunder and lightning, that shook the earth so much it seemed like it would fall apart.

^10-14 When Jesus died, the inhabitants of many great cities died with him. The city of Zarahelma burned, the city of Moroni sunk to the bottom of the sea, and a mountain fell on and buried the city of Moronihah. There was great destruction in the land northward, highways were broken up and many smooth places became rough. Many great cities sunk into the ocean, others were burned or destroyed by earthquakes. All of the inhabitants of these cities died.

^15-16 The cities that weren't completely destroyed were badly damaged, and many of the inhabitants died. Some were carried away in whirlwinds.

^17-19 When Jesus died, the entire earth was deformed. There were, of course, the usual tempests, thunderings, and lightnings. But rocks were also broken across the face of the earth. All of this geological destruction occurred in about the space of three hours.

^20-23 For three days after Jesus died, there was absolutely no light -- not from the sun, moon, or stars, or from candles, campfires, or fireflies.

²⁴ After the whole thing was over, people cried out saying, "Darn, we should have repented. Then God wouldn't have had to smash, bury, drown, and burn to death so many people."

A voice (who turns out to be Jesus) speaks to everyone on earth

9 ¹ And it came to pass that a voice was heard by every human on earth. ^2-12 The voice said that bad things will happen to everyone on earth unless they repent; that he was the one that burned to death, drowned, and buried the inhabitants of Zarahelma, Moroni, and Moronihah. He sunk the cities of Gilgal, Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob, and Gimgimno; drowned the cities of Onihah, Mocum, and Jerusalem; and burned the great city of Jacobugath. He burned to death the inhabitants of Jaobugath because they were the worst people on earth, with their secret combinations and whatnot. He also burned the cities of Lamn, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen because they cast out prophets and stoned the preachers who called them wicked. He burned, drowned, and buried the people of these sixteen cities because they were so darned wicked. And he'll do it to you too, if you don't' repent.

^13-14 The voice said that he spared the survivors because they were more righteous than the people that he slaughtered. He says if they return to him, he'll heal them. He'll even give them eternal life if they come to him. He's merciful to everyone who comes to him.

^15-18 And now the sky voice finally reveals himself. He's Jesus, you know, the Son of God, the guy who created the heavens and the earth.

Then Jesus repeats the stuff about himself that has been repeated by every Book of Mormon prophet since Lehi the First.