The Cataclysm of The Book of Mormon, fiction or reality?
by Robert Rosskopf
Of the events listed in the historical record of the Nephites, there are four that really stand out. One is the oceanic crossing of Israelites in 590 BC. Another is the day and a night and a day as if it were one day, that heralded the birth of Jesus Christ. A third is the cataclysm that occurred at the death of Christ. And the forth is the visit of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the Americas.
There is a plausible real world setting for the cataclysm described in 3rd Nephi. It is the eruption of Apoyeque in what is now Nicaragua. Although extremely rare, eruptions of this magnitude are in the scientific record, and can be compared to the cataclysm reported in 3rd Nephi. The eruption of Apoyeque was a 6 on the VEI scale, making it one of the top 20 eruptions of all geologic time.
Krakatoa, which erupted in 1883, was also a 6 on the VEI scale. The ash blotted out the sun for three days in the vicinity. The blast was heard around the world. The shockwave raced around the world three and a half times. Tens of thousands of people died from the eruption.
There are many similarities between the eruption of Krakatoa, and the cataclysm of 3rd Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Between the scientific record of the eruption of Apoyeque, and the historical record of Krakatoa and other eruptions, the plausibility of the event in 3rd Nephi can be judged. If it is plausible, then that would bear a strong witness on behalf of the Book of Mormon being an authentic pre-columbian record and history.
The eruption of Apoyeque dates to 50 BC ± 100 years which fits neatly into the Book of Mormon timeframe. The ash was roughly 10 times the ash of Mount Saint Helens, and the force of the eruption blew away most of the mountain, and severely altered the topography of Nicaragua. Large areas of land were inundated in the creation of an inland sea. The shaking of the earth altered the entire face of the land.
In the first stage of such an eruption, hundreds of tons of rock, ash and water vapor are blasted into the atmosphere. Fiery rocks from the eruption would have started fires in the surrounding area. As ash entered into the upper atmosphere, it would have blocked out the sun. The jet stream in Nicaragua travels eastward at about 800 to 1000 miles an hour. It would have carried the ash quite far, in a relatively short period of time. The Bible record reports that it was dark from the 3rd hour. This could have been caused by the ash from the eruption.
In the second phase of such an eruption, the heavier ash and water vapor would cover the area around the eruption. Visibility would have dropped to almost zero, and humidity would have prevented anyone from starting a fire. Ash could have blocked out all sunlight in the region for several days. The description in 3rd Nephi is an accurate description of such an event.
5 And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day 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; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.
7 And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land.
8 And the city of Zarahemla did take fire.
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; 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;
13 And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.
14 And many great and notable cities were sunk, 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.
15 And there were some cities which remained; 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; 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, 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; and it was said by some that the time was greater; 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, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;
21 And there could be no light, because of the darkness, 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;
22 And there was not any light seen, 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 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.
(3rd Nephi 8)