Nephi quotes a lost prophecy of Zenos, predicting that the crucifixion will have a worldwide impact. The natural catastrophes will increase reverence for God, even if these cataclysms are not fully understood. The phrase “the God of nature suffers” may be an important reference to preexilic Israelite depictions of Yahweh. Two important ideas associated with Yahweh were Yahweh-Warrior and Yahweh-Lord of Storms. One of these very old hymns is preserved in Psalm 29, of which Frank Moore Cross notes:
Two patterns or genres can be discerned either in separate or mixed form. The first pattern (1) is the march of the Divine warrior to battle, bearing his terrible weapons, the thunderbolt and the winds. He drives his fiery cloud-chariot against his enemy. His wrath is reflected in all nature. Mountains shatter; the heavens collapse at his glance. A terrible slaughter is appointed. All nature wilts and languishes. In the foreground is the cosmogonic struggle in which chaos—Yamm or Lotan—is defeated.
The second pattern (2), and the most frequent, is the coming of the Divine Warrior from battle to his victory over Sea or the flood-dragon, though it is often alluded to, especially in his being enthroned on the Flood. Primary is his manifestation as Victor and King in the storm. The roar of his voice awakens nature. The appearance of his radiant storm cloud is both awesome and fructifying. His rule is manifest in the fertility of the drenched earth, of seed and womb. The mountains dance before the lord of life and all the trees clap their hands.
As a man of the preexilic period, Yahweh’s storm/nature associations would have been more alive to Nephi. It may therefore be significant that this title for Yahweh occurs only this one time in the Book of Mormon (and is absent in all other scriptural texts).