The Nephite calendar began with the night when there was no darkness, whereas the Christian calendar began a day later when Jesus was born. This would apparently make the Nephite calendar one day longer. So on the fourth day of the first month of 34 A.D., there was a great storm. In the sixth verse Nephi calls it a great tempest or a violent and calamitous gale. It was accompanied by thunder and the roaring sound accompanying earthquakes which made it seem the earth would divide and splinter apart.