Out of the darkness, whence no one knew, the Voice of the Lord was heard by the affrighted people, proclaiming in their terrified ears the destruction that had taken place.
It was not a harsh Voice, although it was a Voice of Warning; it sounded repentance, and admonished righteousness. "The devil laugheth," said the Voice, "and his angels rejoice," because of their joyous satisfaction in seeing their faithful, but misguided, followers perish. The Nephites were a branch of the House of Israel, and the iniquity of its fair sons and daughters was a triumph of evil. To save them from the errors of their way they were destroyed. Wherefore, were these things done.
In pronouncing Wo, wo, wo, unto all the inhabitants of the earth who do wickedly, and not repent thereof, the Voice foretold that a miserable and sorrowful state awaits all them who will not heed the words of the prophets; Their words are My words, we conceive the Voice of the Lord saying, "For I am He Who speaketh." (Ether 4:8)
Terrible was the catalogue of woes that this Heavenly Voice rehearsed. The great City of Zarahemla and its inhabitants, God had caused to be burned with fire. Moroni was sunken in the depths of the sea and her iniquitous children had been drowned. Gilgal had been swallowed up in an earthquake, and her people were entombed in the bowels of the earth. Onihah, Mocum, and Jerusalem had disappeared, and waters overflowed the places where they so lately stood. Gadiandi, Gadiomnah, Jacob, and Gimgimno, were all overthrown, and desolation where new hills and valleys occupied their places, while their inhabitants were buried deep in the earth. Jacobugath, Laman, Josh, Gad, and Kishkumen, had all been burned, most likely by lightnings from heaven. The desolation was almost complete; the face of the earth was changed, and tens of thousands, probably more, of souls had been suddenly called to meet the reward of their sinful lives. For their destruction came upon them so that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from Heaven, and that the blood of the prophets and the Saints whom the wicked had slain might not come up any more in appeal unto God against them.