Joseph Smith lived in an area that was very quiet in a geologic sense. He probably never felt an earthquake of notable magnitude, and he never saw a volcano. Due to his humble circumstances and his limited access to books, it is extremely improbable that Joseph Smith did any vulcanological or seismological research. Yet the Book of Mormon includes amazingly detailed descriptions of the cataclysmic earthquake that occurred after the Savior’s crucifixion. (See Echoes, 198.)