Unimaginable anguish and angst plague the wicked caught up in the midst of the devastation. We have in the record a few words preserved from people as they face destruction—first by the overwhelming forces of nature, but secondly, and most catastrophically, by the feelings of guilt and remorse over responsibility for the loss of loved ones and over the lost opportunity to repent and be cleansed by the atoning power of the Savior. Were these statements overheard and reported by some of the more righteous who escaped the destructive forces of nature because of the protective hand of the Lord, or were they entered into the record by Nephi as he was inspired to complete the history of his people? We don’t know. In any event, the “howlings of the people” were “great and terrible” (verse 25) and serve as a reminder to us of the agonizing consequences of failing to heed heaven’s urgent call for repentance.