Destruction of Cities or Peoples

From Sean's Gospel Topical Guide
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"Now, I do not say, and I repeat emphatically that I do not say or infer, that what has happened is the punishment of the Lord. Many good people, including some of our faithful Latter-day Saints, are among those who have suffered. Having said this, I do not hesitate to say that this old world is no stranger to calamities and catastrophes."

Destruction of various cities at the time of Christ's death described by Christ as being a result of having no righteous left among them.

"Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes."

  • Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith", pp. 146

The saints needed to make an effort (specifically, to document their losses and to investigate and discover, as much as possible, the identities of the perpetrators) to claim the Lord's promised blessing of stretching forth his arm to redeem Zion. The guilt of the nation apparently needed to be firmly established.

It is not made entirely clear that this promised redemption would qualifies as the kind of destruction contemplated under this topic, but it does, nevertheless bear some resemblance. The idea that innocence needed to be entirely disproved is evident, and it is likely that, whatever the scope, the redemption of Zion would require some destructive force.

Notes

Examples of the Phenomenon include the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the city of Ammonihah, the Flood, and the fire which will burn the wicked at the second coming.
Also of interest is how the city of Ninevah avoided this kind of destruction and also Pres. Hinckley's statement that the flood which devastated New Orleans was not this kind of destruction.

Cross-References