BOM

As I was reading through the assigned readings, I was reading about how all of the destruction and all of the terrible calamities that came down upon the Americas.  From the description given, it would seem like the worst punishment to ever be enforced upon man.  In 3 Nephi 9:3-10, the Lord talks about the great and powerful cities that He has obliterated.  There is every kind of painful death that you can think of from the burning of Zarahemla with fire, to the city of Moronihah being covered with earth, and Gilgal being sunk by water.  What I found particularly notable was that in 3 Nephi 9:14 the Lord says “mine arm of mercy is extended toward you” I found this to be somewhat contrary to the description of the suffering that was being experienced by the inhabitants of the earth at this time.  I was not until Bro. Griffin mentioned that it was indeed merciful of God to bring calamities like that for a number of reasons.  One reason being that if all of those people had been killed and their bodies were not destroyed, they would have plagued the land with a terrible smell and would pollute the soil similar to the land of Desolation.