During Nephi’s vision of the future of his people, he saw the destruction that would later be recorded in 3 Nephi. He noted: “And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof. And it came to pass after I saw these things, I saw the vapor of darkness, that it passed from off the face of the earth; and behold, I saw multitudes who had not fallen because of the great and terrible judgments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 12:4–5).
That description parallels the language Nephi includes here, but from Zenos’s prophecy. Given Nephi’s vision, Zenos’s words certainly became more intelligible and Nephi clearly saw them in the context of his people’s future. The phrase “God of nature” occurs just this one time in scripture. It is not clear if it is used as Nephi’s conclusion to Zenos’s prophecy, or was a quotation from Zenos. The import is clear, however. God is the God of the whole earth, and the terrible destructions of nature are the expression of God suffering for the death of his son.