Both in the Old and New world, there were earthquakes and natural disasters at the time of Christ's death. There are many prophecies in the Book of Mormon that this would happen. We don't find these prophecies in the Old Testament, but we find them in two extra-Biblical sources from Old Testament times. One is in Moses 7:55-56
55 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Look, and he looked and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men;
56 And he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent
The other is in The Book of Zenos. Well, it's in the Book of Mormon, but Nephi is quoting Zenos in 1 Nephi 19:10-12
...be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel... And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend
If you have read my previous posts lately about rocks as symbol of Christ, you might guess where I'm going with this, highlighting the rending of rocks. I don't know why I hadn't realized before but the rending of rocks is a powerful symbol of Christ's death. The prophecy that rocks will be rent at Christ's death is also found in 1 Nephi 12:4 (Nephi's vision) and Helaman 14:21 (Samuel's prophecies). Then, of course, when Christ actually dies and the prophecies are fulfilled in 3 Nephi 8, we read
18 And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land.
This is not the only time in the scriptures that an actual event also carries a sybolic meaning. The rocks that are "rent in twain" and "broken up" symbolize the broken body of Christ. Just as smiting the rock caused living waters to flow, so Christ's broken body can give us life eternal, connecting the symbolism of rent rocks back to the smitten rock in the Exodus. Reading 1 Nephi 20 (quoting Isaiah 48) along with Avraham Gileadi's Isaiah commentary, I found an interesting comment to verses 20-21, that talks about the water flowing from the rock and ties this to the gathering of Israel, that I have also posted a bit about lately.
20 Go forth out of Babylon, flee from Chaldea!Make this announcement with resounding ;broadcast it to the end of the earth.Say, Jehovah has redeemed his servant Jacob.
21 They thirsted not when he led them through arid places:he caused water to flow for them from the ;he cleaved the and water gushed out.