[In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment]: While the “wrath” appears to indicate the reason for the entire separation, which does not describe the Lord’s position with respect to the Nephites, those in Bountiful might yet have felt resonance with this statement following the great wickedness that had destroyed them as a political entity. Their nation had become wicked in recent years, and the destructions at the time of Jesus’ death would certainly be seen as the “wrath” of God.
The important part of this verse is the turning of the condition. There Lord was hidden for a moment, but returns. The Lord was wrathful for a while, but returns with kindness. The poetry of the verse lies in this contrast.