  We present multi-epoch optical observations of the blazar 3C 454.3 (z =
0.859) from 2008 August through 2011 December, using the SMARTS Consortium
1.5m+RCSpectrograph and 1.3m+ANDICAM in Cerro Tololo, Chile. The spectra reveal
that the broad optical emission lines Mg II, H-beta and H-gamma are far less
variable than the optical or gamma-ray continuum. Although, the gamma-rays
varied by a factor of 100 above the EGRET era flux, the lines generally vary by
a factor of 2 or less. Smaller variations in the gamma-ray flux did not produce
significant variation in any of the observed emission lines. Therefore, to
first order, the ionizing flux from the disk changes only slowly during large
variations of the jet. However, two exceptions in the response of the broad
emission lines are reported during the largest gamma-ray flares in 2009
December and 2010 November, when significant deviations from the mean line flux
in H-gamma and Mg II were observed. H-gamma showed a maximum 3-sigma and
4-sigma deviation in each flare, respectively, corresponding to a factor of 1.7
and 2.5 increase in flux. Mg II showed a 2-sigma deviation in both flares; no
variation was detected in H-beta during either flare. These significant
deviations from the mean line flux also coincide with 7mm core ejections
reported previously (Jorstad et al. 2012). The correlation of the increased
emission line flux with mm core ejections, and gamma-ray, optical and UV flares
suggests that the broad line region extends beyond the gamma-emitting region
during the 2009 and 2010 flares.
