The above eight verses describe three years, all of them prosperous. They were the last three of the four years of peace mentioned before (see Alma 48:20). Two of the three years are covered in one short verse (Alma 50:24). Mormon mentions the years to verify the promise of the Lord to Lehi regarding prosperity if God’s commandments are kept, a precept to the reader (vv. 19–20). This conditional promise of prosperity has been a constant theme throughout the Book of Mormon (see 1 Nephi 4:14; 2 Nephi 1:9, 20; Jarom 1:9; Mosiah 1:7; Alma 9:13). However, Mormon’s second precept, a contrast to the first (Alma 50:21–22), gives us the cause of wars. We will see that quarrellings and contentions were a major factor in the succeeding years of war. Notice that these were internal difficulties, not the Lamanite invasions. Contentions and quarreling in the political arena is magnified in our own day. Another contrast was given by Mormon between those who followed wickedness and those who kept the commandments (vv. 22–23). That contrast is also evident today. Never was there a happier time for the faithful since the days of Nephi (v. 23) in over 500 years. The unabridged record should give us specific reasons for the Nephites happiness instead of the generalization in these verses.