Redaction: Mormon carefully marks three years, noting that little has happened. His omissions, however, tells us much about his intentions. Of course, events happened during the three years he moves over so quickly, but they were not important to Mormon. In fact, he signals what is important by identifying as absent the one aspect that interests him: contention.
(See commentary accompanying Helaman 3:8 for a discussion of the use of the cardinal points to indicate “everywhere.”)
Chronology: The forty-fifth year of the reign of the judges would be 49 B.C. The birth of Christ is approaching in 4–5 B.C. (See commentary accompanying 3 Ne. 1:1.)