Prior to the famine the Nephites had prospered and become wealthy. They then rejected the gospel’s egalitarian principles in favor of adopting the social hierarchies around them. After the famine ended, all of the factors that had led to the original increase in wealth were still in place: food, trade, and prosperity. The famine had temporarily changed their focus from wealth to survival. Once their survival was assured, all of the processes that had led to the previous prosperity were reestablished.