When the immediate focus on the new threat of the Gadiantons moves into routine, the Nephites return to routines that include the development of the internal contentions that have plagued them for long years. Based on all of the past occurrences, we can tell what was happening even though Mormon is no more specific than saying “they began to wax strong in iniquity.” For the Nephites, this iniquity was a desire for social hierarchies and the wealth and prestige seen in the world around them.