As implied, the city of Zarahemla had been burned (v. 7; see 3 Nephi 8:8). Zarahemla was in the center of the land of Zarahemla, and was what we would call the capital city today. A temple was built there (see Mosiah 1:18). The judgement seat was in Zarahemla (see Alma 62:6–8). The city of Moroni and many great and notable cities were sunk into the sea (4 Nephi 1:9, see also 3 Nephi 8:9, 14; 9:4, 7).
The word “exceedingly” means above or beyond the normal. The families were apparently large and reproduced rapidly. Being an exceedingly fair and delightsome people is another evidence of their social growth or development.
The multitude of promises concerning marriage (4 Nephi 1:11) tells us there were many blessings regarding marriage. One of the blessings was certainly eternal marriage for time and eternity. The tradition of eternal marriage lingered among some of the American Indian tribes:
The principle of eternal marriage is not new to many of the tribes. The Hopi wedding, a beautiful ceremony, with the bride dressed in a lovely white garment woven by the hands of her fiancé, is a sacred affair, and is meant to last for the eternities. It is not until “death do you part.” Children are pure, they believe, and need no baptism or ordinances. When they die, they return immediately unto the god who created them.
Another blessing could be the promise of many children as mentioned above. Another blessing would probably be the binding together of extended families through the sealing power of the priesthood (see D&C 132). The requirement of marriage for attaining the highest degree of the celestial kingdom would be another promised blessing (see D&C 131:1–4). These blessings were both social and spiritual.
The commandments given to replace the law of Moses were also a spiritual blessing or growth process. They were the higher laws of Christ as outlined in the Sermon on the Mount in Jerusalem, or the almost same sermon given at Bountiful round about the temple (see Matthew 5–7, or 3 Nephi 12–14). The lack of contention and the miracles, both previously mentioned (4 Nephi 1:2, 5), were again both spiritual and social, “in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).