Wickedness led to the loss of courage and to an increase in carnage and chaos. The size of the opposing armies doing battle replicates the size of opposing forces engaged in the United States Civil War on the North American continent (1861–1865). Such chaos and the breakdown of society led the Nephites to begin to repent. Mormon rejoiced over his people’s suffering because he thought at first this was a sign of true humility and contrition. He was wrong.