3 Nephi 6

In this chapter, the people return to their own areas of the country after having come together to be a unified force against the Gadiantons. The Lord prospers them, they build many buildings and highways and for about four years they have peace. After that, the cycle starts again, this time with people dividing into ranks according to wealth and education. The wealthy are prideful and the uneducated humble but unable to gain an education because of their poverty. Mormon says that before the end of five years since the war, there was a great inequality among the people in all the land, the church was broken up and the only ones to remain firm in the faith are some of the converted Lamanites. With all this turmoil, Satan is able to have a heyday, being able to get people to do just about whatever he desires so morals are discarded. Mormon makes this important statement about the Nephites, "Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them." These people are choosing iniquity knowing they are choosing iniquity and they don't care. Many who testify of Christ are secretly tried and executed by the judges and even though people complain to the judges how this is against the law, the judges have enough support to ignore the complaints. These judges and their supporters then form a covenant among themselves to destroy all those who would proclaim righteousness and stand against unrighteousness, and to establish someone as a king. To sum up, the people have nearly succeeded in destroying their laws and government for the purpose of establishing another form of rule that will suppress the people and their religion. This is just my humble opinion, but I believe that is exactly the direction we are headed towards today. At the least, we should never be so naive as to believe it couldn't happen and be watchful.