11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.
The Nephites and Lamanites had both reached such a hardened condition that they not only fought but delighted in warfare. This condition is a new one even among the Lamanites. Previously, conflict had been primarily tribal or territorial. Even when led by depraved leaders like Amalickiah, the Lamanites had been motivated by specific grievances and disagreements. One does not sense that the people as a whole took pleasure from warfare. And the Nephites likewise fought only in defense of liberty. By contract, the blood list that enveloped the people meant that warfare became an end rather than simply a mean. In such a condition, it is no wonder that the people were beyond feeling and unable to repent or change.