This description of the conflict at the early stages of Nephite/Lamanite struggle should not be confused with the kind of violence future generations would experience. These early "wars" were not deadly. It would not be until the next generation that actual killing began. and rapid reproduction rates, these two competitive societies could not afford to wage war to the point of killing one another. That would have to await a larger population base in future generations. For now, competition and conflict which is called "war" between these people likely drew blood, but stopped short of killing. When the sad day came that killing actually resulted from Nephite wars, the record calls it "murder" because a line has finally been crossed.
The picture Enos describes tells of competition between the Lamanite foragers and the Nephite farmers and ranchers. The likely cause of the conflict would arise from Lamanite envy of Nephite abundance. The Nephites were a stable, city building society who used specialized labor to produce crops, herds and flocks. The Lamanites were a nomadic society whose skill was in hunting and foraging for what they could find where they could find it. Perhaps it was more than envy. They may have had actual need as a result of over-hunting or seasonal availability of some food sources. The "warfare" apparently arose from Nephite efforts to repel the Lamanite raids. This makes sense. It is in the details of this record we find the authentic indications of an actual history. Joseph Smith did not invent this tale. He translated it from a record kept by an ancient, fallen people.