Social: There is a contrast between the Nephite treatment of their own dead and their treatment of the dead of their enemies. In verse 1 we read that the Nephites buried their own dead. Here the dead fo the Lamanites and Amlicites are thrown into the river.
This distinction in the treatment of the corpses tells us some important information about the Nephites. First, it clearly indicates that the preferred treatment of the dead is to be buried. Thus when they take care of their own dead they provide for them the culturally “proper” care. While there is little more that we can suppose from this information, we can state that societies do develop proper ways to deal with the dead, and these will typically have an impact on the beliefs about the afterlife of the body’s spirit.
The contrast to this behavior is highlighted by the treatment of the Lamanite and Amlicite dead. Rather than the burial which is certainly the Nephite “proper” mode of disposal, these bodies are simply thrown in the river to be carried downstream.
This is not an accidental act, but a conscious denial of respect to the bodies of the dead enemies. In societies where modes of burial are attached to beliefs about the afterlife of the spirit, the denial of the proper treatment of the dead effects not only the corpse, but the soul of the departed. When the Nephites unceremoniously dump the bodies of their enemies in the river, they are enacting a disrespect for their enemies, and perhaps a more serious denial of afterlife to the enemy dead.
When stated in these harsh terms, it would appear to be a very “un-Christian” thing to do to one’s enemies. However, in the context of an ancient culture, this is a very natural reaction to the difference between those who belong to one’s society and the enemies from without. It is precisely because this action is somewhat unexpected from a people held out to be “Christians” that we can see in this action a reasonable echo of an ancient people and ancient practices.