Social: Amulek proclaims that the destruction has been held in abeyance by the prayers of the righteous. This tells us that the climate in Ammonihah is no more homogenous than it was in Zarahemla. There are representatives of both the order of Nehor and the Nephite religion in Ammonihah, just as there were in Zarahemla. The difference is that in Ammonihah the order of Nehor has gained the larger numbers, where they were still a minority in Zarahemla.
When Amulek describes what will happen to them, he notes that a destruction is coming. He first notes that it will not be a flood, as in the days of Noah. Book of Mormon history gives us two Noahs, the one saved from water the other burned by fire. Amulek expects that his audience will quickly know which Noah is meant. Amulek references the earlier Noah for a particular reason. There is no reason for the Ammonihahites to know what wouldn’t destroy them. Amulek never mentions a volcano, nor a meteorite, nor a major fire. There are any number of modes of destruction that will not be inflicted upon Ammonihah. Why then does he mention the flood and Noah specifically?
Amulek is making sure that Ammonihah understands that this destruction comes from the Lord. If they understand his reference to Noah at all, they will understand that the Lord was behind the destruction. The inference is that just as the Lord was behind the destruction by water, he will be behind their destruction, even though the method will be different.
What will that method be? Amulek gives and interesting combination of elements. He suggests that the destruction will be “by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.” These are sets of circumstances that go together. The destruction by the sword frequently leads directly to the famine and the pestilence. When an enemy destroys a town, it can lead to multiple consequences. Certainly the reduction of able-bodied men is one of them. Either through the direct destruction of the crops (whether or intentional or unintentional) or the lack of men to plant, famine is visited upon the survivors of the destruction. Pestilence is disease, and that typically followed many ancient wars as the improper disposal of the bodies of dead would contaminate ground water or provide a breading ground for diseases that would be transmitted by insects. Amulek is predicting a particular set of destructive circumstances that typically are found together.