Culture: Political alliances in Mesoamerica were always fragile. Even under the widespread and powerful Aztec empire, a single city-state would frequently rebel; or more seriously, a new confederation of city-states would rise up. These rebellions were put down only by extreme military force. The Book of Mormon reports the same situation: the rebellion of three city-states against their over-king. Like similar secessionist rebellions, it will succeed unless it is quashed through military might. As we will see, that will not happen.