The location of these new Gadiantons in the mountains serves as a base for their actions. Just as one of the first acts of Dos Pilas was the beginning of a war, so too is one of the first acts of these Gadiantons an attack upon the people of Nephi. Mormon does not give us much to work with in this description, but he does call it a “destruction.” Unfortunately, we are unable to draw many conclusions from the term because this is a term so tightly tied to Mormon’s editorial conception of the Gadiantons that it is what they must do. Gadiantons cause destruction. These are Gadianton, therefore they destroy. For Mormon’s narrative purpose, the model is perfect. For our historical interests, there is much that might have been said in addition. We will need to wait for more information on the Gadiantons and this putative new city.
One piece of information that is of note is that these Gadiantons are causing destruction “also among the people of the Lamanites.” Even though there were Lamanites who were part of the group that founded the Gadiantons, Mormon is setting the Gadiantons apart as a separate conceptual unit from both Lamanite and Nephite. This will be compatible with Mormon’s later assertion that they are representative of a foreign element.