In their enthusiasm to proclaim the attributes of the Mesoamerican lifestyle as that of the Book of Mormon, the Mesoamerican theorist have labeled the Nephite people of the Book of Mormon as blood thirsty worshippers of false gods and the builders of ziggurat temples for human sacrifice. What is left in Mesoamerican are the resulting Lamanite civilization such as the Maya and Aztec since 400 AD which is NOT representative of the Nephite civilization. True the Npehites of their last days where wicked and corrupt, but they had not built up temples to false gods for human sacrifice. That was still one thing that was Lamanite and not Nephite as portrayed by a number of passages concerning battles of the last days of the Nephites.
Mormon 4:
11 And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a
perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was
among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart
was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually.
12 And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of
Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people.
13 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and this because their number did exceed the number of the Nephites.
14 And they did also march forward against the city Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods.
15 And it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and seventh
year, the Nephites being angry because the Lamanites had
sacrificed their women and their children, that they did go against
the Lamanites with exceedingly great anger, insomuch that they did beat again the Lamanites, and drive them out of their lands.
. . .
17 And in this year they did come down against the Nephites with all
their powers; and they were not numbered because of the greatness of their
number.
18 And from this time forth did the Nephites gain no power over the
Lamanites, but began to be swept off by them even as a dew
before the sun.
. . .
21 And when they had come the second time, the
Nephites were driven and slaughtered with an exceedingly great slaughter;
their women and their children were again sacrificed unto idols.
22 And it came to pass that the Nephites did again flee from before them, taking all the inhabitants with them, both in towns and villages.
23 And now I, Mormon, seeing that the Lamanites were about to overthrow the land, therefore I did go to the hill Shim, and did take up all the records which Ammaron had hid up unto the Lord.
Thus the pattern of the Lamanites was to slaughter every Nephte and sacrifice their innocent ones to idols. None where spared as the land fell being swept clean of the Nephite. The Lamanites where overthrowing the land as they wwnt in pursuit of the Nephites. The Nephites where in constant retreat before them saving all they could as the fled before the Lamanites. Millions of Nephites where destroyed and killed from 375 to 385 AD as the Lamanites persistently perused them. And after 10 years of such continued destruction, Mormon could only gather one million Nephites left for the final battle at Cumorah
Mormon 5:
5 And it came to pass that whatsoever lands we had passed by, and the inhabitants thereof were not gathered in, were destroyed by the Lamanites, and their towns, and villages, and cities were burned with fire; and thus three hundred and seventy and nine years passed away.
The last years of the bloodshed and carnage was so great that Mormon refused to record it as from 379 to 384 the Nephites where pushed before the Lamanites from the lands of Central America, Mexico to the battles which included Zelph in Illinois. The, finally push to the limits of the land being backed into a corner, Mormon requested that he be given some time to gather the Nephites who remained together in this exceedingly distant land of many waters, fountains, great lakes, rivers, and hills. There they hoped against hope to gain some advantage. The Lamanites where far removed from their original lands and if the remaining million or so Nephites could defeat these pursuing Lamanites,, there was a hope to bring an end of this great pursuing army and have an advantage of having divided it from the 'homelands' of the rest of the Lamanites. But such was not to be the case.