How secure did they feel?

We can look at the Nephite strategy and tactics against the Gadiantons and we can know that they succeeded. With that historical distance we can recognize that various moves as wise or assured but how did the neighbors feel? Were they confident in the plans they laid? (There were reasons they could view them with confidence.) Were they concerned at times that all their preparations were for nought? (We don’t know if times when they should have felt less than confident but that is certainly possible considering what the Gadiantons had already accomplished.)