Lamanites | Nephites
The Lamanites
The existence of the Lamanites is not generally accepted by non-LDS historians or archaeologists.
In the Mormon faith, the Lamanites were originally called thus because they were defined as the descendants of Laman and his followers. In LDS doctrine, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ he appeared to the people of the New World.
Based on genetic and archeological data, mainstream scientists have concluded that Native Americans are descended from the prehistoric inhabitants of East Asia. For this and other reasons, many Mormon scholars view Lamanites as (1) one small tribe among many in the ancient Americas, the remainder of whom were not discussed in The Book of Mormon, or (2) a tribe that intermarried with indigenous Native American cultures.
"[T]heir scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people" (2 Nephi 30:6). As early as 1840, with the Third Edition of the Book of Mormon, the word "white" was changed to "pure" by Joseph Smith, Jr. to more closely reflect the original intent of the Nephite authors.
The labels “Nephite” and “Lamanite” ultimately became political terms of convenience, where membership was varied and fluid.
Nephite Culture
Familial
The clan-based usage of the terms Nephite and Lamanite originate in 2 Nephi 5:6 in which Nephi (who lived during the sixth century BC) and those who follow him separate themselves from the Lamanites and form a new settlement in what they christened the Land of Nephi. Later direct descendants of Nephi would use the term in this way.
For example, when Amulek meets Alma, the first thing he says to Alma is, "I am a Nephite" (Alma 8:20). This may seem obvious and redundant since the two were conversing in Ammonihah, a (politically) Nephite city. But Amulek appears to have been using the term in the familial sense, to distinguish himself from the non-familial, political Nephites in Ammonihah. This may have been to assure Alma of his understanding of the gospel and therefore his preaching abilities, encouraging Alma to accept him as a missionary partner.
Religious
The ancient Nephites practiced Judaism before the coming of Christ on the American continent, and Christianity after his resurrection until the early fourth century. Throughout the Book of Mormon the term "Nephite" in the religious sense refers to a believer in Jesus Christ, either before his coming, or after. Such usage is found in Alma 3:11, which states, "Whosoever would not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed those records which were brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and also in the traditions of their fathers, which were correct, who believed in the commandments of God and kept them, were called the Nephites."
Cultural
Cultural usages of the word Nephite are harder to discern in the record, because they usually overlap with religious or political usages. However, the word Lamanite is used in a much more cultural context, and since it is usually an antonymn of Nephite, we can usually deduce from its usage characteristics of the Nephites. According to the Book of Mormon, Lamanites are "a lazy and idolatrous people" (Mosiah 9:12), and "wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people . . . dwelling in tents, and wandering about the wilderness" (Enos 1:20). The Nephites are, in turn, industrious (2 Nephi 5:17), civilized (Moroni 9:12), and God-fearing. Also, many Nephites were outside of the political influence of the Nephite state, yet still presumably carried with them Nephite culture (Alma 63:10)
Nephite society
While the Book of Mormon was written to teach spiritual matters rather than to record secular history, many details about Nephite society, government, laws, and culture can be inferred from the text. In doing so, it is important to remember that societies change over time, and that the Nephite society was described as having lasted a thousand years. Therefore, a passage that describes an aspect of Nephite society may need to be applied with caution to Nephites in other centuries, just as Jewish customs during the time of the Judges may be different from Jewish customs in New Testament times. For example, some think that the fact that Mormon details the measuring system in Alma 11 implies that by Mormon's time period, the system had changed, since Mormon glosses over so many other aspects of culture without explanation while finding the measuring system noteworthy.
There seem to be three main epochs in the Nephite history as described in the Book of Mormon, separated by two times when Nephite society experienced particularly significant changes. The first major change occurred c. 150-91 BC, during the reigns of Mosiah¹, Benjamin, and Mosiah². The entire populace moved northward, the Nephite and Mulekite societies merged, the government form changed, and traditional laws were codified. The second major change was c. 200 AD, after the Zion society began to crumble. The Nephite and Lamanite societies had integrated for two centuries, only to separate again, probably along ideological lines more than ethnic lines. This blending and dividing likely resulted in additional social changes. The greatest amount of information about Nephite society comes from the middle epoch, from about 150 BC to 200 AD (recorded in the books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, and 4 Nephi).
Civil laws
distinction between civil law and religious law may seem mundane and obvious today, but for an ancient society, such a distinction was relatively uncommon. The laws that Mosiah established were so significant in their impact that sixty years later, instead of referring to "the laws which have been given you by our fathers" (Mosiah 29:25), people referred to "the laws of Mosiah".
When delineating the division between civil and religious laws, most would agree that laws against murdering and stealing are obvious. Further distinctions are heavily dependent on cultural norms and values. It is interesting to note which actions the Nephites considered to be civil crimes, regardless of religion.
Calendar base year
Like many ancient societies, the Nephites counted their years from a significant founding event. During their thousand-year history, the Nephites changed their base year according to three significant events:
1. The year Lehi and his family left Jerusalem (c. 600 BC)
2. The year the judges replaced the king (c. 91 BC)
3. The year the sign of the Savior's birth was given (c. 1 AD)
This calendric progression is exemplified in a passage in the book of 3 Nephi.
And also an hundred years had passed away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the Nephites.
And six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem.
And nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given, which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the world. (3 Nephi 2:5-7)
Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephite, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamanite
The existence of the Lamanites is not generally accepted by non-LDS historians or archaeologists.
In the Mormon faith, the Lamanites were originally called thus because they were defined as the descendants of Laman and his followers. In LDS doctrine, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ he appeared to the people of the New World.
Based on genetic and archeological data, mainstream scientists have concluded that Native Americans are descended from the prehistoric inhabitants of East Asia. For this and other reasons, many Mormon scholars view Lamanites as (1) one small tribe among many in the ancient Americas, the remainder of whom were not discussed in The Book of Mormon, or (2) a tribe that intermarried with indigenous Native American cultures.
"[T]heir scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people" (2 Nephi 30:6). As early as 1840, with the Third Edition of the Book of Mormon, the word "white" was changed to "pure" by Joseph Smith, Jr. to more closely reflect the original intent of the Nephite authors.
The labels “Nephite” and “Lamanite” ultimately became political terms of convenience, where membership was varied and fluid.
Nephite Culture
Familial
The clan-based usage of the terms Nephite and Lamanite originate in 2 Nephi 5:6 in which Nephi (who lived during the sixth century BC) and those who follow him separate themselves from the Lamanites and form a new settlement in what they christened the Land of Nephi. Later direct descendants of Nephi would use the term in this way.
For example, when Amulek meets Alma, the first thing he says to Alma is, "I am a Nephite" (Alma 8:20). This may seem obvious and redundant since the two were conversing in Ammonihah, a (politically) Nephite city. But Amulek appears to have been using the term in the familial sense, to distinguish himself from the non-familial, political Nephites in Ammonihah. This may have been to assure Alma of his understanding of the gospel and therefore his preaching abilities, encouraging Alma to accept him as a missionary partner.
Religious
The ancient Nephites practiced Judaism before the coming of Christ on the American continent, and Christianity after his resurrection until the early fourth century. Throughout the Book of Mormon the term "Nephite" in the religious sense refers to a believer in Jesus Christ, either before his coming, or after. Such usage is found in Alma 3:11, which states, "Whosoever would not believe in the tradition of the Lamanites, but believed those records which were brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and also in the traditions of their fathers, which were correct, who believed in the commandments of God and kept them, were called the Nephites."
Cultural
Cultural usages of the word Nephite are harder to discern in the record, because they usually overlap with religious or political usages. However, the word Lamanite is used in a much more cultural context, and since it is usually an antonymn of Nephite, we can usually deduce from its usage characteristics of the Nephites. According to the Book of Mormon, Lamanites are "a lazy and idolatrous people" (Mosiah 9:12), and "wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people . . . dwelling in tents, and wandering about the wilderness" (Enos 1:20). The Nephites are, in turn, industrious (2 Nephi 5:17), civilized (Moroni 9:12), and God-fearing. Also, many Nephites were outside of the political influence of the Nephite state, yet still presumably carried with them Nephite culture (Alma 63:10)
Nephite society
While the Book of Mormon was written to teach spiritual matters rather than to record secular history, many details about Nephite society, government, laws, and culture can be inferred from the text. In doing so, it is important to remember that societies change over time, and that the Nephite society was described as having lasted a thousand years. Therefore, a passage that describes an aspect of Nephite society may need to be applied with caution to Nephites in other centuries, just as Jewish customs during the time of the Judges may be different from Jewish customs in New Testament times. For example, some think that the fact that Mormon details the measuring system in Alma 11 implies that by Mormon's time period, the system had changed, since Mormon glosses over so many other aspects of culture without explanation while finding the measuring system noteworthy.
There seem to be three main epochs in the Nephite history as described in the Book of Mormon, separated by two times when Nephite society experienced particularly significant changes. The first major change occurred c. 150-91 BC, during the reigns of Mosiah¹, Benjamin, and Mosiah². The entire populace moved northward, the Nephite and Mulekite societies merged, the government form changed, and traditional laws were codified. The second major change was c. 200 AD, after the Zion society began to crumble. The Nephite and Lamanite societies had integrated for two centuries, only to separate again, probably along ideological lines more than ethnic lines. This blending and dividing likely resulted in additional social changes. The greatest amount of information about Nephite society comes from the middle epoch, from about 150 BC to 200 AD (recorded in the books of Mosiah, Alma, Helaman, 3 Nephi, and 4 Nephi).
Civil laws
distinction between civil law and religious law may seem mundane and obvious today, but for an ancient society, such a distinction was relatively uncommon. The laws that Mosiah established were so significant in their impact that sixty years later, instead of referring to "the laws which have been given you by our fathers" (Mosiah 29:25), people referred to "the laws of Mosiah".
When delineating the division between civil and religious laws, most would agree that laws against murdering and stealing are obvious. Further distinctions are heavily dependent on cultural norms and values. It is interesting to note which actions the Nephites considered to be civil crimes, regardless of religion.
Calendar base year
Like many ancient societies, the Nephites counted their years from a significant founding event. During their thousand-year history, the Nephites changed their base year according to three significant events:
1. The year Lehi and his family left Jerusalem (c. 600 BC)
2. The year the judges replaced the king (c. 91 BC)
3. The year the sign of the Savior's birth was given (c. 1 AD)
This calendric progression is exemplified in a passage in the book of 3 Nephi.
And also an hundred years had passed away since the days of Mosiah, who was king over the people of the Nephites.
And six hundred and nine years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem.
And nine years had passed away from the time when the sign was given, which was spoken of by the prophets, that Christ should come into the world. (3 Nephi 2:5-7)
Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephite, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamanite