“And They Were Gathered Together in Two Bodies”

Brant Gardner

Early in the history of the Nephites, Jacob noted that there were still "Nephites; nevertheless, they were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. "(Jacob 1:13). Nevertheless, Jacob used only two major categories, Nephite and Lamanite.

Now, some five hundred years later, we see two major groups in Zarahemla, which we must presume mark Nephite and Zarahemlaite (Mulekite). It is possible that there were smaller kin organizations inside each of these larger designations, but the gross divisions between Nephite and Zarahemlaite appear to have survived Benjamin's efforts to mold his society into a unified whole.

Multidimensional Commentary on the Book of Mormon

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