According to John Sorenson, since the Nephites and Lamanites were so often at war with each other, it may seem odd to speak of their being united in a single civilization, but there is good evidence to conclude that. Consider especially how often the two factions were in intimate contact with each other. To begin with, they came out of the same Jerusalem background. We are safe in supposing that the culture the two groups shared was far greater than the ways in which they differed. Circumstances and preferences moved them farther apart as years went on, but both groups were still close to each other in important ways. The Nephites were joined by Lamanite refugees from time to time (see Alma 26:13-16; 35:6-9; 62:17). The reverse is also true. Dissenters from among the Nephites united with the Lamanites "from the reign of Nephi down to the . . . time" of Amalickiah, according to Alma 47:35, and the process continued later. Mormon added the perceptive note, "Now these dissenters, [had] the same instruction and the same information [as] the Nephites" (Alma 47:36). They became rulers, commanders, and teachers among the Lamanites (for example, see Alma 24:1,4-7;43:6; 47:35; 48:1-6; Helaman 4:1-4).
Can conflict actually be a manifestation of a kind of unity? Wars between factions are now being recognized by some historians as evidence of a close relationship between the antagonists rather than a total separation. One scholarly analysis of civilization in relation to war recently concluded, "Conflict, hostility, and even warfare, when durable (habitual, protracted, or inescapable), are forms of association that create a social relationship between, and a social system composed of, the contestants, antagonists, and foes." The author, political scientist David Wilkinson, argues that such rivals (in the case we are considering, Lamanites and Nephites) need each other as much as, say, the English and the Irish, opposing Hindu castes, or fighting spouses. Enmity actually helps the parties define their identities. [John L. Sorenson, Mormon's Map, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 94-95]