Are There Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, and Zoramites in the land of America Today, or Are There Only Lamanites?
It is commonly believed that there are no more Nephites because that nation was completely destroyed by the Lamanites about A.D. 400. However, Nephites dissented to the Lamanites repeatedly before the appearance of Christ. In Captain Moroni’s time, the descendants of these dissenters were almost as numerous as the Nephites (see Alma 43:13–14). When the Savior visited the people of the Book of Mormon, all were united as children of Christ, and there were no Nephites or Lamanites (see 4 Nephi 1:17). When they grew wicked again, they divided into groups called Lamanites and Nephites, only this time the division was not according to descent but according to righteousness—the Nephites were those who wanted to live the commandments of God, and the Lamanites were those who did not (see 4 Nephi 1:38). Other Nephites joined the Lamanites during the last great battle (see Mormon 6:15). Doctrine and Covenants 3:16–18 shows that descendants of Nephi, Jacob, Joseph, and Zoram can be found among Nat
