Page "Nephite" Paragraph 7

Many details about Nephite society, government, laws, and culture can be inferred from the Book of Mormon.

Three main epochs in the Nephite history as described in the Book of Mormon, separated by two periods where Nephite society experienced particularly significant changes.

The first major change occurred c. 150 – 91 BC, during the reigns of Mosiah I, Benjamin, and Mosiah II.

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 ).