RoryN
You're screwed.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2003
- Posts
- 60,740
Good question!
Short answer: it's something a total whack-a-doodle (i.e. Romney) believes in IMHO. But, you be the judge...
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a religious text of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Nephite ( /ˈniː.faɪt/[1]) is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other early settlers described in the Book of Mormon include the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. Some LDS scholars believe that the forebears of the Nephites settled somewhere in present-day Central America after departing Jerusalem.[2] However, both the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society have issued statements that they have seen no evidence to support these claims in the Book of Mormon, and furthermore, no secular archeologist or historian has supported their existence.
Within the context of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the son of the prophet Lehi who left Jerusalem at the urging of God c. 600 BC[3] and traveled with his family to the Western Hemisphere, arriving in the present-day Americas c. 589 BC.[4] The Book of Mormon describes the Nephites as an initially righteous people, who eventually "had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness"[5] and were destroyed by their brothers the Lamanites c. AD 385.[6]
Context in the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon uses the term Nephite in many different ways, usually contrasted with the term Lamanite. These ways are familial (or clan-based), religious, political, and cultural. Although the Nephites and Lamanite groups are said to have merged for a while in 4 Nephi 1:17, the Nephites were never considered a majority in the Book of Mormon. This is because the term Lamanite after its earliest usage became a word meaning "non-Nephite", much in the way that a Gentile in modern usage means "non-Jew".[citation needed] 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 4th 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."
Political
Although the Book of Mormon states explicitly that Nephi was the first king of the Nephites (Jacob 1:11), the word "Nephite" does not seem to be used in a clearly political sense until later. In the first and 2nd centuries BC the Lamanite and Nephite societies created sophisticated kingdoms and the Nephites later created a sort of republic. The political Nephite state existed with clear borders (Alma 22:27) and within it lived people who were religious Nephites and also those who did not practice the Nephite religion (Alma 31:8), due to freedom of religion which was upheld by their laws (Alma 1:17; 30:7).
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 antonym 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)
History
It is accepted as true by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Nephites existed, although secular archeologists and historians claim there no external evidence to corroborate the account given of Nephite history in the Book of Mormon.[citation needed]
Book of Mormon Tradition
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).
One of the best examples of a characteristic that distinguishes these three epochs of Nephite history is the form of government.
Kings
From the time the Nephites arrived in America to the reign of King Mosiah II (c. 592–91 BC), the Nephites were ruled by kings. Nephi's brother Jacob explains that subsequent kings bore the title "Nephi."
The people having loved Nephi exceedingly,… were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would.
— Jacob 1:10–11
This is comparable to the Roman practice of giving each emperor the title "Caesar" in honor of the first emperor, Julius Caesar (e.g., Augustus Caesar, Claudius Caesar). Thus, just as the later history of the Romans is sometimes called "the reign of the Caesars," the early history of the Nephites could be called "the reign of the Nephis."
Judges
The last Nephite king was Mosiah II. About 91 BC, he declared that, instead of naming a new king, he would finish out his reign as king, after which the Nephites would elect judges to govern them. There were at least three levels of judges: one chief judge, several higher judges, and several lower judges. (Some passages speak of multiple "chief judges," probably synonymous with "higher judges"; e.g., Alma 62:47; 3 Ne. 6:21)
Judges were paid according to the amount of time they spent officiating. Mosiah II set the rate at one senine of gold (or the equivalent senum of silver) for one day's work (Alma 11:1, 3). He also arranged for checks in this system to avert corruption as much as possible. He explained,
And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge.
If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.
— Mosiah 29:28–29
After announcing the governmental shift from kings to judges, Mosiah explained the principle behind this change by saying,
The sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings;…
Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
— Mosiah 29:31, 26
The system of judges lasted for 120 years, when it was briefly overthrown for about three years (c. 30–33 AD) by an aristocratic cadre led by a man named Jacob. It was replaced by a loose system of tribes and kinships, which lasted until the Savior appeared in America and established a society that approached the ideals of Zion. This society last for about two centuries before the people fell into wickedness again.
After 4 Nephi, no mention is made of whether the Nephites used judges or kings. Mormon mentions that "the Lamanites had a king" (Morm. 2:9). His inclusion of this detail, phrased as it is, could be seen as a contrast to the Nephites having a chief judge. Coupled with the fact that no change in government form is specifically mentioned after 4 Nephi, most assume that the Nephites continued to use judges until their destruction in c. 385 AD.
Source: Wikipedia. Please dispute with citations if necessary.
Short answer: it's something a total whack-a-doodle (i.e. Romney) believes in IMHO. But, you be the judge...
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, a religious text of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Nephite ( /ˈniː.faɪt/[1]) is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other early settlers described in the Book of Mormon include the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. Some LDS scholars believe that the forebears of the Nephites settled somewhere in present-day Central America after departing Jerusalem.[2] However, both the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society have issued statements that they have seen no evidence to support these claims in the Book of Mormon, and furthermore, no secular archeologist or historian has supported their existence.
Within the context of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the son of the prophet Lehi who left Jerusalem at the urging of God c. 600 BC[3] and traveled with his family to the Western Hemisphere, arriving in the present-day Americas c. 589 BC.[4] The Book of Mormon describes the Nephites as an initially righteous people, who eventually "had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness"[5] and were destroyed by their brothers the Lamanites c. AD 385.[6]
Context in the Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon uses the term Nephite in many different ways, usually contrasted with the term Lamanite. These ways are familial (or clan-based), religious, political, and cultural. Although the Nephites and Lamanite groups are said to have merged for a while in 4 Nephi 1:17, the Nephites were never considered a majority in the Book of Mormon. This is because the term Lamanite after its earliest usage became a word meaning "non-Nephite", much in the way that a Gentile in modern usage means "non-Jew".[citation needed] 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 4th 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."
Political
Although the Book of Mormon states explicitly that Nephi was the first king of the Nephites (Jacob 1:11), the word "Nephite" does not seem to be used in a clearly political sense until later. In the first and 2nd centuries BC the Lamanite and Nephite societies created sophisticated kingdoms and the Nephites later created a sort of republic. The political Nephite state existed with clear borders (Alma 22:27) and within it lived people who were religious Nephites and also those who did not practice the Nephite religion (Alma 31:8), due to freedom of religion which was upheld by their laws (Alma 1:17; 30:7).
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 antonym 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)
History
It is accepted as true by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Nephites existed, although secular archeologists and historians claim there no external evidence to corroborate the account given of Nephite history in the Book of Mormon.[citation needed]
Book of Mormon Tradition
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).
One of the best examples of a characteristic that distinguishes these three epochs of Nephite history is the form of government.
Kings
From the time the Nephites arrived in America to the reign of King Mosiah II (c. 592–91 BC), the Nephites were ruled by kings. Nephi's brother Jacob explains that subsequent kings bore the title "Nephi."
The people having loved Nephi exceedingly,… were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would.
— Jacob 1:10–11
This is comparable to the Roman practice of giving each emperor the title "Caesar" in honor of the first emperor, Julius Caesar (e.g., Augustus Caesar, Claudius Caesar). Thus, just as the later history of the Romans is sometimes called "the reign of the Caesars," the early history of the Nephites could be called "the reign of the Nephis."
Judges
The last Nephite king was Mosiah II. About 91 BC, he declared that, instead of naming a new king, he would finish out his reign as king, after which the Nephites would elect judges to govern them. There were at least three levels of judges: one chief judge, several higher judges, and several lower judges. (Some passages speak of multiple "chief judges," probably synonymous with "higher judges"; e.g., Alma 62:47; 3 Ne. 6:21)
Judges were paid according to the amount of time they spent officiating. Mosiah II set the rate at one senine of gold (or the equivalent senum of silver) for one day's work (Alma 11:1, 3). He also arranged for checks in this system to avert corruption as much as possible. He explained,
And now if ye have judges, and they do not judge you according to the law which has been given, ye can cause that they may be judged of a higher judge.
If your higher judges do not judge righteous judgments, ye shall cause that a small number of your lower judges should be gathered together, and they shall judge your higher judges, according to the voice of the people.
— Mosiah 29:28–29
After announcing the governmental shift from kings to judges, Mosiah explained the principle behind this change by saying,
The sins of many people have been caused by the iniquities of their kings;…
Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
— Mosiah 29:31, 26
The system of judges lasted for 120 years, when it was briefly overthrown for about three years (c. 30–33 AD) by an aristocratic cadre led by a man named Jacob. It was replaced by a loose system of tribes and kinships, which lasted until the Savior appeared in America and established a society that approached the ideals of Zion. This society last for about two centuries before the people fell into wickedness again.
After 4 Nephi, no mention is made of whether the Nephites used judges or kings. Mormon mentions that "the Lamanites had a king" (Morm. 2:9). His inclusion of this detail, phrased as it is, could be seen as a contrast to the Nephites having a chief judge. Coupled with the fact that no change in government form is specifically mentioned after 4 Nephi, most assume that the Nephites continued to use judges until their destruction in c. 385 AD.
Source: Wikipedia. Please dispute with citations if necessary.
