In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites (BoM ArabicنافيينNāfiyyīn) are a people descended from or associated with Nephi, a prophet who traveled with his family from Jerusalem to the Western Hemisphere circa 600 B.C. at the urging of God. The Nephites, initially a righteous people, eventually fell into wickedness, and they were utterly destroyed by their rivals the Lamanites circa A.D. 400.
Most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that the Nephites were a historic people. However, most mainstream archeologists argue that there is currently no compelling evidence that this group ever existed. The Mormon university Brigham Young University does archeological research in this area, and publications on this subject and other historical topics are issued by the FARMS organization associated with Brigham Young University.
