KnoWhy #319 - Why Did Lehi Divide His People Into Seven Tribes? (Jacob 1:13)

When giving his final patriarchal blessings, Lehi organized his people into the following seven tribes: Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. The number seven was held sacred by biblical writers and by various peoples in ancient America, which may help explain why Lehi's seven tribes lasted through nearly a thousand years of Nephite history. Importantly, the Lord Himself referred to these same tribes in Doctrine and Covenants 3:16–18, suggesting that, like the twelve tribes of Israel, they will provide an enduring basis for family connections among the descendants of Lehi.