All manner of -ites

[bl8tant]

I was thinking (I know, I know; it's bad for me) the other day.

We have Nephites, Mulekites, and all manner of other -ites in the Book of Mormon. I wonder why the people of Alma and the people of Mosiah are described in that way instead of as Almaites or Mosiahites.

[pam]

Do we need to find something for you to do in your spare time?

[Elgama]

not forgetting my daughetr's 3 Laminates (like the flooring), she got them mixed up with the 3 Nephites

[pam]

Then we could have Pergoites speaking of flooring.

Always makes me laugh when people spell it Laminates instead of Lamanites...reminds me of granite.

Oops...there is another ite.

[Elgama]

lol she actually says it laminates though its what they have become in our house

[pam]

Let's blame it on the Scottish accent. lol

[Hemidakota]

Utahites.

[NeuroTypical]

Utahites.

I think Hemi means "Utards".

I wanna be an anti-nephi-lehi!

[Hemidakota]

I am surprised Pam has not responded.

[martybess]

Utahites.

I like Hemiites

[Hemidakota]

[Dravin]

I was thinking (I know, I know; it's bad for me) the other day.

We have Nephites, Mulekites, and all manner of other -ites in the Book of Mormon. I wonder why the people of Alma and the people of Mosiah are described in that way instead of as Almaites or Mosiahites.

Nephite, Mulekite or Lamanite (or even Lemuelite) are statements of lineage of a sorts not so much of they follow, so it's like me identifying as American or what have you as opposed to me identifying as LDS. There are exceptions though for instance Amlicites and Zoramites.

I can see Alma or Mosiah discouraging such terminology for their part kinda like how Paul didn't want people he converted to think of themselves as Paulites (of Paul) but wanted to stress their common heritage of being of Christ. You tend to only see the (living person)ites from the 'bad guys' (the aforementioned Amlicites). Also this attitude of ites being devisive is kinda also seen in 4 Nephi 1. I think combined they discouraged an attitude of every prophet or teacher having ites named after them.

And don't forget we have an abridgment on our hands, while they very well may have thought of themselves as whateverites they may have been lumped together by Mormon. Just like how early Americans may have thought of themselves as people from their state first and Americans second, if I was recounting the history of this nation I'd tend to just lump them all together as Americans and not bother with the distinction between Virginian and Pennsylvanian unless pertinent (like Amlicites and Zoramites or Unionites and Confederatites).

Just my random ramblings.

[Blackmarch]

I was thinking (I know, I know; it's bad for me) the other day.

We have Nephites, Mulekites, and all manner of other -ites in the Book of Mormon. I wonder why the people of Alma and the people of Mosiah are described in that way instead of as Almaites or Mosiahites.

probably the main thing is

1. size of the group, and how close their relationship with their leader was.

2. Belief orientation.

Mosiah's people already were following the beliefs of nephi more or less.. whereas mulekites and all the other ites started their own thing.