The Nephites are probably a relatively small population, with Nephi serving as both political and religious leader. However, he now appoints Jacob and Joseph as priests. The fact that they are given religious titles and functions suggests the priority of religious government over political government.
Culture: Nephi’s mention of “the land of my people” implies that the Nephites have claimed and occupied a specific region with the population distributed over it. A town/city serves as the legal, economic, and ritual center of the community. Politically associated with that center is a large amount of farmland on which most of the people live and work. The Nephites in this first thirty years (2 Ne. 5:28) had such a central location, as manifested by their temple. Thus, Jacob and Joseph may be teachers who travel among the outlying population, rather than waiting for the people to come to the town for festivals or ritual occasions.
As already discussed, the town probably consisted of wood buildings. Nephi’s catalogue of skills did not include stone masonry. (See commentary accompanying 2 Nephi 5:15–16.) The only building material Nephi mentions is wood.