“The Nephites sought diligently to make peace with the Lamanites … ‘[and] the people of Nephi did till the land.’ In this one paragraph we learn what the peaceful pursuits of the Nephites were. We would call them, farmers and stockmen. The picture Enos draws of the degradation into which the Lamanites had fallen at this early age is a pitiable one. On the other hand the Nephites were a rural, pastoral people, rich in grain and fruits, flocks and herds. They were industrious in their habits and committed but few offenses” (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 493–94).