“The descendants of Lehi’s party consistently divided themselves into seven tribes [see Jacob 1:13; 4 Nephi 1:38; Mormon 1:8]. … Significantly, these references come from the earliest as well as the latest periods of Nephite history, indicating the importance and persistence of kinship as a basic element in this society … .
“Though different forms of government might come and go in Nephite history, the underlying family fabric of this society remained permanent. Even in the darkest days of political collapse, all the people still had ‘much family,’ and the tribal structure was present to supplant the collapsed government (see 3 Nephi 7:2–4)” (Sorenson et al., “Seven Tribes,” 93–94).