The Zoramites were a distinct group of people within the broader Nephite civilization, recognized as one of the divisions of the people who were not Lamanites after their separation from the Lamanites. They trace their lineage back to Zoram, the servant of Laban who joined Lehi’s family in their exodus from Jerusalem around 600 B.C. and subsequently married the oldest daughter of Ishmael (1 Nephi 16:7). As inheritors of Zoram’s legacy, the Zoramites were identified along with other Nephite kindred groups, including the Jacobites and Josephites (Jacob 1:13). The term “Zoramite”, as used by Jacob, referred to one of the various Nephite tribal or family divisions, with all friendly to Nephi collectively being called Nephites (Jacob 1:14).
By the year A.D. 231, the Zoramites were noted as true believers in Christ among the Nephite people, contrasting them with their Lamanite counterparts who had come to identify the church members by the tribal divisions of their heritage, including the Zoramites, reflecting a preserved distinction of lineage and belief within the society (4 Nephi 1:36-37).
During the periods of Nephite civil strife and war, the Zoramites continued to be counted among the Nephites, participating in their societal and military endeavors as seen when the Nephite forces included the Zoramites in their ranks, suggesting an integrated, yet distinct presence within the Nephite community (Mormon 1:8).
In modern revelation, the Zoramites’ significance extends beyond the historical Nephite narrative. It is indicated that the knowledge of the Savior would come to their descendants in the latter days through the testimony preserved in the Book of Mormon, securing the Zoramites’ role in the unfolding plan of salvation (D&C 3:16-20). This promise embraces not only the Zoramites but also the other branches of the House of Israel that had become part of the Promised Land’s ancient inhabitants.