Original sentence: According to the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites later ended up destroying the people who took upon themselves the name of Nephites.Later, after it describes a visitation of Christ to the Lamanites and Nephites, the book states that the people no longer identified themselves as separate groups because they were one people.Most non-Mormon scholars contend that Lamanites never existed outside of the text of the Book of Mormon.The Lamanites were originally called thus because they were as the descendants of Laman and his followers.The universal contention of non-Mormon scholars is that the Lamanites never existed outside of the text of the Book of Mormon.Those who believe in the Book of Mormon as a literal translation of an ancient record believe that the surviving Lamanites comprise some part, if not the primary origin, of Native Americans
Edited sentence: Lamanites, according to the universal contention of non-Mormon scholars, never existed outside of the imagination of Joseph Smith, who Mormons believe wrote the Book of Mormon.Later, after the visitation of Christ to the Lamanites and Nephites, the people no longer identified themselves as separate groups because they were one people.Mormons take Lamanite existence "by faith" in the Book of Mormon.Non-Mormon scholars universally contend that Lamanites never existed outside of the imagination of Joseph Smith, who Mormon's believe mediated authorship the Book of Mormon.Of these, there are several theories.The Lamanites later ended up destroying the people who took upon themselves the name of Nephites.The Lamanites were originally called thus because they were the descendants of Laman and his followers.Those who believe in The Book of Mormon as a literal translation of an ancient record believe that the surviving Lamanites comprise some part, if not the primary origin, of Native Americans