Abstract: In the context of Lambda CDM, while larger structures in the Universe are thought to form hierarchically from the mergers of many smaller structures, the histories of individual galaxies are expected to vary widely. This raises the question of what we can learn about galaxies in general from studying just a few galaxies in great detail (i.e. the Milky Way and its nearest neighbors). In particular, in this talk I will outline what current and future studies of the phase- and abundance-space distributions of stars in the Local Group might tell us about how galaxies form and evolve throughout the Universe.<br>