Textual: Here begins an inserted letter. The fact that this is a letter once again confirms some level of literacy among the Nephite elite. Of course that is precisely where history tells us that we ought to find literacy. In contrast to the later Maya world where the scribes were apparently a specialized set, possibly the elite who were not in line for the throne, (see Norman Hammond. “Inside the Black Box: Defining Maya Polity.” Classic Maya Political History. Cambridge University Press, 1991, p. 264, and William L. Fash. Scribes, Warriors and Kings. Thames and Hudson, 1991, p. 136) in the Nephite world we find a religious leader (Helaman) and a military man (Moroni) who are clearly literate.
We may also learn something from this letter above and beyond the content. We should understand that it must have been written on some type of paper. The length of the letter and the need to carry it to Moroni both counterindicate metal plates. Even thought we know that plates were used, they would have been used in special occasions, and writing letters certainly would not qualify as an occasion warranting the use of metal.