To Write or Not to Write

So for this post I'm going to deviate a little bit from the civilization I've been covering, but I think it's appropriate given what we've been talking about in class. (But the writing that I'm talking about was written in reformed Egyptian so its kinda almost related)

Today in class we touched briefly on the characteristics of the civilizations that some of us have been studying that did not have written languages. It's difficult to determine why they didn't develop such a system, but the effects of that lack of development are blatantly obvious. We know very little about those without a writing system, and their societies do no appear as advanced as their writing counterparts, (In most cases, barring the Incas who appear to be an exception to the rule). The Book of Mormon gives a perfect example of the different paths civilizations might take depending on their development  (or use) of a written language. Keep reading after the jump to find out more!
For those of you who aren't familiar with the goings on of the Book of Mormon who might be reading this, let me give you a brief background story to set up my topic. Basically a group of people left Jerusalem at around 600 B.C.E. and sailed across the ocean to the Americas. Once they got there, tensions quickly mounted to the point where they split into two distinct groups- the Nephites and the Lamenites. One of the key differences between these groups is that the Nephites had written records that contained teachings and prophecies from prophets of old, as well as records they kept of their time, thereby preserving their language. On the other hand, the Lamenites did not have these ancient records, and they did not keep their own records, so their language became corrupt.

In class there have been a few times when we mentioned this distinct example of the benefits of having a writing system, but we've avoided going into to much depth, so I will try to remain as light on the subject as possible. There are even examples of other people throughout the Book of Mormon (though chief among them are the Lamenites) and with each example we see a people who had lost the integrity of their spoken language, had branched off from the teachings of their fathers, and had forgotten their beliefs.

These things are definitely evident on a national or "civilizational" level, but what about on a more individual scale? (Record keeping and its benefits for both an entire people and individuals was the topic of our assignment in Book of Mormon class this week, which prompted me to make this post) I'd like to share one example of the spoken words of one man having a profound effect on an entire group when they forget the written records which were meant to instruct them. The Book of Jacob, Chapter 7 tells the story of a man named Sherem who preached to the people that there would be no Christ. He " was ^alearned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much ^bflattery, and much power of speech, according to the ^cpower of the devil." Just to clarify, I am not saying that the art of speech is "of the devil." However, I would argue that the passions of men may be more easily persuaded by a single charismatic speaking than by reading countless words and warnings which have been handed down for centuries. In this instance Sherem confronts the prophet Jacob, denies the existence of a Christ, and then asks Jacob for a sign to prove His existence. Sherem is overcome by the power of the Lord and is unconscious for several days, and when he awakens he repentantly denounces everything he said before, confesses a belief in Christ, and then dies. In the closing verses Jacob writes, "And it came to pass that peace and the ^alove of God was restored again among the people; and they ^bsearched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man."

Without delving too much into the religious context of this example, I'd like to pose the question why exactly do civilizations that have and use an established written language seem to fare better, both in the advancement and continuity of their society? I would say that writing provides a foothold that allows society to progress without losing hold of what got them to that point in the first place. What do you think? What causes a people to develop a writing system, and what makes them better for it? Or what about an exception to the rule like the Incas, what makes them so special?