According to Brant Gardner, when Alma states that his listeners ought "to search the scriptures," it is an interesting allusion to the possible literacy of this population. It would be surprising in the ancient world to have a total farming population that was sufficiently literate to read the scriptures, however that may not be Alma's meaning here. We may have a phrase that is used more as an expression than as a literal indication of complete literacy. Alma may expect that they understand the scriptures, even from having heard them, which is the standard way in which such populations would have experienced the scriptures. In regards to this oral communication process, it is interesting to note that Alma does not pull out his pocket plates to read the passages of Zenos and Zenock which he will use, but rather cites them from memory. [Brant Gardner, Book of Mormon Commentary, [http://www.highfiber.com/~nahualli/LDStopics/] Alma/Alma33.htm, pp. 2-3]