Written vs Spoken

I have doubted Nephi when he said that his written words were less powerful than the spoken words among his people. I trained that the spoken words were powerful to Nephi because He was receptive to the Spirit just as his written words are powerful to me when I am receptive to the Spirit. There is some truth to that but as I think about it there is a difference between written and spoken words and speaking—especially in person—allows meaning to be communicated in ways that writing rarely can. I am now very open to the idea that written doctrine/testimony/witness will be hard pressed to match the power of spoken truth in most cases. As parents and teachers we should be mindful to ensure that we are providing adequate opportunities for live, responsive instruction of we want the best chance of helping our children form testimonies.