I have suggested earlier that the Brass Plates of Laban were written in an Egyptian script that was used by the Hebrews of that time as a "shorthand" for their written language. I also theorized that Nephi had been taught this abbreviated writing as a youth. This would have occurred when he was instructed in the "learning of the Jews (1 Ne. 1:1)." Nephi's "goodly" parents had the resources to provide him with an advanced education not available to most "common" Jews. He later made use of this skill in studying the scriptures on the Brass Plates, as well as in the historical and spiritual writings of his own.
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Now, this being the case, the question arises, who else in Lehi's family could read and write the Egyptian script? Obviously Lehi could because immediately upon receiving the plates he began to study them. Nephi, of course, could as he quotes from the plates, studies them, and understands the prophecies. How about Laman, Lemuel and Sam? How about Sariah and her daughters, or the children of Ishmael? It appears that they could not read them. We see that Lehi had to read and explain these writings to them. On several occasions the brothers had to ask Nephi for an explanation of what Lehi had been teaching them from the plates. This may have been part of the reason that Laman and Lemuel resented Nephi so much. It may have been part of the "cunning arts (1Ne. 16:38)" that they accuse him of using. Ignorance tends to breed jealousy.
Jacob, who was born in the desert, after the family left Jerusalem, did not have an opportunity to study as the older siblings had. Yet he seems to have the skill necessary to read the plates. In the later part of Second Nephi, and in his own writings in Jacob, he appears to quote from the plates, and teach many of the specific writings. Where did he learn this skill? I would suggest that Nephi probably taught him, as well as others, following their separation from the Lamanites. It was a skill possessed by all the Nephite record keepers after this time period.
Many of the later generations of Nephites had the ability to read the sacred records. These may have been written in Hebrew, but it is likely that the were in the Reformed Egyptian. This was apparently the common form of record keeping.
An interesting account is related in the Book of Mosiah. The same Amulonites that had enslaved Alma and his people, had also been appointed by the Lamanite king to be official teachers of his people in all their lands. We read: "And he appointed teachers of the brethren of Amulon in every land which was possessed by his people; and thus the language of Nephi began to be taught among all the people of the Lamanites. And they were a people friendly one with another; nevertheless they knew not God; neither did the brethren of Amulon teach them anything concerning the Lord their God, neither the law of Moses; nor did they teach them the words of Abinadi; But they taught them that they should keep their record, and that they might write one to another (Mosiah 24:4-6)."
Were the Amulonites teaching the Reformed Egyptian, or Hebrew? It is an interesting thing to consider. Reformed Egyptian may have been more common than I first thought.