What is the Deseret Alphabet? 𐐈𐑌𐐼 𐐿𐐭𐐼𐐬𐑆 𐑁𐐫𐑉 𐐻𐑉𐐰𐑌𐑅𐑊𐐩𐐻𐐮𐑍 𐑄𐐮𐑅! Ep. 178

[@micheleh3851]

I have never heard of the Deseret alphabet before. David, I appreciate your knowledge of both important and quirky LDS history you always feature on this channel.

[@weirdlanguageguy]

I love the deseret alphabet! I learned it last spring and I've been reading the book of mormon in it ever since. 𐐌 𐐰𐐺𐑅𐐬𐑊𐑏𐐻𐑊𐐮 𐑊𐐲𐑂 𐑄𐐮𐑅 𐐰𐑊𐑁𐐩𐐺𐐯𐐻! The deseret alphabet is the perfect intersection between all my interests: historical linguistics, dialect reconstruction, religion, history, phonetics, cool alphabets, books, and my family culture. I highly recommend learning it; it's just so fun!

[@clintonlemarluke1507]

My linguistics teacher at BYU told us about a diary kept in Deseret Alphabet. Since it is phonetic, the author's accent could be determined. From his accent, linguists were able to determine the probable area where he had been raised. They went to the town in that area and found his brith records.

[@VinDoyNew]

I love this kinda stuff. Things like this are why my main form of doodling is writing my own alphabets lol

[@MrM7thousand]

The Deseret Alphabet is also used by a lot of modern Latter-day Saint artists with fascinating results

[@DannyAGray]

About 3 years ago, I put in a lot of effort to learn to read and write Deseret. It's really fun to try. I'll get back to it once I brush up on my Spanish a little more.

[@MaestroAki]

This is the peculiar stuff we Latter-day Saints should not forget about! Love it!

[@SaintsUnscripted]

:)

[@Free_PalestinePLEASE]

@@SaintsUnscripted how do you get the font on IOS?

[@kenzopizarro1573]

@@SaintsUnscriptedjee

[@exxelsetijadi5348]

​@@Free_PalestinePLEASE try looking up the noto sans deseret font that google made and downloading it from the google font site; though i don't know IOS can use it or not since i've never used apple products

[@Zyzzyx777]

One of the cool things about the BoM in the Deseret Alphabet is that it preserved the pronunciation of the names from BY’s time period. There is an awesome article from The Interpreter Foundation that talks about it. “Say now Shibboleth or maybe Cumorah” it was called I think.

[@bryansnell]

The ovaltine reference and clip from Christmas Story absolutely cracked me up! Nice work!

[@rebeccalarson7995]

That was incredible! You made that very entertaining.

[@truthseeker4470]

Fascinating. Reminds me how Ataturk changed written Turkish--in the 20th century--to use the Roman alphabet...or how Mongolian started using the Cyrillic alphabet. Both of those were examples of the successful changing of the script to something more "rational". It actually wasn't a bad idea for English to be Reformed this way...but I think the sheer volume of works already printed in English (even at Brigham Young's time) would make a lot of resistance to this idea.

[@MaybeMable111]

My husband was saying if we make the letter C only make the ch sound and the letter G only make the ga sound, that would solve problems! The letters S and K already cover the other two sounds for C (like the C's in circus), and the J would cover the soft G.

[@adrianjamesdelfin7414]

Like the C in the Indonesian word 'bacod'. Another suggestion. X is pronounced either as 'ks', 's' or 'z'. Why not make that the pronunciation 'sh', so that 'sure' would be spelled as 'xure'.

[@Lurker1979]

Kind of reminds me of the push for Esperanto

[@JozziBug]

Shavian Alphabet brought me here

[@TroySchoonover]

I knew what it was going to say as soon as it started with "Be".

[@NathanBird]

I started studying the Deseret Alphabet on my mission during quarantine, quite interesting! Is there a font you used to type the characters or did you copy and paste them? Also, I think you might have a typo in your description and one of the practice phrases; where you meant "up" it was translated as the letters 'u' and 'p' spoken phonetically..!

[@kenisu3000]

Loved the Brian Regan clip!

[@purplerain0517]

I'm dyyyyiiing! Ralphiiiiieeee! 🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭😭🤣🤣😭 ....I admit fully, I peed a tiny bit from laughing at that clip.

[@DannyAGray]

Sherry, why does it feel like its been forever since you've been in the comments? Too busy with your secret combinations? 🤣🤣🤣

[@purplerain0517]

@@DannyAGray muahahahaaaa... Ah yesss, you know us single mom grocery store cashiers and our ...um... devious plots to .... ah... uhhh... Aw man... I got nothin.. But in my defense.... I've got debilitating back pain, combined ADHD, two kids at home (also with ADHD) and a book to write. Heyyyy.... I did have something! Maybe not something as funny as I was trying for... but hey - half a loaf is better than none! 🤷‍♀️💁‍♀️🤭😆

[@tylerahlstrom4553]

Brigham Young was definitely on to something. I’ve also attempted to reform written English in a humorous article I wrote. Too bad this never stuck. Written English makes no sense whatsoever. It has a few rules but then repeatedly breaks them. You basically have to just memorize thousands of words just to be able to spell.

[@kathrynehiersche1817]

Thank you so much for pointing out that the Deseret Alphabet wasn't ordained by God. I few years ago some friends found out about the alphabet and laughed about it because "Why would god think that was necessary??"

[@benjaminjones2250]

The Matt Colbo clip was a pleasant surprise

[@johnwgarrett1]

Love this! Imagine the hubris to create a new written alphabet. Too bad it became literary debris... I kinda wish they would have used common symbols and just simplified spelling, but then it wouldn't be so cool to look at...

[@Wylieguy]

Great video as always guys! I was wondering if you would consider going over the controversy that is Doctrine and Covenants section 10. I've always wondered about it. (Also, thanks David for reaching out to the missionaries on facebook during the pandemic, it helped us out a lot!)

[@recsporteducation4594]

Member all my life, and first I've heard of this. Also, I can totally relate and wish this caught on. Looks a lot better then our English.

[@ANONM60D]

Deseret alphabet vs. Shavian alphabet. Which is more efficient?

[@Misakachichan]

Wow! Quite a few of these characters looks similar to the Shavian Alphabet! (Shavian is ALSO another Alphabet alternative for the English Alphabet)

[@Drewinsk]

0:18 Love the pop-in in the intro 😂

[@abelw.6033]

I took a bit of time today to memorize the deseret alphabet and then stumbled upon your video. It's fun to read the tombstone in your video (without referencing each character one by one) and then reading your secret messages in the video title and description. As I read the summary of the video, the last sentence was funny. That said - and I still haven't gone to the online translator - it seems like your second to last sentence ends with the words "and a sturdy thummy yookie." I have no idea what you mean by that. Is it supposed to say a "sturdy yummy cookie?" Also, I was looking at an original Deseret Alphabet reader this week and what stood out to me was that the reader you referenced in this video actually sounds out the word "Deseret" differently than what's in the OG book. That said, maybe the different readers spelled things slightly different, depending upon the accent of the author. Funnily enough, google searching for "deseret alphabet" also shows the version of "Deseret" listed in your video rather than the one I see in this physical copy of the original reader.

[@Imacrab398]

𐐘 is my favorite letter of the Deseret alphabet because it looks very similar to the sussy imposter from among us

[@SaintsUnscripted]

😂

[@Faith-Trust-Pixie-Dust]

Love how this was basically just the IPA 😂

[@joscelynpease6656]

Love it, amazing!!! I heard about this at a Daughter of Utah Pioneers meeting.

[@ElijahNazars]

Is deseret a version of the shavian alphabet?

[@lamaramariewilson6746]

I have the whole Book Of Mormon in this script!😀 I got it off Amazon...

[@SaintsUnscripted]

Whoa! That's really cool. Have you read it cover to cover yet?

[@lamaramariewilson6746]

@@SaintsUnscripted No! I’m just getting to learn the alphabet! But I have been studying the Book of Mormon and have watched some of the new series on KZbin. I’m only on 1 Nephi lol. Also I have you heard of the black Hebrew Israelites? They say that many black Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics are descended from Hebrews. I’m of a mixed heritage which includes all of these groups and now that I’m studying the BOM I have made the connection that this is our history!😀 What do you think?

[@89Awww]

I'd like to think that there's an alternate history where Deseret survived as a Mormon theocracy and this alphabet fully replaced the chaotic English orthography within the borders of Deseret... 𐐌𐐼 𐑊𐐴𐐿 𐐻ı 𐑃𐐮𐑍𐐿 𐑄𐐰𐐻 𐑄𐐯𐑉𐑆 ı𐑌 𐐫𐑊𐐻ı𐑉𐑌ı𐐻 𐐸𐐮𐑅𐐻ı𐑉𐐮 𐐸𐐶𐐯𐑉 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻 𐑅𐐲𐑉𐑂𐐴𐑂𐐼 𐐰𐑆 ı 𐐣𐐫𐑉𐑋ı𐑌 𐑃𐐨𐐱𐐿𐑉ı𐑅𐐮 𐐰𐑌𐐼 𐑄𐐮𐑅 𐐰𐑊𐑁ı𐐺𐐯𐐻 𐑁𐐳𐑊𐐮 𐑉𐐮𐐹𐑊𐐩𐑅𐐻 𐑄ı 𐐿𐐩𐐱𐐻𐐮𐐿 𐐮𐑍𐑀𐑊𐐮𐑇 𐐫𐑉𐑃𐐱𐑀𐑉ı𐑁𐐮 𐐶𐐮𐑃𐐮𐑌 𐑄ı 𐐺𐐫𐑉𐐼ı𐑉𐑆 𐐲𐑂 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻.

[@StewartFletcher]

Dang I've never heard of this. I thought I knew all the major controversial stuff

[@lamaramariewilson6746]

Lol, there is always something new to learn!

[@manofculture467]

I want to learn this so badly for some reason

[@netdude1984]

this is hilarious. Jay Zeazy would approve

[@BouncermanDotCom]

Deseret vs Shavian?

[@VikingInka]

Interesting video. I'm partial to the Shavian alphabet.

[@peterblair4448]

So fun! I have the first book.

[@jbailey1898]

Hmmm, I'm sure it seemed relevant at the time. Like many things-when looking back at it from a couple hundred years in the future-it seems a bit weird. But, it didn't hurt anyone, so whatever.

[@Kristy_not_Kristine]

It is very interesting:)

[@fredloeper8579]

Ah! So this is NOT what is written on Moroni's Banner of Liberty or whatever the heck that was. What was that language? Not Hebrew, was it?

[@protochris]

Should have stuck with simply a modified Roman alphabet, rather than reinventing a new one. Even during Young's lifetime, the alphabet had fallen out of favor.

[@Sarahbo00713]

This is a similar idea to the international phonetic alphabet. Personally, I would have liked if Brigham Young did the IPA instead, especially since most of the symbols match with our familiarity of reading . It's only the vowels that have changed.

[@georgeschlaline6057]

Confusing

[@hollayevladimiroff131]

This is crazy!!

[@mikehunt3420]

French be frenching even in English lol

[@mikefoxtrot1314]

Certainly not the worst idea to generate from Brigham Young.

[@bud-yo]

Hmmm, neat

Ah, great, learning English will be a lot easier when you additionally have to learn a completely new alphabet…

[@keznal4710]

𐑀

[@bonnienandino6942]

I'm too old to learn it.

[@lamaramariewilson6746]

You can do it! Learn one letter every week!

[@harryhenderson2479]

Is this kinda how Reformed Egyptian came to be? 😀

[@bryanpoulsen8969]

Carrying on the fine tradition of making up languages/alphabets started by Joseph Smith, e.g. "reformed Egyptian" in the book of Mormon and whatever he pulled out of his ass for the Book of Abraham.

[@personofinterest8731]

Deformed English?

[@edcwseferg3603]

Very culty idea. If Mormon kids only know the Deseret alphabet, they'd be far easier to control.

[@TorvicsVlogs]

𐐁 𐑀𐑉𐐩𐐻 𐑂𐐮𐐼𐐨𐐬 𐑃𐐰𐑍𐐿 𐐷𐐭 𐑁𐐫𐑉 𐑋𐐩𐐿𐐮𐑍 𐐮𐐻!