Overview

Facing starvation and ruin on Utah's nineteenth-century frontier, Latter-day Saint pioneers launched an audacious experiment to reshape the English language: the Deseret Alphabet. Ryan K. Shosted and N. E. Davis trace the alphabet's origins in the linguistic vision of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, explore its contested social, spiritual, and linguistic functions, and examine its decline and modern-day renewal. Shosted and Davis draw on a wide range of sources, including previously unpublished archival material, to trace the alphabet's roots in Joseph Smith's esoteric translations and its role in shaping Latter-day Saint identity. Their account brings together theology, linguistics, and culture. As they show, the Deseret Alphabet remains relevant as a living artifact of a religion wrestling with its visionary origins and the divine potential of words. In-depth and up to date, The Deseret Alphabet traces the script's creation, use, and legacy across Latter-day Saint history.

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9780252049750

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Reviews

""An in-depth and first-rate analysis of the historical, social, and linguistic issues surrounding the Deseret Alphabet, leading up to the 1869 publication of the entire Book of Mormon (and afterwards, up to the present). This book serves as the critical background for a thorough study of the Deseret Alphabet. Highly recommended!"" --Royal Skousen, editor of The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text

Author Information

Ryan K. Shosted is a professor of linguistics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. N. E. Davis is an educator, engineer, and computer language designer.

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