𐐜 𐐔𐐇𐐝𐐀𐐡𐐇𐐓 𐐈𐐢𐐙𐐈𐐒𐐇𐐓

𐐡𐐴𐐻𐑍 𐑁𐐱𐑉 𐑄 𐐇𐑌𐐼 𐐱𐑂 𐑄 𐐎𐑉𐑊𐐼

What is the Deseret Alphabet? | 𐐐𐐶𐐱𐐻 𐐮𐑆 𐑄 𐐔𐐯𐑅𐐨𐑉𐐯𐐻 𐐈𐑊𐑁𐐰𐐺𐐯𐐻?

Created in the 1850s as part of the effort to purify language and unify Mormon identity in advance of Christ’s millennial reign, the Deseret Alphabet had been abandoned by the 1870s. Once intended to promote literacy, conserve resources, and resist Gentile influence, the alphabet has found new life today through digital technology and renewed scholarly interest. As a phonetic alphabet, it offers clues as to how early Utahns actually spoke. While the alphabet no longer embodies the Mormon pursuit of perfection, its survival suggests an ongoing need for cultural differentiation among Latter Day Saint restorationists in Mormon country and beyond.

Excerpt from the New Testament manuscript

Excerpt from the Deseret Alphabet New Testament manuscripts (ca. 1869; Matthew 2:12-13).
Courtesy Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CR 244 415).

Spotlight on...

Research | 𐐡𐐨𐑅𐐲𐑉𐐽

Use our typographic resources for creating and displaying the Deseret in new ways.
Experience the Utah frontier through a child’s eyes with The Deseret Second Book.
Ever wonder how your fifth-great-grandmother pronounced cureloms (and lots of other words)? Check out our Comparative Lexicon of the Deseret Alphabet, launched in September 2025.

Publications | 𐐑𐐲𐐺𐑊𐐮𐐿𐐩𐑇𐐲𐑌𐑆

Ryan K. Shosted and N. E. Davis, The Deseret Alphabet: A Fixed and Unalterable Sound (forthcoming from University of Illinois Press in 2026), will provide an exhaustive historical account of the alphabet’s linguistic, social, and spiritual significance.

News | 𐐤𐐮𐐭𐑆

Salt Lake Tribune (May 2022)

Easy as ABC? No, but studying this Mormon pioneer alphabet is now easier. By Kaitlyn Bancroft. Two Illinois professors, both BYU grads, have made searchable transcripts of texts written in the 19th-century Deseret Alphabet.

Deseret News passages transcribed (September 2025)

The Illinois Deseret Consortium has completed the transcription of the Deseret News scripture passages in the Deseret Alphabet. These interesting documents were published between 1859-1860 and again in 1864, including excerpts from the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants.