The Deseret Alphabet

[silverfox]

My daughter is learning about Utard history in class. She showed me the Deseret Alphabet that was used by Pioneers in "the early days".

She is being taught that this alphabet was used because there were so many foreigners coming to Utard and it was an attempt to get everyone to use one language.

I've always understood it was used as a "code" - a way to communicate via letters, etc.

Interesting.

http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/deseretalphabet.htm?FACTNet

[elder_nomo]

Thanks for this, Silverfox. It's something I've always wondered about. Very interesting, and very revealing.

The link includes this quote from BY (speaking of the deseret alphabet):
"It will also be very advantageous to our children. It will be the means of introducing uniformity in our orthography, and the years that are now required to learn to read and spell can be devoted to other studies."

This is SOOO mormon.
Of course there is that obsessive need for uniformity. But even more MO, his intention was to stop teaching the children the standard alphabet. What a great way to control the flow of information to your followers! And to limit their ability to communicate with outsiders. And so much more opportunity for isolation and secrecy.

The mind reels. :Crazy: Is there any other religion that has reached so far in its quest for control?

In a side note, I have to smile at his claim that the kids could devote more time to "other studies"... Now just what do you suppose those studies would be?