From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Deseret is a term originally derived from the Book of Mormon, the distinctive holy text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormon groups. According to the Book of Mormon, "deseret" meant "honeybee" to Hebrew Christians living in ancient America.
"Deseret" was a proposed name for the State of Utah. Brigham Young, leader of the Mormons and also governor of the Utah Territory from 1850 to 1858, favored the name as a symbol of Industry. Like the honeybee, Young thought his followers should be productive and self-sufficient.
The US Federal Government ultimately rejected the name "Deseret" because of its religious significance, and the territory was instead admitted to the union in 1896 as "Utah," a name derived from the resident Ute indians. However, some vestiges of the name survive. For example, the state symbol of Utah is a beehive, an emblem also found on Utah's flag. The state nickname is furthermore the "Beehive State," even though beehives aren't particularly notable in Utah.
Various businesses also use "Deseret" or "Beehive" as part of their name, particularly those that have connections to the LDS Church. The most prominent example is the odd and anachronistic name of the Deseret News, Utah's second-largest daily newspaper.
See also: Deseret alphabet, State of Deseret
