Deseret (Deseret)

The Theodemocratic States of Deseret
Flag
Motto: "Peace Through Faith"
Anthem: For the Strength of the Hills
Capital	Salt Lake City
Largest city	Los Angeles
Official languages	English Spanish
Ethnic groups (2023)	50.41% White 21.68% Hispanic 6.09% Black 3.78% Native 3.27% Asian 1.06% Pacific Islander 8.48% Two or more 5.23% Other
Religion (2023)	46.61% Christianity 18.73% Protestant 14.95% Latter-day Saint 10.84% Catholic 2.09% Other Christian 44.49% Atheist 5.26% Muslim 1.64% Jewish 0.78% Agnostic 1.22% Other
Demonym(s)	Deseretian
Government	Federal presidential social democracy and theodemocracy
• President	Nicole Young
• Vice President	Madison West
• Assembly Speaker	Calla Elieisar
• Chief Justice	Savvanah Taite
Legislature	Citizens Assembly
Sovereign State
• Pioneers reach the Salt Lake Valley	22 July 1847
• Constitution ratified	14 May 1848
• Last state admitted	13 February 1973
• Last amendment ratified	4 December 2022
Area
• Total	597,851.35 sq mi (1,548,427.9 km2)
Population
• 2023 estimate	62,967,525
• 2020 census	58,552,297
• Density	105.3/sq mi (40.7/km2)
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
• Total	$12.544 trillion (4th)
• Per capita	$199,220.60 (1st)
Gini (2023)	0.14 low (1st)
HDI (2023)	0.975 very high (1st)
Currency	Deseret Dollar ($)
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
ISO 3166 code	DZ
Internet TLD	.dz

Deseret, officially called the Theodemocratic States of Deseret (TSD) and known locally as the Theodemocracy, is a country located in the western area of North America. It is comprised of 13 states and borders the United States of America to the north and east and Mexico to the south. Deseret has a population of 62 million, making it the third most populous country in North America. The capital of Salt Lake City was one of the first settlements founded in the Salt Lake Valley, while the most populous city of Los Angeles was one of the first settlements established within Deseret's current borders.

Deseret has been inhabited by indigenous Americans for several millenia. The first European expeditions were done by the Spanish in the mid 16th century, while permanent Spanish settlements were established in modern-day Columbia, including Los Angeles (1781) and San Diego (1769). Amid intense religious persecution and government-sanctioned mob violence in the United States throughout the 1830s-40s, Latter-day Saints pioneers settled modern-day New Israel and Utah, branching out into California, Arizona, Ephraim, and Mojave. Spanish and Latter-day Saint influences contributed greatly to the general culture of Deseret throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, although the nation has since become more diverse and secular.

Deseret experienced an economic and social shift in the 1910s and 20s towards socialism and social acceptance. These, combined with already existing and further religious influence, have led to extremely high levels of state-owenership and involvement in the economy and personal lives as the government seeks to keep people equal and accepting of one another.

Deseret has had extraordinary population growth throughout its history, thanks to high immigration rates in the west during the California Gold Rush from 1848-1855, immigration due to the Latter-day Saint community throughout the country, and high birth rates. Although the birth rate has dropped in recent years, Deseret continues to attract large amounts of immigrants due to liberal social and economic policies, particularly from Latin America, Africa, and the United States. Thanks to immigration surges and government policy, Deseret has become one of the most socially-accepting and economically equal countries in the world. Despite growing secularism and more liberal politics and philosophy, religion still plays a key role in government and society, albiet a more traditional and historical one.

The Deseret government is a federal social democracy, with three separate branches of government. It has had a unicameral national legislature since 2022, replacing the previous bicameral Congress. Many policy issues were once decentralized, with laws differing between states, but have recently become more centralized. Deseret ranks extremely high in international measures of quality of life, income equality, human rights, innovation, healthcare, and education, with one of the most liberal and robust social-safety and public-owned systems in the world, ranking 1st in terms of both HDI and the Gini coefficient. Deseret is one of the world's foremost leaders in science and healthcare innovation, especially engineering, agriculture, and biology, is one of the most environmentally-friendly nations in the world, and is at the forefront of new social, environmental, and economic research, with government policy seeking to establish social, racial, sexual, environmental, and economic justice and equity.

Etymology

The word Deseret (/dɛzəˈrɛt/ (listen)) is derived from the Book of Mormon in Ether 2:3, from the Jaredite language meaning "honeybee." Honeybees are a symbol of industry and community, representing hard work and communalism. Joseph Smith first coined the term "theodemocracy," which is a democratic or republican form of government where the ultimate authority is recognized as coming from God and where the people are given authority to rule in morality, justice, and righteousness. Latter-day Saints believe that after the Second Coming of Christ, a theodemocratic government will rule.

Several suggestions for naming the country were considered, although all serious contendors included the name 'Deseret.' These included the United States of Deseret, with inspiration taken directly from the United States of America, and the Theodemocracy of Deseret. However, in an effort to distinguish themselves from the United States, while still paying homage to their American culture, several high-ranking officials within the Church merged both ideas into the Theodemocratic States of Deseret, which includes both the federal (secular) and religious (theological) structures of the national government.

Government and politics

Federal government

Minority rights and powers

Latter-day Saints were repeatedly threatened and harrased by often government-sanctioned mobs and militias, who drove the Church from Ohio, to Missouri, to Illinois, then outside the borders of the U.S. to the Great Salt Lake. These experiences, along with key elements of Joseph Smith's 1844 presidential platform, were the founding principals behind the strong laws in Deseret regarding minorities and are known as minority philosophy. Under this ideology, the federal government is granted broad powers on the basis of protecting minority rights: including compensation for grievances, overriding state laws and orders that are targeted or harmful toward specific groups, presidential control of state militias, and the power to set up exclusive zones and reservations for specific minority groups.

The executive is given the most power to deal with minority rights and protections. The president has power to sieze direct control over and disband state militia units, to override laws passed by state-legislature and executive orders from governors, to issue writs of habeas corpus, to set up temporary zones of refuge for specific groups under direct federal jurisdiction, and to convene the Citizens Assembly to pursue further action against all involved parties. These presidential powers are known as emergency powers and are given when the president decides that those powers must be used for the benefit of besieged groups under immediate harm. The legislature is given power to issue compensation for past grievances and to establish permanent federal districts for specific minority groups to live, under the direct control of the Assembly and the president. The legislature also becomes a court by having the power to summon parties participating in the infringement of minority rights and to charge them with insubordination, treason, insurrection, or defiance of constitutional law.

Demographics

Population

The Census Bureau collects data and tabulated total population statistics every quarter, alongside its more in-depth decennial census. The Census Bureau reported 64,012,407 inhabitants as of 1 April 2023. In 2023 the population has increased about eight people per minute, or one every 15 seconds.

Religion

Self-identified religious affiliation in Deseret (2023)

  Protestant (18.73%)

  Latter-day Saint (14.95%)

  Catholic (10.84%)

  Other Christian (2.09%)

  Muslim (5.26%)

  Jewish (1.64%)

  Buddhist (0.41%)

  Other (0.81%)

  Agnostic (0.78%)

  Athiest (44.49%)

While rooted in Christian tradition and history, Deseret has become more religiously diverse, neutral, and secular. Less than half of residents currently identify as Christian, while nearly as many identity as non-religious or athiest. Slighly over half the population professes a belief in a higher power. The increase in athiesim is primarily due to increased immigration, more liberal and secular social policies, and the general trend toward irreligion in western countries.

Sexuality

Self-identified sexuality and gender (2023)

  Lesbian (3.26%)

  Gay (3.03%)

  Bisexual (3.42%)

  Trans Female (2.02%)

  Trans Male (1.86%)

  Intersex/Agender (0.17%)

  Other (0.62%)

  Straight/Cis Female (46.48%)

  Straight/Cis Male (44.35%)

As of the 2020 decennial census members of the LGBTQIA+ Community comprised 5.42% of the population, or 3,173,534 individuals. It is estimated that as of 1 April 2023, the LGBTQIA+ Community comprised 14.38% of the population, or 9,054,730 individuals. This dramatic increase in the LGBTQIA+ population is the result of more people coming out and increased immigration; which are both primarily the result of two reasons:

First, the strong public acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ Community. A recent poll by the Census Bureau found that, in 2022, 92% of the population supported same-sex marriage, while 87% held a favorable view of the LGBTQIA+ Community overall. As society has moved more toward total acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ Community, more people have felt comfortable publicly and privately expressing themselves and identifying as LGBTQIA+. In past years, such as the recent decennial census, many who identified as LGBTQIA+ felt afraid or threatened of making known, even in anonymous surveys, their identity.

Second, constitutionally protected rights included same-sex marriage, gender/sex-transitioning, and other LGBTQIA+ rights have meant that LGBTQIA+ individuals have had greater ease and comfort in making known their identity and in making their own private choices. Strong legal protections have, much like public acceptance, led to more LGBTQIA+ individuals expressing themselves and making known their identity and have led to immigration of LGBTQIA+ individuals.

The federal government recognizes six official sexes: Cisgender Female (born and identifies as female), Cisgender Male (born and identifies as male), Transgender Female (not born but identifies as or transitioned to female), Transgender Male (not born but identifies as or transitioned to male), Intersex (born, identifies, or transitioned with both female and male anatomy/qualities), and Agender (born, identifies, or transitioned with no distiguishable female or male anatomy/qualities).