Learning ASL Through the Book of Mormon

It was one year ago when I decided to follow in the footsteps of our sweet return missionary interpreter, Rachel, who told me that the prophet promised that if we read the entire Book of Mormon in another language, we would have that language mastered. (See last paragraph of Awareness is Bliss.) Well, I have finally finished 1st Nephi in ASL. I knew this was going to take time.

When I started this task, my receptive skills were pretty bad. It’s one thing to be able to sign a few words and another thing to be able to understand when someone else signs. Fingerspelling is especially difficult for me to read.

When Rachel told me how she learned ASL by reading and watching the Book of Mormon, I asked her, “Doesn’t a person have to have some knowledge of a language before she can do this?” Rachel shrugged her shoulders and said, “Not really.” So I thought, ‘Ok, why not? I’ll give it a shot.’ What’s the worst that could happen? I wouldn’t understand anything in ASL and I would end up reading the Book of Mormon again.

August 2007: I start watching 1st Nephi 1:1. I can immediately see that ASL is not signed English. The first two words are written, “I, Nephi”. In ASL, she signs,” NEPHI ME”. She not only fingerspells his name first, she does it so smoothly and elegantly, it’s as if “Nephi” is a sign rather than a fingerspelled name. I am intrigued and practice it over and over so that I can do it precisely as she does it. [Several months later I come across this DVD.] When she signs ME, her face lets you know that she is telling the story as if she were Nephi.

I continue to watch but right away I am lost. “…having been born of goodly parents,” it reads, but what is she signing? I figure out how to watch the video in slow motion using Windows Media Player. I watch carefully and am able to pick out the first five signs that correspond to that phrase. I dig out the LDS Dictionary of Sign Language Terms and figure out the next two signs. This is work. I am going to have to write this down. So I write:

NEPHI ME MYSELF FINISH BORN THEM PARENTS RIGHTEOUS EXHALTATION

I feel that this is right and I am excited! ASL is wonderful. Nephi’s parents were not just goodly; they were righteous and exalted. I continue to watch, rewind, watch, pause, rewind, watch…and research the signs using the LDS ASL Dictionary, aslpro.com, and dictionary.com. (I haven’t used a dictionary this much in years!)

After what seems like three or four hours I figure out most of the first verse. I still do not understand a couple of signs and request the help of Rachel.

A week later: It only took me a week, but I finally am able to understand the first verse of the Book of Mormon in ASL.

NEPHI ME MYSELF FINISH BORN THEM PARENTS RIGHTEOUS EXHALTATION
THAT REASON MY FATHER HE KNOW THINGS ALL THINGS FINISH TEACH ME
AND TOTAL MY LIFE FINISH SEE THINGS PROBLEMS MANY
NOT-MATTER LORD HE FINISH SINCE MY LIFE WOW SUPPORT
POINT MYSELF FINISH MUCH KNOW THINGS ABOUT GOD HIS GOOD ALL LOVE
INCLUDE AND HIS HONESTY NOT-YET INFORM KNOW THINGS
THAT REASON EVENTS MY LIFE THAT I PROCEED HISTORY WRITE

You can see that ASL is not English grammar and probably does not make much sense, but watch it by someone who knows what she is doing:

 

The next 11 months: As time permits, I continue to read, watch, and write the Book of Mormon in ASL. I research the signs and request help when needed. I find out that what I have been doing is called Glossing ASL. I also find out that I’m not doing it right because I’m leaving out the important ASL classifiers, a subject I am just starting to understand. Regardless of my glossing skills, my ASL receptive skills have improved. I can almost watch a few verses now without having to slow it down or rewind the video.

August 28. 2008: I am nearing the end of “glossing” the First Book of Nephi. In my attempts to reduce the clutter in my computer, I accidentally delete a year’s worth of physical effort. I search frantically for a copy in my backup folders, RW disks, and USB drives. It’s gone. I cry and get angry at myself. I then remember that spiritually I have learned and gained more than I ever expected. I vow to continue on, perhaps not glossing every sign, but researching every unlearned sign and phrase until I finish the Book of Mormon in ASL or until I die, whichever comes first.

I simply love the Book of Mormon in ASL. It is not 2-dimensional; it is a living and breathing book. I think that’s pretty cool.