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What We Learn from the Proclamations of the Restoration
Throughout the history of the restored Church, leaders have issued six different proclamations. Do we know what they are and what we can learn from them?
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leaders issue various letters, statements, declarations, or, in some cases, more formal documents like proclamations to Church members or to the public as a whole.
All formal declarations—including proclamations—“have been solemn and sacred in nature and were issued with the intent to bring forth, build up, and regulate the affairs of the Church as the kingdom of God on the earth. Subject matter has included instruction on doctrine, faith, and history; warnings of judgments to come; invitations to assist in the work; and statements of Church growth and progress.”1
The most recent proclamation, issued by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles, was read by President Russell M. Nelson in the April 2020 general conference, during the year of the 200th anniversary of the First Vision.
“We wondered if a monument should be erected,” President Nelson said. “But as we considered the unique historic and international impact of that First Vision, we felt impressed to create a monument not of granite or stone but of words—words of solemn and sacred proclamation—written, not to be carved in ‘tables of stone’ but rather to be etched in the ‘fleshy tables’ of our hearts.”2
Unlike other statements from the Church, proclamations are rare. Here is a look at what six proclamations issued by Church leaders have contained.
1. “A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered Abroad” (1841)
The first official Church proclamation was published in the January 15, 1841, issue of the Church periodical Times and Seasons in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA, by the First Presidency at that time—Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith.
The proclamation encouraged Saints in the British Isles to immigrate to Nauvoo and recommended how they should do so. It came at a significant time for the Church, as several members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were preaching the gospel in the British Isles. It was a proclamation given to a specific group of people for that specific time.
The second paragraph of the proclamation reads, “We have to congratulate the Saints on the progress of the great work of the ‘last days;’ for not only has it spread through the length and breadth of this vast continent; but on the continent of Europe, and on the Islands of the sea, it is spreading in a manner entirely unprecedented in the annals of time.”3
And then near the end of the proclamation came the call: “As watchmen to the house of Israel, as Shepherds over the flock which is now scattered over a vast extent of country, and the anxiety we feel for their prosperity and everlasting welfare, and for the carrying out the great and glorious purposes of our God, to which we have been called, we feel to urge its necessity, and say, let the Saints come here—This is the word of the Lord, and in accordance with the great work of the last days.”4
2. “Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (1845)
Another proclamation was issued on April 6, 1845, by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, over nine months after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. The Lord commanded Church leaders to make this proclamation in a revelation received January 19, 1841 (see Doctrine and Covenants 124:2–4). The proclamation was first printed and distributed in New York, New York, USA, in April 1845 and then in Liverpool, England, in October 1845. This document addressed the leaders of all nations and proclaimed that the heavens were open and the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored. It also contained an invitation for all to assist in God’s work.
“To all the kings of the world; to the president of the United States of America; to the governors of the several states; and to the rulers and people of all nations:
“Greeting. Know ye that the kingdom of God has come, as has been predicted by ancient prophets, and prayed for in all ages; even that kingdom which shall fill the whole earth, and shall stand for ever.”5
In 1975, President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994), who was then the President of the Quorum of the Twelve, read from this proclamation in his general conference address, saying it was fitting to “reaffirm the great truths” and “proclaim them anew to the world.”6
“To the rulers and peoples of all nations, we solemnly declare again that the God of heaven has established his latter-day kingdom upon the earth in fulfillment of prophecies,” President Benson said in his address. He continued: “Holy angels have again communed with men on the earth. God has again revealed himself from heaven and restored to the earth his holy priesthood with power to administer in all the sacred ordinances necessary for the exaltation of his children.”7
3. Proclamation from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1865)
Another proclamation was released on October 21, 1865, to correct some theories and speculation about the nature of God that had been taught without the consent of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve. The proclamation clarified that Church doctrine is only to be issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“There is but one man upon the earth, at one time, who holds the keys to receive commandments and revelations for the Church, and who has the authority to write doctrines by way of commandment unto the Church,” the proclamation reads.8
4. “Proclamation from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (1980)
This proclamation was issued on the 150th anniversary of the organization of the Church, which occurred on April 6, 1830. It was announced by President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) and read by then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) during the Sunday morning session of general conference on April 6, 1980. It was broadcast from the Peter Whitmer Sr. log home, where the Church was organized.
“We testify that this restored gospel was introduced into the world by the marvelous appearance of God the Eternal Father and his Son, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ,” it reads. “That most glorious manifestation marked the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise of Peter, who prophesied of ‘the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began,’ this in preparation for the coming of the Lord to reign personally upon the earth (Acts 3:21).”9
5. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (1995)
To many Church members today, the family proclamation is perhaps the most well-known of all the proclamations. President Gordon B. Hinckley first read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” at the General Relief Society Meeting on September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. President Hinckley said the proclamation was meant to “warn and forewarn” and described it as a “declaration and reaffirmation of standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history.”10
The family proclamation discusses the Church’s doctrine on eternal marriage between a man and a woman, gender, family responsibilities, and the importance of fidelity to marriage covenants.
The Brethren concluded the proclamation with this charge: “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”11
6. “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World” (2020)
On April 5, 2020, the world received a new proclamation in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s First Vision. The proclamation, titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” was presented by President Russell M. Nelson during general conference:
“Two hundred years have now elapsed since this Restoration was initiated by God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Millions throughout the world have embraced a knowledge of these prophesied events.
“We gladly declare that the promised Restoration goes forward through continuing revelation. The earth will never again be the same, as God will ‘gather together in one all things in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:10).”12
These proclamations are evidence that God has spoken to His prophets and apostles throughout Church history and that He continues to do so today.