1845 Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Introduction

Quorum of Twelve: Brigham Young (President), Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Willard Richards, Lyman Wight, and Amasa Lyman

Just four days after the First Presidency issued what has become known as the first Proclamation of this dispensation, the Lord gave a revelation on January 19, 1841, to the Prophet Joseph Smith instructing him to issue another proclamation. The Lord notes several important points about this forthcoming Proclamation: 1) the instruction to write it came as a result of the prayers of the Prophet Joseph Smith; 2) it was to be directed “to all the kings of the world, to the four corners thereof, to the honorable president-elect, and the high-minded governors of the nation in which you live, and to all the nations of the earth scattered abroad”; 3) it was to be written in a spirit of meekness by the influence and power of the Holy Spirit; 4) it should contain a clear call to prepare for the coming of the Lord and to help build up Zion (see D&C 124:1-17).

In 1841, there were approximately 165 distinct sovereign political entities in a world of just over one billion people. The president-elect of the United States in January 1841 was William Henry Harrison, and there were 26 states in the growing nation. Writing a single proclamation to an audience this vast and varied would have been a daunting assignment indeed.

Although Robert B. Thompson and John C. Bennett were initially called to assist the Prophet in writing this Proclamation (see D&C 124:12, 16), Thompson passed away on August 27, 1841, and there is no record of Bennet ever being involved with its production. The Prophet gave some instructions to Willard Richards regarding this Proclamation on December 22, 1841.¹ And there appears to be an early draft of the beginning of this Proclamation in the Church archives.² However, other pressing ecclesiastical, temporal, and civil matters in establishing the city of Nauvoo seem to have pushed the writing of this Proclamation to the periphery. The next mention of this Proclamation in our current historical record comes on November 15, 1843,³ and just a few days later on November 21, Joseph Smith delegated the writing of the Proclamation to Willard Richards (who may have been involved with the initial draft), W.W. Phelps, John Taylor, and Orson Hyde.⁴ However, growing tensions in Nauvoo and the Prophet’s upcoming presidential campaign (which launched in January 1844) seems to have sidelined the writing of the Proclamation once again.

About seven months after the Prophet’s death in Carthage, Elder Parley P. Pratt, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, wrote a letter to his Quorum President, Brigham Young. Elder Pratt was presiding over the Eastern States mission and serving as editor of a New York City-based Latter-day Saint newspaper, The Prophet. On February 16, he informed President Young that feeling “led by the Spirit,” having a “zeal to do good,” and in response to a previous request from President Young,⁵ he had written, “A Proclamation of the twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” While he had printed several initial copies dated April 6, 1845 (presumably in commemoration of the upcoming anniversary of the organization of the Church), he humbly submitted a copy to the Quorum for their “judgment and sanction.” Elder Pratt reported that “my heart burned within me during the writing of the same,” but he invited the “due examination” and “careful perusal” of his Quorum to determine whether or not the document was “found to be dictated in all things by the power of the Holy Ghost.”⁶ Notices published in The Prophet on April 19, 26, and May 3 announced the pending publication of the Proclamation once the rest of the Quorum had signed off on it.⁷ Not having received approval as of May 7, 1845, Elder Pratt wrote again to President Young and the rest of the Quorum asking if they approved of the Proclamation and wished to have it published.⁸ Final approbation was granted in a letter from President Young to Elder Pratt on May 26, 1845.⁹ It quickly attained official status. When Elder Wilford Woodruff announced the forthcoming Proclamation in the Times and Seasons, he heralded it as “the Great Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to all the Kings of the World, to the Presidents, Governors, Rulers, and People of all nations.”¹⁰ And in a list of “Church Publications for 1845” in the History of the Church, it is listed as “Proclamation of the Twelve to the Kings of the World, pamphlet, 8 vol. 16 pages, written by Parley P. Pratt, and published by Wilford Woodruff, Liverpool.”¹¹ The Quorum of the Twelve at that time, who apparently approved of the Proclamation, consisted of: Brigham Young (President), Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Willard Richards, Lyman Wight, and Amasa Lyman.

Although never published in The Prophet, Times and Seasons, or The Millennial Star, the intent seems to have been to publish the Proclamation as a pamphlet and distribute it as a tract. In the Proclamation itself, Elder Pratt proposed to publish 100,000 copies and distribute it for free, although he also offered copies for sale. However, his intentions seemed to have been interrupted by personal financial setbacks and the need to focus on moving the Church from Illinois to safer territory in the West. He also called on Elder Woodruff to publish it in England, and the Apostle pledged 20,000 copies for distribution throughout the United Kingdom. He called on Dan Jones to translate it into Welsh, and Elder Jones did so, publishing 4,000 copies in that language.¹² Elder Pratt also called for German, Spanish, French, Norwegian, Hawaiian, Hebrew, and Native American translations¹³ , none of which seemed to have materialized. This is understandable given the compulsory shift of the saints’ focus to moving West in the winter of 1845-46.

The early draft introduction of this Proclamation produced during the Prophet Joseph Smith’s lifetime began by quoting Isaiah 49:22-23. Although Elder Pratt never references these verses directly in the 1845 Proclamation, he captured the spirit of these verses in the most prominent theme of the document: that the “Gentile” rulers of the earth are to submit themselves to the fullness of the Restored Gospel, unite themselves and all their political, cultural, and temporal resources to the cause of Zion, and prepare for the great day of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. A prophetic tone permeates the Proclamation, as Elder Pratt regales his readers with many portentous signs and miracles that either have already been fulfilled with the inauguration of the Restored Kingdom of God to the earth, or certainly will be as the work continues to roll forward. He presents strong millenarian themes designed to persuade the rulers of the countries of the world to unite their kingdoms with the coming Kingdom of Christ, or face their ultimate demise. The future of the Native Americans as a remnant of the seed of Joseph rising in glory to build the New Jerusalem figures prominently throughout the Proclamation.¹⁴ Ultimately, this Proclamation is an impassioned plea and inspired invitation from a persecuted and beleaguered, but faith-filled, people for aid, comfort, and camaraderie in a work that they may be coming to recognize is too vast for them to accomplish alone.

"Journal, December 1841–December 1842," p. 36, The Joseph Smith Papers; https://www.josephsmithpapers.org.. , accessed April 29, 2021.
"A Religious Proclamation," Joseph Smith Collection, MS 155, Box 5, folder 17, Church History Library.
Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 3, 15 July 1843–29 February 1844," p. [166], The Joseph Smith Papers; https://www.josephsmithpapers.org.. , accessed April 29, 2021.
Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 3, 15 July 1843–29 February 1844," p. [172], The Joseph Smith Papers; https://www.josephsmithpapers.org.. , accessed April 29, 2021. All but W.W. Phelps were members of the Quorum of the Twelve at the time.
In a previous regional proclamation to Church members written on January 1, 1845 and published in The Prophet on January 4, Elder Pratt recounted the bestowal of the keys of the priesthood upon the Twelve by Joseph Smith and specifically mentions that Joseph Smith bestowed upon Brigham Young all of the priesthood keys, including the keys of the sealing power: “This last key is the most sacred of all, and pertains exclusively to the first presidency of the church, without whose sanction and approval or authority, no sealing blessing shall be administered pertaining to things of the resurrection and the life to come.” Thus, Elder Pratt would have acknowledged that President Young had the authority to commission him to “write something in the way of the proclamation which was commanded by the Lord to his servant Joseph” (February 16, 1845 letter).
Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877); General Correspondence, Incoming, 1840-1877; Letters from Church Leaders and Others, 1840- 1877; Parley P. Pratt, 1845; Parley P. Pratt letter; Church History Library; https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org.. , accessed April 29, 2021.
These issues of The Prophet can be found here: https://archive.org/details..
Brigham Young office files, 1832-1878 (bulk 1844-1877); General Correspondence, Incoming, 1840-1877; Letters from Church Leaders and Others, 1840- 1877; Parley P. Pratt, 1845; Parley P. Pratt letter; Church History Library; https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org.. , accessed: April 29, 2021.
Parley P. Pratt correspondence, 1842-1855; Correspondence, 1845; Brigham Young letter, Nauvoo, to Parley P. Pratt; Church History Library; https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org.. , accessed: April 29, 2021.
Millennial Star; 1840-1850 (Volumes 1-12); 1845 (Volume 6); 1845 October 15 (No. 9); Church History Library; https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org.. , accessed: April 29, 2021.
History of the Church , 7:558; https://byustudies.byu.edu.. , accessed: April 29, 2021.
Givens, T.L. and Grow, M.J. (2011). Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism, Oxford University Press, p. 238; see also Dennis, Ronald D. trans. and ed. (2003), “Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles,” in the Faith: Early Welsh Missionary Publications; https://rsc-legacy.byu.edu.. , accessed May 27, 2021.
Although it is not known whether Elder Pratt had ever seen the earlier draft version from 1841-42, it is interesting to note that “Chiefs of all tribes” were included in the list of addresses.
To see more on the background for the revelation to issue this Proclamation and some analysis of its significance, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2003), “Life in Nauvoo the Beautiful,” Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual, pp. 240-50.

Commentary & Impact

In the October 15, 1845, issue of the Millennial Star, Elder Wilford Woodruff, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, reinforced the importance of the 1845 Proclamation when he wrote:

This proclamation is of vast importance to the Saints of God, to the whole Gentile world, as well as to all the house of Israel. It is made in fulfilment of the commandments and revelations of God of both ancient and modern times, being an invitation and call to the Gentile nations to receive the gospel of Christ, and come to the assistance of the Saints in carrying out the great principles and plan of salvation, and the accomplishment of that work which will end in the coming of the Messiah…

In calling on the Saints in England to help distribute the 1845 Proclamation, Elder Wilford Woodruff had said that some copies would need to be distributed for free, but “as the Saints are under equal obligation with ourselves to have it published, we hereby call upon them to assist us with pecuniary means, in fulfilment of this” (Millennial Star, October 15, 1845, p. 136). Thomas Ward, editor of the Millennial Star, wrote further on this matter later in the same issue. In his editorial, he testified that the 1845 Proclamation was “the word of the Lord to the nations of the earth, and the rulers thereof; a voice of warning which must be delivered, whether it is listened to and heeded, or otherwise” (Ibid., 138). Ward further proposed:

...not only will the Proclamation be made an instrument for the salvation or condemnation of men, according as they receive it, but it will have a bearing upon the Saints themselves of no ordinary nature; it will be a trial of their faith, in making some sacrifice for the cause of God, and in carrying out a portion of his great work in the last days.

Just two weeks after announcing the publication of 20,000 copies of the 1845 Proclamation, Thomas Ward returned to his and Elder Wilford Woodruff’s call for members of the Church to aid in distributing the Proclamation in the November 1, 1845, issue of the Millennial Star:

[God] has commanded the Proclamation to be made unto all people, which is at once a faithful condensation of what has been spoken by his servants the prophets, in every age of the world, in relation to the last days; and it will be found to be an epitome of divine truth, calculated to awaken the honest-hearted to an inquiry into the great work of the Lord, at the same that it will leave the wicked without excuse.
This, then, being the true nature of the means now put into the hands of the Saints, it will behove every one bearing the designation, to be diligent in the circulation of the same, to the utmost of their ability.

Elder Spencer W. Kimball, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, always had an enthusiastic interest in spiritual and temporal welfare of Native American people. In an address delivered at a special conference for Native American youth, Elder Kimball quoted from the 1845 Proclamation and indicated how some of the prophecies contained therein were beginning to be fulfilled:

...The Church has always maintained a tremendous interest and concern for the Indian people and all of the Lamanites. As early as 1845 a proclamation was issued by the Church, which said in part: “The sons and daughters of Zion will soon be required to devote a portion of their time in instructing the children of the forest (Indians), for they must be educated and instructed in all the arts of civil life, as well as in the gospel. They must be clothed, fed, and instructed in the principles and practice of virtue, modesty … customs, dress, music and all other things which are calculated in their nature to refine, purify, exalt, and glorify them as the sons and daughters of the royal house of Israel and of Joseph, who are making ready for the coming of the bridegroom.” (Parker Pratt Robinson, ed., Writings of Parley Parker Pratt [Salt Lake City, 1952], p. 5.)
...Now when the Church was organized over a hundred years ago, the prophets were concerned about the Lamanites the very first thing, when there were only a dozen, and a hundred, and a thousand Mormons in the world. When there were only a few thousand in the Church in the whole world, we were already working with the Indians. Joseph Smith himself went out across the river and taught the gospel to the Indian chiefs who had gathered to listen to him… With all these promises, we have a great awakening today as a result of the work that has been done for the last century, and especially in the last decade or two…
That is in direct fulfillment of the prophecies that were made, and it is a great change…

Latter-day Saint scholar W. Cleon Skousen, wrote about how the timing of the 1845 Proclamation corresponded with the early desires of some people of Jewish heritage to return to the land of Palestine:

In 1839 the wealthy Italian-English Jewish leader, Moses Montefiore, who had married into the Rothschild family, visited Palestine and felt a tremendous urge to start ‘the gathering.’ He felt some practical steps should be taken to set up Jewish settlements in Palestine.
But while he was thinking about it, the Lord inspired the Council of the Twelve to issue a notable proclamation just a year after the assassination of the Prophet. In it they said:
“… the Jews among all nations are hereby commanded, in the name of the Messiah, to prepare, to return to Jerusalem in Palestine; and to rebuild that city and temple unto the Lord:
“And also to organize and establish their own political government, under their own rulers, judges, and governors in that country. “For be it known unto them that we now hold the keys of the priesthood and kingdom which is soon to be restored unto them. “Therefore let them also repent and prepare to obey the ordinances of God.”
By 1856 a small trickle of Jewish immigration was sufficient to encourage Sir Moses Montefiore to set up a Jewish-owned orange grove near Jaffa, which initiated what he hoped would be a return of the Jews to agriculture. Then he established, just west of the old city of Jerusalem, a Jewish settlement called Yemin Moshe, in his honor.

In his October 1975 General Conference address as President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Ezra Taft Benson read and reiterated significant portions of the 1845 Proclamation and added some modern additions. On that occasion, he said:

It seems fitting and proper to me that we should reaffirm the great truths pronounced in this declaration and that we should proclaim them anew to the world.

In an April 1976 General Conference talk, Elder J. Thomas Fyans, an Assistant to the Twelve, affirmed that the prophecies and promises concerning the “Lamanites” in the 1845 Proclamation applied to the descendants of Lehi in both North and South America.

At a devotional address at BYU in November 1977, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Presidency of the First Quorum of Seventy, quoted from the 1845 Proclamation as he spoke of the central role of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in fulfilling God’s plan:

On the sixth of April, 1845, the Twelve Apostles issued a proclamation which included these words:
“As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God.” Such audacity! Except for apostles. Such presumptuousness! Except for prophets. That prophecy is underway, and it is about that that I wish to speak today.

Read More: https://speeches.byu.edu..

During the general conference commemorating the sesquicentennial anniversary of the organization of the Church, President Ezra Taft Benson, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, again referred to the 1845 Proclamation and how certain prophetic passages within it had been and would be fulfilled:

On the sixth of April, 1845, the Twelve Apostles issued a proclamation which included these words:
We assuredly expect additional progress, growth, and increased spirituality. We will see our missionaries cover the earth with the message of the Restoration. We will see temples in every land where the gospel has penetrated, symbolizing the truth that families, living and deceased, may be joined together in love and eternal family associations. But we must also be reminded that there will be ever-present efforts to obstruct the work.
In 1845, the Quorum of the Twelve issued an epistle to the heads of state in the world. I quote from one paragraph:
“As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God.”
That day is now here. Opposition has been and will be the lot of the Saints of the kingdom in any age. The finger of scorn has been pointed at us in the past, and we may expect it in the future. We also expect to see men in high places defend the Church; there will also be ‘pharaohs’ who know neither Joseph nor his brethren. The seed planted and watered in 1830 has now matured to a fully grown tree for all to see. Some will seek the refuge of its shade in the heat of the day, but none will be neutral in their appraisal of its fruit.

The 1845 Proclamation is listed as one of the official Proclamations of the Church in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism (1992), all of which are viewed as “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.”

In a September 1998 Ensign article entitled, “Knitting a Worldwide Church Together,” Sandra Rogers referred to a popular passage from the 1845 Proclamation and the need for members of the Church to support and strengthen each other as the world becomes more polarized:

Yet, as the restored gospel continues to spread worldwide and Church membership becomes increasingly diverse and international, and as the influence of evil grows more pervasive, so too grows the need for Latter-day Saints to be bound together in unity and love and understanding.
In April 1845, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued a proclamation: “As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God.”
Polarization, hardness of heart, and a ‘lowered capacity to achieve reconciliation’ are conditions that Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles associated with the ‘intense and immense challenges’ of the last days (Notwithstanding My Weakness [1981], 17–18). These realities are compelling and urgent reasons for a repeated emphasis on uniting in spirit and understanding the Church’s diverse membership.

The 2017 Book of Mormon Seminary Teacher Manual contained the following teaching idea involving a prominent quotation from the 1845 Proclamation: Explain that the church of the Lamb of God is the authorized Church of Jesus Christ, and remind students that the church of the devil (also called the great and abominable church) refers to any organization that strives to lead people away from God and His laws.

To help the class understand the angel’s words that ‘whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to [the church of the devil]’ (1 Nephi 14:10), invite a student to read aloud the following statement from a proclamation issued by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 6, 1845:
“As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God.”

The final sentence in a paragraph at the top of page 5 in the 1845 Proclamation has been read by some to indicate that some people living on the earth in 1845 would still be alive when the Second Coming of Jesus Christ occurred. Writers at the FAIR website have written about the nuances that need to be considered when watching for the ultimate fulfillment of prophecies such as this.

Extant Documents

[Featured version] The 1845 Proclamation was originally published as a pamphlet in New York, New York, c. April 6, 1845:
https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu..

The 1845 Proclamation was also republished in pamphlet form in Liverpool, England, October 22, 1845:
https://archive.org/details..

This is the Welsh version of the 1845 Proclamation published in Wrexham, Wales, on December 1, 1845:
https://archive.org/details..

This is an English translation of the Welsh version by Dan W. Jones of the 1845 Proclamation, December 1, 1845, with introduction and publication notes:
https://rsc-legacy.byu.edu/..

The 1845 Proclamation can also be found in Clark, James R. (1965), Messages of the First Presidency, 1:252-66.