1995 The Family: A Proclamation to the World

1995 Proclamation Image

Introduction

1841 Proclamation image

The First Presidency: President Gordon B Hinckley, Thomas S Monson (First Counselor), James E Faust (Second Counselor)
Council of Twelve Apostles: Boyd K Packer, L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, Henry B. Eyring

        Marriage and family have been central to the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout its history.1 Social and cultural trends related to marriage and family around the world were causing concern among Church leaders heading into the last decade of the 20th century.2 In 1970, there were 10.6 marriages per 1,000 people in the United States; Australia had a rate of 9.3; South Korea was 9.2; the United Kingdom was 8.5; Italy was 7.3; and Bolivia was 4.2. By 1995, the rate of marriage in these countries per 1,000 people were: United States, 8.9; Australia, 6.1; South Korea, 8.7; United Kingdom, 5.6; Italy, 5.1; and Bolivia, 2.9. The 1970 divorce rates per 1,000 people around the world were relatively low. The United States had a high divorce rate of 3.5; the United Kingdom was 1.0; Norway was 0.9; South Korea was 0.4; and Turkey was 0.3. The United States divorce rates peaked at 5.2-5.3 from 1979-1981. By 1995, divorce rates were: United States, 4.4, United Kingdom, 2.9, Norway, 2.4, South Korea, 1.5, and Turkey, 0.5. Fertility rates were also declining worldwide. Peaking at 5.018 births per woman in 1963, the rate was 2.914 by 1995. Interestingly, however, births out of wedlock were on the rise. In 1970, just less than 10% of all children in the United States were born to an unmarried mother. The rate in Denmark was 11%; 9.6% in Canada; 7.2% in Germany; 2.2% in Italy; and 2.1% in the Netherlands. By 1995, these rates had doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled in some countries: United States, around 32%; Denmark, 46.5%; Canada, 30.5%; Germany, 16.1%; Italy, 8.1%; and the Netherlands, 15.5%.3 Of course, this meant that fewer and fewer children were living with two parents who were in their first marriage. In the United States, for instance, 73% of children experienced this kind of family arrangement in 1960. By 1980, only 61% of children were living in such a family.4 The number of abortions worldwide was steadily increasing from 1970 to 1995, with the People’s Republic of China reporting several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s of more than 25 million abortions per year. The Asian region, the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe each tallied between 5 million and approximately 13 million abortions per year during that same time period.5 Parenting and family life were also being impacted by the increasing number of mothers working outside the home. Whereas, approximately 46% of all married women worked outside the home in 1975, almost 59% were thus employed by 1995.6

        In addition to these concerning statistics, the Lord’s prophets, seers, and revelators were also aware of how “family” and “marriage” were being discussed and defined in several influential world conferences. In 2003, President Boyd K. Packer, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, recounted:

They had a world conference on the family sponsored by the United Nations in Beijing, China. We sent representatives. It was not pleasant what they heard. They called another one in Cairo. Some of our people were there. I read the proceedings of that. The word marriage was not mentioned. It was at a conference on the family, but marriage was not even mentioned.
It was then they announced that they were going to have such a conference here in Salt Lake City. Some of us made the recommendation: “They are coming here. We had better proclaim our position.”7

        Later Church President Russell M. Nelson shared with biographer Sheri Dew a more detailed account of several meetings of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1994 that led to the writing of the 1995 Proclamation:

One day in 1994, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spent a day in their council room in the Salt Lake Temple discussing issues surrounding the family. They considered everything from the increasingly ubiquitous nature of pornography to potential anti-family legislation of various kinds. This was not a new discussion, but that day the entire agenda revolved around this one vital topic.
The Twelve reviewed both doctrine and policies, considering those things that could not be changed—doctrine—and those things that possibly could be—policies. They discussed issues they saw coming, including an intensified societal push for gay marriage and transgender rights. ‘But that was not the end of what we saw,’ Elder Nelson explained. ‘We could see the efforts of various communities to do away with all standards and limitations on sexual activity. We saw the confusion of genders. We could see it all coming.’
This extended discussion, along with others over a period of time, led to the conclusion that the Twelve should prepare a document, perhaps even a proclamation, outlining the Church’s stand on the family to present to the First Presidency for consideration.8

        In summary, when introducing the 1995 Proclamation, President Gordon B. Hinckley explained, “With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn.” And then he read the Proclamation on the Family to the women of the Church for the first time.In summary, when introducing the 1995 Proclamation, President Gordon B. Hinckley explained, “With so much of sophistry that is passed off as truth, with so much of deception concerning standards and values, with so much of allurement and enticement to take on the slow stain of the world, we have felt to warn and forewarn.”9 And then he read the Proclamation on the Family to the women of the Church for the first time.

       The Proclamation came under the signatory heading of “The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” thus indicating the complete unity of the Lord’s prophets, seers, and revelators in issuing the Church’s fifth official Proclamation. The First Presidency at the time consisted of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monsoon (First Counselor), and James E. Faust (Second Counselor). The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles included: Boyd K. Packer (Acting President), L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, and Henry B. Eyring. Since 1995, each of the original signers of the Proclamation has used the 1995 Proclamation in talks, articles, or other engagements demonstrating their persistent unanimous endorsement of the Proclamation.10

        In just 630 words in nine paragraphs, the 1995 Proclamation presents “doctrines and teachings on the family [that] are very, very powerful, and they are full of implications for all the people on this planet.”11 The prophetically-authored Proclamation begins with a solemn affirmation of the divine approbation of marriage as central to God’s plan. It testifies of the divine lineage of all people as children of “heavenly parents” (Proclamation, Sept. 23, 1995, p. 1). It then declares that gender is “an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” (Ibid.). The Proclamation teaches how God’s plan makes possible the eternal durability of family relationships only through ordinances and covenants available in holy temples. It clearly articulates God’s law of chastity and the sanctity of life. The Proclamation outlines the essential duties of spouses and parents and offers fundamental principles for “happiness in family life” (Ibid.). The Proclamation concludes with a prophetic warning about the dire consequences of the disintegration of the family and an inspired invitation to all people to “promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society” (Ibid.).

        While minor adjustments have been made to the wording of this Proclamation12, it has become a staple of Latter-day Saint teachings on the family since 1995. It would be difficult to overestimate its impact. It has been translated into scores of languages.13 Framed copies of the 1995 Proclamation can be found in millions of Latter-day Saint homes around the world and are a continuing source of inspired truth and wisdom that anchor the Latter-day Saint worldview in the hope of eternal relationships with their loved ones through the grace and power and goodness of a loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

  1. See Doctrine and Covenants 42:22-26; 49:15-16; 131:1-4; 132:4-24; see also The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Marriage,” Gospel Topics Essay, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org.. , accessed July 16, 2021.
  2. They were not the only ones who were concerned about changes in family structures and how those changes would impact society. For example, see Bumpass, Larry L. (1990), “What's Happening to the Family? Interactions Between Demographic and Institutional Change,” Demography, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 483-498, https://www.jstor.org/stable.. , accessed July 16, 2021.
  3. The several previous sets of statistics come from Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban and Roser, Max (2020), “Marriages and Divorces,” Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org.. , July 16, 2021. For the United States data on out of wedlock births, see Noren, Laura (2010), “Graphic Sociology: Out of wedlock childbirth,” The Society PagesJuly 16, 2021. For the United States data on out of wedlock births, see Noren, Laura (2010), “Graphic Sociology: Out of wedlock childbirth,” The Society Pages https://thesocietypages.org.. , July 16, 2021.
  4. See “The American Family Today” (2015), Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org.. , accessed July 16, 2021. By 2014, only 46% of children live with two parents in their first marriage.
  5. See Johnston, Wm. Robert (2015), “Worldwide abortions by region and year, 1922-2014,” Johnston’s Archive, http://www.johnstonsarchive.net.. , accessed July 16, 2021.
  6. See U.S. Department of Labor, “Mothers and Families,” Women’s Bureau, https://www.dol.gov.. , accessed July 16, 2021.
  7. “The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character,” BYU Speeches, February 2, 2003, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks.. , accessed July 16, 2021. President Packer made similar comments about the background of the 1995 Proclamation during the 2008 Worldwide Leadership Training Broadcast in a talk entitled, “The Family Proclamation,” on p. 5; see accessed July 16, 2021. President Packer made similar comments about the background of the 1995 Proclamation during the 2008 Worldwide Leadership Training Broadcast in a talk entitled, “The Family Proclamation,” on p. 5; see https://broadcast.lds.org/.. , accessed July 16, 2021. The Fourth World Conference on Women was held in Beijing, China, from September 4-15, 1995 (see https://www.un.org/.. , accessed July 16, 2021). The International Conference on Population and Development was held in Cairo, Egypt, from September 5-13, 1994 (see https://www.unfpa.org/events/.. , accessed July 17, 2021). President Packer may have the order of events incorrect or he is not intending to refer to them chronologically. The first International Conference on the family, sponsored by the United Nations, was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 1995 (see https://www.heraldextra.com/news/.. , accessed July 17, 2021; also https://www.deseret.com/1995.. , accessed July 17, 2021). There was also an International Women’s Conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February 1996 (see https://internationalwomensconference.org/history/ , accessed July 17, 2021).
  8. Dew, Sheri L. (2019), Insights from a Prophet’s Life, p. 208.
  9. “Stand Strong Against the Wiles of the World,” October 1995 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org//.. , accessed July 26, 2021.
  10. For example, see: President Gordon B. Hinckley, “What are People Asking About Us?” October 1998 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; President Thomas S. Monson, “Hallmarks of a Happy Home,” Liahona, Oct. 2001, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; President James E. Faust, “The Grand Key-Words for the Relief Society,” October 1996 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; President Boyd K. Packer, “Parents in Zion,” October 1998 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Importance of Family,” April 2003 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder David B. Haight, “Be a Strong Link,” October 2000 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “Sharing Insights from My Life,” BYU Devotional, January 12, 1999, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/.. ,accessed July 26, 2021 (reprinted in the August 2000 Ensign, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021); Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Nurturing Marriage,” April 2006 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Plan and the Proclamation,” October 2017 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder M. Russell Ballard, “What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest,” October 2005 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Cultivating Divine Attributes,” October 1998 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder Richard G. Scott, “First Things First,” April 2001 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Elder Robert D. Hales, “The Eternal Family,” October 1996 General Conference, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; Cheney, Christine Barbara, “Elder Holland Shares “The Family: A Proclamation” while Addressing Congress in Argentina,” Church News, June 7, 2018, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c.. , accessed July 26, 2021; and Edwards, Paul S., “At the Vatican, President Eyring says family proclamation key to ‘renaissance of happy marriages,’”. Deseret News, November 18, 2014, https://www.deseret.com/2014.. , accessed July 26, 2021.
  11. Maxwell, “Sharing Insights from My Life,” https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/..
  12. The wording of “his or her destiny” in the 3rd paragraph of the 1995 version was changed to “their destiny” in 2008. The phrase “to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens” in the 1995 version was modified to “observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens” in 2008. See Priesthood Department (1976-2015). Folder contents: (1) Hardcopy files. (2) Electronic files, https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; click on “Show More” for details.
  13. See Wrigley, Heather Whittle, “Language Pages Provide Church Materials in More Than 100 Languages,” Church News, August 1, 2012, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021; also The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Church Publishes Māori Editions of ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ and ‘The Living Christ,’” Church Newsroom, June 11, 2020, https://news-nz.churchofjesuschrist.org/.. , accessed July 26, 2021. To view the 1995 Proclamation in other languages, follow the instructions that accompany the final entry in the “Extant Documents” section for the current version of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

Commentary & Impact

The Family Proclamation has been repeatedly printed by the Church in a variety of formats and publications ever since the time of its original publication. The following reprints of this document are evidence of its continuing importance in the Church:

The 1995 Proclamation has repeatedly been discussed, quoted, and cited in General Conference addresses from 1996-2021. While this list is not comprehensive, the following are examples of this continued use:

  • Elder Robert D. Hales, “If Thou Wilt Enter into Life, Keep the Commandments,” April 1996:

    We were all blessed recently to receive an important message from modern prophets, entitled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” This proclamation warns us what will happen if we do not strengthen the family unit in our homes, our communities, and our nations. Every priesthood holder and citizen should study the proclamation carefully.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • President Gordon B. Hinckley, “This Glorious Easter Morn,” April 1996:

    There has been a wonderful response to the Proclamation on the Family, which we issued last October. We hope you will read it and reread it.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Sister Susan L. Warner, “Remember How Thou Hast Received and Heard,” April 1996:

    It reminds us of what the prophets have recently proclaimed to the entire world, that “each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Sister Margaret D. Nadauld, “The Joy of Womanhood,” October 2000:

    I love the clarity of the teachings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in the proclamation on the family... From that statement we are taught that every girl was feminine and female in spirit long before her mortal birth.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder David B. Haight, “Be a Strong Link,” October 2000:

    That marvelous document brings together the scriptural direction that we have received that has guided the lives of God’s children from the time of Adam and Eve and will continue to guide us until the final winding-up scene.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder M. Russell Ballard, “What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest,” October 2005:

    It was then and is now a clarion call to protect and strengthen families and a stern warning in a world where declining values and misplaced priorities threaten to destroy society by undermining its basic unit. The proclamation is a prophetic document, not only because it was issued by prophets but because it was ahead of its time... Today I call upon members of the Church and on committed parents, grandparents, and extended family members everywhere to hold fast to this great proclamation, to make it a banner not unlike General Moroni’s “title of liberty,” and to commit ourselves to live by its precepts. As we are all part of a family, the proclamation applies to everyone.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • President Boyd K. Packer, “On Zion’s Hill,” October 2005:

    Let me tell you what has been done to prepare us. Perhaps you will then understand why I do not fear the future, why I have such positive feelings of confidence… The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”...These things all witness of continuing revelation.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Let Us Be Men,” October 2006:

    In large measure, true manhood is defined in our relationship to women. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have given us the ideal to pursue.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Richard J. Maynes, “Establishing a Christ-Centered Home,” April 2011:

    The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, whom we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators, have offered us this inspired counsel with regard to happiness and family life… This happiness spoken of by Alma and more recently by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will most surely be found in the home with family.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Robert D. Hales, “General Conference: Strengthening Faith and Testimony,” October 2013:

    We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Sister Carole M. Stephens, “Do We Know What We Have?,” October 2013:

    In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state: “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org...
  • Sister Carole M. Stephens, “The Family is of God,” April 2015:

    Twenty years ago, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reached out to the entire world when issuing a proclamation on the family. Since then, attacks on the family have increased.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org...
  • Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Defenders of the Family Proclamation” April 2015:

    When President Gordon B. Hinckley first read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” 20 years ago this year, we were grateful for and valued the clarity, simplicity, and truth of this revelatory document. Little did we realize then how very desperately we would need these basic declarations in today’s world as the criteria by which we could judge each new wind of worldly dogma coming at us from the media, the Internet, scholars, TV and films, and even legislators. The proclamation on the family has become our benchmark for judging the philosophies of the world, and I testify that the principles set forth within this statement are as true today as they were when they were given to us by a prophet of God nearly 20 years ago.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org...
  • Elder L. Tom Perry, “Why Marriage and Family Matter- Everywhere in the World” April 2015:

    Last November, I had the privilege of being invited—along with President Henry B. Eyring and Bishop Gérald Caussé—to attend a colloquium on marriage and family at the Vatican in Rome, Italy… I felt a powerful sense of commonality and unity with them. There were many who saw and expressed this unity, and they did so in a variety of ways. One of my favorites was when a Muslim scholar from Iran quoted two paragraphs verbatim from our very own proclamation on the family.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder M. Russell Ballard, “God is At the Helm,” October 2015:

    Twenty years ago, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” In that inspired document, we concluded with the following: “We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.” As Apostles, we reaffirm this solemn warning again today.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Plan and the Proclamation,” October 2017:

    The gospel plan each family should follow to prepare for eternal life and exaltation is outlined in the Church’s 1995 proclamation, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Its declarations are, of course, visibly different from some current laws, practices, and advocacy of the world in which we live… Those who do not believe in or aspire to exaltation and are most persuaded by the ways of the world consider this family proclamation as just a statement of policy that should be changed. In contrast, Latter-day Saints affirm that the family proclamation defines the kind of family relationships where the most important part of our eternal development can occur… Converted Latter-day Saints believe that the family proclamation... is the Lord’s reemphasis of the gospel truths we need to sustain us through current challenges to the family… I testify that the proclamation on the family is a statement of eternal truth, the will of the Lord for His children who seek eternal life. It has been the basis of Church teaching and practice for the last 22 years and will continue so for the future. Consider it as such, teach it, live by it, and you will be blessed as you press forward toward eternal life.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Richard J. Maynes, “Earning the Trust of the Lord and Your Family,” Oct. 2017:

    As husbands and fathers, we have received a divine charge from modern-day prophets, seers, and revelators in the document “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Quentin L. Cook, “Prepare to Meet God,” April 2018:

    Those who understand God’s plan should also oppose consensual immorality, which is also a sin. The family proclamation to the world warns “that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring [or, for that matter, anyone else] … will one day stand accountable before God.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder David A. Bednar, “Gather Together in One All Things in Christ,” October 2018:

    This emphasis on family and the home again was affirmed in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” introduced by President Gordon B. Hinckley in 1995.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • President Dallin H. Oaks, “Truth and the Plan,” October 2018:

    Modern revelation defines truth as a “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” That is a perfect definition for the plan of salvation and “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • President Henry B. Eyring, “Women and Gospel Learning in the Home,” October 2018:

    You might ask, “How does that make faithful sisters a primary force to help the Lord pour out knowledge on His Saints?” The Lord gives the answer in “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”... In the proclamation, He gave sisters charge to be the principal gospel educators in the family in these words: “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” This includes the nurture of gospel truth and knowledge.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • President Dallin H. Oaks, “Parents and Children,” October 2018:

    These inspired teachings are all based on “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” in which this restored Church reaffirms doctrine and practices central to the Creator’s plan before He created the earth.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Gary E. Stevenson, “A Good Foundation against the Time to Come,” April 2020:

    What might spiritual cornerstones of our personal and family lives be? They may be the simple, plain, and precious principles of gospel living... Other helpful resources to strengthen your spiritual foundation may include the Articles of Faith, the family proclamation, and “The Living Christ.”

    Read more:
    https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org...
  • President Russell M. Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith,” October 2020:

    It is significant that he chose to introduce this important proclamation to the sisters of the Church. By doing so, President Hinckley underscored the irreplaceable influence of women in the Lord’s plan.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • Elder Neil L. Anderson, “The Personal Journey of a Child of God,” April 2021:

    It is concerning that even in some of the most prosperous countries of the world, fewer children are being born. “God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.”

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/..
  • Elder M. Russell Ballard, “Hope in Christ,” April 2021:

    Because we are the spirit children of God, everyone has a divine origin, nature, and potential. Each of us “is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents.” This is our identity! This is who we really are!

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation has also been used throughout Church curriculum and handbooks to teach basic doctrines related to the family, divine nature, and sexual purity. The following are a sample of some of these references:

  • The Eternal Marriage: Student Manual (Religion 234-35, 2003) makes extensive use of The Family Proclamation. Excerpts and quotes appear throughout the book (see pp. viii, 14, 239, 250, 253, 294, and 348); additionally, an entire chapter is devoted to the Proclamation specifically (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” pages 83-110). Regarding the Proclamation’s central role in the manual the book’s preface states:

    The guiding principle for selecting teachings for this manual came from ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World.’ The proclamation states: ‘Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.’

    Read more:
  • “Selecting and Becoming an Eternal Companion,” The Gospel and the Productive Life: Student Manual (Religion 150):

    The proclamation on the family is a guide for assessing our attitudes and those of our future spouse.

    Read more:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • The Gospel Principles manual (2011) contains many references to and quotes from the Proclamation, most notably in the following chapters:
  • The January 2016 Visiting Teaching Message “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” found in the Liahona and Ensign, taught Relief Society sisters the importance of this document:
  • The cornerstone institute class, The Eternal Family (Religion 200), is based around the 1995 Proclamation. The student readings and lesson plans are largely topics or phrases taken from this Proclamation. The preface to the teacher’s manual states:

    This course... is a study of the central role of the family in the plan of salvation as taught in the scriptures and the words of modern prophets. The doctrine, themes, and principles of the course are drawn particularly from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

    Read more:
  • “Chapter 11: Home—the Basis of a Righteous Life,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley (Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society manual, 2017):
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • The Doctrine and Covenants and Church History manuals for seminary (published in 2017-2018) have lessons devoted to the Proclamation:
  • General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2021), “2.1.3: Parents and Children,”
    https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • An entire week’s study in the 2021 Come Follow Me curriculum is devoted to the Proclamation (“December 13-19: The Family: A Proclamation to the World”):

    Knowing that families are imperfect and subject to attacks from the adversary, God sent His Beloved Son to redeem us and heal our families. And He sent latter-day prophets with a proclamation to defend and strengthen families.

    Read More:

In addition to conference talks and Church curriculum, Church leaders and others have repeatedly discussed the Proclamation in trainings, broadcasts, devotionals, Church News articles, and magazine articles. The following are some examples of this trend:

In addition to what the Church has officially published on the Family Proclamation, numerous outside sources, scholars, websites, and news articles have discussed the Proclamation. The following are examples of this use:

The Family: A Proclamation to the World also played a visible role on the Church’s early websites:

  • By 1997 shortly after the launch of LDS.org the Proclamation was one of the few items available in the index of the website under the heading of “Families”:
    https://web.archive.org/web...
  • By 2000 the website was redesigned and the document was even easier to access by simply clicking on the “Family Resources” sidebar:
    https://web.archive.org/web..
  • By November of 2007 the document was featured on the mainpage of the Church’s website representing the official doctrines of the Church:
    https://web.archive.org/web..
  • The Proclamation has continued to hold an important place on the site in the years since; at times it has been linked directly to the mainpage, but even when it has not it has always had a presence on the site. Most recently, after the site was redesigned into ChurchofJesusChrist.org, the Proclamation has been listed under the “Basic Resources” page
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
  • By 2011 the Proclamation also began to be incorporated into the website Mormon.org under the section “Strengthening Families.” This inclusion was significant as pass along cards featuring this part of mormon.org became common, sending those less familiar with the Church to this page and introducing them to the document:
    https://web.archive.org/web..
  • The Proclamation is still a part of the redesigned website comeuntochrist.org under “Families Are Central to God’s Plan”:
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation has also been used by the Church to describe the Church’s doctrinal position when contributing to applicable court cases. For instance, the Proclamation was cited in the February 2014 amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief.

Read More: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org.. (see p. 10)

Extant Documents

President Gordon B. Hinckley read the 1995 Proclamation on September 23, 1995, as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting entitled, “Stand Strong Against the Wiles of the Devil.” The text of this Proclamation, along with video and audio recordings, can be found on the Church’s web site for the 165th Semi-Annual General Conference of the Church:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was published as part of President Hinckley’s message in the General Relief Society meeting in the November 1995 Ensign
[web version, with audio and video]
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
[print version]
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was also published by itself in the November 1995 Ensign:
[web version, with audio and video]
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
[Featured version] [print version]
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was published in French as part of President Hinckley’s General Relief Society meeting address on pp. 116-117 in the January 1996 issue of Le Liahona
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was translated into Portuguese and published as part of President Hinckley’s General Relief Society meeting address on p. 114 in the January 1996 issue of A Liahona
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was translated into Danish and published as part of President Hinckley’s General Relief Society meeting address on p. 101 in the January 1996 issue of the A Liahona
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was translated into Dutch and published as part of President Hinckley’s General Relief Society meeting address on pp. 91-92 in the January 1996 issue of De Ster (the Proclamation is published by itself on p. 93)
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The 1995 Proclamation was translated into German and published as part of President Hinckley’s General Relief Society meeting address on p. 92 in the January 1996 issue of Der Stern (the Proclamation is published by itself on p. 93):
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

On behalf of several other members of Congress, Representative James V. Hansen read the 1995 Proclamation on the floor of the House of Representatives on November 17, 1995:
https://www.congress.gov..
A stand alone copy of this reading can also be found in the Church History Library: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org..

The current version of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (post 2008) can be found on the Church’s “Basic Resources” web site:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org..
[Translations of the current version of the 1995 Proclamation in multiple languages are available on this web site by clicking on the world icon in the upper right corner; then click on the language button and select the desired language. On a mobile device, click on the three-line menu icon in the upper left corner; then click on the world icon and then select the desired language.]