Proclamations
While there have been several 'proclamations' issued by various Church leaders at various times and in various places throughout the history of the Church1, it is commonly accepted that only six of these are official Proclamations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All six of these are included in this collection. The first, issued in 1841, was issued by the First Presidency alone. The second, issued in 1845, was issued by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles alone, there being no First Presidency at the time. The remaining four (1865, 1980, 1995, 2020) were issued jointly by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- Particularly during the Nauvoo period, Church leaders, often in their civic capacity, sometimes issued “proclamations” in the sense of being an official notice. One example is this proclamation issued by Joseph Smith, while acting as mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois: “Proclamation,” Joseph Smith collection (supplement), 1833-1844, Nauvoo city records, Mayor's proclamations and order, Church History Library, https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets-f5e2a5c8-a07d-4e73-8b16-8583c4b1d993/0/0 , accessed June 28, 2021. At other times, some Church leaders issued “proclamations” announcing their appointment to preside over a certain area of the Church, such as this one by Elder Parley P. Pratt: “Proclamation,” Millennial Star, March 1845, pp. 149-153, https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets-0396a6ef-6202-4931-b1c3-edae4cc019bc/0/4 , accessed June 28, 2021.
