According to the church’s website, the proclamation “is a declaration and reaffirmation of doctrines and practices that prophets have stated repeatedly throughout the history of the Church. It contains principles that are vital to the happiness and well-being of every family.”

Speaking about the proclamation in September 1995, when it was first presented, President Gordon B. Hinckley, then president of the church, said:

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner

“The proclamation states, ‘The family is ordained of God.’ I love the clarity of that statement. The proclamation is a call for us to live in mortality ever mindful of the divinity within us and the eternal future that lies before us. President Nelson taught: ‘You are literally spirit children of God. … Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.'”

The origin of the proclamation

Regarding how the proclamation came to be, Elder Rasband said:

“In 1994, a year before the proclamation was presented, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed how society and governments were pulling away from God’s laws for family, marriage, and gender. ‘But that was not the end of what we saw,’ President Russell M. Nelson later 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.’

“The Twelve determined to prepare a document, an official proclamation, summarizing the Church’s position on family.”

In other words, the proclamation wasn’t random. It was a reinforcement of doctrine necessary because of what was being noticed at the time and what could be seen in the future.

Words included to describe the proclamation

During his talk, Elder Rasband invoked two words that were the title of an address he gave at another recent general conference: “Words matter.”

As I read Elder Rasband’s October address, I was struck by the kind of words that were used to describe the proclamation. Consider them and their power:

• “By divine design”
• “Revelatory words”
• “Created to ‘maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society'”
• “Has a divine origin”
• “Words from God”
• “A core message of what we believe”
• “The decisive declaration about family”
• “Standards, doctrines, and practices relative to the family which the prophets, seers, and revelators of this church have repeatedly stated throughout its history”
• “‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.'”
• “Doctrine”
• “Not out of step but perfectly in step with the ways of the Lord and His covenant path”
• “Revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ to His Apostles then and now”
• “Truths by which we live” that are “established” by Jesus Christ
• “Provided” by “our Father in Heaven” in order “to help guide us home to Him, to help us learn and be filled with love, strength, purpose, and eternal understanding.”

The apostles who were responsible for preparing the proclamation, Elder Rasband said, were “seers called of God.” He said they, according to President Dallin H. Oaks, now president of the church, “prayerfully turned to the Lord for ‘what [they] should say and how [they] should say it.'”

These aren’t words that were used simply because certain men thought they sounded good according to their wisdom. These were words that came to “seers called of God” as a result of turning to the Lord in prayer and seeking his guidance for what specifically to say.

According to Elder Rasband, Relief Society General President Elaine Jack said that in hearing about the proclamation, she “felt very positive that we had members of the Quorum of the Twelve that were receiving revelation.”

Opposition to the proclamation

Regarding the proclamation, Elder Rasband acknowledged the opposition to it.

“When presented, the proclamation did not align with the views of many in the world. Not then. Not now,” he said. “There are those who take issue with the declaration on family, marriage, and gender. Some suggest the Church pull it back, revise, or even set the proclamation aside.”

He later added:

“Some of you may reflect on the proclamation and say, ‘This isn’t working for me.’ ‘It seems insensitive.’ ‘My family doesn’t look like that.’ ‘I don’t fit.'”

In response, he taught:

“For those with concerns, know that you are a child of heavenly parents, part of your Heavenly Father’s family. No one knows you better or cares more deeply about you than He does. Turn to Him; pour out your heart to Him; trust Him and His promises. You have family in your Savior, Jesus Christ, who loves you. He came to earth to atone for our sins and bear the burden of our mistakes and our very bad days. He understands what you are facing and feeling. Turn to Him; trust He will send the Holy Ghost to be with you, lift you, and guide you. Feel Their love that ‘sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; … it is the most desirable above all things … and the most joyous to the soul.'”

He continued:

“All of the Lord’s Apostles love you dearly. We pray for you and seek the Lord’s guidance for you. Stay with us. You live in challenging times when the adversary seeks to make you his. Do not be drawn off. And if you are, come back. Our arms reach out to you, as will those of others who love you.”

Teachings from the proclamation

Sharing certain teachings from the proclamation, Elder Rasband said:

“The proclamation states, ‘Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness.’ The Book of Mormon provides a second witness to this truth. In the first verse of the first chapter, we read, ‘I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents.’ How many of us have started the Book of Mormon–and started again and again–and in the process committed those words to memory? Commit them to heart.

“One of my favorite statements in the proclamation is this: ‘Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of … Jesus Christ.’

“Who does not want to be happy?

“And what are the teachings of Jesus Christ? Again, in the proclamation: ‘Faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.’

“Whose life will not be better by applying these key principles? None of us are going to do perfectly; but we can follow President Hinckley’s wise words: ‘Do the very best you can.’

“We read in the proclamation, ‘Fathers are to preside … in love and righteousness,’ and ‘mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.’ Preside does not mean dominate, and nurture does not mean a secondary role. God has given men and women different but equal and essential roles that complement each other.”

He later added:

“We find in the family proclamation: ‘Fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.’

“Equal is a word that matters. Over the years, as Sister Rasband and I have worked together in what the proclamation describes as our ‘sacred responsibilities,’ we have shaped an equally yoked marriage. As each of our children is now married, Sister Rasband and I have continued to counsel them and their spouses on how to be equal partners.

“When we live with our eyes single to the glory of God, we respect one another and support one another. Those divine patterns of righteousness lead to stability in our individual lives, our families, and society.”

The full text of the proclamation

The full proclamation is as follows:

“We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

“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. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’  (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives–mothers and fathers–will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

“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.

“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.”

Conclusion

Concluding his talk, Elder Rasband said:

“With all my soul, I plead with you to live close to Him and His Beloved Son. I promise as you do so, the Spirit will inspire and guide you and help you feel in your heart Their promised peace that ‘passeth all understanding.’ In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net.