The Events That Led to the Creation of ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’

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This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.

By Eastin Hartzell, Church News

On September 23, 1995, President Gordon B. Hinckley stood before a worldwide gathering of Latter-day Saint women and, for the first time, publicly read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

It was only the fifth proclamation published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and for many Church members, it’s the first to come to mind. With “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World” issued in 2020, there are now six official proclamations by Church leaders.

“The Family Proclamation” — simple in form yet profound in consequence — became one of the most significant teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ. Latter-day Saints around the world have framed copies hung on their walls for all to see, and it has helped shape conversations about marriage, gender and family for the last three decades.

Behind that announcement is a remarkable story: years of prophetic concern, worldwide shifts in family policy, months of council deliberations among prophets and apostles and the prayerful preparation of Relief Society general leaders who desired their meeting to strengthen and unify the women of the Church.

Elaine L. Jack, who was serving as Relief Society General President at the time, later reflected that the decision to read the proclamation at the women’s meeting was made just three days earlier, in a private council with the First Presidency.

A Religious Educator article records that Aileen H. Clyde, serving as a counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency in 1995, recalled that then-Elder Dallin H. Oaks, present in that meeting, told the sisters that they had just witnessed an “historic moment” as President Hinckley received and acted on revelation about when and where the document should be introduced.

This timeline traces the journey — from the global context of the early 1990s, to the drafting of the document by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, to the pivotal conversations in September 1995 that led to its public delivery. It highlights how prophets, seers and revelators, working hand-in-hand with faithful women leaders, brought forth a proclamation that continues to shape Latter-day Saint life and understanding of doctrine today.

Church News September 'Liahona' Commemorates ‘The Family Proclamation’ 30th Anniversary

1994: Signals, Context and a Mandate to Clarify Doctrine

January 1994 — the First Presidency issues a statement endorsing the United Nation’s “International Year of the Family”

The First Presidency at the time consisted of President Howard W. Hunter, president of the Church; President Hinckley, First Counselor; and President Thomas S. Monson, Second Counselor.

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In that statement, they said, “We note with interest that 1994 has been designated the International Year of the Family. We join in this recognition of the importance of the family.”

February 1994 — The First Presidency issues a letter opposing legalization of same-sex marriage

The letter states the importance to “preserve the purposes and sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman” and “reject all efforts” to legalize same-gender marriage.

September 5-13, 1994 — Cairo UN International Conference on Population and Development

Senior Apostles reviewed reports from this conference, with Elder Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles later saying that in a Cairo session he read, “the word marriage was not mentioned.”

When it was announced that a similar conference was to go to Salt Lake City, Elder Packer explained, “Some of us made the recommendation: ‘They are coming here. We had better proclaim our position.’”

Then-Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also described that time: “Various world conferences were held dealing either directly or indirectly with the family. In the midst of all that was stirring on this subject in the world, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles could see the importance of declaring to the world the revealed, true role of the family in the eternal plan of God.”

The senior Brethren meet in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple in 1994 to officially begin the process for the proclamation, according to Sheri Dew’s biography of President Russell M. Nelson

“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.”

— Sheri Dew, “Insights from a Prophet's Life: Russell M. Nelson”

Church News See 20+ times ‘The Family Proclamation’ was shared with civic leaders and community members around the world

Late 1994 to March 1995: Drafting and Completion Under the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

January 9, 1995 — Draft of proclamation is completed and forwarded to the First Presidency

In his biography about President Dallin H. Oaks, Church historian Richard E. Turley Jr. states that a committee consisting of Elders James E. Faust, Russell M. Nelson and Dallin H. Oaks was assigned to prepare a draft. “Their work, for which Elder Nelson was the principal draftsman, was completed over the Christmas holidays. After being approved by the Quorum of the Twelve, the draft was submitted to the First Presidency on January 9, 1995, and warmly received” (“In the Hands of the Lord: The Life of Dallin H. Oaks,” page 215).

Sister Dew, who later served in the Relief Society General Presidency, likewise said, “I can only imagine how much work went into that document. There was lots of input by the Brethren and various drafts completed. When they finally felt good about it, they presented it to the First Presidency.”

March 1995 — Official completion

In a BYU Religious Educator article, Sister Dew said the proclamation was reviewed and officially completed and approved by the First Presidency in March 1995.

President Hunter passed away on March 3, and President Hinckley became president of the Church on March 12. Sister Dew explained that President Hinckley then began to pray to know when the best time to release the proclamation was.

Early to Mid-1995: Relief Society Presidency Themes Converge With Prophetic Timing

Note: Information for this section comes from a BYU Religious Educator article with interviews from Sister Jack, Sister Clyde and Sister Dew.

Early 1995 — Relief Society General Presidency sets a family-focused theme for the October general conference

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Sister Jack and counselors Sister Chieko N. Okazaki and Sister Clyde gathered informal input worldwide and resolved that their September women’s meeting would emphasize strengthening families and meeting women’s needs.

Summer 1995 — Program experimentation

Sister Jack explained, “We thought, ‘Let’s do a video about Relief Society or about some of the concerns and how we might deal with them.’”

After several attempts, they canceled the video a week before the meeting, leaving a program gap and trusting the Lord to guide the outcome.

Mid-September 1995 — Counseling with Elder Robert D. Hales

Elder Hales, the Relief Society General Presidency’s contact in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the time, encouraged the presidency to meet with the First Presidency to discuss purposes and plans for their meeting.

Decision Week

September 20, 1995 — Meeting with the First Presidency — then Presidents Hinckley, Monson and Faust — with Elder Dallin H. Oaks present

The First Presidency warmly received the sisters and asked detailed questions about women’s needs, family circumstances, curriculum and economic challenges. The Relief Society presidency shared what they were seeing worldwide.

President Hinckley then raised the possibility of reading a proclamation on the family at their meeting but worried it might overwhelm the sisters’ program. Sister Jack and her counselors assured him they would gladly shorten their own talks to accommodate it.

President Hinckley also mentioned a letter from a single mother he had just received and considered reading. That letter, President Jack later observed, providentially accomplished what the canceled video would have attempted.

She said, “It was a long letter, but it accomplished exactly what we hoped the video we tried to prepare would do, only it was much better.” She added, “We saw the hand of the Lord in the writing of this letter. This letter was clearly written by a woman who was inspired of God, and the timing was incredible. To me this was a testimony that the prophet had received revelation. I did not feel right about the video, and my concerns and hopes for what we were trying to portray with the video were resolved as the prophet read this letter.”

Sister Clyde recalled that after hearing the sisters’ support, President Hinckley concluded: “I will make the presentation of the proclamation at your meeting.” She recalled that following the meeting, Elder Oaks told the women they had just witnessed “an historic moment.”

In a book sharing the history of the Relief Society during that time, Cherry B. Silver, who served on the Relief Society General Advisory Council from 1990 to 1997, records that Elder Oaks said to the presidency, “I think he made the decision to read that proclamation dependent on your response. I think he made it right there while you were visiting.”

September 23, 1995 — General Relief Society Meeting: the Proclamation’s First Public Delivery

Sister Jack, Sister Okazaki and Sister Clyde give messages, with family as the unifying theme

President Jack taught that “Families bring us our greatest joys and sometimes our most wrenching heartaches” and that the virtues lived at home are “the Lord’s way of life.”

President Hinckley reads the proclamation

In President Hinckley’s address, “Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” he acknowledged women in diverse circumstances and read from a single mother’s letter. Framing the moment, he declared: “With so much of sophistry … we have felt to warn and forewarn.” He then stated:“ In furtherance of this, we of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles now issue a proclamation … relative to the family,” and he proceeded to read the proclamation.

The document — issued jointly by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — affirms, among other teachings, that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God” and that “gender is an essential characteristic” of individual identity and purpose.

November 1995 and Beyond — Formal Publication and Broad Circulation

General conference issues of the “Ensign” and “Liahona” carried President Hinckley’s address and the full text of the proclamation, cementing it as a reference point in Church teachings and curricula.

• November 1995 Ensign
• January 1996 Le Liahona (French)
• January 1996 Stjernen (Danish)
• January 1996 A Liahona (Portuguese)
• January 1996 De Ster (Dutch)
• January 1996 Der Stern (German)

In the following months and years, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” has been published in over 100 languages and dialects (with links to Gospel Library):

1. Afaan Oromoo (Oromo)
2. Afrikaans (Afrikaans)
3. American Sign Language (American Sign Language)
4. Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
5. Bahasa Melayu (Malay)
6. Bats’i k’op (Tseltal)
7. Bislama (Bislama)
8. British Sign Language (British Sign Language)
9. Cebuano (Cebuano)
10. Česky (Czech)
11. Chichewa (Chichewa)
12. Dansk (Danish)
13. Deutsch (German)
14. Èdè Yorùbá (Yoruba)
15. Eesti (Estonian)
16. Efik (Efik)
17. English (English)
18. Español (Spanish)
19. Faka-Tonga (Tongan)
20. Fante (Fante)
21. Fiji Hindi (Fiji Hindi)
22. Fosun Chuuk (Chuukese)
23. Français (French)
24. Gagana Samoa (Samoan)
25. Hiligaynon (Hiligaynon)
26. Hmoob (Hmong)
27. Hrvatski (Croatian)
28. Îethka (Yethka) (Stoney (Nakoda))
29. Igbo (Igbo)
30. Ilokano (Ilocano)
31. isiXhosa (Xhosa)
32. isiZulu (Zulu)
33. Íslenska (Icelandic)
34. Italiano (Italian)
35. Kahs Kosrae (Kosraean)
36. Kajin Majōl (Marshallese)
37. Kikamba (Kamba)
38. Kinyarwanda (Kinyarwanda)
39. Kiribati (Gilbertese)
40. Kiswahili (Swahili)
41. Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
42. Latviešu (Latvian)
43. Lietuvių (Lithuanian)
44. Lingála (Lingala)
45. Magyar (Hungarian)
46. Mahsen en Pohnpei (Pohnpeian)
47. Malagasy (Malagasy)
48. Malti (Maltese)
49. Nederlands (Dutch)
50. Nitsi’powahsin (Blackfoot)
51. Nivacle (Nivaclé)
52. Norsk (Norwegian)
53. Palauan (Palauan)
54. Polski (Polish)
55. Português (Brasil)
56. Português (Portugal)
57. Q’eqchi’ (Q’eqchi’)
58. Reo Tahiti (Tahitian)
59. Română (Romanian)
60. Sesotho (Sesotho)
61. Setswana (Tswana)
62. Shona (Shona)
63. Shqip (Albanian)
64. siSwati (Swati)
65. Slovenčina (Slovak)
66. Slovenščina (Slovenian)
67. Suomi (Finnish)
68. Svenska (Swedish)
69. Tagalog (Tagalog)
70. Te Reo Māori (Māori (New Zealand))
71. Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
72. Tok Pisin (Tok Pisin)
73. Tshiluba (Tshiluba)
74. Türkçe (Turkish)
75. Twi (Twi)
76. Vosa vakaviti (Fijian)
77. Ελληνικά (Greek)
78. Български (Bulgarian)
79. Қазақ (Kazakh)
80. Македонски (Macedonian)
81. Монгол (Mongolian)
82. Русский (Russian)
83. Српски (Serbian)
84. Українська (Ukrainian)
85. ქართული (Georgian)
86. Հայերեն (Armenian)
87. اردو (Urdu)
88. العربیة (Arabic)
89. زمان سۆرانی (Sorani Kurdish)
90. فارسی (Persian (Farsi))
91. አማርኛ (Amharic)
92. हिन्दी (Hindi)
93. தமிழ் (Tamil)
94. తెలుగు (Telugu)
95. മലയാളം (Malayalam)
96. සිංහල (Sinhala)
97. ภาษาไทย (Thai)
98. ພາສາລາວ (Lao)
99. ကညီလံာ်ခီၣ်ထံ (Karen (S’gaw))
100. ဗမာစာ (Burmese)
101. ខ្មែរ (Khmer)
102. 한국어 (Korean)
103. 日本語 (Japanese)
104. 简体中文 - 普通话 (Simplified Chinese (Mandarin))
105. 繁體中文 - 國語 (Traditional Chinese (Mandarin))
106. 繁體中文 - 廣東話 (Traditional Chinese (Cantonese))

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” has been gifted to hundreds of national, civic and community leaders around the world by Church leaders and local members.

Since its original reading, it has been quoted and testified of by each prophet, apostle and many other Church leaders. The family has continued to be a major focus of the Church in every general conference since October 1995.