“The Family: A Proclamation to the World” Reaches 10-year Milestone By Nicole Seymour, Church Magazines A full decade has passed since President Gordon B. Hinckley first introduced “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” on September 23, 1995. Since then, the proclamation issued by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve has stood as a standard in defense of the family. Founded on gospel truths, it not only serves as a guide for family happiness for members of the Church, but also for the entire world. The proclamation has been a guide in the home, in the community, and in world meetings concerning the family; a pillar of strength in political circles; a missionary tool; and a building block for greater Church emphasis on the family. It has also been the basis for the creation of a textbook, a course, and an academic school at Brigham Young University. A Proclamation for the Family In modern society where family values have deteriorated and are often viewed as old-fashioned, the proclamation offers timeless, eternal truths concerning the importance of founding families on righteousness. The proclamation was given at a time before the extent of the decline of the family was widely recognized by society, said David C. Dollahite, professor of Family Life (a school centered on the proclamation) at BYU. In his comments before introducing the proclamation at the general Relief Society meeting in 1995, President Hinckley prophetically described the state of society: “I need not remind you that the world we are in is a world of turmoil, of shifting values,” he said. “Shrill voices call out for one thing or another in betrayal of time-tested standards of behavior. The moral moorings of our society have been badly shaken” (“Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 99). “The family, the most fundamental institution of society, is under attack from all sides. Adultery, divorce, cohabitation, child and spouse abuse, homosexuality, abortion, teen pregnancies, pornography, disobedient children, economic struggles, an increasing unwillingness among married couple to rear children—all these and more are proof that the adversary understands very well the central role the family plays in the destiny of God' s children.” (“Strengthening the Family: The Family is Central to the Creator’s Plan,” Ensign, Dec. 2004, 50). The proclamation clearly states doctrine that promotes the sanctity and divinity of the family in a society where families are continually being undermined. The proclamation has an eternal perspective because it is rooted in the plan of salvation. Knowing that families can be forever and that all are children of a loving Heavenly Father provides a better perspective for understanding the value of family relations. As Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve stated, “A child hearing and believing the words of the proclamation regarding families united eternally would begin a lifetime of looking for a holy temple where ordinances and covenants perpetuate family relationships beyond the grave” (“The Family,” Ensign, Feb., 1998, 12). The proclamation serves as a guide to create a home of sanctity and a family of righteousness and love. “The more surely you rear your children in the ways of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with love and high expectation, the more likely that there will be peace in their lives,” said Elder Eran A. Call of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. “[The proclamation] teaches and warns against abuse, infidelity and immorality. It promotes wholesome family values based on hard work, discipline, love and recreation, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. As stated in the proclamation, “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” (paragraph 7). The proclamation not only offers a guide for happiness, but it also offers solutions. Richard G. Wilkins, professor of law at BYU, said the proclamation provides a road map to bring families to Christ. “The fact is. . . the family is the best place for man, woman, and children to be,” he said. “There are problems in the families, and they need to be fixed, and the proclamation calls upon those problems to be fixed. It tells us not to abuse each other, it tells husband and wife to act as equal partners. The proclamation addresses the things that go wrong in families. It reminds people that our homes can be, and should be, a refuge and a sanctuary from the troubled world we live in.” A Proclamation for the World Since its completion in 1995, the proclamation has been translated into 77 languages and has been distributed to world leaders in an effort to protect and support the fundamental unit of society. The proclamation asks citizens and government leaders to take measures in favor of family values. “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” (paragaraph 9) Brother Wilkins, also managing director of the World Family Policy Center, believes that heeding the proclamation's call to defend the family is a mandate for himself and every other member of the Church. “Just as a law professor, I know how important the views of academicians are,” he said. “I feel that as a person I have an obligation to do everything I can to preserve those values because that’s what the living prophets of God have asked everyone to do.” His efforts, paired with those of other BYU faculty and departments at BYU as well as with other Latter-day Saints, have created opportunities to defend the family in international circles. Although missionaries often use the proclamation in their efforts to influence individual approaches to the family, the fact that the proclamation is presented to government officials often serves as a means of opening doors and representing the Church' s beliefs. “I think that the proclamation has helped missionary work and helped our relationships with leaders of other nations, and it has helped sometimes to open the door of those nations to the gospel,” Brother Dollahite said. On December 6, 2004, the United Nations General Assembly noted the Doha Declaration, which contains many of the central teachings of the proclamation. Among many similar principles to the proclamation contained in the declaration is the establishment that marriage is between man and woman with each partner of equal esteem. “I know that there are a number of different organizations that have been established in the last 10 years,” Brother Dollahite said. He said many of the organizations are acquainted with Latter-day Saint beliefs concerning the family. “The proclamation on the family has been used as the basis or at least as one of the sources of language and ideas to craft statements that support marriage and family life.” Each year BYU hosts 40–50 ambassadors from various nations for a conference on the family. While the proclamation is presented to every leader, the conference is focused on research. “We don’t preach to the ambassadors about religion,” Brother Wilkins said. “We bring in distinguished sociologists who talk about how marriage between a man and a woman is unique and produces more positive outcomes for society and individuals than other forms of relationships.” Brother Wilkins said the goal of the World Family Policy Center is to “develop good, scholarly support from BYU and around the world that supports certain principles in the proclamation, and bring them to the attention of world leaders, because many people understand and share the values of the proclamation,” he said. Brother Wilkins said reasoned evidence and discussion tends to bring support for the family from large international audiences. At the World Conference on Families in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1998, Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, Relief Society general president, said that the key to promoting the family in the community is example. “I believe one of our greatest preventative measures against nuclear family disintegration is to take upon ourselves to fortify our own families, and then, from that position of strength, we will be able to reach next door and further strengthen our neighbors. The power of personal example is great,” she said. And as Elder Merrill J. Bateman of the Presidency of the Seventy said, “The proclamation serves not only as a handbook for family living but also as a compass for family research and advocacy” (“The Eternal Family,” BYU Magazine, Winter 1998). Brother Dollahite, also editor of "Strengthening Our Families: An In-depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family," said the proclamation conveys Church doctrine and fundamental truths through unique yet understandable means. “I think that the spirit of the proclamation teaches the fundamental doctrine of the Church in clear and simple language that anyone can understand," he said. "I think that anyone who reads it with an open mind and an open heart is going to be touched by the Spirit. They may not recognize why it just seems to ring true to them, but as does scripture, I think that to honest hearts and minds it very much rings true to them.”