Church leaders celebrate family to honor 30th anniversary of family proclamation

SALT LAKE CITY — Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sharing their testimonies of family to honor the 30th anniversary of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."

The church proclamation was first read by President Gordon B. Hinckley at the General Relief Society Meeting on Sept. 23, 1995. The document outlines the church's doctrine on the role of family and how families have an eternal destiny.

On the anniversary, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke at BYU about the sanctity of family and the guidance the proclamation provides.

"The family proclamation helps us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to recognize that our lives, our daily choices, distinguish us from the ways and advocacy of the world around us. It also teaches about family, marriage and gender and their part in the kingdom of our Father in Heaven," Elder Rasband said.

Elder Rasband emphasized that the family is "central" to God's plan and every person on Earth belongs to a family — and families come in many forms: single-parent families, families of one, families with many or no children, blended families, and more.

The Church of Jesus Christ has been sharing messages on "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" as it prepares for its 195th Semiannual General Conference this weekend.

General conference

Sessions Saturday and Sunday

Sessions of general conference will be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can stream general conference live on KSL.com, where reporters will also be live-blogging summaries of the church speakers.

BYU professor Jenet Erickson has studied the proclamation for two decades. She told the Church News that some individuals may have a hard time seeing themselves in the proclamation, due to never marrying, divorce, infertility, broken relationships, abuse, struggling in parenthood or marriage relationships or wrestling with questions of gender or sexuality.

But the family proclamation isn't about perfect families, Erickson said, "It's about redemption through Christ."

Elder Rasband taught in his BYU speech that it is our duty to strengthen our own families and help others feel like they are part of God's eternal family.

Today is the 30th anniversary of the first reading of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," issued in 1995 by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Family Proclamation helps us, as disciples of… pic.twitter.com/AcNImjJXef

— Ronald A. Rasband (@RonaldARasband) September 23, 2025

"I echo today the words that were first spoken by President Gordon B. Hinckley 30 years ago: 'Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.' Please know that the family is ordained of God. He is ever with you," Elder Rasband said.

Elder Rasband closed his speech with his witness that the proclamation came to "prophets by revelation."

"It was inspired 30 years ago, and it continues to inspire us today if we are faithful to its words. … It is the will of the Lord," he said.

Other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have taken to social media this week to share their own thoughts about the proclamation.

Elder Quentin L. Cook shared a photo of his wedding day online and said his wife, Mary, has blessed his life and family.

"When a man and woman are sealed in the temple, they obtain and receive together priesthood blessings and power to direct the affairs of their family," he said.

He said the unique roles of men and women are outlined in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," but "their stewardships are equal in value and importance."

"They have equal power to receive revelation for their family. When they work together in love and righteousness, their decisions are heaven-blessed," Elder Cook said.

Elder Ulisses Soares said the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the "principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities."

Men and woman possess specific attributes and divinely appointed responsibilities, but they fill "equally relevant and essential roles in God's plan of happiness for his children."

God ordained that men and women should marry and give birth to children, thereby creating, in partnership with God, the physical bodies that are key to the test of mortality and essential to eternal glory with Him.

Our Father in Heaven said, "and inasmuch as ye were born into… pic.twitter.com/jDoENphHDK

— D. Todd Christofferson (@ChristoffDTodd) September 24, 2025

Elder D. Todd Christofferson shared his thoughts on the importance of raising children, stating that it is "key to the test of mortality" and "essential to eternal glory with him."

"Knowing why we left the presence of our Heavenly Father and what it takes to return to and be exalted with him, it becomes very clear that nothing relative to our time on earth can be more important than the part we play in physical birth and spiritual rebirth, the two prerequisites of eternal life," he said.

Sessions of the church's general conference will be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can stream general conference on KSL.com, where reporters will also be live-blogging summaries of the church speakers.

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