On the 30th anniversary of the release of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called it a revelatory voice and blessed BYU students to strengthen their testimony of it.
“It was inspired 30 years ago, and it continues to inspire us today, if we are faithful to its words,” said Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the university’s weekly devotional before 15,691 people at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
He said the family is ordained of God and that the proclamation teaches about family, marriage and gender. He quoted the proclamation’s statement that “The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of his children.”
“This statement is the crux of the message of the proclamation and of my message today,” Elder Rasband said. “I personally love the proclamation.”
He also mentioned the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the beginning of his remarks. Kirk’s assassination took place on Sept. 10, just four miles up University Parkway from BYU at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Elder Rasband, who is a member of the executive committee of BYU’s board of trustees, focused his comment about the shooting on the violence and what it meant to a neighboring school.
“Brothers and Sisters, these are sobering times,” he said with emotion filling his voice. “A few weeks ago, we witnessed the peace and purpose of university study violently disrupted by an evil act right next door in this very valley. We send our love, prayers and warmest best wishes to our friends at UVU.”
Elder Rasband said the 609-word proclamation “serves as a forthright guide for both families and governments.”
“My Brethren and I and many church officers have given the proclamation to kings, religious and civic leaders around the world,” he said. “We have spoken its truths in global conferences, legislative bodies and church chapels. President (Henry B.) Eyring spoke of it at a gathering in the Vatican in 2014 and President (Russell M.) Nelson subsequently gave one to the Pope in their 2020 meeting.”
The Family Proclamation is the fifth of six proclamations issued by the Church of Jesus Christ in its 195-year history.
Church President Russell M. Nelson has said the proclamation grew out of a 1994 discussion on the family during a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple.
“We could see the efforts of various communities to do away with all standards and limitations on sexual activity,” he said. “We saw the confusion of genders. We could see it all coming.”
The proclamation says, “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.”
Elder Rasband said the proclamation helps disciples of Jesus Christ “to recognize that our lives, our daily choices, distinguish us from the ways and advocacy of the world around us.”
He said the proclamation came from living prophets and students, faculty and staff can find security and reassurance in the Lord’s promise in scripture that “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”
“The Proclamation on the Family is that revelatory voice,” said Elder Rasband, the former Huntsman Chemical Corp. president and chief operating officer who is days from completing his 10th year as an apostle.
Elder Rasband referred to his own April 2024 conference talk titled “Words Matter” to structure his devotional address around five terms from the Family Proclamation — family, creator, eternal destiny, children and happiness.
“I want to talk about each one of these as the strength, power and blessing the proclamation is in our lives,” he said.
He started with a foundational statement from the proclamation that each person is “a beloved (spirit) son or daughter of heavenly parents.”
“That eternal connection is the constant in your life; it will never change,” Elder Rasband said. “You belong to an eternal family so set your course today with ‘faith and repentance and . . . holy works.’ These are the path to exaltation with your Father in Heaven. And there, he has promised, you may have all that he has.”
He described families of all shapes and sizes and said they stand together in good and bad times.
“We have the pattern of love and caring from our heavenly parents,” he said. ”That may seem a stretch for us as mortals, but if we do all we can to claim the powers of heaven, intentional parenting with an eye single to the glory of God can be our reward.”
Elder Rasband said BYU plays a role for many in the creator’s plan to help his children return to Heavenly Father’s presence.
“It is hard to get your mind around ‘celestial when you are worried about your tests tomorrow,” he said. “But that is the brilliance of BYU. Here, you are spiritually strengthened at the same time you are intellectually engaged. You have more in your backpack than books. You have an honor code, scriptures for your religion class, a temple recommend, and room for the Holy Ghost to be with you.
“Your classes prepare you to work in the world, but the religious focus of BYU prepares you to follow the Savior and Redeemer. Following and becoming Christ-like is the real test of this life. That does not mean only on Sunday or in your free time, but all the time.”
As God’s children, each person has an eternal destiny, he said.
“He loves us, every one of us — no exception,” Elder Rasband said. “He knows us. He knows where we will thrive, what experiences in mortality will help us grow in spirituality and in what circumstances we will bless the lives of others.”
Jesus Christ is the answer to finding happiness as stated in the proclamation, he said.
“You — we — could not have a better teacher, friend, companion or mentor than Jesus Christ,” he said. “Expect impressions to come into your mind about how to be more like him, how to reshape your priorities, how to find greater happiness.”
As an apostle, he blessed the BYU community.
“I bless you in these difficult and tumultuous times to feel encircled in the loving arms of the Savior,” he said. “… I bless you to strengthen your testimony of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
Lexi Peterson, 18, a freshman in pre-nursing from Boise, Idaho, said she is grateful the proclamation provides a concrete foundation of church doctrine.
“That’s the truth that we can speak, and we can be secure in knowing who we are and knowing what God’s plan is for us,” she said.
Peterson plans to serve a Latter-day Saint mission next June.
“How many people don’t have this, don’t know who they are, don’t know whose they are?” she said. “It’s tragic. The world’s pretty lost.”
Emerson Munck, 19, a freshman from Spokane, Washington, who is taking pre-business courses, said he was grateful for the devotional.
“I’m coming away from this meeting with just so much gratitude for the revelation that priesthood authorities have,” he said. “Prophets and apostles have so much power, and I’m just grateful that they’re able to share that with everyone.”
“He answered a lot of questions that I’ve had,” said Katelyn Holm, an 18-year-old from Lewiston, Idaho who has a call to begin a Spanish-speaking mission in Orlando, Florida, in January.
“Divinely appointed people like Elder Rasband and proclamations like the Proclamation on the Family can change our lives for the better if we let them,” Holm said. “The Family Proclamation is truly meant to guide our lives and to help us get back into heaven, which I can never thank them enough for.”