The Family Proclamation

The events that turned into one of the most prophetic events in my lifetime began as a seemingly mundane declaration of truths that, at the time, were nearly universally agreed upon.

This same proclamation is becoming increasingly viewed as a radical, hateful document that needs to become obsolete or, at the very least, a much more modern interpretation.

I am of course, talking about “The Family - A Proclamation to the World.”

I remember when The Proclamation was first released almost 30 years ago. Many members, including myself, were surprised that The Brethren needed to emphasize truths that seemed so basic and obvious.

Now, however, the passages from this document seem so politically incorrect and offensive that many members of the church don’t want to touch it, even when it’s the assigned reading for Come Follow Me.

This document stands as one of the strongest and most concrete evidence of the prophetic calling of the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12.

Let’s look at some of the following passages and see how they cut through the deceptive ideologies being pushed by the Religion of Academia.

“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.”

The essentiality and distinctive natures of gender are being challenged at every turn, and anyone who stands up for the truth is being labeled as transphobic, hateful, dangerous, and directly responsible for the shockingly high rates of self-harm that we see from young people who identify with feelings of gender dysphoria.

Truly, we live in a day where they “call evil good and good evil.”

“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.”

Some very popular LDS social media influencers in the LGBTQ community try to claim that The Proclamation doesn’t actually say anything SPECIFICALLY against homosexuality and that it may just be a matter of time before God reveals that it’s actually ok.

While it’s true that the term “homosexuality” or “gay” isn’t used in the actual document, the above quote, “only between man and woman,” unequivocally eliminates the acceptability of homosexual behavior.

As far as what future revelation may hold, I cannot say, but I do know that we have guidance from The Brethren on this NOW and that following their direction is the path of obedience, regardless of what happens in the future.

Just as the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament would not have been justified in practicing the higher law of the New Testament, trying to live a “higher law” now that has not been revealed through the President of the church would be just as disobedient.

The Adversary is doing EVERYTHING he can to attack the family unit.

We see this most strongly from ideologies with Marxian roots, as the family unit is just another system and obstacle that needs to be torn down to bring people into the collective.

These ideologies can’t risk parents teaching their children beliefs that don’t align with the prevailing narrative of the collective. That is why they try to outsource the “moral” teaching of children to the state.

We must remember the warning given in The Proclamation itself -

“Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”

One other claim from opponents to The Proclamation that I want to address quickly is that it is being used as “a weapon” or to “bully” people who don’t come from a “traditional” family setting.

I have never seen this in any ward I have ever been in, but any occurrence of this is wrong and should be rectified.

Additionally, I think there is a core misunderstanding from people who take offense to The Proclamation in thinking it condemns anything short of perfection as relating to a traditional family structure.

This is not its purpose.

It aims to provide a “Gold-Standard” that everyone can aim for.

Meeting that standard is not always within our control, but the standard still needs to exist so we can all aim for the result with the most favorable outcomes.

And make no mistake, a loving, traditional family structure produces the most positive outcomes for children. The data on this is extremely clear.

“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thanks for reading.