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.

. . .

As an outgrowth of these discussions, a committee consisting of Elders James E. Faust, Neal A. Maxwell, and Russell M. Nelson was appointed to draft a document. Elder Faust, senior to the other two, suggested they each write a draft and then bring them together. Out of that initial merged document came a version for each member of the Twelve to review and revise. Later, Elder Maxwell was removed from this team so that he could take another assignment and Elder Dallin H. Oaks was added to this effort. . . .

Finally a proposed text was presented to the First Presidency, who revised and refined it further. The document had just received approval from the combined First Presidency and Quorum when, in March 1995, President Howard W. Hunter passed away and President Gordon B. Hinckley became President of the Church. Though the senior Brethren encouraged him to read the proclamation at the April general conference, President Hinckley felt it was too early in his presidency to make a major policy statement, and he set it aside. But six months later, without informing anyone, he built his message in September 1995 for the general Relief Society meeting around “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” introducing it with these words:

. . .

While the document was received well by many Church members, the general reaction was almost ho-hum. Nothing in it seemed particularly earth-shattering. For many, the proclamation seemed to be little more than a restatement of well-understood, time-honored principles about marriage, family, and gender identity. In 1995, marriage between a man and a woman was a given. That gender was an “essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity” was regarded as uncontested fact. Few people of faith—or organized religions, for that matter—disputed the notion that the family was ordained of God.

“But we could see what was coming,” said Elder Nelson some years later. “What seemed so obvious in 1995 is now a standard, really, for the entire world. Over the years, I’ve given copies of the proclamation to many governmental leaders not of our faith who’ve been grateful, telling them they were free to use it any way they might care to. I remember talking to a vice president in a Central American country, a woman in charge of health, education, and welfare—which of course concerns the family. She practically wept as she tanked me profusely for sharing the document.”

As years marched forward from 1995, and advocacy for various rights increased, particularly LGBTQ advocacy, the relevance and significance of the proclamation began to take shape. In a relative few years, dozens of countries, including the United States, legalized gay marriage. Transgender issues came to the fore, with celebrities and other influencers popularizing the notion that gender was a matter of choice rather than a divinely directed reality. Criticism of the Church’s doctrinal position as well as policies associated with that doctrine came from both outside and inside the Church. Society increasingly hurled cries of bigotry toward anyone who opposed gay marriage on religious or moral grounds.

“There are those who label us bigots.” said Elder Nelson, “but the bigots are those who don’t allow us to feel as we feel but want us to allow them to feel as they feel. Our stand ultimately boils down to the law of chastity. The Ten Commandments are still valid. They’ve never been revoked. The commandment for a man to not even look at another woman in lust, for if he does he’s already committed adultery in his heart, is not only in the Bible but in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants as well. That powerful message is our stand. We cannot change it. We welcome people of different attitudes into the Church, but it is not our prerogative to change laws that God has decreed.”