Leer en español: Presidente Nelson presenta nueva proclamación para el mundo en el bicentenario
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints revealed a proclamation in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision during the Sunday morning session of General Conference.
The proclamation, titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” was delivered through a pre-recorded video read by President Nelson in the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York.
He said instead of creating a physical monument to commemorate this historic moment of church history, the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles wanted to create a “monument of words — words of solemn and sacred proclamation—written not to be carved in ‘tables of stone,’ but in words that could be etched in the ‘fleshy tables’ of all ‘human hearts’”
This is the sixth proclamation issued by the Church throughout all of its history. The most recent one, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” was given almost 25 years ago.
The new proclamation outlines the beliefs of the Church regarding the divinity of Joseph Smith’s revelations and the continuation of the Restoration in the present day.
In it, the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles invite members to continually study and receive personal revelation about the Restoration
“With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know — as we do — that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters,” the proclamation reads. “We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
The proclamation is available in 12 different languages for all members around the world to read, and President Nelson said the Church plans on translating it into other languages in the near future.
The announcement of the proclamation was followed by a celebratory Hosanna Shout. Members around the world were asked to wave a white handkerchief, or their hands if they didn’t have a handkerchief.
“It (the Hosanna Shout) is a sacred tribute to the Father and the Son,” President Nelson said during the conference.
