The Family Proclamation in Context

At the beginning of October, in the immediate wake of President Russell M. Nelson’s passing, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the “Mormon Church”) held its biannual General Conference: a global gathering where church leaders address members. Two senior leaders focused on “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” a 1995 document has stirred controversy and debate for three decades. While its stance on gender and marriage often dominates discussion (and much of the scholarship), the proclamation’s roots in the 1990s family policy debates reveal a broader message about family wellbeing that deserves renewed attention.