On various occasions throughout the history
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
we have erected monuments to commemorate
important anniversaries.
On the Prophet Joseph Smith's 100th birthday in 1905,
for example, President Joseph F. Smith
dedicated a large obelisk at the Prophet's birthplace
in Sharon, Vermont.
On another significant centennial--July 24, 1947,
100 years after the pioneers entered the Salt Lake
Valley--President George Albert Smith dedicated the This Is
the Place monument at the mouth of Emigration Canyon in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
As we anticipated the 200th anniversary of the First
Vision received by Joseph Smith, the First Presidency and Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles pondered what
we might do to commemorate appropriately this unique event
that initiated the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ
and ushered in the dispensation of the fulness of times.
We asked ourselves if another monument should be erected.
But as we considered that unique manifestation of revelation
and the historic, international impact of that First Vision,
we felt impressed to establish 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.
During the 190 years since the Church was organized,
only five proclamations have been
issued, with the last being "The Family: A Proclamation
to the World," presented by President Gordon B.
Hinckley in 1995.
Now as we contemplate this significant time
in the history of the world and the Lord's charge
to accelerate the gathering of Israel
in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we,
the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
issue the following proclamation.
Its title is "The Restoration of the Fulness
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation
to the World."
It is authored by the First Presidency and Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It is dated April 2020.
We solemnly proclaim that God loves His children
in every nation of the world.
God the Father has given us the divine birth,
the incomparable life, and the infinite atoning
sacrifice of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
By the power of the Father, Jesus
rose again and gained the victory over death.
He is our Savior, our Exemplar, and our Redeemer.
Two hundred years ago, on a beautiful spring morning
in 1820, young Joseph Smith, seeking
to know which church to join, went into the woods
to pray near his home in upstate New York, USA.
He had questions regarding the salvation of his soul
and trusted that God would direct him.
In humility, we declare that in answer to his prayer,
God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ,
appeared to Joseph and inaugurated
the restitution of all things as foretold in the Bible.
In this vision, he learned that following
the death of the original Apostles,
Christ's New Testament Church was lost from the earth.
Joseph would be instrumental in its return.
We affirm that under the direction
of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers
came to instruct Joseph and reestablish
the Church of Jesus Christ.
The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority
to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins.
Three of the original twelve Apostles--Peter, James,
and John--restored the apostleship and keys
of priesthood authority.
Others came as well, including Elijah,
who restored the authority to join families together forever
in eternal relationships that transcend death.
We further witness that Joseph Smith
was given the gift and power of God
to translate an ancient record: the Book of Mormon:
Another Testament of Jesus Christ.
Pages of this sacred text include an account
of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ among people
in the Western Hemisphere soon after His Resurrection.
It teaches of life's purpose and explains
the doctrine of Christ, which is central to that purpose.
As a companion scripture to the Bible, the Book of Mormon
testifies that all human beings are sons and daughters
of a loving Father in Heaven, that He
has a divine plan for our lives, and that His Son, Jesus Christ,
speaks today as well as in days of old.
We declare that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, organized on April 6, 1830,
is Christ's New Testament Church restored.
This Church is anchored in the perfect life
of its chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ,
and in His infinite Atonement and literal Resurrection.
Jesus Christ has once again called Apostles
and has given them priesthood authority.
He invites all of us to come unto Him and His Church,
to receive the Holy Ghost, the ordinances of salvation,
and to gain enduring joy.
Two hundred years have now elapsed since this Restoration
was initiated by God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus
Christ.
Millions throughout the world have embraced a knowledge
of these prophesied events.
We gladly declare that the promised Restoration
goes forward through continuing revelation.
The earth will never again be the same,
as God will gather together in one all things in Christ.
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.
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.