SALT LAKE CITY -- In the Sunday morning session of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson released a proclamation titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World."
The proclamation -- which is the church's sixth, the last being in 1995 called "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" -- was presented in honor of the 200th anniversary of "The First Vision," when the church's founder Joseph Smith says he saw God and Jesus Christ appear to him, ultimately leading to the establishment of the church that claims to have the original authority of Jesus and his original 12 apostles from the New Testament.
The announcement came during the session where a unique "solemn assembly" was held with a "Hosanna shout."
The church states that the proclamation "outlines core Latter-day Saint beliefs. These include the supremacy of Jesus Christ in salvation, the divinity of Joseph Smith’s revelations and the Book of Mormon, the unique mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the ongoing nature of the Restoration that began with Joseph Smith’s First Vision of Deity in 1820. The proclamation invites people everywhere to know for themselves that God speaks and that this Restoration of truth is occurring to help them prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ."
The full document and additional background information can be found on the church's website.
