Today, Russell M. Nelson, president of @Ch_JesusChrist, announced a new Proclamation: "The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

While it doesn't include any new or surprising content, it reflects a lot about the modern church. A thread. /1

The proclamation is in commemoration of Joseph Smith's First Vision, the founding prophet's encounter with God that happened in 1820. The text reaffirms the church’s claim that their leaders have been chosen and appointed by God to lead the institution. /2 https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/multimedia/file/restoration-proclamation-2020-april.pdf

By the church's counting, this is only the 6th such proclamation in the denomination's 190yr existence. The most recent, and most famous, predecessor is the 1985 Proclamation on family and gender, a document sparked by debates over homosexual marriage. /3 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world/the-family-a-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng

(Side-note: kudos to whatever @churchhistory employee traced down the previous proclamations, though I'd love to hear how you determined what qualified these previous "proclamations," especially those from the C19, given the category is quite murky.) /4

On the one hand, this proclamation seems a nice way to recognize the First Vision's lasting significance; a similar proclamation was issued in 1980 in commemoration of the church's sesquicentennial. On the other hand, the "proclamation" category remains quite inchoate. /5

It's not as authoritative as canonized scripture, but it's also much stronger than a general conference address. The fact the Family proc retains such significance, but is still (famously) not canonized, reflects lasting anxiety. The other procs are mostly forgotten. /6

But I think the creation and presentation of the document is what is significant in its own right, and it reflects a lot on the man currently leading the church, Russell M. Nelson.

In short, it's reflective of the image and approach Nelson has tried to install as president. /7

Nelson has only led the church for two years now, but he has not been afraid to draw attention through big changes and bold declarations. Whereas his predecessors (mostly) acted as stewards of Mormonism's pioneer heritage, Nelson has been dedicated to modernize the faith. /8

This modernizing project has included not only a string of organizational changes--ranging from reducing the Sunday worship block to restructuring the youth programs--but also eliminating classic cultural practices, like pageants, that highlighted a unique heritage. /9

Of course, the most noteworthy change came with his insistence that the faith drop the "Mormon" nickname. Only a decade of the church spent millions on the "I'm a Mormon" campaign, the label was jettisoned from things ranging from the tabernacle choir to their website. /10

These changes, while seemingly quixotic, embody Nelson's vision for a church centered on identity & efficiency, a modern corporation not wary about drawing lessons from venture capitalists: streamlined messaging, shedding unnecessary weight, & enthusiastic re-branding. /11

Indeed, Nelson has mastered the skill of building hype & unifying the church's identity. He declared that his tenure would be "exciting," and he teased that this April conference would be "historic." He even unveiled a new church logo. /12 https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/new-symbol-church-of-jesus-christ

Now, back to the new proclamation. On the one hand, emphasizing Smith's first vision might threaten to drive a wedge between LDS & other Christians, highlighting distinctiveness. Yet the proclamation is a carefully cultivated telling that emphasizes Christian commonalities. /13

It does not spotlight lessons that saints usually emphasize, like an embodied God or a rejection of the Trinity. Nor does it repeat God's statement that modern Christian churches were wrong and that their creeds were an "abomination." This is a telling for an ecumenical age. /14

At the same time, the creation, presentation, & existence of the proclamation are as important as the content. The excited anticipation, the carefully pre-recorded announcement, & the sacred "hosanna shout" that followed the proc combined to make the episode momentous. /15

In Nelson’s modern LDS church, momentous significance is prioritized over cultural distinctiveness. In a world filled with distractions, the LDS church—like all other corporations, institutions, and brands—is staunchly dedicated to capture attention. /16

That's why I believe it is everything that surrounds the proclamation, rather than the proclamation's text itself, that make today's announcement significant. /fin