Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, it was common practice for a Last Will and Testament to include a religious prologue, or profession of faith, such as “In the Name of God, Amen.” In fact, the Wills of both George Washington and William Shakespeare begin with those exact words.

The Last Will and Testament of Samuel Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is believed to have asserted, “Principally and first of all, I recommend my soul to that Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying on the merits of Jesus Christ for a pardon of all my sins.” John Hopkins, founder of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital, included a religious preamble in his Will, stating, “[f]irst, and principally, I commit, with humble reverence, my soul to the keeping of the Almighty God.”

In more recent times, as states eliminated the requirement that Wills be read aloud or “published,” references to one’s religious beliefs became less common, replaced with more legal language, such as “I, John Smith, being of sound mind, declare this to be my last will and testament.”

Including a reference to religious beliefs and convictions is certainly not required for a valid Will, however, most people don’t realize they may include such language in their planning documents. Personalizing your Will with a religious preamble or profession of faith can serve as a final opportunity to proclaim you  faith to your loved ones, and, if the Will is probated, to the public at large. It can also reassure family and friends that their loved one died in faith and offer comfort to those who are mourning, encouraging them to remain unwavering in their own faith.  It can also serve as a historical statement to future generations that might have questions regarding the faith of their ancestors.  For some, it is simply a comfort to incorporate their faith into a plan that is otherwise concerned with only the material things; others are troubled by the thought that their planning effort might suggest unwarranted value or significance in their material acquisitions, or leaving the impression that the material is of primary or significant importance in one’s life, thinking, and/or values.

Some are even professing that they have no institutional faith or religious beliefs, even if they proclaim a spirituality, and others are declaring their atheism or agnosticism.

Your planning documents can reflect your values and thinking directly or indirectly- as you choose.

Because a trust is generally a private document, and a Will is a public document, the profession of faith in a trust is typically more intimate and personal than that included in a Will. Of course, there is no “standard” or “correct” profession language except that which reflects your faith, and conforms to your taste and preference. The following are examples commended to you for your adoption, rejection, or alteration.

Christian Faiths

The following is an example of a Preamble to a Will for a Christian:

I, _______________________realizing the uncertainty of this life, and with full confidence and trust in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in His death for my sins on the cross, and in His shed blood as an atonement for my soul, and knowing that by faith in His sacrifice on the cross for me I have eternal life, do hereby publish and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all Wills and Codicils by me heretofore made. [POF1]

The following are examples for inclusion in a trust:

Profession of Faith: I leave to all my loved ones the words of our Lord and Savior found in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I leave those who survive me the comfort of knowing that I have died in this faith and now have joined our Lord in eternal glory, and I pray that the Lord would guard and protect my family. You are all very special to me and I thank the Lord for you. I urge you to remain faithful to Christ until you are called home to be with the Lord. I love you and look forward to eternity with you in heaven. [POF2]

Profession of Faith: I want all who read this to know that upon my death I will enter Heaven to be with our Lord who loves us. Not by our righteousness but by Christ’s grace alone he has saved us through his atoning death on the cross. My prayer for those I leave behind is that you remember you were dearly loved; and that you place your faith in Christ alone and live for him who bought you with a great sacrifice. You are all very special to me and I thank the Lord for you. I urge you to remain faithful to Christ until you are called home to be with the Lord. I leave you with a heart that awaits to once again be reunited in Heaven with you – – forever. [POF3]

Profession of Faith: I want all who read this to know that I am with my Lord, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has been my strength and guide, my savior and comforter throughout my life. I hope that each of you, my loved ones and descendants, will also know his goodness and love and put your faith and trust in Jesus, the Christ who offers forgiveness through his death on the cross for all who believe. Jesus said, “The one who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16a). I hope and pray that you will all remain faithful to your baptism.

I want to share one of my favorite scripture passages with you:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NRSV) May God be with you all and comfort you in my death and bring to your remembrance the good times we shared with one another. Amen.  [POF4]

Jewish Faiths

The Shema is sometimes restated in whole or part in a Last Will and Testament or trust.  Often, only the first paragraph is written, perhaps arising from the invocation to recite the Shema “when you lie down, and when you rise.”   (Deuteronomy 6:7).  Following the example of the scholar-martyr Rabbi Akiba (2nd century AD), the Shema has been uttered by Jewish martyrs throughout the ages as their final profession of faith. Pious Jews hope to die with the words of the Shema on their lips.

There is more in the Torah supporting inclusion in a last testament; the Torah depicts two larger-print letters in the first sentence (‘ayin ע and daleth ד) which, when combined, spell “עד”. In Hebrew this means “witness”. The idea thus conveyed is that through the recitation or proclamation of the Shema one is a living witness testifying to the truth of its message. Modern Kabbalistic schools, namely that of the Ari, teach that when one recites the last letter of the word “‘ecḥad'” (אחד), meaning “one”, the speaker is to intend that s/he is ready to “die into God.”

Additional Information:

Religious Preambles in Early Modern English Wills as Formulae

A Theological Discourse of Last Wills and Testaments