Senior Citizens
From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism
See this page in the original 1992 publication.
Author: Peterson, Evan T.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always had concern for the well-being of its older members. "Mormon attitudes toward old age were influenced by Joseph Smith and other Church leaders, and by scriptural injunctions to honor the elderly" (Reeves, p. 150). Latter-day Saints view aging as an important part of God's plan and believe that completing one's mortal probation and enduring to the end are essential in the Plan of Salvation.
While programs for the youth of the Church currently are better known than programs for the elderly, the reverse was true during the nineteenth century. The best example is the Old Folks movement, founded as a private initiative by Charles R. Savage, which began with annual excursions to various Utah locations in 1875 and continued until the turn of the century, when stake presidencies and ward bishoprics were instructed by the First Presidency to organize stake and ward Old Folks committees. They were to entertain the elderly in their wards and stakes twice a year, a function which continued in some wards and stakes through the 1960s.
The elderly in the Church have often immersed themselves in genealogical and temple work. As early as 1951, Church leaders urged older people also to become more involved in missionary work. Today, many of them serve effectively as full-time missionaries.
Conference addresses of General Authorities are replete with advice to, and about, the elderly. Two dominant themes in the first half of this century were that children should care for their aging parents and that old people should avoid government doles. More recently, Church President Ezra Taft Benson identified eight areas in which he urged the elderly of the Church to be involved: (1) to serve often in the temple (see Temples: Latter-Day Saint Temple Worship and Activity); (2) to collect and write family histories; (3) to render missionary service or give support to the missionaries; (4) to provide leadership by building family togetherness (see Family Organizations); (5) to accept and fulfill Church callings; (6) to plan for a sound financial future; (7) to render Christlike service; and (8) to stay physically fit, healthy, and active (Ensign 19 [Nov. 1989]:4-6).
Research comparing older Mormons with other senior citizens is limited. One study (Peterson) found that older Mormons are more family-oriented, more active in their religion, and more conservative in religious beliefs; however, it also concluded that older Mormons are like the general population in matters of health-consciousness and contentedness. Perhaps the most comprehensive study of aging Mormons within a family context is the LDS Family Longitudinal Study, sponsored by Brigham Young University. This projected twenty-year study was initiated in 1983 with approximately 1,200 individuals from 133 three-generation families. It suggests that most older Church members are doing rather well; however, individual conditions and challenges vary considerably.
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