In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has made strides in creating an environment that caters to people from all walks of life. In an effort to expand this movement and make sure people in all seasons of life feel a part of the Lord’s Church, the Brethren have announced that starting in 2022, the new “Old Women’s” program will begin. In this program, elderly sisters aged 75 and above, with a special emphasis on widows, will be given the opportunity to earn their Old Women’s medallion after completing all of the requirements specified in the accompanying workbook.

An exclusive interview with Gérald Caussé, the presiding bishop in the Church, gives deeper insight into the new program.

“We admire our elderly sisters for their warmth and wisdom. But they have way too much time on their hands and we need to get them out of the house.”

“We’re excited about the wholesome recreational activities that the sisters can get credit for, like mountain biking and parkour,” says L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the presiding bishopric.

While some may be puzzled as to why the Church is giving a whopping five million dollar budget to a program focused on the development of people so close to kicking the bucket, Bishop Caussé likens it to putting the “finishing touches” on our sisters before they leave this mortal life.

We turned to the elderly sisters of the church to take their pulse on the new program. Responses varied from positive, negative, cheerfully confused, and unintelligible.

“WHAT?” said Gertrude Miller, whose hearing aids were not on.

If you have a grandmother who is eligible for this program, consider taking the time to sit down and explain how it works to her. She’ll appreciate the company.