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Ezra Taft Benson

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This is about the 20th-century church leader and politician. For his great-grandfather, the non-politician leader in the same church, see Ezra T. Benson.
Ezra Taft Benson
Personal details
BornEzra Taft Benson
August 4, 1899
DiedMay 30, 1994

Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death. Earlier he served as United States Secretary of Agriculture for both of the administrations of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Biography

Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, he was the oldest of 11 children. Began his academic career at Utah State University, he was a 1926 graduate of Brigham Young University (after serving a church mission in Britain from 1921 to 1923), he pursued a career in agriculture and later served in many church leadership positions.

In 1939, when he was president of the church's Boise, Idaho stake and working for the University of Idaho Extension Service, he moved to Washington, D.C. to become Executive Secretary of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and became the first president of a new LDS Church stake there.

Apostle

On October 7 1943, both he and Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) were ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling two vacancies created by the deaths of Apostles that summer. Because Kimball was the older of the two, he was ordained first. Succession to the presidency of the church is by chronological order of ordination to apostleship, allowing Spencer W. Kimball to became president of the church years earlier than Benson. Upon Spencer W. Kimball's death in 1985, Benson was Ordained as President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Politician

In 1953 Benson was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by President Eisenhower perhaps to appease Robert Taft supporters of which he was one,[citation needed] and he accepted this position with the permission of Church President David O. McKay. He retained his United States Cabinet place throughout the two terms of the Eisenhower Administration without yielding his position in the Quorum of the Twelve. In office, he was criticized for his opposition to government price supports and such aid to farmers. Upon starting his service in this office, he suggested starting each cabinet meeting with a prayer. President Eisenhower agreed to the suggestion and kept the prayer as the opening event to every cabinet meeting during his administration.

As Secretary of Agriculture, Benson was predicted by the press to be the first man of the cabinet to be ousted, and even Congressional Republicans felt he was too high a liability for the party, given his severely anti-socialist stance. Benson prevailed, which has been termed one of the great "political mysteries" of the 20th century [citation needed]; he served the full two terms. Secretary Benson grew to have a hatred for communism. He spoke to and electrified audiences with his anti-communist speeches,(some samples here) warning repeatedly, over and over again of the threat of the socialist-communist conspiracy. In the 1960s he stated to the BYU student body:

“I have talked face to face with the godless communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Khrushchev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I’m proud of it. I opposed his coming then, and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor. But, according to President Eisenhower, Khrushchev had expressed a desire to learn something of American Agriculture — and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why. As we talked face to face, he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren will live under freedom, he arrogantly declaired in substance:
“‘You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you’ll fall like overripe fruit into our hands.’
“And they’re ahead of schedule in their devilish scheme.” (Ezra Taft Benson “Our Immediate Responsibility.” Devotional Address at Brigham Young University. circa 1968.”) listen to an excerpt of that speech here

In his political and ecclesiastical life, Benson was intensely conservative. He was an ardent evangelist of American exceptionalism, and a vitriolic opponent of Communism and Socialism. In the early 1960s, Benson met Robert W. Welch Jr., founder of the John Birch Society. While Benson never joined the Society, his wife Flora joined, and his son Reed was the Society's Utah state coordinator. His reasons for not joining may have related to incompatibility with his position as an Apostle; however, he had read the Society's Blue Book and was very sympathetic to the cause, stating that he "was convinced that the John Birch Society was the most effective non-church organization in our fight against creeping Socialism and godless Communism."

While Benson later attributed his longevity to his unorthodox diet and his religious faith, his eating habits became the source of constant ribbing in the 1970s when his conservative friends began a series of "Ezra Roasts" to poke fun at Benson as a means of fund raising to finance campaigns against the Equal Rights Amendment.

Prophet

Benson succeeded Kimball as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1973, and as President of the Church in 1985. Known in his early years for his ultra-conservative and right libertarian political views, he was comparatively moderate once he attained the church's highest office. During his early years as Church President he brought a renewed emphasis on the distribution and reading of the Book of Mormon, reaffirming the LDS scripture's importance as "the keystone of [the Mormon] religion."

In the years before his death President Benson suffered from poor health, suffering from blood clots in the brain, strokes, and heart attacks. During this time, Benson almost never appeared in public, and First Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley took on many of Benson's official duties, as he had done as Second Counselor in Kimball's last years. Joining Hinckley in this task was Thomas S. Monson, and the two of them received legal power of attorney to act in Benson's behalf in LDS corporate affairs. Important ecclesiastical and family documents continued to be signed in Benson's name, with the aid of a signature machine.

There was some controversy as to whether Benson's actual mental health during this time was accurately portrayed. According to Church spokesman Don LeFevre, Hinckley and Monson reviewed major church decisions with Benson in his home, where he was attended by a staff of nurses. According to Benson's grandson Steve Benson, who later became a vocal, anti-Mormon critic, by 1993 Benson was living in a sweatsuit, fed by others, and incapable of recognizing others or speaking coherently. Steve Benson is not considered to be an official spokesman for the Benson family or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Family members have shied away from Steve Benson's remarks.

Benson was buried in Whitney, Idaho.

Published works

  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1990). Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-351-7.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1983). Come Unto Christ. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-997-6.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1986). The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-216-2.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1976). Cross Fire: The Eight Years With Eisenhower. Doubleday. ISBN 0-8371-8422-3.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1992). Elect Women of God. Bookcraft. ISBN 0-88494-838-2.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1992). An Enemy Hath Done This. Bookcraft. ISBN 0-88494-184-1.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1974). God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties. Deseret Book Company. ISBN B0006CF3MC.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1989). A Labor of Love: The 1946 European Mission of Ezra Taft Benson. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-275-8.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1990). Missionaries to Match Our Message. Bookcraft. ISBN 0-88494-779-3.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1960). Reed A. Benson. (ed.). So Shall Ye Reap: Selected Addresses of Ezra Taft Benson. Deseret Book Company. ISBN B0007E7BME.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1988). The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Bookcraft. ISBN 0-88494-639-8.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1977). This Nation Shall Endure. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-658-6.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1962). The Red Carpet. Bookcraft. ISBN B0007F4WJI.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (2003). Sermons and Writings of President Ezra Taft Benson. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1964). Title of Liberty. compiled by Mark A. Benson. Deseret Book Company.
  • Benson, Ezra Taft (1988). A Witness and a Warning: A Modern-Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-153-0.

General conference talks

References

External resources

Preceded by President of the LDS Church
November 10 1985 — May 30 1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
December 30 1973–November 10 1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 7 1943–November 10 1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of Agriculture
1953–1961 		Succeeded by
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