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1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:blogger='http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458</id><updated>2024-05-07T21:29:44.115-06:00</updated><title type='text'>LDS Church History</title><subtitle type='html'>A chronological tour through LDS history.  Current topic: Ezra Taft Benson</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>1898</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-1357150404112080960</id><published>2015-06-10T09:21:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-06-10T09:37:48.862-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson Chronologies </title><content type='html'>To make this material more accessible, I have compiled the 800-line chronology of the life of Ezra Taft Benson into five segments, and added introductory overviews to each segment:
2. <br />
3. <br />
4. Early life, call to Apostleship & WWII Relief Mission - <a href="http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-august-4-1899-april-10-1952/">http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-august-4-1899-april-10-1952/</a>
5. <br />
6. <br />
7. Secretary of Agriculture - <a href="http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-secretary-agriculture-years/">http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-secretary-agriculture-years/</a>
8. <br />
9. <br />
10. Early battle against communism (early McKay administration) - <a href="http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-initial-anti-communism-crusade/">http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-initial-anti-communism-crusade/</a>
11. <br />
12. <br />
13. Fight against communism through McKay administration - <a href="http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-4">http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-4</a>
14. <br />
15. <br />
16. The Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee and Spencer W. Kimball administrations - <a href="http://withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-5">http://withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-5</a>
17. <br />
18. <br />
19. Presidency - &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-presidency/&quot;&gt;http://www.withoutend.org/ezra-taft-benson-chronology-presidency/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1357150404112080960'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1357150404112080960'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/06/ezra-taft-benson-chronologies.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson Chronologies '/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-6209848171280982966</id><published>2015-04-23T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-23T05:05:03.692-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Apr 22, 2015</title><content type='html'>-- Apr 22, 2015
20. <br>This ends the chronology of the life of Ezra Taft Benson.
21. <br>
22. <br>
23. <br>
24. <br> Growing up in a 100% LDS farming community in South Eastern Idaho, Ezra Taft Benson learned to work hard, and was immersed in the religious ideals of his family, church and community.  He proved to be a successful missionary in England under the leadership of two apostles (Orson Whitney followed by David O McKay). He took on leadership roles including one equivalent to that of a Stake President & zone leader. After his mission he continued his relationship with Flora Smith Amussen, and after she served a mission, they married and had six children. Her goal of having twelve children was cut short when she experienced serious health issues while her husband was away on a second mission in Europe.  
25. <br>
26. <br> Benson faithfully served in church callings and he was eventually called into the Quorum of the Twelve. In his lengthy journal entry for that day, he describes the "shock" he had the day he was called when visiting the Heber J. Grant home. To him, that day had the "greatest significance," as he describes staring into his eyes while holding Heber J. Grant's hands. He said it "seem[ed] like a dream."
27. <br>
28. <br> When two other apostles expressed reservations about going on a mission to post-WWII Europe to aid members of the church -- Benson (who had the largest and youngest family of the quorum) was called to leave his family and go to Europe. There, he and his assistant/translator spent a frenzied nine months travelling from country to country, coordinating relief shipments and providing encouragement to saints who had been devastated by the war. This left him profoundly changed, as he heard horrific stories and saw the effects of war, mistreatment and starvation. Here, he became an avid enemy of socialism, fascism and communism - after seeing the results Hitler and Stalin's attempts to impose socialism and communism.  
29. <br>
30. <br> After his mission, Benson became an anti-communism crusader and eventually an advocate of the right-wing John Birch society. He adopted and taught their philosophies, seeing communism as an encroachment on freeagency and the gospel. He saw it infiltrating the U.S. in many forms, including the civil rights movement, professors at BYU, and even U.S. President Eisenhower. Benson's rhetoric about freedom in church settings disturbed other moderate church leaders and Latter-day Saints. First Counselor Hugh B. Brown in particular took measures try to control Benson and counter his harsh rhetoric. Eventually Benson was called on another mission to Europe to try to stop his conspiratorial rhetoric. However Benson continued his Birch-related activities after his mission.  
31. <br>
32. <br> Early in life, Benson was a county agricultural agent and then became involved in various farming enterprises which gave him the experience that lead to his invitation to be the secretary of agriculture in the Eisenhower administration. After consulting with David O McKay, Benson accepted the role where he worked towards a free market economy for agricultural goods without government price controlling measures. Benson's pure ideology and non-compromising approach made him unpopular among farmers, who sometimes threw eggs at him. He had limited success in his efforts and eventually the gains he had made were overturned by a democratically controlled congress. Eisenhower appointed Benson as the leader of the secret "Eisenhower Ten" - a group that would run the country in the event of a national catastrophe, but Eisenhower eventually distanced himself from Benson for political reasons. Benson was considered by some to be the most controversial member of Eisenhower's cabinet.  
33. <br>
34. <br> After the Eisenhower presidency, Benson returned to his standard duties as a member of the Quorum of Twelve. When Spencer W. Kimball ascended to the presidency, Benson became the president of his Quorum and eventually the president of the church. He emphasized the traditional role of women, the Book of Mormon and more. As he entered his 90s, he became frail and suffered from age-related mental issues, disappearing from the public sphere during the last years of his presidency.
35. <br>
36. <br>
37. <br>
38. <br> Thanks for tuning in. (1)
39. <br>
40. <br>Endnotes:
41. <br>1 - editorial note
42. <br>
43. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
44. <br>
45. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
46. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6209848171280982966'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6209848171280982966'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-apr-22-2015.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Apr 22, 2015'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-2978564710812047074</id><published>2015-04-22T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-22T05:05:03.855-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 07 Apr 1994</title><content type='html'>-- 07 Apr 1994
47. <br>Robert D. Hales is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, replacing recently deceased Marvin J. Ashton.
48. <br>
49. <br>
50. <br>-- 13 May 1994
51. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson is inducted into the University of Idaho alumni of fame.
52. <br>
53. <br>
54. <br>-- 30 May 1994
55. <br>Ezra Taft Benson, born in a quiet Idaho farm community, spent much of his life working with the power brokers of the world. Outspoken, courageous, and committed, he, like the founder of the Latter-day Saint church, Joseph Smith, had gone from "plowboy to prophet." He died 30 May 1994. (1)
56. <br>
57. <br>
58. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson dies. Howard W. Hunter becomes president. (2)
59. <br>
60. <br>
61. <br>-- December 1994
62. <br>When the state of Idaho flew flags at half mast at Ezra Taft Benson's death, angry complaints flooded in from people who believed that the gesture honored his Church position rather than his service as an Idaho native in the Eisenhower cabinet.   (3)
63. <br>
64. <br>
65. <br>-- 21 May 1996
66. <br>[Paul H. Dunn] Early in my career I found that there was not a whole lot of support or appreciation for Benson constantly harping on the communist issue. Although, every time President McKay was present or in a meeting, he would be the endorser, or thanking President Benson for doing what he was doing. That kept the other elements sort of quiet. Hugh B. Brown really thought President Benson had gone overboard. And yet President Benson —I talked with him several times, not on this subject but just in conversation—would remind me that he was doing what the prophet had asked him to do.  (4)
67. <br>
68. <br>
69. <br>-- 3 May 1998
70. <br>The First Presidency asked Democrat General Authority Marlin K. Jensen, to give an interview to the Salt Lake Tribune assuring readers that one may, indeed, simultaneously be a Democrat and a Mormon in good standing. He explained that church leaders "regret … that there would become a church party and a non-church party. That would be the last thing that we would want to have happen.  (5)
71. <br>
72. <br>
73. <br>-- March 21, 2001
74. <br>Harold B. Lee stated "the brethren would never permit another member of the Twelve to serve in the Cabinet or in a high political position because, as he put it, 'Elder Benson had lost his spiritual tone and would no longer accept counsel.'"  (6)
75. <br>
76. <br>
77. <br>-- 2003
78. <br>Published Volume - Sermons and Writings of President Ezra Taft Benson. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7)
79. <br>
80. <br>
81. <br>-- 2014
82. <br>Published Volume - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7)
83. <br>
84. <br>Endnotes:
85. <br>1 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Ezra Taft Benson, <a href="http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/">http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/</a>
86. <br>2 - Wikipedia, 20th Century (Mormonism), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)</a>
87. <br>3 - "Anti-Mormon Sentiment Shocks Idaho Lt. Governor" Sunstone 17, no. 3 (December 1994): 81 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
88. <br>4 - Paul H. Dunn interview as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
89. <br>5 - Dan Harrie, "LDS Official Calls for More Political Diversity, Salt Lake Tribune as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
90. <br>6 - L. Ralph Mecham to Greg Prince as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
91. <br>7 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
92. <br>
93. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
94. <br>
95. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
96. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2978564710812047074'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2978564710812047074'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-07-apr-1994.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 07 Apr 1994'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-1521722250029885362</id><published>2015-04-21T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-21T05:05:04.085-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Spring 1993</title><content type='html'>-- Spring 1993
97. <br>To liberal intellectuals beginning to feel besieged by church leaders, President Benson's mental incapacity meant one thing: greater freedom for the acting president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, Boyd K. Packer, widely rumored to be behind the recent actions against liberals and feminists. As Quinn himself had noted in another controversial session at the 1992 Sunstone Symposium, LDS president David O. McKay's mental incapacity in the late 1960s had afforded then-apostle Ezra Taft Benson greater freedom to wage personal wars in the church hierarchy over his conservative politics. This situation, many believed, was paralleled in the early 1990s, when Benson's own incapacity allowed Packer latitude to punish those he would later brand "so-called scholars and intellectuals." (1)
98. <br>
99. <br>
100. <br>-- 27 Jun 1993
101. <br>President Gordon B. Hinckley of the first Presidency rededicates the refurbished and remodeled Hotel Utah, renaming it the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Used primarily for Church offices and meeting facilities, it also contains a five-hundred-seat theater for the presentation of full-length Church films, the first of which was the 1993 drama Legacy (directed by Academy Award-winning film director Kieth Merrill, with the musical score by Merrill Jenson).
102. <br>
103. <br>
104. <br>-- July 10, 1993
105. <br>Vern Anderson, "Benson's Not Competent, Grandson Says,"  (2)
106. <br>
107. <br>
108. <br>Steve Benson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, asserted that his grandfather's "physical and mental infirmities were preventing him from participating in meaningful Church leadership and decision-making . . . [and] ultimately he grew so weak and infirm that he spent his waking hours silently wrapped in a blanket in his reclining chair."
109. <br>
110. <br> He criticized use of news photographs showing the president looking at birthday cards, with his foot on a shovel at a ground breaking, and with his hand raised as if greeting people, saying those images misled the viewer. He said there should be emeritus status or an executive committee to substitute for an incapacitated president. At the least, he said, there should be candid acknowledgment of the president's incapacity.  A spokesman for the Church called the proposals "impossible. The Lord's in charge."
111. <br>
112. <br> President Hinckley, speaking in 1994 of President Benson's similar incapacity, described the practice for managing such situations:
113. <br>
114. <br> "When the President is ill or not able to function fully in all of the duties of his office, his two Counselors together comprise a Quorum of the First Presidency. They carry on with the day-to-day work of the Presidency. In exceptional circumstances, when only one may be able to function, he may act in the authority of the office of the Presidency. . . .  But any major questions of policy, procedures, programs, or doctrine are considered deliberately and prayerfully by the First Presidency and the Twelve together. These two quorums . . . consider every major question . . . [and] . . . no decision emanates . . . without total unanimity. . . ."  (3)
115. <br>
116. <br>
117. <br>-- 13 Jul 1993
118. <br>ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that First Presidency Spokesman Don LeFevre claims "the typical faithful Mormon" already knows that Ezra Taft Benson's mental condition prevents his participation in decision-making. This is in response to continued publicity of Steve Benson's statements during past week that his grandfather is mentally incompetent, and that LDS leaders are exploiting him by giving impression in photographs and official statements that church president is mentally active. Steve Benson withdraws from membership in LDS church in Oct, after excommunication of several scholars and feminists. (4)
119. <br>
120. <br>
121. <br>-- During 1993-09
122. <br>The September Six face church discipline for their feminist and intellectual work
123. <br>
124. <br> Six prominent LDS intellectuals, several of whom were feminists, faced church discipline for their writings.  The six include Paul Toscano, Maxine Hanks, Lavina Fielding Anderson, Lynne Kanavel Whitesides, Avraham Gileadi, and D. Michael Quinn; Whitesides was disfellowshipped while the other five were excommunicated.  Although the churchdoes not disclose its reasons for pursuing disciplinary action, it is commonly understood that these six individuals faced that action due to their writings about Mormon history, scripture, and doctrine.  This action followed Boyd K. Packer identifying homosexuals, feminists, and intellectuals as key enemies of the church in the spring of 1993. (5)
125. <br>
126. <br>
127. <br>-- 17 Oct 1993
128. <br>The First Presidency issues a statement reaffirming the Church's right to discipline members of the Church.
129. <br>
130. <br>
131. <br>-- 23 Nov 1993
132. <br>The First Presidency issues a statement that emphasizes keeping the Sabbath day holy.
133. <br>
134. <br>
135. <br>-- 1994
136. <br>The Church joined with others in 1994 to defeat a legalized lottery proposal in Oklahoma.   (6)
137. <br>
138. <br>
139. <br>-- 1 Jan 1994
140. <br>End of congregational hymn-singing and general meeting prior to individual Sunday School classes, as per First Presidency announcement on 25 Sept. 1993.
141. <br>
142. <br>
143. <br>-- 1 Feb 1994
144. <br>First Presidency endorses appointment of 1994 as -International Year of the Family,- by United Nations, organization which currently disabled Ezra Taft Benson has repeatedly denounced as illegal infringement on U.S. sovereignty. This reinforces his grandson's claim that counselors are making decisions without church president's coherent consultation or approval.
145. <br>
146. <br>
147. <br>-- 14 Feb 1994
148. <br>The First Presidency issued a statement declaring opposition to same-sex marriage in response to Hawaii's attempt to legalize same-sex marriage. The Church urged members to support efforts to outlaw marriage equality. (7)
149. <br>
150. <br>Endnotes:
151. <br>1 - Bryan Waterman & Brian Kagel, "The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at Byu" Signature Books (1998)
152. <br>2 - Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July 1993
153. <br>3 - Stephen Benson, "Ezra Taft Benson," Sunstone 17, no. 3 (December 1994): 35; "Reaction to Benson's Statement 'Very Emotional,'" Provo Daily Herald, July 13, 1993, B3; Vern Anderson, "Church Leader Retired in All but Name, Grandson Says," Provo Daily Herald, July 10, 1993, A6; Gordon B. Hinckley, "God Is at the Helm," Ensign 24 (May 1994): 54, 59; Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Church Is on Course," Ensign 22 (November 1992): 53 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
154. <br>4 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
155. <br>5 - Mormon Women's History Timeline, <a href="http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html">http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html</a>
156. <br>6 - Quinn, Extensions of Power, 401 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
157. <br>7 - Timeline of Mormon Thinking About Homosexuality, <a href="http://rationalfaiths.com/timeline-of-mormon-thinking-about-homosexuality/">http://rationalfaiths.com/timeline-of-mormon-thinking-about-homosexuality/</a>
158. <br>
159. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
160. <br>
161. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
162. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1521722250029885362'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1521722250029885362'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-spring-1993.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Spring 1993'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-2293433449741281120</id><published>2015-04-20T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-20T05:05:03.441-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Nov 19, 1992.</title><content type='html'>-- Nov 19, 1992.
163. <br>Timothy B. Wilson of Nephi, Utah, who is preparing Mormon's Book: A Modern English Rendering for publication in 1993, is called in by his stake president (Pioneer Stake in Provo) and asked about his project and whether he knows Avraham Gileadi. Tim does not, although Gileadi's wife is editing his book. His stake president also asks whether he would drop the project if he were so instructed. Tim has already received verbal confirmation from Church Copyrights and Permissions that his project does not infringe on the church's copyright and is awaiting written confirmation at the time of the interview. According to a Salt Lake Tribune article, Tim's bishop (Pioneer Third Ward of Provo) told him that the First Presidency "objected to the format of his book," which arranged the standard and modernized rendering verse by verse in parallel columns. Tim revised his rendering to a paragraph, rather than verse, format in an effort to resolve the problem. Inspired by President Benson's challenge to "flood the earth with the Book of Mormon," he has spent two years and $20,000 on this project, which he hopes will makes the Book of Mormon more accessible to millions of readers.
164. <br>
165. <br> 29 November 1992. (1)
166. <br>
167. <br>
168. <br>-- 29 Nov 1992
169. <br>Mormon advocates of Ezra Taft Benson's ultra-conservativism found themselves in a religious quandary. LDS church officers were suspicious of "those obsessed with the early speeches of LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson and who believe the ailing, 93-year-old leader has been silenced because his opinions no longer are politically popular." Such ultra- conservative Mormons were being excommunicated or disciplined in Utah and surrounding states. One of them protested, "We support President Benson 100%," but "there are some brethren who speak 180 degrees against him."  (2)
170. <br>
171. <br>
172. <br>As the ultra-conservative presidential candidate in the national election of 1992, most of the support for [James "Bo" Gritz, a Mormon] was in the "Mormon Culture Region" centering on the state of Utah which alone gave him 28,000 votes.   (3)
173. <br>
174. <br>
175. <br>-- Dec 2, 1992.
176. <br>Church spokesman Don LeFevre issues a statement announcing that "disciplinary matters are . . . strictly between the individual and . . . local ecclesiastical leaders," stating that Elder Jeppsen "said he had never provided any such list," denying that high church officials are "sedating" Ezra Taft Benson, and denying that there has been "any increase in the number of people excommunicated from the Church." (1)
177. <br>
178. <br>
179. <br>-- 6 Dec 1992
180. <br>The total number of wards and branches worldwide reaches exactly twenty thousand on this day. (4)
181. <br>
182. <br>
183. <br>-- 7 Dec 1992
184. <br>Concerning recent pressures against Mormon ultra-conservatives, [James 'Bo' Gritz, a Mormon]  observes: "The critics I'm talking about are not little people but church authorities [who] have said what Ezra Taft Benson says before he was a prophet doesn't count."  (5)
185. <br>
186. <br>
187. <br>-- 8 Dec 1992
188. <br>Benson was ... circumspect about expressing his personal views of Brown. One close associate affirms: "I doubt you could find anybody who ever heard Brother Benson speak negatively about Hugh B. Brown."  (6)
189. <br>
190. <br>
191. <br>-- 15 Dec 1992
192. <br>The First Presidency announces an effort sponsored by the Relief Society to raise literacy rates in the Church worldwide.
193. <br>
194. <br>
195. <br>-- 21 Dec 1992
196. <br>Mormon political extremists begin to be expelled from the church  (7)
197. <br>
198. <br>
199. <br>-- During 1992
200. <br>The Church publishes Understanding and Helping Those Who Have Homosexual Problems, a handbook for bishops and stake presidents. The handbook teaches that "such thoughts and feelings, regardless of their causes, can and should be overcome ... change is possible", that leaders should "be careful not to label the person as 'homosexual' or 'gay'", and that "there is no conclusive evidence that anyone is born with a homosexual orientation". It does emphasize the position that "marriage should not be viewed as a way to resolve homosexual problems", which differs from earlier policy. This publication is still in use by the Church, and is the most current material available that is directed specifically at ecclesiastical leaders. (8)
201. <br>
202. <br>
203. <br>-- January 1993
204. <br>News stories began to surface about the apparent mental instability of church president Ezra Taft Benson. While it had been clear through his silent public appearances from the late 1980s that his mind was failing, church leaders had continued to insist that he was aware of what was happening around him. Precipitated by Benson's hospitalization, news reports started to focus more closely on his mental capacity. ... Lavina Fielding Anderson commented as well: "News photos of [Benson's] counselors helping him to wave or hold a shovel are deeply distressing," Anderson said.  (9)
205. <br>
206. <br>
207. <br>-- 4 Mar 1993
208. <br>First Presidency letter absolutely excludes following persons from possibility of serving full-time missions: "Individuals who have become HIV positive . . . Persons 19 to 26 who have been divorced . . . Young men who have encouraged, paid for, or arranged for an abortion resulting from their immoral conduct . . . Sisters who submit to abortions growing out of their immoral conduct . . . [anyone who] has fathered or given birth to a child out of wedlock." Persons with "homosexual activity" would be eligible only on these conditions: "if there is no current indication of homosexual tendencies" or if "there is strong evidence of complete repentance and reformation, with at least one year free of transgression."
209. <br>
210. <br>Endnotes:
211. <br>1 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
212. <br>2 - "It's Judgment Day for Far Right: LDS Church Purges Survivalists," Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Nov. 1992, A-l, A-2. In "LDS Deny Mass Ouster of Radicals," Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Dec. 1992, 1, an official LDS spokesman denied only the estimate of "hundreds" of excommunications. See also "LDS Church Downplays Reports On Discipline," Deseret News, 4 Dec. 1992, B-l -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
213. <br>3 - "Hero-Turned Heretic? Gritz May Be Leading LDS Flock Into Wilderness," Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Nov. 1992, A-2 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
214. <br>4 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Kingdom, "On This Day," <a href="https://www.lds.org.uk/show_oda.php">https://www.lds.org.uk/show_oda.php</a>
215. <br>5 - "Ultraconservative Gritz Remains as Bold as Ever," Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Dec. 1992, B-2; also "LDS Zealots Muzzling Outspoken to Protect Tax Status, Gritz Says," Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Jan. 1993, B-l. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
216. <br>6 - Quinn's telephone interview on 8 December 1992 with Karl D. Butler who served as a special assistant to Ezra Taft Benson as Secretary of Agriculture. The two remained friends thereafter -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
217. <br>7 - "Mormon Church Has Begun To Expel Many Extremists," New York Times, 21 Dec. 1992,10 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
218. <br>8 - LDS Gay History Timeline [Unabridged], <a href="http://mormoninthecloset.blogspot.com/2008/11/lds-gay-history-timeline-unabridged.html">http://mormoninthecloset.blogspot.com/2008/11/lds-gay-history-timeline-unabridged.html</a>
219. <br>9 - Bryan Waterman & Brian Kagel, "The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at Byu" Signature Books (1998)
220. <br>
221. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
222. <br>
223. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
224. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2293433449741281120'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2293433449741281120'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-nov-19-1992.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Nov 19, 1992.'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-3594039683315801466</id><published>2015-04-19T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-19T05:05:03.416-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Aug 8, 1992.</title><content type='html'>-- Aug 8, 1992.
225. <br>An Associated Press story by Vern Anderson quotes church spokesman Don LeFevre's acknowledgement that the "Strengthening Church Members Committee" "provides local church leadership with information designed to help them counsel with members who may hinder the progress of the church through public criticism." It also reports the experience of Omar Kader of Washington, D.C., formerly of BYU's political science department. Kader says a BYU administrator told him that Nelson, then Kader's stake president, kept a file on his political activities as a Democrat in Provo in the late 1970s. Nelson "categorically denied keeping a file on Kader" and also denied "knowing Omar and Nancy Kader."
226. <br>
227. <br> Nelson is director of the Evaluation Division, Church Correlation Department, which reports to Elder Boyd K. Packer, and was executive assistant to Ezra Taft Benson while Benson was president of the Quorum of the Twelve (1974-85). (1)
228. <br>
229. <br>
230. <br>-- 8 Aug 1992
231. <br>President Benson's administration encouraged a special church committee to monitor and maintain surveillance files on academics, intellectuals, and others assumed to be critics of the church. William O. Nelson, a veteran of Benson's abortive 1977 BYU spy ring, became the executive secretary of this "Strengthening the Members Committee."
232. <br>
233. <br> Previously, maintaining such files on church members were usually ad hoc activities of the First Presidency's office, Presiding Bishopric Office, Mark E. Petersen's special committee, Correlation Committee, the Special Affairs Committee, and Ezra Taft Benson's office. Only the Church Security Department has had an on-going responsibility to maintain information files on "disloyal" or "potentially dangerous" Mormons and to conduct physical and photographic surveillance. Such intelligence gathering is conducted through what Church Security calls its "Confidential Services."
234. <br>
235. <br> A man who served as assistant secretary in the First Presidency's office from 1974 to 1981 had never heard of this committee's existence during the Kimball presidency.  (2)
236. <br>
237. <br>
238. <br>-- Aug 13,1992
239. <br>Due to publicity [regarding the Strengthening the Members Committee] including New York Times, Presidency issues statement on 13 Aug. defending organization of this apostle-directed committee as consistent with God's commandment to Joseph Smith to gather documentation about non-Mormons who mob and persecute LDS Church. Presidency lists Apostles James E. Faust and Russell M. Nelson as leading the committee. (3)
240. <br>
241. <br>
242. <br>-- August 14, 1992
243. <br>Mourns the death of his wife, Flora.  (4)
244. <br>
245. <br>
246. <br>-- Aug 14, 1992.
247. <br>Peggy Fletcher Stack's Salt Lake Tribune article reporting the First Presidency statement [regard the Strengthening the Members Committee:] ... [Ross Peterson] described his own "grill[ing]" by his area presidency who "continually drew photocopied items out of a file and asked him about things he had written decades ago. The file was sitting on the churchmen's desk, but Mr. Peterson was not allowed to see its contents." "Files are a strange carryover from a paranoia that resembles McCarthyism," says Peterson. The article also cites unnamed "LDS Church employees" who tell the Tribune that William O. Nelson "shares President Benson's John Birch Society politics" and that "the church has kept files on outspoken members for decades.  (1)
248. <br>
249. <br>
250. <br>-- 26 Sep 1992
251. <br>The First Presidency authorized the use of humanitarian relief funds to be sent to Somalia and other African nations in the grip of the drought of the century. In an initial response, one million pounds of food was shipped. (5)
252. <br>
253. <br>
254. <br>-- 3-Oct 4, 1992.
255. <br>Although not identifying specific issues, several general conference talks seem targeted at specific audiences. Possibly in response to right-wing survivalists, Elder M. Russell Ballard warns, "We must be careful not to . . . be caught up in extreme preparations" for the end of the world. President Gordon B. Hinckley, perhaps responding to right-wing beliefs of a "silenced" prophet, explains the "unique and tremendous system of redundancy and backup which the Lord has structured into His kingdom so that without interruption it may go forward, meeting any emergency that might arise and handling every contingency. . . . We have moved without hesitation when there is well-established policy. Where there is not . . . we have talked with the President and received his approval before taking action. Let it never be said that there has been any disposition to assume authority or to do anything or say anything which might be at variance with the wishes of him who has been put in his place by the Lord." Elder Boyd K. Packer adds: "There are some among us now who have not been regularly ordained by the heads of the Church who tell of impending political and economic chaos, the end of the world . . . . They are misleading members to gather to colonies or cults. Those deceivers say that the Brethren do not know what is going on in the world or that the Brethren approve of their teaching but do not wish to speak of it over the pulpit. Neither is true."  ... (1)
256. <br>
257. <br>
258. <br>-- 25 Oct 1992
259. <br>Based on the instructions of a general authority in October 1992, stake presidents prepared a list of twenty warning signs of apostasy. Third on this list was "John Birch membership or leanings."  (6)
260. <br>
261. <br>
262. <br>-- Early November 1992 or earlier.
263. <br>Three separate lists begin to circulate in the Utah South Region. Apparently at least one, "Profile of the Splinter Group Members or Others with Troublesome Ideologies," was reportedly created by a stake president who had taken notes during a speech by Elder Jeppsen, added additional specifics to the list, and then circulated it among additional stake presidents, some of whom also added items. Harold Nicholl, one of six Sanpete County stake presidents, uses the first list "as a guide for excommunications." This list consists of twenty unnumbered points, including: "They follow the practice of home school. There is a preoccupation with the end of the world. . . . Many have John Birch membership or leanings. Many do not work and have no jobs. They study the mysteries, feeling that what is provided in our meetings today is superficial. They meet in study groups. They listen to . . . `Bo Gritz' tapes and others about such topics as Armageddon. They are inordinately preoccupied with food storage. They . . . teach that . . . the government is corrupt. . . . They feel that President Benson's counselors have muzzled the prophet. . . . They staunchly profess that they sustain the prophet and local leaders, but when asked to stop doing certain things . . . they tell you straight out they will have to take the matter to the Lord. . . . They read the books of Avraham Gileadi. . . . Many of these folks are on state welfare and others try to obtain Church welfare. . . . Plural marriage . . . continues to surface as a part of the belief structure of many. . . . Some have held prayer circles in full temple clothing outside the temple. . . . Some of these folks would linger in the celestial room of the Manti Temple for hours to teach one another." (1)
264. <br>
265. <br>Endnotes:
266. <br>1 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
267. <br>2 - "LDS Official Acknowledges Church Monitors Critics," Salt Lake Tribune (8 Aug. 1992): D-l; "LDS Leaders Say Scripture Supports Secret Files on Members," Salt Lake Tribune (14 Aug. 1992): B-l; "Secret Files," New York Times (22 Aug. 1992): 9. ; Michael Quinn interview on 5-6 September 1992 with Rodney P. Foster, assistant secretary in the First Presidency's office from 1974 to 1981, and member of the Temple Department at LDS headquarters from 1981 to 1989. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
268. <br>3 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, <a href="http://amzn.to/extensions-power">http://amzn.to/extensions-power</a>
269. <br>4 - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, Intellectual Reserve, Inc. (2014)
270. <br>5 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
271. <br>6 - "Profile of the Splinter Group Members or Others with Troublesome Ideologies." This list was based on instructions to stake presidents by Second Quorum of Seventy member Malcolm S. Jeppsen in his "We Shall Not Be Led Astray," especially on page 8 of his computer print-out, 25 Oct. 1992 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
272. <br>
273. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
274. <br>
275. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
276. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3594039683315801466'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3594039683315801466'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-aug-8-1992.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Aug 8, 1992.'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-919435819658495918</id><published>2015-04-17T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-17T05:05:03.592-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 10 Apr 1990</title><content type='html'>-- 10 Apr 1990
277. <br>Changes in temple ceremony promote gender equality, de-emphasize symbolic violence, and eliminate Protestant minister from endowment drama. This becomes nation-wide news in special reports by NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES, TIME MAGAZINE, U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, and in Associated Press report published in local newspapers. (1)
278. <br>
279. <br>
280. <br>-- 13 Nov 1990
281. <br>In 1991 Utah membership of the John Birch Society mushroomed as a result of U.S. president George Bush's proclaiming U.S. participation in a "New World Order." As part of the United Nations successful Gulf War, President Bush adopted a phrase used by ultra-conservatives for decades to identify the "collectivist" goal of the international conspiracy. By May 1991, Utah had 1,000 members of the Birch Society, an increase of nearly 50 percent from two years earlier.  (2)
282. <br>
283. <br>
284. <br>-- 1991
285. <br>Church membership exceeded 8 million members. (3)
286. <br>
287. <br>
288. <br>-- 15 Feb 1991
289. <br>Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan speaks at Brigham Young University and pays a courtesy call to Church headquarters.
290. <br>
291. <br>
292. <br>-- March 6, 1991
293. <br>Efforts to fellowship and integrate new members into the Church community received emphasis during President Benson's administration.   (4)
294. <br>
295. <br>
296. <br>-- 24 Jun 1991
297. <br>Russia granted formal recognition to the Church. (5)
298. <br>
299. <br>
300. <br>-- 23 Aug 1991
301. <br>First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles, by infrequently used format of joint declaration, issue statement which refers to the Sunstone Symposium's annual meetings on 7-10 Aug. It condemns "recent symposia" for presentations which are "offensive . . . in bad taste . . . and publicized in such a way as to injure the Church or its members or to jeopardize the effectiveness or safety of our missionaries." In following weeks church authorities instruct local leaders to meet with Mormons, particularly BYU faculty, who participated in Sunstone to persuade them to cease such activities. (1)
302. <br>
303. <br>
304. <br>-- November, 1991
305. <br>A mass excommunication of several ultra-right-wing survivalists in southern Utah occurs. Some of them believed that their political hero, President Ezra Taft Benson, was being "silenced" and possibly drugged and held hostage by his more moderate counselors.  (6)
306. <br>
307. <br>
308. <br>-- 1992
309. <br>Published Volume - Elect Women of God. Bookcraft (7)
310. <br>
311. <br>
312. <br>-- 02 May 1992
313. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson breaks ground for the Bountiful Utah Temple.
314. <br>
315. <br>
316. <br>-- 22 May 1992
317. <br>First Presidency statement that King James Version of Bible is only English language Bible to be used in LDS church meetings. This codifies position maintained for decades by former First Presidency counselor J. Reuben Clark.
318. <br>
319. <br>
320. <br>-- Jun 27, 1992.
321. <br>A Salt Lake Tribune article by Peggy Fletcher Stack reports "ongoing intimidation of Mormon intellectuals," including hate mail received by Martha Sonntag Bradley, BYU faculty member and new coeditor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. (8)
322. <br>
323. <br>Endnotes:
324. <br>1 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
325. <br>2 - John F. McManus, "'A New World Order' Means World Government," The John Birch Society Bulletin (Nov. 1990): 3-14; "Birch Society Lauds 'Fertile Soil' In Utah," Deseret News, 13 May 1991, B-2; "Utah's Birchers Organizing To Fight Bush 'Conspiracy,'" Salt Lake Tribune, 27 May 1991, B-l; "John Birch Society Skeptical of Communist Party Demise," Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Sept. 1991, B-l; '"John Bircher' Recruits Join Fight Against New World Order," Salt Lake Tribune, 21 June 1992, B-l. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
326. <br>3 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
327. <br>4 - First Presidency and Twelve, "Fundamental Considerations in Proclaiming the Gospel," March 6, 1991, Kimball Papers -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
328. <br>5 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," <a href="http://lds.net/forums/topic/10668-church-chronology-from-1800-2000-part-1/">http://lds.net/forums/topic/10668-church-chronology-from-1800-2000-part-1/</a>
329. <br>6 - Bryan Waterman & Brian Kagel, "The Lord's University: Freedom and Authority at Byu" Signature Books (1998)
330. <br>7 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
331. <br>8 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
332. <br>
333. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
334. <br>
335. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
336. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/919435819658495918'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/919435819658495918'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-10-apr-1990.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 10 Apr 1990'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-6940735127646112441</id><published>2015-04-16T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-16T05:05:03.872-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, April 1, 1989</title><content type='html'>-- April 1, 1989
337. <br>Many national and international citations and awards, including a number of honorary doctorate degrees, were bestowed on him. From the Boy Scouts of America he received the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and Silver Buffalo; he served on their National Executive Board. On April 1, 1989, he was presented world Scouting's highest award, the Bronze Wolf. (1)
338. <br>
339. <br>
340. <br>-- Aug 1989
341. <br>Republican U.S. president George Bush awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to Benson. This was another personal vindication of Benson's decades of political activism. This information was omitted from the 1993-1994 Church Almanac, 370.  (2)
342. <br>
343. <br>
344. <br>-- Sep 1, 1989.
345. <br>Elder George P. Lee of the First Quorum of the Seventy is excommunicated "for apostasy" and "conduct unbecoming a member." Letters Lee releases to the press include criticisms of the church's neglect of Lamanites and incidents of personal discrimination against him by other general authorities.  (3)
346. <br>
347. <br>
348. <br>-- 30 Sep 1989
349. <br>Elder Paul H. Dunn, age 65, of the Presidency of the First Quorum of Seventy is given emeritus status "in consideration of factors of age and health." [He had exaggerated many of his stories in books and sermons]. He continues, however, to participate in money-making ventures including tours of major-league baseball parks throughout the United States. (4)
350. <br>
351. <br>
352. <br>The first General Authorities called to serve for five years are released.
353. <br>
354. <br>
355. <br>-- 9 Nov 1989
356. <br>The Berlin Wall came down, paving the way for eventual unification of East and West Germany. (5)
357. <br>
358. <br>
359. <br>-- 25 Nov 1989
360. <br>A major change in policy for financing local Church units in the United States and Canada was announced by the First Presidency. Ward members would no longer have stake and ward budget assessments. (5)
361. <br>
362. <br>
363. <br>-- 02 Dec 1989
364. <br>Church membership reaches seven million.
365. <br>
366. <br>
367. <br>-- 1990
368. <br>Published Volume - Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice. Deseret Book (6)
369. <br>
370. <br>
371. <br>Published Volume - Missionaries to Match Our Message. Bookcraft (6)
372. <br>
373. <br>
374. <br>-- 31 Mar 1990
375. <br>Conference sustains first general authority of black African descent, Second Quorum of Seventy-s Helvecio Martins of Brazil (who is released in 1995). Chieko Nishimura Okazaki is sustained as first counselor in general presidency of Relief Society, first non-Caucasian member of auxiliary presidency in Mormon history. (4)
376. <br>
377. <br>
378. <br>-- Apr 1990
379. <br>[A]pocalyptic-minded Mormon members of the Birch Society had also organized "the American Study Group" which grew to 1,400 members within two months.
380. <br>
381. <br> This revitalization of Mormon Birchers occurred while their presidential advocate was slipping deeper into the decay of old age. President Benson was physically unable to speak at general conference from April 1990 on. At his last public appearances in 1992 he was a frail shell of the strident partisan whom Mormons had known for decades.  (7)
382. <br>
383. <br>Endnotes:
384. <br>1 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, "Ezra Taft Benson," Reed Benson and Sheri Dew, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992
385. <br>2 - Deseret News 1991-1992 Church Almanac (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1990), 315 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
386. <br>3 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
387. <br>4 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
388. <br>5 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
389. <br>6 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
390. <br>7 - "Longtime Doomsayer Seeks 'Safety' Back in LDS Fold," Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Jan. 1993, B-6; also reference to the American Study Group in Malcolm S. Jeppsen, "We Shall Not Be Led Astray," 8, computer print-out, 25 Oct. 1992; Ensign 20 (May 1990): 1, 20 (Nov. 1990): 1, 21 (May 1991): 1, 21 (Nov. 1991): 1, 22 (May 1992): 1,22 (Nov. 1992): 1; photographs in "LDS Historian Says Benson's Right-Wing Beliefs Caused Infighting, Church To Censure Speeches," Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 1992, A-7, and in "Age Taking Its Toll On President Benson," Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Jan. 1993, C-l. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
391. <br>
392. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
393. <br>
394. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
395. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6940735127646112441'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6940735127646112441'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-april-1-1989.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, April 1, 1989'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-2859288094415511004</id><published>2015-04-15T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-15T05:05:03.697-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, October 1988</title><content type='html'>-- October 1988
396. <br>"[Wickedness] is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world." (1)
397. <br>
398. <br>
399. <br>-- 1988 Oct.1
400. <br>The Church completes 100 million endowments for the dead (August) Ezra Taft Benson urges members to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon (2)
401. <br>
402. <br>
403. <br>-- 01 Oct 1988
404. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson opens general conference with a challenge for the Saints to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.
405. <br>
406. <br>
407. <br>-- October 2, 1988
408. <br>Delivers his final general conference address in person. (After October 1988, his frail physical health prevented him from speaking at general conference. His counselors in the First Presidency read sermons on his behalf or quoted messages he had given in past addresses.)  (3)
409. <br>
410. <br>
411. <br>-- Oct 2,1988
412. <br>Michaelene P. Grassli, general Primary President, is first woman to speak in general conference in 133 years. (4)
413. <br>
414. <br>
415. <br>-- 06 Oct 1988
416. <br>Richard G. Scott is ordained an Apostle, replacing Marion G. Romney, who had passed away.
417. <br>
418. <br>
419. <br>-- 18 Oct 1988
420. <br>At request of Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley, President Ezra Taft Benson appoints committee of three apostle-lawyers (Howard W. Hunter, James E. Faust, and Dallin H. Oaks) to formally investigate the publicly announced claims that as an apostle Hinckley allegedly had long-term homosexual affair with younger man. Circulated internationally by Protestant evangelicals through anti-Mormon video and book GODMAKERS II, these allegations are repudiated by apostolic committee as "pure fabrication" after "an extensive probe." Hinckley puts formal end to this investigation on May 6, 1993 when he reads statement to Presidency and Twelve. While he is counselor, temple council decides against making any kind of public denial. As church president Hinckley's authorized biography devotes three pages to this mater in 1996 but does not state whether he asked temple council to rescind its previous vote on matter. (5)
421. <br>
422. <br>
423. <br>-- Oct 24, 1988-28
424. <br>President Thomas S. Monson led a delegation of Church leaders that met with the German Democratic Republic's top government officials. It was announced Nov. 12 that the Church had been granted rights to send missionaries to the DDR and for LDS members from the DDR to serve as missionaries in other countries. (6)
425. <br>
426. <br>
427. <br>-- During 1988
428. <br>The Church contracts the Hawaii marketing agency, Hill and Knowlton, to monitor and promote the Churchs stance on gay issues in state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. One function of working through a nonmainland marketing agency was that the name of the Church was separated from the legislative efforts that the firm undertook. (7)
429. <br>
430. <br>
431. <br>-- 1989
432. <br>Published Volume - A Labor of Love: The 1946 European Mission of Ezra Taft Benson. Deseret Book (8)
433. <br>
434. <br>
435. <br>-- 12 Feb 1989
436. <br>The Church announces that worthy, unendowed members whose spouses are not members or the Church or are not worthy to enter the temple may receive their individual endowments.
437. <br>
438. <br>
439. <br>-- Apr 1, 1989-2
440. <br>The Second Quorum of the Seventy was created and all General Authorities serving under a five-year call were sustained as members, along with another eight newly called General Authorities. (6)
441. <br>
442. <br>Endnotes:
443. <br>1 - Ezra Taft Benson, I Testify, Conference, October 1988
444. <br>2 - Madsen, Truman G., The Presidents of the Church
445. <br>3 - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, Intellectual Reserve, Inc. (2014)
446. <br>4 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, <a href="http://amzn.to/extensions-power">http://amzn.to/extensions-power</a>
447. <br>5 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
448. <br>6 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
449. <br>7 - Crapo, Richley, Chronology Of Mormon / LDS Involvement In Same-Sex Marriage Politics <a href="http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/?q=node/59">http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/?q=node/59</a>
450. <br>8 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
451. <br>
452. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
453. <br>
454. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
455. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2859288094415511004'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2859288094415511004'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-october-1988.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, October 1988'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-1192175340007104161</id><published>2015-04-14T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-14T05:05:03.308-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 1988</title><content type='html'>-- 1988
456. <br>Published Volume - A Witness and a Warning: A Modern-Day Prophet Testifies of the Book of Mormon. Deseret Book (1)
457. <br>
458. <br>
459. <br>Published Volume - The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson. Bookcraft (1)
460. <br>
461. <br>
462. <br>-- January 1988
463. <br>"…the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Ne. 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time…Now, we have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should. Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat falsehoods in socialism, rationalism, etc…The situation in the world will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of God and quit building up and upholding secret combinations, which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of ancient civilizations."  (2)
464. <br>
465. <br>
466. <br>-- 15 Jan 1988
467. <br>The First Presidency renews the call for all Church members to be active in volunteer service and political, governmental, and community leadership.
468. <br>
469. <br>
470. <br>-- 27 Feb 1988
471. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson breaks ground for the San Diego California Temple.
472. <br>
473. <br>
474. <br>-- 6 Mar 1988
475. <br>The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that W. Cleon Skousen solemnly affirmed to a largely Mormon audience during a fundraising dinner for the Evan Mecham campaign that God foretold the gubernatorial candidate that he would attain the governorship to help save America from going to hell in the handbasket of socialism. Skousen referrs to Mecham as "a modern-day Isaiah," who also was "beaten, spat upon, and persecuted for being a prophet."
476. <br>
477. <br>
478. <br>-- 12 Mar 1988
479. <br>First Presidency statement supports Child Abuse Prevention Month and encourages Mormons to combat this "pernicious problem." (3)
480. <br>
481. <br>
482. <br>-- 15 May 1988
483. <br>First stake organized in black Africa in Aba, Nigeria. [All leaders are black] (4)
484. <br>
485. <br>
486. <br>-- 18 May 1988
487. <br>Apostle Howard W. Hunter signs agreement with State of Israel that "the Church will not engage in any missionary activity within the borders of Israel, as long as such activity is not allowed by the government of Israel." (3)
488. <br>
489. <br>
490. <br>-- 20 May 1988
491. <br>Marion G. Romney dies. Howard W. Hunter becomes President of the Quorum. (5)
492. <br>
493. <br>
494. <br>-- 28 May 1988
495. <br>The First Presidency issued a statement on the subject of AIDS, stressing chastity before marriage, fidelity in marriage, and abstinence from homosexual behavior, yet extending sympathy to those who have contracted the disease. (6)
496. <br>
497. <br>
498. <br>-- 17 Sep 1988
499. <br>LDS church joins VISN television network (Vision Interfaith Satellite Network) sponsored jointly by different religious organizations; renamed "Faith and Values Channel."
500. <br>
501. <br>Endnotes:
502. <br>1 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
503. <br>2 - Ezra Taft Benson, First Presidency Message, Ensign, January 1988
504. <br>3 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
505. <br>4 - Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, <a href="http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984">http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984</a>
506. <br>5 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)</a>
507. <br>6 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
508. <br>
509. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
510. <br>
511. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
512. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1192175340007104161'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1192175340007104161'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-1988.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 1988'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-8104307999836786730</id><published>2015-04-13T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-13T05:05:04.216-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Nov 1986</title><content type='html'>-- During Nov 1986
513. <br>"The Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion... Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church." -- Ezra Taft Benson, "The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion," Ensign (1)
514. <br>
515. <br>
516. <br>-- 4 Dec 1986
517. <br>[Benson's] son Mark A. Benson [leaves board of the] National Center for Constitutional Studies.  (2)
518. <br>
519. <br>
520. <br>-- 22 Feb 1987
521. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson speaks at a televised "Fireside for Parents." In his talk (which is later published as a pamphlet, "To the Mothers in Zion") he states, "Contrary to conventional wisdom, a mothers calling is in the home, not in the marketplace." He quotes Spencer W. Kimball: "It was never intended by the Lord that married women should compete with men in employment."
522. <br>
523. <br>
524. <br>-- March 1987
525. <br>"Secretary Benson was the target for more organized and sustained attacks than anyone elsein high government office," was how an article in the official LDS Church press later described Benson's controversal term.  (3)
526. <br>
527. <br>
528. <br>-- 12 Mar 1987
529. <br>Announcement that church's Hotel Utah will be remodeled into additional office building for LDS Bureaucracy. When completed in 1991, renamed "Joseph Smith Memorial Building" has 75,000 square feet of floor space. (4)
530. <br>
531. <br>
532. <br>-- March 14, 1987
533. <br>President Benson, then newly President of the Church, gave great emphasis to reading and teaching from the Book of Mormon. That year nearly 450,000 of 2.9 million copies were distributed through the family-to-family program and, during 1988, 1.4 of the 6.6 million printed that year.   (5)
534. <br>
535. <br>
536. <br>-- 25 Apr 1987
537. <br>The First Presidency announces the creation of four new areas as part of the Church's realignment of worldwide administrative areas.
538. <br>
539. <br>
540. <br>-- 20 Jun 1987
541. <br>In a letter sent to priesthood leaders, the First Presidency defines the organizational structure of ward Young Women presidencies and requests consistent midweek activities for Young Women.
542. <br>
543. <br>
544. <br>-- 15 Aug 1987
545. <br>The First Presidency announces the renaming of the Church Genealogical Department as the Family History Department.
546. <br>
547. <br>
548. <br>-- August 28–30 1987
549. <br>Dedicates Frankfurt Germany Temple. This is the last temple (2nd) dedicated by Benson. The remaining four temples are dedicated by his counselor Gordon B. Hinckley. Typically presidents dedicate temples as their health permits.  (6)
550. <br>
551. <br>
552. <br>-- 4 Sep 1987
553. <br>A letter from the First Presidency announced the discontinuance of the International Mission. Responsibility for its areas reverted to the respective area presidencies of the Church. (7)
554. <br>
555. <br>
556. <br>-- November, 1987
557. <br>Although 565 pages long, Sheri Dew's, Ezra Taft Benson biography skirts the issue of Benson and Communism to the point where the terms "Communism," "John Birch Society," and "Robert Welch" do not appear in its index.  (8)
558. <br>
559. <br>Endnotes:
560. <br>1 - LDS Quotations, <a href="http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html">http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html</a>
561. <br>2 - The Constitution: The Voice of the National Center for Constitutional Studies, Nov. 1985, 4, Dec. 1986, 3 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
562. <br>3 - Derin Head Rodriguez, "Flora Amussen Benson: Handmaiden of the Lord, Helpmeet of a Prophet, Mother in Zion," Ensign , March 1987, 19. For context and full cite, see Gary James Bergera, '"Rising above Principle": Ezra Taft Benson as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, 1953-61, Part 1', Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Fall 2008, v 41)
563. <br>4 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
564. <br>5 - "Missionaries Number 33,000," Church News, March 14, 1987, 3; "The Family–to-Family Book of Mormon Program," Ensign 17 (May 1987): 101; Edward L. Carter, "Y Scholar Finds 'Explosion' in Book of Mormon Use," Deseret News, June 14, 1997, E2. In 1955 about 300,000 copies of the Book of Mormon were distributed, about 750,000 in 1977, and about 5,440,000 in 1999. Victor L. Ludlow, "Internationalization of the Church" in Out of Obscurity, 210 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
565. <br>6 - <a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/chronological">http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/chronological</a>
566. <br>7 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
567. <br>8 - Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
568. <br>
569. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
570. <br>
571. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
572. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/8104307999836786730'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/8104307999836786730'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-nov-1986.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Nov 1986'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-5964811438817316904</id><published>2015-04-12T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-12T05:05:03.270-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 13 Feb 1986</title><content type='html'>-- 13 Feb 1986
573. <br>Conservative members of the Utah legislature in 1986 refused to allow the state to call this national holiday by King's name.  The state of Utah uses the name "Human Rights Day" instead of Martin Luther King Day. (1)
574. <br>
575. <br>
576. <br>-- April 1986
577. <br>When Ezra Taft Benson was sustained as President in April 1986, the quorums did not sit together in Solomn Assembly, and the ceremony was substantially shortened, requiring only ten votes.   (2)
578. <br>
579. <br>
580. <br>-- 2 Apr 1986
581. <br>BYU's administration prepares document for its external accreditation review, including: "BYU administrators are advised not to publish in 'Dialogue, a Journal of Mormon Thought,' nor to participate in 'Sunstone' symposia." (3)
582. <br>
583. <br>
584. <br>-- April 6, 1986
585. <br>In a solemn assembly at general conference, [Behson] was sustained by Church members as the prophet, seer, and revelator, and President of the Church. In his opening address at that conference, President Benson stressed the need to "cleanse the inner vessel, beginning first with ourselves, then with our families, and finally with the Church" (Ensign 16 [May 1986]:4). In commencing that cleansing, he declared, "The Book of Mormon has not been, nor is it yet, the center of our personal study, family teaching, preaching, and missionary work. Of this we must repent" (Ensign 16 [May 1986]:5-6).
586. <br>
587. <br> In his concluding address of the conference, he said, "The Lord inspired His servant Lorenzo Snow to reemphasize the principle of tithing to redeem the Church from financial bondage.... Now, in our day, the Lord has revealed the need to reemphasize the Book of Mormon to get the Church and all the children of Zion out from under condemnation—the scourge and judgment" (Ensign 16 [May 1986]:78).
588. <br>
589. <br> To that end, his address "The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God" was repeated in regional conferences throughout the Church.  (4)
590. <br>
591. <br>
592. <br>-- 30 Apr 1986
593. <br>Church membership was estimated to have reached the 6-million member milestone. (5)
594. <br>
595. <br>
596. <br>-- 6 Jul 1986
597. <br>Announcement of "Improved missionary discussions [which] put aside the specific dialogue of the past. Missionaries will now use their own words and follow an outline to share the gospel." This ends twenty-five years of requiring LDS missionaries to memorize and speak word-for-word dialogue when teaching non-Mormons. (3)
598. <br>
599. <br>
600. <br>-- October, 1986
601. <br>All stake quorums of the seventy were discontinued. The church encouraged local leaders to have ordained seventies meet with the local elders quorum or to ordain them as high priests.   (6)
602. <br>
603. <br>
604. <br>-- 4 Oct 1986
605. <br>At priesthood session of General Conference, President Ezra Taft Benson announces that "the seventies quorums in the stakes of the Church are to be discontinued." Soon church's only Seventies (at one time the largest body of priesthood in the church) are general authorities who have been ordained High Priests.
606. <br>
607. <br>
608. <br>-- October 5, 1986
609. <br>President Benson's administration expressed Church opposition to the legalization of gambling and government-sponsored lotteries being proposed in many states. "First Presidency Issues Statement against Gambling."  (7)
610. <br>
611. <br>
612. <br>-- 05 Oct 1986
613. <br>The First Presidency releases a statement indicating that the Church is opposed to the legalization of gambling and government-sponsored lotteries.
614. <br>
615. <br>
616. <br>-- 09 Oct 1986
617. <br>Joseph B. Wirthlin is ordained an Apostle, replacing Thomas S. Monson, who had been called to the First Presidency.
618. <br>
619. <br>
620. <br>-- October 24–28 1986
621. <br>Dedicates Denver Colorado Temple. This is the 4th temple dedicated during his presidency, the 1st by Benson. Historically, temples are usually dedicated by the president as their health permits.  (8)
622. <br>
623. <br>Endnotes:
624. <br>1 - For the difficult passage and renaming of Martin Luther King day in Utah, see Deseret News, 14 Oct. 1985, A-2,13 Feb. 1986, A-l; Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Feb. 1986, A-l, 28 Feb. 1986, A-5,18 Mar. 1986, B-l. For the Utah legislature's continued disrespect toward the national King holiday, see "Martin Luther King Holiday or Not, Utah Lawmakers Convene Today," Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Jan. 1993, B-l; also companion article "Utah's Mix of Church and State: Theocratic or Just Homogenized?" Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Jan. 1993, B-2. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
625. <br>2 - "The Solemn Assembly and Sustaining of Church Officers," Ensign 16 (May 1986): 73–75 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
626. <br>3 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
627. <br>4 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, "Ezra Taft Benson," Reed Benson and Sheri Dew, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992
628. <br>5 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
629. <br>6 - "Stake Seventies Quorums Discontinued". Ensign: 97–98. November 1986 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
630. <br>7 - Church News, October 5, 1986, 4. In 1994, Mormon efforts helped defeat a lottery initiative in Oklahoma. "Members Help Defeat Lottery Initiative," Church News, July 23, 1994, 12 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
631. <br>8 - <a href="http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/chronological">http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/chronological</a>
632. <br>
633. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
634. <br>
635. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
636. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/5964811438817316904'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/5964811438817316904'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-13-feb-1986.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 13 Feb 1986'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-6630917829769529383</id><published>2015-04-10T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-10T05:05:03.520-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 10 Oct 1985</title><content type='html'>-- 10 Oct 1985
637. <br>M. Russell Ballard is ordained an Apostle, replacing Bruce R. McConkie, who had passed away.
638. <br>
639. <br>
640. <br>-- Oct 15, 1985.
641. <br>Steven Christensen and Kathy Sheets are killed by homemade bombs. Mark Hofmann, the killer, is injured the next day by a third bomb but lives to avoid trial through a successful plea-bargain after an agonizing investigation exposes misrepresentations on the part of general authorities and their representatives and leaves Mormon historians charged with gullibility. (1)
642. <br>
643. <br>
644. <br>-- 5 Nov 1985
645. <br>When Spencer W. Kimball passed away on 5 November 1985 Ezra Taft Benson became the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At eighty-six years of age he became the second oldest man to succeed to the presidency. He called lapsed Mormons to return to the fold. In general conference addresses, he counseled church members to read and study the Book of Mormon. In a humanitarian gesture, he personally delivered a contribution of ten million dollars to President Ronald Reagan to be used to procure food for the world's hungry. (2)
646. <br>
647. <br>
648. <br>-- 10 Nov 1985
649. <br>The First Presidency is reorganized, with Ezra Taft Benson President, Gordon B. Hinckley First Counselor, and Thomas S. Monson Second Counselor. Marion G. Romney becomes President of the Quorum. Because Marion G. Romney was suffering from health and age difficulties, Howard W. Hunter was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum. (3)
650. <br>
651. <br>
652. <br>By the time Ezra Taft Benson himself became church president in 1985, he no longer acted as a standard-bearer of the anti- Communist movement. After all, at eighty-six, Benson was the second oldest man to become LDS church president and already suffered dizzy spells, memory loss, and difficulty in public speaking.
653. <br>
654. <br> Besides, the widespread paranoia and political passion of the 1950s and 1960s had died. Although still active in promoting anti-Communism in the 1980s, the John Birch Society now seemed irrelevant.
655. <br>
656. <br> Benson's ascension occurred in the middle of America's conservative "Reagan Revolution." The church president saw this as a personal vindication.
657. <br>
658. <br> Non-Mormon journalists astutely noted: "In the past Benson's heavy-handed political maneuvering has antagonized numerous members of the [LDS] church, leading to fears of a major schism if he became president."
659. <br>
660. <br> When he ascended to that office in November 1985, church officials insisted that Benson's political activism was "in the past."  (4)
661. <br>
662. <br>
663. <br>-- 9 Dec 1985
664. <br>The Birch Society's new magazine immediately heralded the appointment of "the long-time Americanist patriot" as the new LDS president. "As in numerous past attempts to smear him and distract from his anti-Communist message, recent news articles have linked Benson to The John Birch Society," the magazine noted two weeks later in its regular "American Hero" section. The Birch magazine then mentioned Reed Benson's affiliation and quoted President Benson: "I do not belong to The John Birch Society, but I have always defended this group."  (5)
665. <br>
666. <br>
667. <br>-- 22 Dec 1985
668. <br>The First Presidency issued a special invitation to those members who had ceased activity or become critical of the Church to "come back" (Church News, Dec. 22, 1985, p. 3), and they opened the temples to worthy members married to unendowed spouses.  (6)
669. <br>
670. <br>
671. <br>-- During 1985
672. <br>Special fasts raised $11 million for famine victims. (7)
673. <br>
674. <br>
675. <br>The temple recommend question was simplified to, "Do you live the law of Chastity?" from "unnatural acts." (8)
676. <br>
677. <br>
678. <br>-- 1986
679. <br>Published Volume - The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner. Deseret Book (9)
680. <br>
681. <br>
682. <br>-- January 2, 1986
683. <br>... Congratulations on a job well done. I am deeply grateful for "The New American".
684. <br>
685. <br> May the good Lord sustain you and bless you as you enjoy your work as editor. The magazine is needed and so are you . ...
686. <br>
687. <br> Faithfully, your friend and brother,
688. <br>
689. <br> <Signed: Ezra Taft Benson>
690. <br>
691. <br> Ezra Taft Benson, President.
692. <br>
693. <br> P.S.
694. <br>
695. <br>  Will you be kind enough to send a subscription of "The New American", 'A Weekly Review of the News and American Opinion,' to D. Aurther Haycock [secretary to the First Presidency] at 47 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150; and bill me for it please.  Thank You.
696. <br>
697. <br>  Will you also send copies of "The New American" to my associates, Thomas S. Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley, both at the same address I have, and also send me the bill.   (10)
698. <br>
699. <br>
700. <br>-- 05 Jan 1986
701. <br>At the Annandale Virginia Stake conference, President Ezra Taft Benson addresses the Saints for the first time as President of the Church, testifying of the power of the Book of Mormon to change lives and lead people to Christ (a message that would become a recurring theme of his presidency).
702. <br>
703. <br>Endnotes:
704. <br>1 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
705. <br>2 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Ezra Taft Benson, <a href="http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/">http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/</a>
706. <br>3 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)</a>
707. <br>4 - Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 486-87, 469-70 ; Bob Gottlieb and Peter Wiley, "Mormons to the Right," San Jose Mercury News, 1 Dec. 1985, 9; also "Possibility of Benson Heading Mormons Worries Some With Different Views," Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 1976, Pt. 1,32; "Mormon Church Faces A Fresh Challenge . . . But Now, A Change of Leaders May Bring A Split In Its Ranks," U.S. News & World Report 95 (21 Nov. 1983): 61; "Conservative Seeking Leadership Worries Some Mormons," Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 1983, A-3; Gottlieb and Wiley, America's Saints, 247, 257; "Mormon Church Council Meets To Pick New Leader," Dallas Morning News, 11 Nov. 1985, A-4; "New Chief of Mormons: Ezra Taft Benson," New York Times, 19 Nov. 1985, A-16; also Robert Lindsey, "The Mormons: Growth, Prosperity and Controversy," New York Times Magazine, 12 Jan. 1986, 46. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
708. <br>5 - "New Head of Mormon Church," The New American 1 (25 Nov. 1985): 9; Evans-Raymond Pierre, "The True Man of Principle: Ezra Taft Benson," The New American 1 (9 Dec. 1985): 56. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
709. <br>6 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, "Ezra Taft Benson," Reed Benson and Sheri Dew, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992
710. <br>7 - Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," <a href="http://lds.net/forums/topic/10668-church-chronology-from-1800-2000-part-1/">http://lds.net/forums/topic/10668-church-chronology-from-1800-2000-part-1/</a>
711. <br>8 - Exploring Mormonism: Bishopâ\x80™s Interview Timeline, <a href="http://www.exploringmormonism.com/bishops-interview-timeline/">http://www.exploringmormonism.com/bishops-interview-timeline/</a>
712. <br>9 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
713. <br>10 - Ezra Taft Benson to Mr Jeffrey St. John, Editor, "The New American," Jan 2, 1986 (provided by Joe Geisner)
714. <br>
715. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
716. <br>
717. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
718. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6630917829769529383'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6630917829769529383'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-10-oct-1985.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 10 Oct 1985'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-6041414963143194255</id><published>2015-04-09T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-09T05:05:03.684-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 7 Feb 1982</title><content type='html'>-- 7 Feb 1982
719. <br>NEWSWEEK article on the rift between LDS historians and Church leaders: "A major conflict is brewing between professional Mormon historians and a group of church elders who insist that LDS scholars write only `faith promoting' accounts of the church. . . . [Apostles Boyd K. Packer and Ezra Taft Benson] "have been harshly critical of the methods and motives of LDS scholars who attempt `objective' histories of the church. What particularly exercises Benson is the effort made by scholars to place what are supposed to be divinely inspired church doctrines in a relevant social and historical context. . . . According to the dicta of Benson and Packer, Mormon history should be presented as a sacred saga so that students can-in Packer's words-'see the hand of the Lord in every hour and every moment of the Church from its beginning till now.'" The article further quoted a lecture distributed to all Mormon educators in which Elder Packer denounced professional scholars who " write history as they were taught in graduate school, rather than as Mormons" and enjoined LDS historians to write selectively about "the faults and contradictions of church."
720. <br>
721. <br>
722. <br>-- 2 Apr 1982
723. <br>First Presidency announces two changes to lessen financial burdens on church members. First, church headquarters henceforth pays for all costs of meetinghouse construction. This relieves local members of requirement to finance construction in addition to paying tithing. Second, service of male missionaries is reduced from 24 months to 18 months. "It is anticipated that this shortened term will make it possible for many to go who cannot go under present [financial circumstances]," counselor Gordon B Hinckley explains. "This will extend the opportunity for missionary service to an enlarged body of our young men." Instead annual number of new missionaries level off. Annual convert baptisms decline more than 7 percent each year rather than increase by same proportion as before. (1)
724. <br>
725. <br>
726. <br>-- 3 Oct 1982
727. <br>First Presidency announced addition of subtitle to the Book of Mormon: ―Another Testament of Jesus Christ. (2)
728. <br>
729. <br>
730. <br>-- 09 Oct 1982
731. <br>The First Presidency announces plans to build the first temple in a communist nation in Freiberg, Germany Democratic Republic (East Germany).
732. <br>
733. <br>
734. <br>-- October 17, 1982
735. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson dedicates the Kirtland LDS Ward building in Kirtland, Ohio. (3)
736. <br>
737. <br>
738. <br>-- Dec 2, 1982 - 5 November 1985
739. <br>Marion G. Romney called as First Counselor; Gordon B. Hinckley called as Second Counselor (death of N. Eldon Tanner). (4)
740. <br>
741. <br>
742. <br>-- 1983
743. <br>Published Volume - Come Unto Christ. Deseret Book (3)
744. <br>
745. <br>
746. <br>-- Jan 1984
747. <br>After Reagan signed the law for King Day, Cleon Skousen's Freemen Institute observed that this national holiday honored "a man who courted violence and nightriding and broke the law to achieve his purposes; who found it expedient openly to collaborate with totalitarian Communism; and, whose personal life was so revolting that it cannot be discussed."  (5)
748. <br>
749. <br>
750. <br>-- 12 Apr 1984
751. <br>Russell M. Nelson is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, replacing LeGrand Richards, who had passed away.
752. <br>
753. <br>
754. <br>-- 03 May 1984
755. <br>Dallin H. Oaks is ordained an Apostle, replacing Mark E. Petersen, who had passed away.
756. <br>
757. <br>
758. <br>-- 26 Nov 1984
759. <br>The First Presidency announced that, beginning Jan. 1, the term of full-time missionary service for single elders would again be 24 months. It had been shortened from two years to 18 months in April 1982. (6)
760. <br>
761. <br>
762. <br>-- 18 May 1985
763. <br>"In the May 18, 1985, political-operational report of Department XX … regarding the political-ideological orientation of the US-American Mormons, it was determined that they are to be classified as representatives of the right wing of American conservatism. There are close connections between their leadership and ruling circles within the government [at that time the Reagan administration]. Relationships also exist between persons and institutions of the church and the American secret service."  (7)
764. <br>
765. <br>Endnotes:
766. <br>1 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
767. <br>2 - Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, <a href="http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984">http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984</a>
768. <br>3 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
769. <br>4 - Wikipedia, First Presidency (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presidency_(LDS_Church)#Chronology_of_the_First_Presidency">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presidency_(LDS_Church)#Chronology_of_the_First_Presidency</a>
770. <br>5 - Willard Woods, "Martin Luther King Day," Freemen Digest, Jan. 1984, 23; also Skousen and R. Stephen Pratt emphasized King's association with Marxists and Communists in their two articles, "The Early Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.," and "Reverend King's Ministry: Thirteen Years of Crisis," Freemen Digest, Jan. 1984,11,13,16, 17,18,20. Aside from guilt-by-association, the concluding sentence of Skousen's and Pratt's first article (14) was guilt-by-similar-interest: "As the King program got under way, Gus Hall, head of the Communist party USA, declared: "For us, by far the most significant development is the escalation of mass protest movements by the American people.'". These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
771. <br>6 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
772. <br>7 - Karlheinz Leonhardt, Die Ersten Hundert Jahre, 358 (1985 internal report by Stasi, the East German secret police) as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
773. <br>
774. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
775. <br>
776. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
777. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6041414963143194255'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/6041414963143194255'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-7-feb-1982.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 7 Feb 1982'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-3037126487149968544</id><published>2015-04-08T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-08T05:05:03.432-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, March 19, 1980</title><content type='html'>-- March 19, 1980
778. <br>"Ezra Taft Benson said the Mormons are bound to obey every word of the prophet including politics. ... Church doctrine teaches free agency and individual responsibility. How can one practice this principle of one is bound to let someone else make his decisions for him, even in religion." (1)
779. <br>
780. <br>
781. <br>-- 3 May 1980
782. <br>Flanked by his two Counselors in the First Presidency and apostles Hinckley and Packer, together with forger Mark Hofmann, Mormon prophet Spencer W. Kimball is photographed examining the bogus "Anthon Transcript" with a magnifying glass (Church News, May 3, , p. 3). The prophet, seer and revelator clearly does not have a clue. Over the next five years, Hofmann dupes Kimball and his successor, Ezra Taft Benson, as well as several of the Apostles, bilking the Mormon Church for large sums of money (Hofmann's Confession, 3 Volumes, 540 pages). (2)
783. <br>
784. <br>
785. <br>-- Jul 1, 1980.
786. <br>It is announced that the History Division, renamed the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History, will move to Brigham Young University. By February 1981 a sixteen-volume history of the church is canceled and the authors are paid for the proportion of work they have done. (3)
787. <br>
788. <br>
789. <br>-- 12 Oct 1980
790. <br>While organizing a stake in Brasilia, Brazil, Apostle Ezra Taft Benson gives blessing to new stake president's daughter who "had a large growth on her neck," that "growth would disappear" without surgery recommended by physicians. Five days later the growth is gone.
791. <br>
792. <br>
793. <br>-- 27 Feb 1981
794. <br>First Presidency authorizes stake presidents to ordain partiarchs. Previously, the Twelve maintained that as exclusive right, even denying it to church's patriarch.
795. <br>
796. <br>
797. <br>-- 5 May 1981
798. <br>The First Presidency publicly voiced its opposition to the proposed basing of the MX missile system in the Utah-Nevada desert. (4)
799. <br>
800. <br>
801. <br>-- 23 Jul 1981
802. <br>Elder Gordon B. Hinckley is called as third counselor in the First Presidency due to the physical weakness of Presidents Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, and Marion G. Romney. Hinckley is referred to in the press as the "acting president of the church" because Kimball, Tanner, and Romney are largely out of the public eye.
803. <br>
804. <br> Neal A. Maxwell is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to fill the vacancy left by Hinckley's call to the First Presidency. (5)
805. <br>
806. <br>
807. <br>-- Oct 1,1981
808. <br>New York Times reports official announcement that new edition of Book of Mormon changes prophecy that Lamanites will "become white and delightsome." Instead of continuing original reference to skin color, new edition emphasizes inward spirituality: "become pure and delightsome." (6)
809. <br>
810. <br>
811. <br>-- October 24, 1981
812. <br>Ezra Taft Benson  had hip replacement surgery in October 1981 to repair a horse-handling injury suffered in 1978  (7)
813. <br>
814. <br>
815. <br>-- December 1981
816. <br>During the laying of the Jordan River temple cornerstone in 1981, a helicopter from Salt Lake television Channel 2 passed repeatedly over the proceedings, drowning out the proceedings with its roar. Afterward Wolsey [a church liaison with the media] called the television producer, objected to what had happened, and said, "This is not a religious issue; it's a matter of common courtesy." The producer answered belligerently, "What do you want me to do? Apologize?" "If you don't know," snapped Wolsey, "don't expect me to tell you." The producer wrote to Elder Benson, president of the Twelve, apologizing for the insensitive act. President Benson answered: "Dear sir, repentance and forgiveness are great principles. I believe in both. With best wishes. . . ."  (8)
817. <br>
818. <br>
819. <br>-- 1982
820. <br>Skousen renamed the Freemen Institute to the National Center for Constitutional Studies and moved its headquarters to Washington, D.C., as an ecumenical effort to attract conservative non-Mormons who had been put off by the Mormon orientation of the Freemen. Within a few years the membership in this spin-off of Utah's Birch Society shifted from 90 percent Mormon to more than half non-Mormon. (9)
821. <br>
822. <br>
823. <br>-- 25 Jan 1982
824. <br>First Presidency formally releases Leonard J. Arrington as Church Historian. Position has been in administrative limbo since 1980, when he and his staff are released form LDS Historical Department and transferred administratively to BYU. Day after this letter Presidency sets apart G. Homer Durham as church historian. There is no mention in either General Conference or in the CHURCH NEWS about Arrington's release.
825. <br>
826. <br>Endnotes:
827. <br>1 - Salt Lake Tribune, "Church is Drifting," Leon Johnson, 3/19/80 (provided by Joe Geisner)
828. <br>2 - Watchman Fellowship Inc, Historical Events, Notable Doctrines: Mormonism Overview, <a href="http://www.watchman.org/lds/ldshst96.htm">http://www.watchman.org/lds/ldshst96.htm</a>
829. <br>3 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
830. <br>4 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
831. <br>5 - Wikipedia, 20th Century (Mormonism), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)</a>
832. <br>6 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, <a href="http://amzn.to/extensions-power">http://amzn.to/extensions-power</a>
833. <br>7 - 1983 Church Almanac (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1982), 12 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
834. <br>8 - Wolsey, "PR Man for a Prophet." -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
835. <br>9 - D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
836. <br>
837. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
838. <br>
839. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
840. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3037126487149968544'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3037126487149968544'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-march-19-1980.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, March 19, 1980'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-3061068236468312315</id><published>2015-04-07T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-07T05:05:03.269-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 6 Oct 1979</title><content type='html'>-- 6 Oct 1979
841. <br>First Presidency vacates office of Patriarch to the Church by giving emeritus status to Eldred G. Smith, ending a hierarchy office in existence since 1834.
842. <br>
843. <br>
844. <br>-- October 14, 1979
845. <br>President Ezra Taft Benson states that the rebuilding of Kirtland is to begin and prophecies are to be fulfilled. He prays to lift the "scourge" placed on Kirtland. Ground is broken for the Kirtland LDS meeting house. (1)
846. <br>
847. <br>
848. <br>-- Feb 1980
849. <br>After another series of political talks, Benson was sufficiently confident to authorize the Birch Society to publish one of his talks in its February 1980 magazine.  (2)
850. <br>
851. <br>
852. <br>-- 23 Feb 1980
853. <br>At a meeting of the Freemen Institute on 23 February Benson next gave a major address.  (3)
854. <br>
855. <br>
856. <br>-- 24 Feb 1980
857. <br>A full- page ad appears in the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE describing Jerald and Sandra Tanner's THE CHANGING WORLD OF MORMONISM. The ad draws attention to changes in the Church's position on such matters as polygamy and the granting of the priesthood to blacks and thereby questioned the consistency of the prophetic leadership of the Church. Two days later Ezra Taft Benson gives a speech at BYU, in which he dismisses the issue of conflicting past and present policies by declaring that the words of living prophets supplant or make moot the directives of past prophets.
858. <br>
859. <br>
860. <br>-- Feb 26, 1980.
861. <br>Ezra Taft Benson as president of the Quorum of the Twelve gives a controversial speech at Brigham Young University titled, "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophets," including: ". The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything. 2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works. 3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet. 4. The prophet will never lead the church astray. 5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time. 6. The prophet does not have to say `Thus Saith the Lord' to give us scripture. . . . 11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich."
862. <br>
863. <br> J. D. Williams, a professor in the University of Utah political science department, calls "Benson's speech `a plea in anticipation' of his becoming church president." Don LeFevre, public communications spokesman, responding to press inquiries, agrees that "Benson's speech accurately portrayed the church's position that a prophet can receive revelations from God on any matter--temporal or spiritual" and that "the prophet's word is scripture, as far as the church is concerned, and the living prophet's words take precedence in interpreting the written scripture as it applies to the present." However, he denies as "simply not true" a newspaper report which says the president of the church "is God's prophet and his word is law on all issues-- including politics." (4)
864. <br>
865. <br>
866. <br>-- February 27, 1980
867. <br>Benson was directly quoted as saying "Those who would remove prophets fro politics would take God ouf of government." LeFevre termed the new interpretation of Benson's speech "misleading." ... In regard to the press account that Benson told the University audience that a Church president must be obeyed even when he contradicts scripture of statements of past prophets, LeFevre said that the prophet's word is scripture, as far as the Church is concerned, and the living prophet's words take precdence in intrepreting the written scripture."  (5)
868. <br>
869. <br>
870. <br>-- 5 Mar 1980
871. <br>The First Presidency was critical of Benson's 1980 BYU talk. On 5 March the presidency issued a statement that "we reaffirm that we take no partisan stand as to candidates or political parties, and exercise no constraint on the freedom of individuals to make their own choices in these matters."  However, the church's official spokesperson claimed that "there is no connection between this [First Presidency] letter and a speech by Apostle Ezra Taft Benson to Brigham Young University" a few days before.
872. <br>
873. <br> Kimball's son affirms that President Kimball bore no ill feeling toward his longtime associate but "was concerned about Elder Benson's February 1980 talk at BYU." The church president wanted "to protect the Church against being misunderstood as espousing ultraconservative politics, or--in this case--espousing an unthinking `follow the leader' mentality."
874. <br>
875. <br> In 1980 President Kimball's wife Camilla also described "his displeasure with the speech" to her brother-in-law George T. Boyd.  (6)
876. <br>
877. <br>
878. <br>-- About 6 Mar 1980
879. <br>A general authority revealed that Kimball asked Benson to apologize to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who "were dissatisfied with his response." Therefore, Kimball required him to explain himself to a combined meeting of all general authorities the following week.
880. <br>
881. <br> The entire Benson family felt anxious about the outcome of this 1980 meeting. They apparently feared the possibility of a formal rebuke before all the general authorities. Benson's son Mark (a Bircher and the Freemen Institute's "Vice President in Charge of Development") wrote him a note that morning: "All will be well--we're praying for you and know all will be well. The Lord knows your heart." The meeting went well for Benson who "explained that he had meant only to reaffirm the divine nature of the prophetic call." Ezra's biographer indicates that the most effusively supportive general authority in attendance was Apostle Boyd K. Packer: "How I admire, respect and love you. How could anyone hesitate to follow a leader, an example such as you? What a privilege!"  (7)
882. <br>
883. <br>Endnotes:
884. <br>1 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
885. <br>2 - Ezra Taft Benson, "A Moral Challenge," in John Birch Society's American Opinion 23 (Feb. 1980): 41-54 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
886. <br>3 - "Benson Urges Monetary Step: Re-Establish Metal Standard," Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Feb. 1980, B-2; "Gathering of Freemen Institute Draws Crowd to Arizona Resort," Ogden Standard-Examiner, 25 Feb. 1980, A-12. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
887. <br>4 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
888. <br>5 - Ogden Standard-Examiner, 27 February 1980, "Benson Misinterpreted" (provided by Joe Geisner)
889. <br>6 - First Presidency statement, 5 Mar. 1980, Deseret News "Church News, "8 Mar. 1980, 3; "Church Policies and Announcements," Ensign 10 (Aug. 1980): 79; Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Mar. 1980, C-31.; Edward L. Kimball to D. Michael Quinn, 14 Aug., 20 Aug. 1992, concerning discussions with his father in 1980 ; Boyd to D. Michael Quinn, 24 Sept. 1992. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
890. <br>7 - In 1980 a general authority reported to George T. Boyd the apologies which Kimball required of Benson. Boyd's letter to Michael Quinn, 24 Sept. 1992, requested that Quinn not identify the general authority for publication. Boyd (an in-law of Spencer and Camilla Kimball) also reported this conversation to BYU professor Duane Jeffery early in 1980. Telephone interview of Jeffery in David John Buerger diary, 14 Aug. 1980, folder 4, box 1, Buerger Papers. These reproofs were also reported in "What Mormons Believe," Newsweek 96 (1 Sept. 1980): 71, in "Thus Saith Ezra Benson," Newsweek 98 (19 Oct. 1981): 109; in Allen interview (with Henry D. Taylor as a general authority source different from the above), 3 May 1984, by Alison Bethke Gayek; and in Quinn interview on 5 Sept. 1992 with Rodney P. Foster, assistant secretary in the First Presidency's Office from 1974 to 1981; Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 469. For Mark Benson's position in 1980, see "Mark Benson Becomes Our New Vice President in Charge of Development," Behind the Scenes (Jan. 1980): (4). These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
891. <br>
892. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
893. <br>
894. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
895. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3061068236468312315'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3061068236468312315'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-6-oct-1979.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 6 Oct 1979'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-5788937023390965730</id><published>2015-04-06T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-06T05:05:03.241-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, Jun 17,1978</title><content type='html'>-- Jun 17,1978
896. <br>Church News headline "Interracial Marriage Discouraged" in same issue which announces authorization of priesthood for those of black African descent. Sources at church headquarters indicate that Apostle Mark E. Petersen requires this emphasis. (1)
897. <br>
898. <br>
899. <br>-- 1978-08-26
900. <br>For the first time the First Presidency defines the ERA as a "moral issue" (2)
901. <br>
902. <br>
903. <br>-- 1978, September 16
904. <br>First annual women's meeting held. (3)
905. <br>
906. <br>
907. <br>-- 01 Oct 1978
908. <br>James E. Faust is ordained an Apostle, replacing Delbert L. Stapley, who had passed away.
909. <br>
910. <br>
911. <br>-- 30 Oct 1978
912. <br>First Presidency announces emeritus status for general authorities due to age, physical infirmity, or other reasons. Members of First Quorum of Seventy are first general authorities to receive this retirement. (4)
913. <br>
914. <br>
915. <br>-- Dec 29,1978
916. <br>First Presidency allows women to pray in sacrament meetings again, rescind earlier ban from Jul 1967. (1)
917. <br>
918. <br>
919. <br>-- 15 Feb 1979
920. <br>Kimball and his counselors found it necessary to counter the now-familiar pattern of Mormon ultra- conservatives to imply church endorsement. In February 1979 the First Presidency published a statement against "announcements have been made in Church meetings of lectures to be given by those connected with the Freemen Institute."  (5)
921. <br>
922. <br>
923. <br>-- 18 Feb 1979
924. <br>The Church's 1,000th stake was created at Nauvoo, Ill., by President Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve. (6)
925. <br>
926. <br>
927. <br>-- Aug 19, 1979.
928. <br>Ann Kenney, a student at the University of Utah, is set apart as president of the University of Utah Second Stake Sunday School. Gilbert Sharffs, counselor in the stake presidency, assures her that he has been "strongly impressed" to issue the calling and also had a general authority approve the calling. On 24 September she is released. Sharffs explains that "in the past there has been no policy set. The quorum [of the Twelve] was divided on the issue, and the decision was left to the president." The president was Ezra Taft Benson. (7)
929. <br>
930. <br>
931. <br>-- During Aug 1979
932. <br>Church's Ensign magazine publishes first counselor N. Eldon Tanner's statement: "When the prophet speaks the debate is over," which echoes Improvement Era's message of Jun 1945. (1)
933. <br>
934. <br>
935. <br>-- October 1979
936. <br>"It is well to ask, what system [referring to Isaiah 29:15–16] established secret works of darkness to overthrow nations by violent revolution? Who blasphemously proclaimed the atheistic doctrine that God made us not? Satan works through human agents. We need only look to some of the ignoble characters in human history who were contemporary to the restoration of the gospel to discover fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. I refer to the infamous founders of Communism and others who follow in their tradition…"  (8)
937. <br>
938. <br>
939. <br>Benson's last anti-communist talk  (9)
940. <br>
941. <br>Endnotes:
942. <br>1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, <a href="http://amzn.to/extensions-power">http://amzn.to/extensions-power</a>
943. <br>2 - Mormon Women's History Timeline, <a href="http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html">http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html</a>
944. <br>3 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
945. <br>4 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
946. <br>5 - Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, and Marion G. Romney to All Stake Presidents, Bishops, and Branch Presidents in the United States, 15 Feb. 1979, photocopy in folder 25, box 17, Buerger Papers -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
947. <br>6 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
948. <br>7 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
949. <br>8 - Ezra Taft Benson, A Witness and a Warning, Conference, October 1979
950. <br>9 - Ezra Taft Benson, in Official Report of the 149th Semi-Annual Conference of the Church (October 1979), 43–47. The 1979 talk was not published in the non-English Church magazines -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
951. <br>
952. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
953. <br>
954. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
955. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/5788937023390965730'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/5788937023390965730'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-jun-171978.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, Jun 17,1978'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-7128817231482832218</id><published>2015-04-05T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-05T05:05:04.271-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 1976-10-22</title><content type='html'>-- 1976-10-22
956. <br>First Presidency statement against the ERA
957. <br>
958. <br> The First Presidency issues its first of several statements on the ERA.  While they "deplore" the "injustices" women have experienced and acknowledge that "there are additional rights to which women are entitled," they conclude that the ERA "could indeed bring [women] far more restraints and repressions. We fear it will even stifle many God-given feminine instincts.  It would strike at the family, humankind's basic institution. ERA would bring ambiguity and possibly invite extensive litigation.  Passage of ERA, some legal authorities contend, could nullify many accumulated benefits to women in present statutes.  We recognize men and women as equally important before the Lord, but with differences biologically, emotionally, and in other ways."
959. <br>
960. <br> [Another reason for its opposition was the fear that the ERA would result in "an increase in the practice of homosexual and lesbian activities".] (1)
961. <br>
962. <br>
963. <br>-- November 18, 1976
964. <br>... Benson says working women "weaken the stability of the home" and contribute to juvenile delinquency, drug abuse and crime. "There is no satisfactory substitute for mother, and no one can take care of her children as she can. ... The father's place at the head of the home is being challenged..."  (2)
965. <br>
966. <br>
967. <br>-- 1977
968. <br>Published Volume - This Nation Shall Endure. Deseret Book (3)
969. <br>
970. <br>
971. <br>-- April 13, 1977
972. <br>Ezra Taft Benson told Brigham Young University Students Tuesday it was better for them to drop out of school than accept government food stamps. "You did not come to this university to become a welfare recpient or freeloader."  (4)
973. <br>
974. <br>
975. <br>-- 26 Oct 1977
976. <br>Some students in Brigham Young University's Washington, D.C., seminar were recruited to "spy" on professors there. One of the student reports of faculty surveillance intended for Ezra Taft Benson's office instead ended up on the desk of Mark E. Petersen. After being informed of this "spy ring" by Apostle Petersen, BYU's president Dallin H. Oaks angrily referred to "that Birch Mafia that surrounds ETB." Apostle Benson had put William O. Nelson in charge of this most recent effort at BYU espionage. Nelson was Benson's secretary in the Church Administration Building.  (5)
977. <br>
978. <br>
979. <br>-- Fall, 1977
980. <br>Jack Carlson, former Undersecretary of the Interior (with his wife Renee) was asked by President Kimball, "What do you think would happen if we changed the policy [regarding blacks and the priesthood]? Give me a scenario." President Kimball expressed his own concerns about internal dissent, particularly from members in the American South or even from the Quorum of the twelve.  He said "I don't know that I should be the one doing this, but if I don't my successor won't." Benson was in line to become the next president of the church.   (6)
981. <br>
982. <br>
983. <br>-- 7 Dec 1977
984. <br>President Kimball resolved  "spy scandal" with a decisiveness lacking in the more famous episode of 1966. He made the following statement to the school's Board of Trustees in December 1977: "We understand that a member or members of the Board directly, or through others, have sought evidence about alleged statements made by faculty members in courses taught on the BYU campus and have stated or implied that such evidence is to be used by a Church official in a so-called `hearing.'" The church president's blunt statement concluded with a clear disapproval of such "surveillance of BYU employees."  (7)
985. <br>
986. <br>
987. <br>-- 1978
988. <br>Church membership reached 4 million. (8)
989. <br>
990. <br>
991. <br>-- 22 Feb 1978
992. <br>First Presidency letter to all stake and mission leaders: "The fact that there may be some question as to man's ancestry cannot be rightfully considered as evidence that he has Negro blood. . . . If there is no evidence to indicate that a man has Negro blood, you would not be justified in withholding the priesthood and temple blessings from him, if he is otherwise worthy." This stops denial of priesthood merely on the basis of black African appearance and is significant prelude to the end of the ban altogether less than four months later.
993. <br>
994. <br>
995. <br>-- June 1, 1978
996. <br>Spencer W. Kimball receives a revelation granting the priesthood to black men, and temple blessings to black men and women.  Elder Benson recorded in his journal: "Following the prayer, we experienced the sweetest spirit of unity and conviction that I have ever experienced. . . . Our bosoms burned with the righteousness of the decision we had made." He also said he "had never experienced anything of such spiritual magnitude and power."  (9)
997. <br>
998. <br>
999. <br>-- 1 Jun 1978
1000. <br>Spencer W. Kimball's proposal to resolve "the Negro issue," is sustained by apostles after prayer circle in Salt Lake temple. This answer ends policy since 1852 of denying priesthood to those of black African ancestry. Urgency of Kimball's inquiry involves upcoming dedication of temple in Brazil, where centuries of racial intermarriage have always posed problems in administering LDS ban on priesthood to those of black African ancestry. Kimball later describes the meeting: "I offered the final prayer and I told the Lord if it wasn't right, if He didn't want this change to come in the Church that I would be true to it all the rest of my life, and I'd fight the world against it if that's what he wanted . . ." First Presidency announces this change on Jun 9, and general conference accepts it on Sep 30. This announcement becomes "Document 2" in 1981 edition of D&C. First Presidency secretary Francis M. Gibbons writes that this change "seemed to relieve them of a subtle sense of guilt they had felt over the years." (10)
1001. <br>
1002. <br>
1003. <br>-- 1978, June 8
1004. <br>First Presidency issued letter announcing revelation granting the priesthood to worthy men of all races. (8)
1005. <br>
1006. <br>Endnotes:
1007. <br>1 - Mormon Women's History Timeline, <a href="http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html">http://www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html</a>
1008. <br>2 - "Apostle Ezra T. Benson Criticizes Working Women," Provo Daily Herald, Nov 18, 1976 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1009. <br>3 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
1010. <br>4 - The Browsville, Browsville Texas, "Students Told Better TO Drop out Than Accept Food Stamps," April 13, 1977 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1011. <br>5 - Duane E. Jeffery memorandum, 26 Oct. 1977, folder 28, box 6, Buerger Papers.; 299. "LDS Official Acknowledges Church Monitors Critics," Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 1992, D-l; "LDS Leaders Say Scripture Supports Secret Files on Members," Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Aug. 1992, B-1. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1012. <br>6 - Renee Pyott Carlson interview, Gregory A. Prince, Potomac, Md., June 2 1994, (Kimball Papers), as referenced in Edward Kimball, Lengthen Your Stride, The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (working draft) chapter 21, page 9
1013. <br>7 - Minutes of Combined Boards of Trustees, 7 Dec. 1977, archives, Lee Library; Bergera and Priddis, Brigham Young University, 223. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1014. <br>8 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
1015. <br>9 - Sheri L. Dew, Ezra Taft Benson: A Biography (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1987), 457;. McConkie, "New Revelation," 128, quotes Ezra Taft Benson -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1016. <br>10 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
1017. <br>
1018. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1019. <br>
1020. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1021. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7128817231482832218'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7128817231482832218'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-1976-10-22.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 1976-10-22'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-4087350799775466162</id><published>2015-04-03T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-03T05:05:03.431-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 6 Mar 1976</title><content type='html'>-- 6 Mar 1976
1022. <br>Undoubtedly, Kimball's opposition was behind Benson's non-acceptance of the U.S. presidential nomination from the Concerned Citizens Party in 1976. Involving former members of the American Party (which Benson had publicly endorsed) and LDS members of the Birch Society, the "Concerned Citizens party will be dedicated to individual rights under the Constitution," and proposed to bring God "back into government." (1)
1023. <br>
1024. <br>
1025. <br>-- Spring-fall 1976.
1026. <br>In separate addresses Elder Ezra Taft Benson defines "historical realism" as "slander and defamation," denounces those who "inordinately humanize the prophets of God," and instructs CES personnel: "If you feel you must write for the scholarly journals, you always defend the faith. Avoid expressions and terminology which offend the Brethren and Church members." He also warns them not to buy the books or subscribe to the periodicals of "known apostates, or other liberal sources" or have such works on office or personal bookshelves. (2)
1027. <br>
1028. <br>
1029. <br>-- 1976, April 3
1030. <br>Two revelations added to Pearl of Great Price. Later became D&C 137 and D&C 138, 1981. (3)
1031. <br>
1032. <br>
1033. <br>-- 03 Apr 1976
1034. <br>In general conference, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles propose to the Church to include Joseph Smith's vision of the celestial kingdom and Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead in the standard works of the Church. The vote is unanimous in the affirmative.
1035. <br>
1036. <br>
1037. <br>-- May 1976
1038. <br>Benson carefully questioned BYU's president Dallin H. Oaks whether BYU was "friendly to solid conservative constitutionalists." A few days later Oaks told fellow administrators about "BYU's tenuous position in the silent contest with extremists of the right wing."  (4)
1039. <br>
1040. <br>
1041. <br>-- August 26, 1976
1042. <br>Some General Authorities, including Elders Benson and Petersen, assigned others to read publications about the Church and mark for them passages that they considered questionable.   (5)
1043. <br>
1044. <br>
1045. <br>Elders Benson, Petersen, and Packer were the primary spokesmen for the view that it was not right for church-paid historians to write in a way that they felt inordinately humanized the prophets and underplayed revelation and God's intervention in human affairs. For example, Benson noted: "Members of our staff have carefully read . . . and in accordance with your request, these are our impressions." They were very disappointed with lack of spirituality, reliance on sources like Dialogue, portrayal of Joseph Smith as affected by the political, economic, and religious environments in which he lived, not taking the conservative side on issues like evolution, and calling the "black issue" a matter of "policy" (paraphrase of several pages).
1046. <br>
1047. <br> According to Elder Benson's grandson, Elder Benson had strong personal anti-evolution views but "acknowledged that 'the Lord may not have revealed enough to create unanimity among the Brethren.' . . . Any such statement would . . . be 'unwise'. . . and serve only to 'widen differences.'"
1048. <br>
1049. <br> Leaders who spoke most pointedly in opposition to evolution were Joseph Fielding Smith, Bruce R.  McConkie, Mark E. Petersen, Ezra Taft Benson, and Boyd K. Packer. The reluctance of General Authorities to disagree in public caused many Church members to assume that statements left uncontradicted were reliable.
1050. <br>
1051. <br> President Benson also said to his grandson, "Stand by the Brethren. Even if someday they are proven in error or inaccurate, it will be attributed to you for righteousness and the Lord will bless you. This is a basic principle." (6)
1052. <br>
1053. <br>
1054. <br>-- 18 Sept 1976
1055. <br>Former BYU president Wilkinson gave the invocation before Benson spoke at this dedicatory service of the Freemen Institute on 18 September 1976. ... Skousen, Wilkinson, and Benson had been allied as advocates of the Birch Society for more than a decade. Now, for the first time, all three participated at an ultra-conservative political meeting also attended by the secretary to the LDS church president. The evident news black-out of this meeting in all the regular newspapers of Provo, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah, apparently resulted from the fact that newspaper reporters were excluded from this dedicatory service of the Freemen Institute. Even the Mormon-Birch Utah Independent reported only Benson's attendance at the dedicatory service.  
1056. <br>
1057. <br> D. Arthur Haycock, President Kimball's secretary, specifically linked the Birch Society with this ceremony at the Freemen Institute in September 1976. After Wilkinson gave the prayer at the Freemen dedication, Haycock confided to him on this day that "nearly all of them believed in the concepts of the John Birch Society." That may have been an overstatement, but more importantly it showed that the Birch Society and Benson in particular had a partisan friend in the First Presidency's office. Haycock had been private secretary to Benson as Secretary of Agriculture and was a confidant and significant influence on President Kimball.  (7)
1058. <br>
1059. <br>
1060. <br>-- 18 Sep 1976
1061. <br>After a string of talks which echoed themes of the Birch Society, Benson spoke at the dedication of W. Cleon Skousen's Freemen Institute at Provo, Utah, in September 1976.  (8)
1062. <br>
1063. <br>
1064. <br>-- 1 Oct 1976
1065. <br>Members of the First Council of the Seventy and the Assistants to the Twelve were released in general conference and called to the new First Quorum of the Seventy. Franklin D. Richards was named the first senior president. (9)
1066. <br>
1067. <br>Endnotes:
1068. <br>1 - "Party Qualifies For Utah Ballot," Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Mar. 1976, B-5; "LDS Official Says 'No' to Politics," Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Mar. 1976, B-4, and "Party Clarifies Stand on Benson Selection," Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Mar 1976, 38. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1069. <br>2 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1
1070. <br>3 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
1071. <br>4 - Bergera and Priddis, Brigham Young University, 221-22 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1072. <br>5 - Leonard J. Arrington, Adventures of a Church Historian (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998), 101, 143, 145, 147; Ezra Taft Benson to First Presidency, memo, "New History, The Story of the Latter-day Saints," August 26, 1976: "Members of our staff have carefully read . . ." -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1073. <br>6 - Stephen Benson, "Ezra Taft Benson: A Grandson's Remembrance," Sunstone 17, no. 3 (December 1994): 31–32; Ezra Taft Benson to First Presidency, August 26, 1976, Kimball Papers -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1074. <br>7 - Wilkinson diary, 18 Sept. 1976 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1075. <br>8 - Wilkinson diary, 18 Sept. 1976; "Pres. Ezra Taft Benson Speaks At Freeman. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1076. <br>9 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
1077. <br>
1078. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1079. <br>
1080. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1081. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/4087350799775466162'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/4087350799775466162'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-6-mar-1976.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 6 Mar 1976'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-1130487021056518217</id><published>2015-04-02T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-02T05:05:03.465-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, June 24, 1975</title><content type='html'>-- June 24, 1975
1082. <br>Organizers of the Utah International Women's Year conference wanted it to be a grassroots.
1083. <br>
1084. <br> Church Relief Society Barbara Smith proposed to Church leaders that the Relief Society send a letter to the stake Relief Society presidents in Utah urging Mormon women to participate and suggesting that ten from each stake attend. But Elder Benson, president of the Twelve, opted instead to have the bishops in Utah urge the women in their wards to become informed on the issues and "to encourage at least ten women and hopefully many more from each ward to attend the convention." This letter was distributed through regional representatives and stake presidents to each bishop but was sent in the name of the Relief Society presidency.  In hindsight, both the specification of a quota from each ward and the priesthood direction created the impression that this was a call to arms.
1085. <br>
1086. <br> The Relief Society general presidency did not instruct women to take any particular position on the issues to be raised. They arranged for a series of articles in the Deseret News to educate readers on the issues, expecting women to study the issues and follow their own judgment, informed by their understanding of Church principles (Barbara Smith urged women to join others "fighting pornography, homosexuality, abortion and other social evils"). But in the absence of other instruction, conservative groups like the John Birch Society, Eagle Forum, and Conservative Caucus filled the vacuum and undertook through "information meetings" to recruit and organize Mormon women to follow their lead in the conference, sometimes implying that they had Relief Society or Church approval.
1087. <br>
1088. <br> These groups adopted the basic position that all proposals at the conference had hidden implications that were part of the agenda of extreme feminists and urged that they should all be defeated, even if they looked benign.
1089. <br>
1090. <br> On June 24 more than twelve thousand women converged on the Salt Palace, twice as many as in the state of California. Organizers were flabbergasted to find the conference overwhelmed by Mormon women who were there on assignment.  Some organizers felt that, although the Church had been asked to encourage attendance, the huge numbers effectively sabotaged the conference. Rudeness, shouting down of speakers, and extreme polarization reigned.
1091. <br>
1092. <br> Because the national recommendations included issues such as the ERA, abortion rights, and government-funded sex education, most participants decided the entire slate of recommendations was tainted and simply rejected everything. Votes typically ran seven to nine thousand against the proposals versus one to two thousand in support. Such rejection occurred apparently without regard to the merits of individual items. For example, recommendations for better enforcement of child support, for review of union practices that were unjust to women, and for equal pay for equivalent work were defeated by margins nearly as large as the recommendation for adopting the ERA and abortion rights. Barbara Smith attended but took no active part, although she felt dismayed at the vehement and automatic reaction of so many women, influenced unduly by political extremists.
1093. <br>
1094. <br> Utah's IWY conference was not the only one for which Mormon women were recruited.  In Hawaii, Washington, Connecticut, Iowa, New York, and Montana, large numbers of Mormon women attended and sought to influence the state conferences to vote against endorsement of the ERA and other proposals.
1095. <br>
1096. <br> The Utah IWY meeting was a public relations disaster, much greater than might have been expected given the relative insignificance of the state meeting and its delegates' votes in affecting what happened in the national meeting. (1)
1097. <br>
1098. <br>
1099. <br>-- 23 Jul 1975
1100. <br>First Presidency circular letter authorizes stake presidents to ordain bishops. Previously this was restricted to general authorities. (2)
1101. <br>
1102. <br>
1103. <br>-- 1975, July 24
1104. <br>The 28-story Church Office Building dedicated, Salt Lake City. (3)
1105. <br>
1106. <br>
1107. <br>-- 1976
1108. <br>Published Volume - Cross Fire: The Eight Years With Eisenhower. Doubleday (4)
1109. <br>
1110. <br>
1111. <br>In 1976 a one-volume history by James B. Allen and Glen Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints, was published intended for an LDS audience.  Elders Benson, Petersen, and Packer were the primary spokesmen for the view that it was not right for church-paid historians to write in a way that they felt inordinately humanized the prophets and underplayed revelation and God's intervention in human affairs. Elders Benson and Petersen addressed their complaints to the First Presidency.  President Kimball acquiesced to Ezra Taft Benson's and Mark E. Petersen's strongly negative views about the publication, a book that President Kimball himself liked.   (5)
1112. <br>
1113. <br>
1114. <br>In the 1970s Elders Petersen, Benson, and Packer had highlighted the dangers of secularizing Church history. In 1976 to BYU and to teachers in the Church Educational System, Elder Benson gave talks critical of Church history writing that underplays revelation and emphasizes the frailties of great men.   (6)
1115. <br>
1116. <br>
1117. <br>Benson declined as "impractical and impossible" efforts by "a resurrected 1976 Committee" for him as vice-presidential candidate with former Texas governor John B. Connally as candidate for U.S. president.  (7)
1118. <br>
1119. <br>
1120. <br>-- 08 Jan 1976
1121. <br>David B. Haight is ordained an Apostle, replacing Hugh B. Brown, who had passed away.
1122. <br>
1123. <br>
1124. <br>-- January 9, 1976
1125. <br>[Benson" warned a small mountain community that its efforts to provide housing for low-income persons is socialistic and will attract "undesirable" persons... [he] urged the Town Council of Heber City to "reject such socialistic programs as subsidized (low-income) housing. Is Heber City prepared to attract into its community undesirable tenants that gravitate toward communities where low-income housing is available?" ... Councilmen said privately that Benson's letter - and the copies he sent to the presidents of two Mormon stakes (dioceses) in Heber City - left them "confused and disturbed. ..."  (8)
1126. <br>
1127. <br>Endnotes:
1128. <br>1 - The Relief Society general presidency sent a copy of President Benson's letter to stake Relief Society presidents in Utah. Derr, Cannon and Beecher, Women of Covenant, 371; Martha Sonntag Bradley, "The Mormon Relief Society and the International Women's Year," Journal of Mormon History 21, no. 1 (spring 1995): 126; Jill Mulvay Derr, Janath Russell Cannon, and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992), 366–74; Linda Sillitoe, "Women Scorned: Inside the IWY Conference," Utah Holiday 6 (August 1977): 26–28, 53–69; Linda Sillitoe, "A Foot in Both Camps: An Interview with Jan Tyler (chair of the conference)," Sunstone 3, no. 2 (January/February 1978): 11; Dixie Snow Huefner, "Church and Politics at the Utah IWY Conference," Dialogue 11, no. 1 (spring 1978): 58–75; D Michael Quinn, The Mormon Heirarchy: Extensions of Power (Salt Lake City, Signature Books, 1997), 378–84 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1129. <br>2 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
1130. <br>3 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
1131. <br>4 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
1132. <br>5 - Arrington, Adventures of a Church Historian, 150 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1133. <br>6 - Sheri Dew, Ezra Taft Benson: A Biography (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1987), 454–55 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1134. <br>7 - Dew, Ezra Taft Benson, 446 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1135. <br>8 - "Ezra Taft Benson Condemns Subsidized Low-Income Housing," Provo Daily Herald (In Letter to Heber Council) Jan 9, 1976 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1136. <br>
1137. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1138. <br>
1139. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1140. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1130487021056518217'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/1130487021056518217'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-june-24-1975.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, June 24, 1975'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-7931977766024735046</id><published>2015-04-01T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-04-01T05:05:02.869-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 7 May 1974</title><content type='html'>-- 7 May 1974
1141. <br>First Presidency reiterated that black male members could attend elders quorum meetings in the same way that prospective elders could, and while it would be permissible for black members to hold leadership positions in the auxiliary organizations, preference should be given to calling them to teaching or clerical positions so as to avoid any misunderstanding. (1)
1142. <br>
1143. <br>
1144. <br>-- 6 Sep 1974
1145. <br>The First Presidency announced that the Church was divesting itself of its 15 hospitals in three western states and turning them over to a non-Church, non-profit organization, Intermountain Health Care. The Church completed the legal steps for divesting the hospitals on March 21, 1975. (2)
1146. <br>
1147. <br>
1148. <br>-- November 4, 1974
1149. <br>At a November 1974 rally just before the election, his passion prevailed and in an extemporaneous expression, Elder Benson publicly endorsed the American Party. He noted that the Church was non-partisan, but he said he believed the American Party was established on divine, eternal principles. And he said: 'Never in decades have I read a set of principles of any party that come so close to the philosophy which I have and which I think my own Church people have. . . .  He went on to assert that "the real hope" of a nation in crisis lay with people such as those gathered at the rally.64 Newspaper accounts of these statements caused a great stir, particularly when a radio report erroneously said the statements had President Kimball's approval. Calls flooded the Church phone lines. Kimball hurried to his office to draft a statement reiterating, without direct reference to the specific incident, that "we take no partisan stand as to candidates or parties, and any person who makes representations to the contrary does so without authorization."65 The next day, election day, the First Presidency asked Elder Benson to meet with them.  They "discussed at great length his unfortunate remarks" and counseled him that "all General Authorities must speak with one voice and . . . [not] take any partisan position in politics, either as to candidates or parties."  (3)
1150. <br>
1151. <br>
1152. <br>-- November 5, 1974
1153. <br>The Mormon church reaffirmed a statement on election eve that it takes no political stand following remarks supporting the American party by church leader Elder Ezra Taft Benson ... he believes the part was established on divine and eternal principles.   (4)
1154. <br>
1155. <br>
1156. <br>-- November 24, 1974
1157. <br>... The John Birch Society has been smeared and misrepresented by the communist and liberal press in this country. I consider the Birch Society the most effective secular organization in America in the fight against socialism and godless communism. ...   (5)
1158. <br>
1159. <br>
1160. <br>-- 25 Nov 1974
1161. <br>[I]n 1974 there was a reversal of the policy against allowing BYU's Daily Universe to give any mention of the Birch Society. On 25 November the Universe published a favorable article about the Birch Society. The Smith-Lee administrations had continued the policy established by McKay in 1964 against "allowing" articles in the BYU newspaper about the Birch Society. In 1974 the student newspaper's content was still monitored by BYU's administration, but ultra-conservative partisanship no longer met the kind of First Presidency opposition that existed from [Hugh B.] Brown's appointment as counselor in 1961 to [Harold B.] Lee's death in 1973. (6)
1162. <br>
1163. <br>
1164. <br>-- December 6, 1974
1165. <br>Elder Benson sent to President Kimball a letter with two (BYU) Daily Universe articles that spoke favorably about Dialogue. Elder Benson labeled them "inappropriate." He also sent a copy of Dialogue with several passages marked in red. The marked passages had to do with the scapegoating of John D. Lee for the Mountain Meadows massacre, Juanita Brooks's feeling she had not received Church callings after publishing her book Mountain Meadows Massacre because she was considered "an apostate," the possibility of a revelation to change the Church's stand on priesthood for blacks, applauding a New Era discussion of homosexuality, artwork labeled "grotesque," and an article by Lowell Bennion with Elder Benson's notation attached: "You asked about Lowell Bennion. He is teaching in the High Priests Quorum in his ward. I would hate to have him teaching anything to anyone in my ward."  (7)
1166. <br>
1167. <br>
1168. <br>-- 1975
1169. <br>Brigham Young University honored him by establishing the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute in 1975 to help relieve world food problems and raise the quality of global life through improved nutrition and enlightened agriculture practices.  (8)
1170. <br>
1171. <br>
1172. <br>Benson's resurgent activism was unsuccessful during 1975 in obtaining approval for the Birch Society's president to be a speaker at BYU.  (9)
1173. <br>
1174. <br>
1175. <br>-- 21 May 1975
1176. <br>Benson reflected, "I had this bad habit—I guess you call it bad," he explained, "of laying things on the line economically just as hard and cold as I could based on the facts, so they'd register with people, and not giving them a lot of soft soap, try and build up good will immediately."  (10)
1177. <br>
1178. <br>
1179. <br>-- 7 Jun 1975
1180. <br>President Spencer W. Kimball announces his resignation from management positions of church corporations to more fully serve spiritual needs of church. His associates in Presidency and Twelve continue extensive corporate management roles until 1996. (11)
1181. <br>
1182. <br>Endnotes:
1183. <br>1 - First Presidency (Kimball, Tanner, Romney) to Ezra Taft Benson, May 7, 1974 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1184. <br>2 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, <a href="http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html">http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html</a>
1185. <br>3 - "Benson Tells Party Support," Salt Lake Tribune, November 4, 1974, 29; "American Party Told, 'Stand Firm,'" Deseret News, November 4, 1974, B14; Spencer W. Kimball, Journal, November 4-5 1974; "LDS Presidency Reaffirms 'Nonpartisan Politics,'" Salt Lake Tribune, November 5, 1974, 17 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1186. <br>4 - "LDS Church Affirms Policy on Elections," Idaho State Journal, Nov 5, 1974 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1187. <br>5 - Ezra Taft Benson to Mr. Paul Olsen, November 24, 1974 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1188. <br>6 - David O. McKay to Earl C. Crockett, 4 June 1964, and Crockett memorandum, 11 Dec. 1965, Wilkinson Papers; LaVarr G. Webb, "In John Birch Society[,] Fanatics Are Hard to Find," Brigham Young University Daily Universe "Monday Magazine,"25 Nov. 1974,4-6,10; Bergera and Priddis, Brigham Young University, 196,262-63. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1189. <br>7 - Ezra Taft Benson, memo to Spencer W. Kimball, December 6, 1974, Kimball Papers -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1190. <br>8 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, "Ezra Taft Benson," Reed Benson and Sheri Dew, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992
1191. <br>9 - President's meeting -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1192. <br>10 - Ezra Taft Benson, Oral History, Interviewed by Maclyn Burg, May 21, 1975, 23–24, Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, Kansas. For context and full cite, see Gary James Bergera, '"Rising above Principle": Ezra Taft Benson as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, 1953-61, Part 1', Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Fall 2008, v 41)
1193. <br>11 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
1194. <br>
1195. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1196. <br>
1197. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1198. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7931977766024735046'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7931977766024735046'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/04/ezra-taft-benson-7-may-1974.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 7 May 1974'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-3851670276715564143</id><published>2015-03-31T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-03-31T05:05:03.662-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 1973, December 26</title><content type='html'>-- 1973, December 26
1199. <br>President Harold B. Lee d. Salt Lake City, age 74. (1)
1200. <br>
1201. <br>
1202. <br>-- 26 Dec 1973
1203. <br>Brown had already been released as counselor. With the deaths of Smith and Lee, the First Presidency's most strident voices against Benson's ultra- conservatism were stilled. (2)
1204. <br>
1205. <br>
1206. <br>-- December 30, 1973
1207. <br>The fourteen members of the Quorum of the Twelve met at 3 PM to determine whether to reorganize the First Presidency immediately, and, if so, who should succeed as president. They decided to act immediately and Ezra Taft Benson moved that the First Presidency be reorganized with Spencer W. Kimball, the apostle senior in service, as president of the Church, prophet, seer, revelator, and trustee-in- trust.   (3)
1208. <br>
1209. <br>
1210. <br>-- Dec 30, 1973 - 23 July 1981
1211. <br>Spencer W. Kimball N. Eldon Tanner Marion G. Romney Reorganization of First Presidency after death of Harold B. Lee (4)
1212. <br>
1213. <br>
1214. <br>-- During 1973
1215. <br>In 1973 Benson was set apart as president of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. He worked to streamline church policies and procedures. (5)
1216. <br>
1217. <br>
1218. <br>-- 1974
1219. <br>Published Volume - God, Family, Country: Our Three Great Loyalties. Deseret Book (6)
1220. <br>
1221. <br>
1222. <br>-- January 11, 1974
1223. <br>The Mormon Church said Saturday a letter from Ezra Taft Benson, president of the Council of the Twelve, opposing low-cost housing in Heber City was accidently sent on official church stationary. ... [Benson] said subsidized housing for low income families was socialistic and attracted "undesirable" persons.   (7)
1224. <br>
1225. <br>
1226. <br>-- February 22, 1974
1227. <br>Shortly after Spencer became President, Elder Benson was asked in an interview whether a good Mormon could be a liberal Democrat. He replied, "I think it would be very hard if he was living the gospel and understood it." When the comment appeared in print, along with a statement by Elder Benson that the Church might at some point endorse political candidates, it stirred a buzz of concern and a flood of protests to the Presidency. Spencer waited several days before discussing the matter with Elder Benson, who expressed regret that he had allowed the interview and apologized for the embarrassment his statements had caused the Church. Spencer understood his worthy motives and patriotic spirit, but reminded him that as president of the Council of Twelve he should avoid involvement in politically sensitive and potentially divisive matters. The interview closed on a cordial note, although  Spencer observed a bit too sanguinely in his journal, "I doubt if he will get into politics any more." President Benson's biography by Sheri Dew does not mention the incident.   (8)
1228. <br>
1229. <br>
1230. <br>-- 22 Feb 1974
1231. <br>SALT LAKE TRIBUNE article, "Support for Candidate Possible Some Day, LDS Apostle Says," quotes Ezra Taft Benson as saying that a liberal Democrat could not be a good Mormon "if he was living the gospel and understood it."
1232. <br>
1233. <br>
1234. <br>Benson resumed partisan warfare by announcing that the church might officially support political candidates. Then on the eve of the November election he publicly endorsed the ultra-conservative American Party and spoke at its rally on the Saturday before the election. This required the First Presidency to issue an immediate statement that "we take no partisan stand as to candidates or parties, and any person who makes representations to the contrary does so without authorization."  (9)
1235. <br>
1236. <br>
1237. <br>-- Spring 1974
1238. <br>General Authorities, particularly Elder Benson, sent President Kimball  marked copies of publications containing statements by Church members they considered critical or impolitic. For example, Elder Benson forwarded a Dialogue interview with Juanita Brooks about her book on the Mountain Meadows massacre and a BYU Daily Universe article mentioning Dialogue favorably. Spencer chose not to respond to such matters.  Many other items forwarded to Spencer W. Kimball were ultraconservative expressions of concern for subversion of democracy in the United States.   (10)
1239. <br>
1240. <br>
1241. <br>-- 11 Apr 1974
1242. <br>L. Tom Perry is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, replacing Spencer W. Kimball, who had been called to the First Presidency.
1243. <br>
1244. <br>Endnotes:
1245. <br>1 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
1246. <br>2 - D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1247. <br>3 - Bruce R. McConkie, "Succession in the Presidency," Speeches of the Year: BYU Devotional and Ten-Stake Fireside Addresses, 1974 (Provo, Utah: BYU Press, 1975), 20–23; N. Eldon Tanner, "The Sustaining of Church Officers," Ensign 9 (November 1979): 18 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1248. <br>4 - Wikipedia, First Presidency (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presidency_(LDS_Church)#Chronology_of_the_First_Presidency">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presidency_(LDS_Church)#Chronology_of_the_First_Presidency</a>
1249. <br>5 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Ezra Taft Benson, <a href="http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/">http://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/</a>
1250. <br>6 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
1251. <br>7 - "Says Spokesman: Benson Wrote Letter As Wasatch Citizen, Not as LDS Official" Provo Daily Herald, Jan 11, 1974 (provided by Joe Geisner)
1252. <br>8 - Spencer W. Kimball, Journal, February 22, 1974 -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1253. <br>9 - "Support for Candidate Possible Some Day, LDS Apostle Says," Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Feb. 1974, B-l; "Benson Tells Party Support," Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Nov. 1974, 29; "Church Says Elder's Speech on Third Party 'Unauthorized,'" Ogden Standard-Examiner, 4 Nov. 1974, A-10; "American Party told, 'Stand Firm,'" Deseret News, 4 Nov. 1974, B-14. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1254. <br>10 - Kimball Papers -- as referenced in Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball (Working Draft)
1255. <br>
1256. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1257. <br>
1258. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1259. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3851670276715564143'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/3851670276715564143'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/03/ezra-taft-benson-1973-december-26.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 1973, December 26'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-2168392152800572865</id><published>2015-03-30T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-03-30T05:05:04.000-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 2 Dec 1971</title><content type='html'>-- 2 Dec 1971
1260. <br>Marvin J. Ashton is ordained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (1)
1261. <br>
1262. <br>
1263. <br>-- April 1972
1264. <br>Elder Benson preached 'This most correct book on earth states that the downfall of two great American civilizations came as a result of secret conspiracies whose desire was to overthrow the freedom of the people." "And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking," says Moroni, "and also the destruction of the people of Nephi." (Eth. 8:21.) Now undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God's work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the great conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon –it is a conspiracy fact. And along this line I would highly recommend to you the book None Dare Call It Conspiracy by Gary Allen."'
1265. <br>
1266. <br> Note: Book recommendation added during talk upon discovering a Russian delegation in attendance. Allen was a member of the Birch Society. (2)
1267. <br>
1268. <br>
1269. <br>-- 14 Apr 1972
1270. <br>Benson's [conference advice to purchase 'None Dare Call It Conspiracy'] appeared in the report of his conference address by the Mormon-Birch Utah Independent, but the First Presidency deleted that recommendation from the official report of Benson's sermon.  (3)
1271. <br>
1272. <br>
1273. <br>-- May 13,1972
1274. <br>May Presidency letter that "fluoridation of public water supplies to prevent tooth decay" is one of the "non-moral issues" that Mormons should vote on "according to their honest convictions." John Birch Society, which Apostle Ezra Taft Benson and many other Mormons support, is condemning fluoridation as a Communist "plot." (4)
1275. <br>
1276. <br>
1277. <br>-- 30 Jun 1972
1278. <br>The Mormon-Birch Utah Independent announced Benson's addresses at Boston  ... where all the other speakers were either staff members of the Birch Society's American Opinion or long-time authors of its articles.  (5)
1279. <br>
1280. <br>
1281. <br>-- 2 Jul 1972
1282. <br>Joseph Fielding Smith dies. (6)
1283. <br>
1284. <br>
1285. <br>-- 7 Jul 1972
1286. <br>The First Presidency is reorganized, with Harold B. Lee President, N. Eldon Tanner First Counselor, and Marion G. Romney Second Counselor. Spencer W. Kimball becomes President of the Quorum. (6)
1287. <br>
1288. <br>
1289. <br>-- August 1, 1972
1290. <br>Benson promotes Skousen's "The Naked Capitalist," "The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil" by Verlan Anderson and "None Dare Call it Conspiracy." [Ezra Taft Benson to Elder Bremer, August 1, 1972, Council of Twelve letterhead (7)
1291. <br>
1292. <br>
1293. <br>-- 12 Oct 1972
1294. <br>Bruce R. McConkie ordained. (6)
1295. <br>
1296. <br>
1297. <br>-- November 14, 1972
1298. <br>Benson notes "There have always been shades-of-gray members, down to the blackest Judas." He also promotes the book "None Dare Call it Conspiracy," and says the book "Prophets Principles and National Survial" shows "where the Prophets stand regarding freedom."  (8)
1299. <br>
1300. <br>
1301. <br>-- 01 May 1973
1302. <br>Elder Ezra Taft Benson, Brigham Young University President Dallin H. Oaks, and newly appointed dean of the J. Reuben Clark Law School, Rex E. Lee, participate in the groundbreaking ceremonies for the law school.
1303. <br>
1304. <br>
1305. <br>-- Between July 1972 and Dec 1973
1306. <br>While Harold B. Lee was in the presidency, he evidently even gave an embarrassing rebuke to Apostle Benson during a meeting of general authorities in the Salt Lake Temple. As reported by Henry D. Taylor, an Assistant to the Twelve, individual apostles were delivering formal presentations on various subjects to the assistants. Benson's assigned topic was the church's youth program, but he began presenting charts and quotes to show Communist influence in America and the need to teach anti- Communism to Mormon youth. Lee walked out while Benson was speaking, soon followed by the other apostles. Taylor and the other Assistants to the Twelve were the only ones who remained seated during Benson's presentation.  (9)
1307. <br>
1308. <br>Endnotes:
1309. <br>1 - Wikipedia, 20th Century (Mormonism), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)</a>
1310. <br>2 - Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference, April 1972
1311. <br>3 - Benson, "Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints," Utah Independent, 14 Apr. 1972, 4; compare with censored version in Deseret News "Church News," 8 Apr. 1972, 12, and Ensign 2 (July 1972): 59-61. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1312. <br>4 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, <a href="http://amzn.to/extensions-power">http://amzn.to/extensions-power</a>
1313. <br>5 - "Benson Is Guest of Honor," Utah Independent, 30 June 1972, 8 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1314. <br>6 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)</a>
1315. <br>7 - Ezra Taft Benson (provided by Joe Geisner)
1316. <br>8 - Ezra Taft Benson to Brother Anderberg, November 14, 1972, Council of Twelve letterhead (provided by Joe Geisner)
1317. <br>9 - Statement of Henry D. Taylor to his friend Mark K. Allen as reported in Allen interview, 3 May 1984, by Alison Bethke Gayek -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1318. <br>
1319. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1320. <br>
1321. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1322. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2168392152800572865'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2168392152800572865'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/03/ezra-taft-benson-2-dec-1971.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 2 Dec 1971'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-7799239316421221536</id><published>2015-03-29T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-03-29T05:05:03.158-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, 9 Apr 1970</title><content type='html'>-- 9 Apr 1970
1323. <br>The newspaper published by Mormon members of the Birch Society was significant for what lay between the lines of its report of April 1970 conference. The Utah Independent began with the comment that church members will remember this general conference "for decades to come" and noted: "Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, no violence took place at the conference. No opposition was manifest by Church members when the names of general authorities were presented for sustaining." Of Lee's talk two days before this vote, the Utah Independent observed: "Special interest has centered around the talk given by President Harold B. Lee at the Saturday evening general priesthood session," and quoted excerpts. However, this Mormon-Birch newspaper made no reference to the part of Lee's talk which referred to the ultra-conservative proposal to vote against "the First Presidency with its social-democrat thinking," and to substitute Benson as new church president.
1324. <br>
1325. <br> Not long afterward, the author of this article lost his job in the LDS Publications Department. His supervisor had told him that it was "inappropriate" for him to be a member of the John Birch Society and an editor of the ultra-conservative Utah Independent. When informed of this incident by the state coordinator of the Birch Society, Apostle Benson said he could do nothing to remedy it. (1)
1326. <br>
1327. <br>
1328. <br>-- 09 Apr 1970
1329. <br>Boyd K. Packer is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, replacing John A. Widtsoe, who had passed away.
1330. <br>
1331. <br>
1332. <br>-- 9 Jul 1970
1333. <br>The Mormon-Birch Utah Independent announced Benson's addresses at Boston  ... where all the other speakers were either staff members of the Birch Society's American Opinion or long-time authors of its articles.  (2)
1334. <br>
1335. <br>
1336. <br>-- October 1970
1337. <br>Benson states members should avoid false theories from men like Sigmund Freud, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Karl Marx, John Keynes, and others. (3)
1338. <br>
1339. <br>
1340. <br>-- 10 Dec. 1970
1341. <br>Benson referred to the John Birch Society founder Robert H. Welch affectionately as "Dear Bob."  (4)
1342. <br>
1343. <br>
1344. <br>-- 1971
1345. <br>Church membership reached 3 million. (5)
1346. <br>
1347. <br>
1348. <br>Skousen ... organized the Freemen Institute which initially attracted Mormon members of the Birch Society. Skousen named the organization after the Book of Mormon's "freemen." (6)
1349. <br>
1350. <br>
1351. <br>-- 1971, January
1352. <br>New Church magazines, Ensign, New Era, and Friend commenced publication. (5)
1353. <br>
1354. <br>
1355. <br>-- 13 Apr 1971
1356. <br>BYU's president complained to Benson in April 1971 about not being able to establish "a chapter of the John Birch Society on our campus."  (7)
1357. <br>
1358. <br>
1359. <br>-- 4 May 1971
1360. <br>Wilkinson lamented to Benson that McKay's earlier instructions had blocked any attempts to establish a chapter of the John Birch Society at BYU: "I would personally like to have one at BYU, and I am seeing what I can do, but my lieutenants insist I would be violating the letter that President McKay sent us [during the Midgley/John Birch episode] sometime ago if I did."  (8)
1361. <br>
1362. <br>
1363. <br>-- 26 Aug 1971
1364. <br>During church's first area conference in Manchester, England, there is formal meeting of joint council of First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles. This is first such council meeting outside United States in Mormon history. (9)
1365. <br>
1366. <br>
1367. <br>-- 1 Nov 1971
1368. <br>Richard L. Evans dies. (10)
1369. <br>
1370. <br>Endnotes:
1371. <br>1 - Byron Cannon Anderson, "LDS General Conference Sustains Pres. Smith," Utah Independent, 9 Apr. 1970, 1, 4. Mormon Birchers had edited this newspaper since its founding in 1970; Byron Cannon Anderson interview, 18 Jan. 1993. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1372. <br>2 - "Benson, Skousen Speak at New England Rally," Utah Independent, 9 July 1970,1 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1373. <br>3 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
1374. <br>4 - "Dear Bob" letter, 10 Dec. 1970, Welch papers, archives, Birch Society -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1375. <br>5 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
1376. <br>6 - D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1377. <br>7 - Wilkinson to Benson, 13 Apr. 1971, also follow-up letter of 4 May 1971, Wilkinson Papers -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1378. <br>8 - Ernest L. Wilkinson to Ezra Taft Benson as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)
1379. <br>9 - On This Day in Mormon History, <a href="http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com">http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com</a>
1380. <br>10 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)</a>
1381. <br>
1382. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1383. <br>
1384. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1385. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7799239316421221536'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/7799239316421221536'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/03/ezra-taft-benson-9-apr-1970.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, 9 Apr 1970'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426122572860401458.post-2001827214282068971</id><published>2015-03-27T05:05:00.001-06:00</published><updated>2015-03-27T05:05:03.275-06:00</updated><title type='text'>Ezra Taft Benson, circa 1962-1970</title><content type='html'>-- circa 1962-1970
1386. <br>[Hugh B.] Brown's grandson and biographer notes:
1387. <br>
1388. <br> As President McKay became increasingly impaired by age, some church functionaries, with allegiances to the radical political right, tried to influence the president in ways that Grandfather [Hugh B. Brown], President [N. Eldon] Tanner, and Elder Harold B. Lee thought unwise and improper. These three men--Grandfather in particular--were often but not always successful in blocking those efforts to influence church policy. (1)
1389. <br>
1390. <br>
1391. <br>-- 18 Jan 1970
1392. <br>[Quorum of the Twelve] David O. McKay dies. (2)
1393. <br>
1394. <br>
1395. <br>-- January 1970
1396. <br>Ezra Taft Benson's political activism went into decline in the years following McKay's death in January 1970. His successors as church president were two apostles who had privately and publicly expressed their criticism of Benson. Presidents Joseph Fielding Smith and Harold B. Lee severely restricted Apostle Benson's political activism from 1970 through 1973.  (3)
1397. <br>
1398. <br>
1399. <br>-- 23 Jan 1970
1400. <br>[Quorum of the Twelve] The First Presidency is reorganized, with Joseph Fielding Smith President, Harold B. Lee First Counselor, and N. Eldon Tanner Second Counselor. Harold B. Lee becomes President of the Quorum, with Spencer W. Kimball Acting President of the Quorum. (2)
1401. <br>
1402. <br>
1403. <br>-- 4 Mar 1970
1404. <br>[Some] ultra- conservative Mormons ... were outraged by the First Presidency's official condemnation of Mormons who had formed "Neighborhood Emergency Teams" in Utah. Apostle Benson announced that he had "no comment" about this March 1970 Presidency statement.  (4)
1405. <br>
1406. <br>
1407. <br>-- 13 Mar 1970
1408. <br>President Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency and Elders Ezra Taft Benson and Gordon B. Hinckley conduct the dedication of the Mormon Pavilion at the World's Fair in Osaka, Japan. Some 6.65 million people attend the pavilion in the first six months of the fair.
1409. <br>
1410. <br>
1411. <br>-- 4 Apr 1970
1412. <br>Shortly after the presidency's statement against the ultra- conservative NET organizations, all local LDS leaders received an announcement which began: "There are dangerous sinister trends developing within the church due to the liberal factions gaining control." The announcement urged all "those of the conservative mind" to "cast a dissenting vote against the liberal factions" of "the First Presidency with its social-democrat thinking" on 6 April 1970. This would remove from office the new presidency of Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, and N. Eldon Tanner, all of whom were known as opponents of Benson's ultra-conservative activism. In their place, this proposal claimed that "Brother Benson will sound the trumpet  and thousands, yes tens of thousands, will heed his call and stand forth ready to sustain and support the fight for truth, right and liberty." Thus a general conference vote of Mormon ultra-conservatives would propel Benson into the office of LDS church president in place of the current president and ahead of other senior apostles.
1413. <br>
1414. <br> Rather than dismissing this document as the work of a lone crank and giving it no further attention, Counselor Harold B. Lee publicly denounced it two days before the sustaining vote of April 1970 conference. He told the general priesthood meeting that "there is one vicious story to the effect that one of our General Authorities is allegedly being urged to present himself to lead the Church contrary to the Lord's revelation and to make people think there is some division among the authorities of the Church." Lee indicated that this petition and its supporting documents "are finding their way into our Relief Society meetings, into priesthood quorums, firesides, institutes, and seminaries." That was an extraordinary acknowledgement by Lee of the threat to the LDS church he perceived from ultra-conservative Mormons.  (5)
1415. <br>
1416. <br>
1417. <br>-- 6 Apr 1970
1418. <br>Rank-and-file Mormons noted that for the first time "in many years," Benson gave "his first non-political sermon" ...  They regarded this non-partisan talk as a result of specific instructions the apostle had received from the First Presidency.  (6)
1419. <br>
1420. <br>
1421. <br>"Despite continued threats of demonstrations," Harold B. Lee's biography observes, "not a single hand was raised in opposition" to the First Presidency on 6 April 1970. After the vote, Lee spoke against "the possibility of using political devices or revolutionary methods that could cause much confusion and frustration in the work of the Lord." The official photograph showing the Twelve's vote for the current First Presidency showed only three apostles, and the photograph centered on Ezra Taft Benson.  (7)
1422. <br>
1423. <br>Endnotes:
1424. <br>1 - Firmage, An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown, 142 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1425. <br>2 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)</a>
1426. <br>3 - However, it did not cease altogether. The Mormon-Birch Utah Independent announced Benson's addresses at Boston rallies in 1970 and 1972, where all the other speakers were either staff members of the Birch Society's American Opinion or long-time authors of its articles. See "Benson, Skousen Speak at New England Rally," Utah Independent, 9 July 1970,1, and "Benson Is Guest of Honor," Utah Independent, 30 June 1972, 8, and compare to table of contents pages of previous issues of American Opinion, also the list of the Birch Society's national council in "The John Birch Society: A Report," Advertising Supplement to Los Angeles Times, 27 Sept. 1964, 7 -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1427. <br>4 - "Shun Vigilante Groups, LDS Urges Members," Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Mar. 1970, B-l -- as referenced in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1428. <br>5 - "TO ALL STAKE PRESIDENTS INTERESTED IN TRUTH AND LIBERTY THIS CALL IS MADE," photocopy of typed document, undated, in folder 22, box 5, Buerger Papers, with signed copies by J. Wilson Bartlett in MS 2461, LDS archives, and in folder 3, box 124, Hinckley Papers; Lee, "To the Defenders of the Faith," 4 Apr. 1970, Improvement Era 73 (June 1970): 64. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1429. <br>6 - Buchanan diary, 21 July 1970; Ezra Taft Benson, "A World Message," Improvement Era 73 (June 1970): 95-97, whose only political reference was prophetic: "The time must surely come when the Iron Curtain will be melted down and the Bamboo Curtain shattered." From D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1430. <br>7 - Goates, Harold B. Lee, 414; Lee, "The Day in Which We Live," and photograph of "Council of the Twelve" vote in "The Solemn Assembly," Improvement Era 73 (June 1970): 28,20. These are referenced in in D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992) and Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3
1431. <br>
1432. <br>LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
1433. <br>
1434. <br>Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
1435. &lt;br&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2001827214282068971'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/426122572860401458/posts/default/2001827214282068971'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/2015/03/ezra-taft-benson-circa-1962-1970.html' title='Ezra Taft Benson, circa 1962-1970'/><author><name>Clair Barrus</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11537853381222533640</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='32' src='//blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHdCMASMrsPFM8zr-Qwtm8iiAPhrjXMyaIbj84Kpce0Tt-s_NQHi3oLMIjamxAHisBXOmHYhf-NLIAP7UGRgx5xh44z6q4FgfpuSyTxysSWH7Ra_omLDNUnSZwgvWeLfB7ABTPne_lggAk4CKJJgI1gVlHS4AL4mPNbA0WYkXourggN4/s220/158425504_10226962661152147_2821713715698092790_n.jpg'/></author></entry></feed>

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