-- 1948
Republican presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey approached Benson before the election that year about becoming the United States Secretary of Agriculture. (1)
-- Apr 16, 1948
[David O. McKay] "Telephone Calls Ezra T. Benson of the Council of the Twelve called-said that he and Mark Petersen are meeting this morning with the heads of the M.I.A. and that he is wondering just what their responsibility is with reference to assisting Executive officers in the selection of board members. ..."
"Brother Benson stated that Sister Reeder, the newly appointed President of the Y.M.M.I.A. has the responsibility of selecting an entirely new board, and wondered if she should sit in on the conference this morning. I told Brother Benson I thought it would be alright for her so to do, after which a private conference could be held with Sister Reeder to get some of her suggestions. Brother Benson said that he and Brother Petersen felt that it would be a good thing to have an entirely new board both for the Young Men's and the Young Women's Boards. I said the Presidency felt that way especially regarding the Young Women's Board. Brother Benson then said that he thought Sister Reeder was an excellent choice, that he had heard only good about her, etc. etc." (2)
-- Sep 28, 1948
[David O. McKay] "Just as I was leaving at 10 min. to 5 o'clock to meet Sister McKay, President Smith called me into the First Presidency room where Ezra T. Benson was awaiting to get the decision of the First Presidency as to whether or not he should accept a position with the Government in the Agricultural division. We told Bro. Benson to go ahead with the position, but that it should not interfere with the Thursday meeting." (2)
-- Jan 17, 1949
[Joseph Fielding Smith] "Wickedness and the disregard of divine laws is the condition which prevails in our own country. Those who sit in high places are turning from the fundamental and stable principles upon which our government was founded. The trend towards centralized government and the taking away from the people their inborn rights increases. Socialism, which is bordering on communism is getting a death grip on our own country. Radicals dominate in all things and labor union bosses dictate to those in governmental positions and are feared by them. The people have forgotten the Lord and treat with contempt all of his laws. It is with sadness that I record that these conditions have crept in among the members of the Church and what the end will be the Lord knows. It appears that he will have to cut short his work in righteousness and in his anger continue to punish the people for they will not repent notwithstanding all that they have suffered by war and plague during the past quarter of a century." (3)
-- Jan 27, 1949
[George F. Richards] We do not learn if there is any perceptable change in Pres. Geo Albert Smiths condition. We are much in the dark as to the nature of his illness and of its seriousness. (4)
-- Feb 5, 1949
First Counselor J. Reuben Clark recommends anti-semitic PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION to Ernest L. Wilkinson, soon to be president of Brigham Young University. In Dec. 1957 Clark makes similar recommendation to Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. This may be reason Benson organizes secret surveillance of employees (especially Jews) in U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Endnotes:
1 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
2 - David O. McKay Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010
3 - Joseph Fielding Smith Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010
4 - George F. Richards Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010
LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
