-- Dec 22, 1944
[Ezra Taft Benson diary] [Had long conference with Bro. Geo[rge] F. Richards re. temple work, temple rulings and the importance of the second or higher blessings. I am very grateful that my faithful and devoted wife and I have recently received these rich blessings. I wish more of the Latter-day Saints could receive these blessings. I feel sure there are hundreds who are worthy. (1)
-- 1945
"A sound agriculture is vital to the national economy," he told Church members in 1945. "Let us not be inclined to run to a paternalistic government for help when every problem arises, but let us attack our problems jointly, and through effective, cooperative effort, solve our problems at home." (2)
-- May 14, 1945
President Heber J. Grant d. Salt Lake City, age 88. (3)
-- May 21, 1945
[Spencer W. Kimball] "Pres. Grant had never been to a meeting in the temple since I had been among the authorities." [Kimball and Benson had been ordained the same day] (4)
At a special meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve in the Salt Lake Temple, the First Presidency was reorganized with President George Albert Smith ordained and set apart as the eighth president of the Church. Presidents J. Reuben Clark Jr. and David O. McKay, counselors to President Grant, were called also as counselors to President Smith. (5)
-- Oct 11, 1945
[Quorum of the Twelve] Matthew Cowley ordained. (6)
-- October 18, 1945
Ranking LDS General Authorities adopted an ambitious program—the first large-scale humanitarian outreach in Mormon history—to initiate overseas shipments of desperately needed food and clothing [following WWII]. They assigned Elders John A. Widtsoe, the Church's only living Europe-born apostle, and Thomas E. McKay, former European Mission president, to "make contact with all European missions" and to find "ways and means to send food and clothing to those [Saints] in need." (7)
-- Nov 8, 1945
[Frank Evans] "Brother Ezra T. Benson came to my desk and reported an hour's interview with President Clark on the subject of Cooperatives, and gave me a very interesting report of the conversation, indicating President Clark's deep interest in the subject. Brother Benson also advised me that President Clark had suggested that he (Brother Benson) and I formulate a statement designed as a statement of policy of the Church on this subject. The First Presidency would then examine the statement and consider some proper action thereon." (8)
Endnotes:
1 - Ezra Taft Benson diary, Dec. 22, 1944 quoted in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship
2 - 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)
3 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Daniel H. Ludlow (editor), New York: Macmillan, 1992, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
4 - Spencer W. Kimball 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
5 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html
6 - Wikipedia, 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)
7 - Gary James Bergera, "Ezra Taft Benson's 1946 Mission to Europe" Journal of Mormon History 34:2 (Spring 2008)
8 - Frank Evans 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/
