-- Mar 16, 1950
[David O. McKay] Immediately after Council meeting I accompanied President Smith into his office, and laying my coat on the back of a chair,'not stopping to go to my own office first'I presented to him the question submitted regarding the advisability or the necessity of adjusting certain inequities in allowances made the General Authorities, this question having been submitted to the Presidency by the Committee of adjustment of salaries of church employees.
I had in mind the allowance paid to each of the members of the Council of the Twelve, of the Assistants to the Twelve, of the First Council of 70, and of the Presiding Bishopric.
President Smith remembered why certain increases had already been made to the following:
George F. Richards
Joseph Fielding Smith
John A. Widtsoe
Ezra T. Benson
Matthew Cowley of the Twelve, and
Levi Edgar Young
Oscar Kirkham
Milton R. Hunter of the Seventies also
Eldred G. Smith, presiding patriarch
We considered the fact that three 10% increases had been made to the Church employees as an emergency allowance in view of the depreciation of the dollar and the continued high price of clothing and other personal necessities. After due consideration, President Smith said: 'You go right ahead and report back, and suggest to the committee that they consider the entire matter and submit to us their recommendation for an equalizing of the allowances made to General Authorities.' (1)
-- April 25, 1950
[Benson] was sealed in marriage to his recently deceased cousin, Eva Amanda Benson (July 6, 1882–August 10, 1946). Eva was the never-married daughter of Benson's uncle Frank Andrus Benson. Flora had first suggested acting as proxy for Eva, then did so during the vicarious ordinance performed by Elder Joseph Fielding Smith in the Salt Lake Temple. "I have never witnessed a more unselfish act on the part of any person," Benson recorded, "and I love Flora all the more because of it. The Lord will richly bless her for this act of unselfish love for Eva and me and the Kingdom. Flora is one of the choicest daughters of our Heavenly Father." (2)
-- Aug 8, 1950
President George F. Richards, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dies. (3)
-- Sep 28, 1950
[Henry D. Moyle] "Spent day in Temple with the brethren. Pres. McKay, David O'was sustained as Pres. of the Twelve and Joseph Fielding Smith as acting Pres of the Twelve'a new apostle [i.e., Delbert L. Stapley] was nominated by Pres. [George Albert] Smith and unanimously sustained by the Twelve'a wonderful selection the one most of the twelve had recommended." (4)
-- Jan 30, 1951
[Spencer W. Kimball] "I reached the office at 9:30 to attend a special meeting of The Presidency and the Council of The Twelve, to consider the matter of the missionary work. Inasmuch as there has been great confusion and misunderstanding and opposition on the part of many of the draft boards, it seemed best that we discontinue calling missionaries of draft age for the time being." (5)
Endnotes:
1 - 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
2 - Ezra Taft Benson, Diary, April 25, 1950. For context and full citation, see Gary James Bergera, "Weak-Kneed Republicans and Socialist Democrats": Ezra Taft Benson as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, 1953-61, Part 2, Dialogue : A Journal of Mormon Thought, (Winter 2008, vol 41)
3 - Wikipedia, 20th Century (Mormonism), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century_(Mormonism)
4 - Henry D. Moyle 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 - 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
LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
