-- May 23, 1949
[Benson] was elected a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America. (1)
-- Jun 22, 1949
[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Letter to George Albert Smith] The Council of the Twelve was informed several weeks ago that you desired that further consideration be given to the matter of inviting the Patriarch to meet with the First Presidency and the Twelve in the weekly Temple meetings. Obedient to your wishes, the Twelve have devoted parts of several meetings to a discussion of this subject and now submit the report of their deliberations to you.
It is our considered judgment that it would not be wise to reinaugurate a practice, which, in our opinion, does not seem to fully carry out the revealed order in Church government ... (2)
-- Aug 12, 1949
[Ezra Taft Benson diary] Attended quarterly meeting of the Twelve from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Consideration was given to the sacred matter of second blessings [sometimes called Second Anointings, or Second endowments]. Discussion followed the reading of an important statement prepared and read by Pres. Geo[rge] F. Richards which I responded to wholeheartedly. I was happy when all of the eleven members present (Bro. [Matthew] Cowley was absent) approved of the matter for recommendation to the Twelve. (3)
-- Aug 18, 1949
[George F. Richards diary] At the 10:00 A.M. Council meeting of the [First] Presidency and Twelve I read a paper of 5 or 6 pages deploring the neglect on our part in not administering Second blessings as formerly. The paper and other statements made by me in connection therewith were accepted 100%. (3)
-- Oct 12, 1949
[David O. McKay] Mark Petersen called'Said Junius Jackson could tell me about Bishop Hunt's talk (I believe in Chicago) during which Bishop Hunt made the statement that the Catholics here are having such a time with the Mormons because we are 'running everything', and that missionary work is extremely difficult and that it is the reason they are appealing for funds. Bro. Petersen said he would call Brother Jackson and have him come in and give me the facts. Said that Bro. Benson on two or three occasions has had incidents regarding Bishop Hunt called to his attention. ...
Report on visit with Bishop Duane G. Hunt of the Catholic church October 12, 1949:
President McKay reported that yesterday he accepted an invitation from Bishop Hunt of the Catholic Church to meet him at the Holy Cross Hospital this morning at 10 o'clock. President McKay said that Bishop Hunt greeted him courteously and invited him into his private office at the hospital. President McKay summarized the conference as follows:
[An account of a discussion about several points of contention including a pamphlet published by Catholics that seemed offensive to Mormons and a response by the church, remarks by some Mormons (including the church patriarch) that offended Catholics, etc...] (4)
-- 1950
From 1946 to 1950, the LDS Church sent the following aid to Europe: 2,342,000 pounds of wheat and wheat products; 1,114,000 pounds of clothing and bedding; 2,600,000 pounds of canned fruit, vegetables, and milk; 400,000 pounds of canned meat and meat products; and 200,000 pounds of dried beans. These amounts equalled 133 train carloads, weighing 5,320 tons. The value of these items, as well as that of seven carloads of the smaller welfare packages, totaled $1,232,391.
Benson's role, along with the work of Sonne and others, helped to set the stage for the Church's present humanitarian-related activities. (5)
Endnotes:
1 - Wikipedia: "Ezra Taft Benson"
2 - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Letter to George Albert Smith, 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 - Ezra Taft Benson diary, Aug. 12, 1949 quoted in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship
4 - 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
5 - Gary James Bergera, "Ezra Taft Benson's 1946 Mission to Europe" Journal of Mormon History 34:2 (Spring 2008)
LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
