-- Oct 4 1943
[Ezra Taft Benson diary] [Benson]rences with Pres. McKay, Harold Lee, Frank Evans et al. I am grateful that Bro. Lee gave me a purview of the coming Thursday meeting in the [Salt Lake] Temple. (1)
-- Oct 4, 1943
[Spencer W. Kimball] "We with the Bensons were dinner guests at 5. PM of the J. Reuben Clarks in their lovely home. Pres Clark had to catch a 6 PM train for Chicago but Sister Clark showed us their silver and other treasures mostly coming from Mexico." (2)
-- Oct. 7, 1943
[Ezra Taft Benson diary] This day shall ever live in my memory and always I shall be grateful for its blessing. At 8:30 I met with the Council of Twelve and assistants [to the Twelve]. At 10 a.m. the Twelve and the [Presiding] Patriarch met Pres Grant and McKay in the President's office.
Too weak to make the trip to the temple we had the minutes of the previous week's meeting and the President commented on his health and stated he was willing to remain as long as the Lord wished him to altho there were strong ties on the other side.
He then ordained Spencer W. Kimball as apostle. Then he and members of the Council of Twelve and the presiding patriarch placed their hands on my head as I knelt in front of Pres. Grant who was sitting. It was a beautiful ordinance and blessing and many wonderful promises were made.
Pres. Grant talked to us for about an hour largely reminiscing. Out of this and other instructions came the following items as a charge in connection with the new call:
1. In meetings speak your mind freely, but when a decision is made line up and support the policy and uphold the brethren wholeheartedly.
2. Major responsibility is to:
a. Set in order the affairs of the Church in all the world.
b. Preach gospel to world.
c. Perform all ordinances & ceremonies.
3. Give thought and study first to things of the Kingdom.
4. Avoid sin & temptation & set worthy example.
5. Avoid spirit of arrogance, headyness, etc.
6. Be humble, prayerful and kind that the Sprit may dictate.
7. Recognize source of God's direction to his Church.
8. No work is important enough to keep Council members from Temple.
9. Remember no sacrifice is too great for the Kingdom.
At 11:30 the brethren with Pres. McKay in charge went to the temple, dressed in the clothes of the holy Priesthood, participated in the administration of the sacrament and the prayer circle (true order of prayer) around the alt[a]r. Later whe we changed clothes and returned for a business meeting. At 2:30 we had lunch in the temple.
After conferring with the brethren at the office we joined the Presiding Bishopric, the Kimball's and Lee's at dinner in the house of Bp. [Bishop] [LeGrand] Richards. I am most grateful for the love of the brethren and the prospects of spending the rest of my life in the service of the Lord in His glorious work. I only wish I could start on my new labors immediately. The brethren feel I must satisfy the Ntl [National] Council of Farmer Coops [Cooperatives] and rightly so. It will be a pleasure to get into the Glorious work of our Father. (1)
Endnotes:
1 - Ezra Taft Benson diary as quoted in Gary James Bergera, '"This Great Thing Which Has Come to Me a Humble, Weak Farmer Boy": Ezra Taft Benson's 1943 Call to the Apostleship', Mormon Historical Studies (Fall 2008, v.9)
2 - 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/
