-- Oct 7, 1943
[George F. Richards diary] At 10:00 A.M. the Twelve met the [First] Presidency in their office in the Church offices building and Pres[ident] [Heber J.] Grant ordained Spencer Kimball and Ezra T. Benson apostles and set them apart members of the quorum of the Twelve. We then repaired to the Temple excepting Pres[ident] Grant & Pres[ident] [J. Reuben] Clark, the latter being out of the State. By request of Pres[ident] [David O.] McKay, I instructed the brethren on the tokens &c. (1)
-- Oct 07, 1943
Spencer W. Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson are ordained Apostles, replacing Sylvester Q. Cannon and Rudger Clawson, who had passed away.
-- After October 7, 1943
Though he had previously gone by "Taft," "T," and "Ezra," following his calling Benson began going by his full name. He explained that George Albert Smith, president of the Quorum of the Twelve, advised him: "Now, Brother Benson, in order that we not get you and your great-grandfather mixed up in Church records, we suggest in view of the fact that he always signed his name 'Ezra T.' that you spell yours out fully, 'Ezra Taft.'" Benson then states, "So I've made that a practice because of the counsel of George Albert Smith, who was my file leader as president of the Twelve." (3)
-- Nov 11, 1943
[Joseph Fielding Smith] "At 6 p.m. I was engaged with Brother Harold B. Lee and others including officers of the law which resulted in bringing charges against Richard R. Lyman of a most serious nature." [The Twelve were dealing with fellow quorum member Lyman's extra-marital affair.] (4)
-- Nov 12, 1943
[Quorum of the Twelve] Richard R. Lyman excommunicated. [Ezra Taft Benson, absent from meeting] (5)
-- Apr 20, 1944
Mark Edward Petersen is ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, replacing Richard R. Lyman, who had been excommunicated.
-- Aug 30, 1944
[Ezra Taft Benson diary] This is a day I shall never forget. Flora [Amussen Benson]7 and I met in the Celestial Room of the [Salt Lake] temple at 12:30 [p.m.] and in line with the recommendation of Pres[ident] [Heber J.] Grant received our second blessings under the hands of Elders Geo[rge] F. Richards and Jos[eph] Fielding Smith of the Council of Twelve. Our hearts swelled to overflowing with gratitude for the Lord's rich blessings. (1)
Endnotes:
1 - George F. Richards diary, Oct. 7, 1943 as quoted in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship
3 - 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)
4 - 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
5 - 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)
LDS History Chronology: Ezra Taft Benson
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Ezra Taft Benson
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
