Ezra Taft Benson
Time Line of Life Events
Born in Whitney, Franklin County, Idaho, to George T. Benson and Sarah Dunkley.
Graduated from Oneida Stake Academy.
Served a mission to Great Britain.
Married Flora Smith Amussen.
Received master's degree from Iowa State University.
Appointed Franklin County (Idaho) agricultural agent.
Appointed to Idaho State University extension service in Boise.
Served as executive secretary of Idaho Cooperative Council.
Served as president of Boise Idaho Stake.
Became executive secretary of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives in Washington, D.C.
Served as first president of the Washington D.C. Stake.
Ordained an Apostle by President Heber J. Grant.
Reopened missionary work as European Mission president and supervised distribution of welfare supplies in Europe after World War II.
Served as U.S. secretary of agriculture.
Presided over the European Mission.
Supervised the work of the Church in Asia.
Set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Organized the 1,000th stake of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Became President of the Church.
Seoul Korea Temple dedicated, first of nine temples to be dedicated during President Benson's presidency.
Quorums of seventy discontinued in stakes.
Delivered landmark "Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon" talk at General Conference.
Warned Church members against pride in his General Conference address.
Second Quorum of the Seventy created.
Received the Presidential Citizens Medal from the president of the United States.
First full-time proselytizing missionaries enter the former Soviet Union.
Died in Salt Lake City, Utah.