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Ezra Taft Benson, Served 1985–1994
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Significant Events


Birth: Born Aug. 4, 1899, in Whitney, Franklin Co., Idaho to George T. Benson and Sarah Dunkley.

Marriage: Married Flora Smith Amussen on Sept. 10, 1926.

Ordained an Apostle: Oct. 7, 1943, at age 44.

Became President: Nov. 10, 1985, at age 86. Served 8.5 years (1985–1994).

Death: Died on May 30, 1994, at the age of 94, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah.

Ezra Taft Benson
 

Historical Summary
1899 August 4   Born in Whitney, Franklin County, Idaho, to George T. Benson and Sarah Dunkley.
1918 Age 18 Graduated from Oneida Stake Academy.
1921–1923 Age 21–23 Served a mission to Great Britain.
1926 September 10 Age 27 Married Flora Smith Amussen.
1927 June 13 Age 28 Received master's degree from Iowa State University.
1929 March 4 Age 29 Appointed Franklin County (Idaho) agricultural agent.
1930 Age 30 Appointed to Idaho State University Extension Service in Boise.
1931–1936 Age 32–37 Served as executive secretary of Idaho Cooperative Council.
1938–1939 Age 39–40 Served as president of Boise Idaho Stake.
1939 April 15 Age 40 Became executive secretary of National Council of Farmer Cooperatives in Washington, D.C.
1940–1944 Age 41–4 Served as first president of the Washington D.C. Stake.
1943 October 7 Age 44 Ordained an Apostle by President Heber J. Grant.
1946 January 29 Age 46 Reopened missionary work as European Mission president and supervised distribution of welfare supplies in Europe after World War II.
1953–1961 Age 54–62 Served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
1963–1965 Age 64–66 Presided over the European Mission.
1968–1971 Age 69–72 Supervised the work of the Church in Asia.
1973 December 30 Age 74 Set apart as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
1979 February 18 Age 79 Organized the one thousandth stake of the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois.
1985 December 14 Age 86 Seoul Korea Temple dedicated. First of 9 temples to be dedicated during President Benson's presidency.
1985 November 10 Age 86 Became President of the Church.
1986 October 4 Age 87 Quorums of seventy discontinued in stakes.
1987 July 24–26 Age 87 Sesquicentennial of first missionary work in Great Britain.
1987 September 4 Age 88 International Mission discontinued.
1989 April 1–2 Age 88 Second Quorum of Seventy created.
1989 May 16 Age 89 BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies dedicated.
1989 August Age 90 Received Presidential Citizens Medal from the President of the United States.
1994 May 30 Age 94 Died in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 
 

Sources Cited
2003 Church Almanac (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, c2002).
Supplement to My Kingdom Shall Roll Forth (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, c1988).
The Prophets Have Spoken, vol. 3 (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, c1999).