Show No loo To Hear Near Ezra Taft B Bison Benson ex Il on The Bountiful North Stake will hold quarterly conference conference conference con con- ference Saturday and Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day January 11 and 12 at North West with Stake President Clarence D. D Samuelson conducting ELDER EZRA TAFT Benson Benson Ben Ben- son a member of The Council Council Council Coun Coun- cil of Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter Saints will be guest speaker Elder Ezra Taft Benson has served his Church in many capacities FROM 1933 to 1937 he was wasa a member of the stake presidency presidency presidency dency of the Boise Stake in Idaho The following year the stake was divided and he served served served ed as president of the Boise Stake for about two years He then moved to Washington Washing Washing- ton D. D C. C where he became the first president of the Washington Stake comprising all members of the Church Churchin in and immediately adjacent to the Nations Nation's Capitol which position he occupied until called to serve in the Council Council Council Coun Coun- cil of Twelve Elder Benson is a great- great grandson of Apostle Ezra T. T Benson one of the original pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young on July 24 1897 HIS PARENTS were among the early settlers of Southern Idaho where in the smalltown small smalltown smalltown town of Whitney he was born Aug 4 1899 As a young man he was active in scouting priesthood work and in the Church auxiliary organizations He attended the Oneida Stake Academy and later the Utah State Agricultural College at Logan From 1921 to 1923 he served served served ed as a missionary for the Church in the British Isles I Following his return home he continued his education at Brigham Young University at Provo where he was graduated graduated graduated grad grad- with honors and given givena a scholarship to Iowa State College at Ames Iowa AT THIS INSTITUTION he received his MS degree and was elected to the Honor Society Society Society So So- of Agriculture Later he did graduate work at the University University University Uni Uni- of California From 1929 to 1930 he served served served ed as county agricultural agent in his native Idaho and a year later was asked to head the organized newly-organized Department of Agricultural Economics and Marketing at the University of Idaho at Boise HE HELPED organize the Idaho Cooperative Council and served as its first secretary In the spring of 1939 he received received received re re- re- re the district honor of being appointed Executive Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- o of the National Council of Farmers Cooperatives a federation of cooperative groups SINCE THEN he has served on several advisory committees and national boards in the fields of agriculture and scout scout- ing He is a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America a trustee of Brigham Young University and a director of several commercial business firms including Corn Products Co which has plants in 20 counties On January 15 1946 he was appointed President of the European European European Eu Eu- Mission 1 of the Church with headquarters in London TilE THE EUROPEAN saints under under under un un- un- un der local leadership had been carrying on during the war under distress distressing ng circumstances circum circum- stances Elder Benson was sent to attend to the spiritual affairs affairs af af- af- af fairs falls of the people to reopen no the missions so that active pros pros- ros- ros and organizational activities activities activities ac ac- ac- ac might be resumed and to alleviate suffering among Church members by distributing distributing distributing distri distri- buting food clothing bedding and other needed supplies sent through the welfare program I of the Church During ten months Elder Benson traveled some miles through war-torn war countries countries countries coun coun- tries giving comfort and blessings blessings blessings bless bless- ings to the people and organizing organizing organizing zing them to administer the necessary assistance He was released from his calling on Dec 11 1946 PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. D Eisenhower recognizing Elder Bensons Benson's outstanding ability as aswell aswell aswell well as his years of experience in agricultural affairs appointed appoint appoint- ed him to his cabinet as Secretary Secretary Secretary Sec Sec- of oC Agriculture in 1952 He returned to full-active full Church responsibility in 1961 In the division of responsibilities responsibilities responsibilities among members of the Council of the Twelve Elder Benson is supervisor of the following missions Austria Austria Austria Aus Aus- tria Central German Italian North German South German Swiss and West German HE lIE IS MARRIED to Flora Smith Amussen and is the father of six two children sons and f four ur daughters |