Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson (1899- ) was born in Whitney, Idaho to George Taft Benson, Jr. and Sarah Sophia Dunkley. He was the great-grandson of LDS Apostle Ezra T. Benson (1811-1869). During his active and impressive career, Benson has been a farmer, businessman, Secretary of Agriculture during the Eisenhower administration as well as a General Authority in the LDS Church. In 1943 Ezra Taft Benson was was called into the Quorum of Twelve Apostles by Heber J. Grant. At the death of Spencer W. Kimball in 1986, Ezra Taft Benson became the thirteenth President of the LDS Church. He and his wife, Flora Smith Amussen (1901-1992) were the parents of six children.