Ezra Taft Benson

Now I come to Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the Church. He was ordained and set apart as President on November 10, 1985. I had the privilege of serving as his second counselor during the years he was President.

President Benson was a generous leader. I was in his office one day when I was a member of the Twelve, and we were chatting. I noticed that he had a beautiful hand-tooled riding saddle sitting on a display in his room. It had been given to him in honor of his service as Secretary of Agriculture.

I said, “My, Brother Benson, that’s the most beautiful saddle I’ve ever seen.”

He replied, “Do you want it? Why don’t you take it? You like to ride horses.”

I assured him that although I appreciated the gesture, I couldn’t take the saddle.

President Benson was the only President of the Church to have received the honor of “Most Preferred Man” at BYU when he was a student here. We’ll have a moment of silence for that one. I think the female student body were the only ones allowed to vote.

Early in his apostolic years President Benson was called by President George Albert Smith to leave home and family and fill a special mission to war-torn Europe. The magnitude of his call was overwhelming. For ten and a half months President Benson labored night and day, blessing the members of the Church in Europe who had suffered through years of war, giving them nourishment for their bodies and everlasting hope for their souls. From the chaos of war came Saints—scattered, battered, and very much in need. To them came Ezra Taft Benson, with his superb organizational skills and with the inspiration of Almighty God.

Through the inspired welfare program of the Church, hundreds of tons of lifesaving food and clothing were transported across the vast Atlantic Ocean and, under the direction of this gifted leader, distributed to the hungry, the cold, and the homeless.

What a personally satisfying and spiritually rewarding experience it was for me to serve as one of President Benson’s counselors in the First Presidency of the Church.

President Benson’s favorite song was “How Great Thou Art.” His favorite food was fresh raspberries, and we had them as often as possible at our temple luncheons when he was President of the Church. His favorite quotation was from the Book of Mormon, words spoken by the Lord. It’s in the form of a question, and I pose it to you: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”¹⁴ That would apply to every man and woman here today: “Even as I am,” said the Lord.

What is a guiding principle from President Benson? I’d have to say it is love. The manner in which he treated his sweet companion and, indeed, all with whom he came in contact provides an example for all of us. Let us love one another.

Ezra Taft Benson served as President of the Church for eight and a half years until his death on May 30, 1994, at the age of 94.

Thomas S. Monson "Principles From Prophets" September 15 2009 BYU Devotional