Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 31, 1994 TAG: 9405310049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SALT LAKE CITY LENGTH: Medium
Benson died at his home of congestive heart failure. He had been hospitalized briefly last week.
Benson served eight tumultuous years as agriculture secretary Benson under President Eisenhower, then became closely identified with the John Birch Society and other right-wing political groups.
His fiery speeches while a member of the Mormon Council of the Twelve Apostles brought criticism from inside and outside the church. But as president, he focused almost exclusively on doctrinal matters.
Benson became the 13th president of the 160-year-old church on Nov. 10, 1985. He succeeded Spencer W. Kimball, who died at age 90. Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serve for life.
During Benson's administration, the church grew to nearly 9 million members, by its count.
Benson set the tone of his presidency on the day his succession was announced. He said that as "prophet, seer and revelator" he would continue to focus on the threefold mission of the church as outlined by Kimball - missionary work, perfecting the membership and temple work.
"We shall continue every effort to carry out this mission," Benson once said.
He also reiterated a theme of Kimball's that the faith's gospel is for people "of every color, creed and political persuasion."
If his presidency had an overriding theme, it was in emphasizing the "Book of Mormon," one of four volumes of Mormon Scripture, which includes the Bible.
The book, which church founder Joseph Smith said he translated from gold plates given to him by an angel, tells the history of a group of Hebrews who fled Jerusalem about 600 B.C. and sailed to the Americas, later to be visited by a resurrected Jesus Christ.
Benson was born Aug. 4, 1899, in Whitney, Idaho. The eldest of 11 children, Benson formed his basic ideas on agriculture as a teen-age farmhand who thinned fields of sugar beets with a hoe.
A distant relative of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Taft of Ohio, Benson was supported by the Taft and Thomas Dewey factions of the Republican Party and by national farm organizations. He served as agriculture secretary in both terms of the Eisenhower administration.
Benson's program of flexible price supports for major crops incited the wrath of farm-state congressmen. Benson once was splattered with eggs thrown by South Dakota farmers.
Leaving office at the advent of the Democratic administration of President Kennedy, Benson resumed his church work but seemed reluctant to depart the political stage. The church, uncomfortable with Benson's politicizing, denied having a position on the matter.
In 1966, Benson was touted as a possible conservative candidate for president by the "1976 Committee," a group comprised largely of John Birch Society members. Two years later he was proposed by the American Independent Party conventions in Utah, Idaho and Nevada to be the vice presidential running mate of George Wallace. Wallace instead chose retired Gen. Curtis LeMay.
by CNB