Lesson for January 4, 2014

Lesson for January 4, 2014 Today our lesson was given by Irma Lopez about our new manual about Ezra Taft Benson, his life and ministry. We will have the opportunity to learn about him and his teachings this year. Some of his family called him T, short for Taft. When he was born, the doctor said he would not live, but his grandmother put him in warm water and cold water and warm, until he cried and lived. He learned hard lessons, for example, his father was called on a mission when T was only 6 years old, so he had to help with the farm. His parents told their children that they had never been apart for more than two days, but their father was going away for years. They did hire someone to help with the farm. T met his wife before he went on his mission, and she decided to write letters of encouragement to him while he was on his mission. He was ridiculed on his mission in England, but told people he was proud to be a missionary. When he came home, Flora decided to go on a mission and he then had the time to complete his education, which he finished a couple of months before she came home. She saw potential in her future husband. Sisters share their experiences with seeing the potential in their future husbands, especially as they saw them in the temple or at work. Flora made her decisions based on prayer that revealed to her that he was a diamond in the rough and she needed to help him reach his potential. Irma said she wants that opportunity to influence her husband for good. The kind of work that Ezra Taft Benson did gave him the opportunity to work as an agricultural agent for counties. He became the assistant secretary of the government agricultural agency. At the time, he was called to be the stake president in his old home, but the church authorities said he needed to go to Washington, where he was also called to be stake president. One sister said her father was always busy with the church, but now she sees him as a great example. As we have to do the work of the Lord, He always helps us so our families can be protected and blessed because of our service. President Benson once took his son with him from Washington to visit the West. He stopped by to see President Heber J. Grant, who was sick in bed, and told him he was called to be a member of the Twelve on the same day as Spencer W Kimball. President Benson felt inadequate. He said that the Lord has a way of qualifying people who are willing to serve. So after WWII, he was sent by the church to help the people of Europe. He was away from his family for a year, and then he was asked to be the secretary of agriculture under Dwight D. Eisenhower in his cabinet. When they met for the first time, President Benson did not want to serve, but President Eisenhower said he could not refuse to serve his country. He always shared pages from the Book of Mormon and shared the gospel, which did not always please the members of the government, but he felt it was important to remain faithful. Linda Campbell said to read his books for sound doctrine and a vision of what this country could be. He became the president of the church when President Kimball died. He said he and Flora had prayed to prolong President Kimball’s days on this earth, but it was not to be so. He served for only a few years, but he was a huge influence on the Church.