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59-459: Among its alumni were Ezra Taft Benson and Harold B. Lee , both of whom later served as church presidents . Medal of Honor recipients Mervyn S. Bennion , Leonard Brostrom , and Junior Van Noy also attended the school. Following the emergence of the church's seminary program and better-equipped public schools, the LDS Church decided to close its system of secondary academies. In 1922,

118-598: A non-interventionist foreign policy. In August 1989, Benson received the Presidential Citizens Medal from U.S. President George H. W. Bush . Benson was an outspoken opponent of communism and socialism, and a strong supporter, but not an official member, of the JBS, which he praised as "the most effective non-church organization in our fight against creeping socialism and Godless Communism." Benson requested permission of church president McKay to join

177-468: A 1966 pamphlet entitled "Civil Rights, Tool of Communist Deception". In a similar vein, during a 1972 general conference, Benson recommended that all church members read Gary Allen 's New World Order tract "None Dare Call It a Conspiracy". U.S. Representative Ralph R. Harding , during a speech in Congress, accused Benson of being "a spokesperson for the radical right" and using his apostleship to give

236-528: A boundary between church and state. The American Council of Churches opposed Benson for being a member of what they felt was a "pagan religion...hostile to the Biblical evangelical Christian faith." At the time of assuming office, the Department of Agriculture had 78,000 employees and an annual budget of $ 2.1 billion. Benson opposed the system of government price supports and aid to farmers which he

295-652: A doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley , but never completed it. Just after receiving his master's degree, Benson returned to Whitney to run the family farm. He later became the county agriculture extension agent for Oneida County, Idaho . He later was promoted to the supervisor of all county agents and moved to Boise in 1930. Benson encouraged crop rotation, improved grains, fertilizers, pest controls, and establishment of farmer's cooperatives to market farm commodities. While in Boise, Benson also worked in

354-475: A household in the county was $ 34,309, and the median income for a family was $ 38,341. Males had a median income of $ 29,730 versus $ 19,808 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 13,829. About 6.70% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 10.80% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 4,286 people, 1,545 households, and 1,161 families living in

413-546: A move that angered both Brown and first counselor Henry D. Moyle , who believed it violated the LDS Church's policy of political neutrality. Brown wrote in a letter shortly after the endorsement that he was "disgusted" and if Ezra Taft Benson continued his JBS activities that "some disciplinary action should be taken." In January 1963, the First Presidency issued a statement, "We deplore the presumption of some politicians, especially officers, coordinators and members of

472-404: A population decline while Malad City and even outlying areas experienced growth through the 1920 Census. After the 1920 Census, Oneida County experienced fifty years of population decline, losing more than half of its 1920 population by the 1970 Census. The county has regained less than 40% of its lost population as of the 2016 Census estimate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has

531-579: A renewed emphasis to the distribution and reading of the Book of Mormon, reaffirming this LDS scripture's importance as "the keystone of [the LDS] religion." After his challenge to the membership to "flood the earth with the Book of Mormon", the church sold a record six million copies that year to its membership for distribution. He is also remembered for a general conference sermon condemning pride , which relied heavily upon C. S. Lewis 's Mere Christianity . In

590-540: A socialist or a communist or support programs leading in that direction." This, and similar statements by Benson in the December Church News led Hugh B. Brown , a politically liberal member of the church's First Presidency, to begin publicly and privately pushing back against Benson. In the April 1962 general conference, Brown said, "The degree of a man's aversion to communism may not always be measured by

649-427: A total area of 1,202 square miles (3,110 km ), of which 1,200 square miles (3,100 km ) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km ) (0.1%) is water. Oxford Peak is the highest point in the county at 9,285 ft (2,830 m) above sea level. Alternating valleys and ridges of mountains or hills typify the topography, with grassland and sagebrush covering most areas. The Curlew National Grassland lies within

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708-567: Is what's being done in the name of civil rights that is alarming. There is no doubt the so-called civil rights movement as it exists today is used as a Communist program for revolution in America just as agrarian reform was used by the Communists to take over China and Cuba." In 1967, Benson asked McKay for permission to speak on "how the Communists are using the Negros to ... foment trouble in

767-633: The Agricultural Adjustment Administration to raise prices by paying farmers to destroy crops and kill livestock. In 1939, he became president of the Boise Idaho Stake . Later that year, he moved to Washington, D.C. , to become Executive Secretary of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, overseeing around five thousand farm cooperatives which represented two million farmers throughout

826-561: The National Register of Historic Places : Like all of conservative, Mormon southeastern Idaho, Oneida County is overwhelmingly Republican. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Harry S. Truman in 1948, and Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last Democrat to crack thirty percent in the county. The vast majority of the county is in the Oneida County School District 351 , while

885-624: The Salt Lake Tabernacle and were conducted by Hinckley. Benson was buried near his birthplace in Whitney, Idaho , at the Whitney City Cemetery. Following Benson's funeral, Howard W. Hunter succeeded him as church president. "While we do not think it wise to name names in our statements of Church policy, the cries which come from certain sources would indicate that somebody was hit by some of our statements and that

944-751: The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified as "racist". This book features a decapitated and bleeding African-American head, being used at the end of a hammer in the Communist hammer and sickle , illustrating the book's theme that the civil rights movement was being used as a tool by communists. Historian D. Michael Quinn speculates that the endorsement of this book by Benson may have been an attempt to curry favor with segregationist George Wallace, who several months later asked Benson to be his vice presidential running mate for his 1968 campaign . Benson succeeded Kimball as President of

1003-485: The 1890 Census. While diminished in significance, the county was still one of the State's more prominent counties at that time. Oneida County did retain developing population centers at Malad City, American Falls, and Preston. Their growth led to a peak in the county's population at the 1910 Census. The county lost much of its prominence with the creation of Franklin and Power Counties in 1913. The loss in territory again caused

1062-677: The 1952 Republican nomination and did not know Eisenhower, after his election Eisenhower nevertheless appointed Benson as Secretary of Agriculture. Benson accepted with the permission and encouragement of church president David O. McKay; Benson therefore served simultaneously in the United States Cabinet and in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He became the first clergy member to be a cabinet secretary since Edward Everett in 1852, which created some controversy as crossing

1121-508: The JBS and sit on its board, but the request was denied. Benson was a close friend with the JBS founder, Robert W. Welch Jr. , exchanging dozens of letters, and many hours in person discussing politics. When Nikita Khrushchev came in September 1959 to the US, Benson opposed his visit. From the 1950s to the 1980s, his public support of anti-communism often put him at odds with other leaders of

1180-645: The John Birch Society, who undertake to align the Church or its leadership with their political views." Three days later, Benson spoke at a JBS-endorsed political rally, reported by several newspapers as purposefully ignoring the First Presidency statement, and embarrassing to the LDS Church. In February 1963, the JBS asked its members to "write to President McKay," with the suggested verbiage to praise "the great service Ezra Taft Benson and his son, Reed (our Utah Coordinator), are rendering to this battle, with

1239-605: The LDS Church. In 1960, Benson made a proposition to Brigham Young University president Ernest L. Wilkinson that his son, Reed Benson , be used as a spy to "find out who the orthodox teachers were and report to his father." Wilkinson declined the offer, stating "neither Brother Lee nor I want espionage of that character." Later in the 1960s and 1970s, members and advocates of the Birch Society did conduct espionage at BYU. In October 1961 general conference, Benson said, "No true Latter-day Saint and no true American can be

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1298-593: The Midwest stormed his office requesting he not lift price controls on hogs, which he refused to do, and later noted that the prices rose on their own. Nonetheless, he served in his cabinet position for all eight years of Eisenhower's presidency. He was selected as the administrator-designate of the Emergency Food Agency, part of a secret group that became known as the Eisenhower Ten . The group

1357-557: The Newcastle Conference . After his mission, Benson studied at Brigham Young University and finished his bachelor's degree there in 1926. That year he married Flora Smith Amussen, shortly after her return from a mission in Hawaii. They had six children together. Benson received a master of science degree in agricultural economics in 1927 from Iowa State University . Several years later, he did preliminary work on

1416-611: The Oneida Stake Academy was dissolved, although the public school system continued to use the building until 1990. In 2003, the building was moved using funds raised by the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation to a new site called Benson Park that had been donated by the LDS Church. [REDACTED] Media related to Oneida Stake Academy at Wikimedia Commons Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994)

1475-419: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1973, and as church president in 1985. Benson retained Gordon B. Hinckley, who had been Kimball's second counselor, as his first counselor and chose Thomas S. Monson as his second counselor. Despite speculation, Benson did not discuss politics during his tenure as president, and instead focused on spiritual messages. During his early years as church president, Benson brought

1534-468: The United States". While McKay allowed Benson to speak on this subject, other church apostles were opposed to Benson's positions. (McKay did occasionally take action to limit Benson's use of the church to promote the JBS, such as when he deleted a couple of paragraphs from Benson's 1965 conference address after a complaint from Brown.) When Joseph Fielding Smith became church president in 1970, Benson

1593-574: The act left Oneida County as Idaho's largest remaining Idaho county at 20,621 mi . Alturas County exchanged territory with Boise County in 1866 to increase its land area above that of Oneida County. Oneida County lost significant territory to Wyoming Territory in 1868, to the creation of Bear Lake County in 1875, and to the creation of Cassia County in 1879. Minor adjustments to boundaries occurred in 1871, 1875, and 1877. Creation of Bingham County in 1885 left Oneida County with only 2,633 mi , while creation of Franklin and Power Counties further reduced

1652-552: The brain, dementia, strokes, and heart attacks, and was rarely seen publicly in his final years. He was ultimately rendered unable to speak due to the strokes he suffered. One of Benson's last appearances during which he spoke was at his 90th birthday celebration in 1989. Benson made his final public appearance at the funeral of his wife Flora in 1992. He was hospitalized in 1993 with pneumonia . Benson died on May 30, 1994, of congestive heart failure in his Salt Lake City apartment, at age 94. Funeral services were held June 4, 1994, in

1711-519: The central state extension office connected with the University of Idaho Extension Service. He also founded a farmers cooperative. Benson was superintendent of the Boise Stake Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and later a counselor in the stake presidency . Benson was a critic of national agricultural policies implemented in the 1930s under Franklin D. Roosevelt . In particular, he objected to farm subsidies, and efforts by

1770-617: The children can be spared the views of the terrible ravages of war. I fear I'll never be able to erase them from my memory." Apostle Gordon B. Hinckley noted of Benson's experience in Europe, "I am confident that it was out of what he saw of the bitter fruit of dictatorship that he developed his strong feelings, almost hatred, for communism and socialism." On April 25, 1950, Benson was married vicariously to his never married and recently deceased cousin, Eva Amanda Benson, with his wife standing in as proxy. On September 16, 1980, he dedicated

1829-491: The country. Benson became the first president of a new church stake in Washington, D.C. In 1943, Benson went to Salt Lake City to ask church leaders for advice on whether to accept a new job. They unexpectedly told him that he would join the church leadership. On October 7, 1943, both Benson and Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) became members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling two vacancies created by

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1888-413: The county would have been Idaho's largest with 4,647 residents. Oneida County would go on to officially become Idaho's most populous county at the 1880 Census with 6,964 residents even after it had lost populated territory to creation of Bear Lake and Cassia Counties. The loss of large population centers achieved through the creation of Bingham County resulted in the county's first decline in population at

1947-552: The county's actual population was severely undercounted as a result of its lack of a surveyed southern boundary. The survey of Idaho's southern border by 1872 revealed that the 1870 Census had erroneously assigned eight Idaho settlements in the Bear Lake Valley to Rich County, Utah and five Idaho settlements in the Cache Valley to Cache County, Utah. Had the settlements been accurately assigned to Oneida County in 1870,

2006-507: The county's area to 1,219 mi in 1913. Minor changes to boundaries occurred in 1917 and 1927 that gave Oneida County its present land area. Early loss of territory had no impact on population growth of the county as some areas lost had almost no population or were offset by heavy migration of Mormons occurring along Idaho's southern border. Oneida County was officially Idaho Territory's 3rd most populous behind Boise and Ada counties at Idaho Territory's first decennial census in 1870. However,

2065-530: The county. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,125 people, 1,430 households, and 1,092 families living in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km ). There were 1,755 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 97.50% White , 0.12% Black or African American , 0.32% Native American , 0.15% Asian , 0.07% Pacific Islander , 1.36% from other races , and 0.48% from two or more races. 2.30% of

2124-410: The county. The population density was 3.6 inhabitants per square mile (1.4/km ). There were 1,906 housing units at an average density of 1.6 units per square mile (0.62 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 96.7% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 1.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of

2183-594: The deaths of apostles that summer. Because Kimball was ordained first, he was given seniority over Benson in the Quorum. Upon Kimball's death in 1985, Benson became the church's next president. In 1946, the First Presidency sent Benson to Europe to oversee the church's relief efforts after World War II. He spent eleven months there, traveling 61,000 miles and supervising two thousand tons of relief supplies, including to Germany and Poland. Recalling this experience, he wrote to his wife, "I'm so grateful you and

2242-466: The distinction of being Idaho's largest county by both area and population. Its initial size was 32,708 mi making it the third largest of the 17 counties created by the first legislature of Idaho Territory in 1863 and early 1864. When the US Congress created Montana Territory on May 26, 1864, it also transferred a portion of Oneida County over to Dakota Territory. Even with the loss of territory,

2301-469: The early settlers had emigrated. Oneida County was organized on January 22, 1864, with its county seat established at Soda Springs in present-day Caribou County . The county seat was moved to Malad City in 1866 because of its population growth and location on the freight road and stagecoach line between Corinne , Utah , and the mines in Butte , Montana . Early in its lengthy history, Oneida County had

2360-612: The hope that they will be encouraged to continue." That same month, Benson gave a copy of his book, The Red Carpet: A Forthright Evaluation of the Rising Tide of Socialism – the Royal Road to Communism, to newly called apostle N. Eldon Tanner , who was a Democrat, and had been a Canadian politician in the Alberta Social Credit Party . In 1963, the First Presidency sent Benson to Europe to preside over

2419-412: The impression that the church "approve[d] of" the JBS. Eisenhower endorsed Harding's criticism of Benson. Benson viewed the civil rights movement as having been infiltrated with communists, who were using the movement to steer the United States towards communist policies. In his October 1967 conference address, Benson summed up his oft-repeated views, "Now there is nothing wrong with civil rights; it

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2478-470: The missionary work there. Some, including the New York Times , interpreted this move as an "exile" after Benson's virtual endorsement of the JBS in general conference. McKay publicly denied that the assignment was an exile or a rebuke, but other church leaders, including Joseph Fielding Smith , indicated that a purpose in sending Benson to Europe was to break his ties with the JBS. Benson published

2537-611: The newly renamed Ezra Taft Benson Building at Ricks College . Benson's teachings as an apostle were the 2015 course of study in the LDS Church's Sunday Relief Society and Melchizedek priesthood classes. In 1948, Republican presidential nominee Thomas E. Dewey approached Benson before the election that year about becoming the United States Secretary of Agriculture . Although Benson had supported his distant cousin Robert A. Taft over Dwight D. Eisenhower for

2596-435: The noise he makes in going about and calling everyone a communist who disagrees with his personal political bias. ... There is no excuse for members of this Church, especially men who hold the priesthood, to be opposing one another over communism." In October 1962, Benson formally endorsed the JBS, as his son, Reed, accepted a leadership role in the society. Reed Benson had been using LDS Church meetinghouses for JBS meetings,

2655-618: The place of father for nearly two years." Benson began his academic career at the Oneida Stake Academy in Preston, Idaho and graduated in 1918. He then attended Utah State Agricultural College (USAC, modern Utah State University ), where he first met his future wife, Flora Smith Amussen . Benson alternated quarters at USAC and worked on the family farm. Benson served an LDS Church mission in Britain from 1921 to 1923. It

2714-487: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 27.2% were of English , 20.0% Welsh , 12.0% " American ", 7.1% German , and 6.8% Danish ancestry. There were 1,430 households, out of which 38.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.50% were married couples living together, 4.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who

2773-454: The population. In terms of ancestry, 38.3% were English, 15.1% were Welsh, 12.8% were " American ", 10.7% were German, 5.8% were Swedish, and 5.1% were Danish. Of the 1,545 households, 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.9% were non-families, and 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

2832-463: The presidency. This time McKay refused Benson's request, even after Wallace himself wrote to McKay. Benson's interest in politics could be seen in the subjects he chose for his biannual addresses at general conference . Three-quarters of Benson's 20 sermons at general conference during the 1960s were on a political theme. In addition, Benson gave hundreds of other talks discussing Communism and how to combat it. Like Robert A. Taft, Benson supported

2891-418: The priesthood session of the church's April 1988 General Conference, Benson specifically addressed the single adult men of the church, encouraging them to examine their direction in life and align themselves with the priorities of Christian discipleship, including marriage and family responsibilities. Benson was a lifelong supporter of Scouting . He started in 1918 as assistant Scoutmaster. On May 23, 1949, he

2950-511: Was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24. The median age was 39.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 44,599 and the median income for a family was $ 51,371. Males had a median income of $ 43,362 versus $ 24,821 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 17,950. About 11.9% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over. Oneida County contains seven buildings listed on

3009-459: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.35. In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 23.10% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males. The median income for

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3068-400: Was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and as the 13th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1985 until his death in 1994. Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho , Benson was the oldest of eleven children. He

3127-721: Was created by Eisenhower in 1958 to serve in the event of a national emergency. As Benson's term came to an end in 1961, farm commodity prices had risen 10% from the previous year, and Benson's popularity increased. In 1968, the John Birch Society (JBS) made an effort to nominate Benson as a presidential candidate, with segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond as vice president, for which Benson sought and obtained approval from LDS Church president David O. McKay . Several months later, Benson flew to Alabama to meet with segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace , who asked Benson to become his vice presidential running mate for

3186-868: Was elected a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America . He received the three highest national awards in the Boy Scouts of America – the Silver Beaver , the Silver Antelope , and the Silver Buffalo  – as well as world Scouting's international award, the Bronze Wolf . Benson suffered poor health in the last years of his life from the effects of blood clots in

3245-487: Was entrusted by Eisenhower to administer, arguing that it amounted to unacceptable socialism . Furthermore, farming in the United States was increasingly becoming large scale agribusiness at the expense of the small farmer, and Benson was opposed to outsized portions of these government subsidies being apportioned to these large companies. He was once pelted with eggs by a group of South Dakota farmers over his efforts to reduce price controls. Another time, 21 congressmen from

3304-441: Was no longer given permission to promote his political opinions. Also in 1967, Benson gave a talk discussing his views on the civil rights movement at the anti-Communist/segregationist leadership school of Billy James Hargis , who published it in his Christian Crusade magazine. Benson approved this talk to be used as the foreword to the book The Black Hammer: A Study of Black Power, Red Influence and White Alternatives , which

3363-458: Was the great-grandson of Ezra T. Benson , who was appointed by Brigham Young to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1846. When he was 12 years old, his father was called as a missionary to the midwestern United States, leaving his expectant mother alone with seven children. Benson took much of the responsibility for running the family farm and in the words of his sister, "He took

3422-485: Was what we hoped would be the result." Oneida County, Idaho Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho . As of the 2020 Census the county had a population of 4,564. The county seat and largest city is Malad City . Most of the county's population lives in Malad City and the surrounding Malad Valley. The county is named for Oneida Lake , New York , the area from which most of

3481-515: Was while serving as a missionary, particularly an experience in Sheffield , that caused Benson to realize how central the Book of Mormon was to the message of the church and in converting people to it. Due to local antagonism and threats of violence, LDS Church leaders sent apostle David O. McKay to personally oversee the mission . McKay was impressed with Benson and appointed him as president of

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