Speeches by Ezra T. Benson (1811–1869)
Note: These speeches need proofreading, which I hope to get to in a few months.
1842–50
- Account of Speech, 1842 mission to New England, from his personal journal;
in Elden J. Watson, Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1846–1847 [1971],
250–51
- Another Account of 1842 mission
experience, from an 1857 speech in London; in Millennial Star, vol. 19 no. 23 (6 Jun. 1857), p. 357
- Speech, 29 November 1846, reporting his 1846 mission to the Eastern States, as recorded by John D. Lee, in Journals of John D. Lee, 1846–47 and 1859, Charles Kelley, ed. (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1984),
25–29
- Excerpt from
remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, 5 December 1847, on the occasion of the
Twelve selecting Brigham Young to be President of the Church; Minutes of a
meeting with the Twelve, 5 Dec. 1847, Brigham Young Papers; cited in Richard
E. Bennett, We’ll Find the Place: The Mormon Exodus, 1846–1848 (Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1997), 289–90
- Conference Minutes, April 6–8, 1849, Kanesville, Iowa, Frontier Guardian, 18 Apr. 1849 (vol. 1 no. 6) and 2 May 1849 (vol. 1 no. 7)
1851–55
- Synopsis of a Speech, General Conference, Great Salt Lake City, 7 Apr. 1851, in Journal History
or Deseret News, 1:239
- Synopsis of
Remarks at Kanesville Conference, 6–7 April 1852; in Journal History, 6 Apr.
1852, p.7. Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- “Address to Departing
Missionaries, remarks at a Special Conference held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 28, 1852,”
in Deseret News, 18 Sept. 1852; or Journal History, or Journal of Discourses, 6:261–66;
see also Brigham Young’s remarks of the same day.
- “Building
up the Kingdom of God—How to Treat Immigrant Saints, etc., Remarks by
President Brigham Young at a Special Conference held in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, August 28, 1852,” Deseret News, 18 Sept. 1852; or
Journal History, or Journal of Discourses, 6:266–70; includes several references to
Elder Benson’s speech of the same day. Note that Journal of Discourses
gives the date as 28 Aug. 1859, but this is incorrect (see other sources).
- “Liberty, Reform,
etc., remarks made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, September 12, 1852,” in Journal of Discourses, 6:247–49.
- “Necessity of
Opposition, discourse delivered at the Seventies’ Conference in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 16, 1853,” in Journal of Discourses, 2:347–53.
- Notes
on a Speech of Ezra T. Benson, Petetnit, Utah, May 8, 1854, from S. N.
Carvalho, Incidents of Travel and Adventure in the Far West (1856)
- Discourse, by Ezra T. Benson, (and related remarks by other Brethren), Tabernacle, Oct
6th, 1854, Deseret News, 2 Nov. 1854; or Journal History, 6 Oct. 1854.
Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- “The Word of
Wisdom, address delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 8, 1855,” in Journal of Discourses, 2:357–59.
- “The Vine and Fig Tree—Duties of
Saints, discourse delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, May 13, 1855,” in Journal of Discourses, 3:75–79.
- Prayer by
Col. Ezra T. Benson, Fourth of July Festivities, 1855, Great Salt Lake City,
Utah; Deseret News, **GET REF; or Journal History, 4 Jul. 1855, pp.
1–2. Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- “Discourse by Elder E. T. Benson,
Delivered July 13, 1855, at a Conference held at Provo City, Utah Territory,”
Deseret News, 5:258; or Journal of Discourses, 3:61–65; including comments on Indians. See also Joseph
Young’s comments at
the same conference (see below); see also this 1866
speech by Brigham Young on a similar topic, during which he alludes to comments by Elder Benson.
- “Remarks on Behalf
of the Indians, By President Joseph Young, made in the Bowery at Provo, July 13,
1855,”
Journal of Discourses 9:229, including comments on Elder Benson’s
speech the same day (see above)
- Remarks at
Meeting of the Deseret Typographical Association, October 4, 1855, Great Salt
Lake City, Utah Territory; Deseret News, 5:256, or Journal History, 4
Oct. 1855, p. 1. Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- Speech by
Elder E. T. Benson, Quarterly Conference, Tooele City, Nov. 10, 1855, Deseret
News, 5:236, 338; or Journal History, 11 Nov. 1855. Transcript by Ben
Parkinson.
- Speech by
Ezra T. Benson, Returned Missionaries Party in the Social Hall, Great Salt
Lake City, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1855; Deseret News, 5:325, 328; or Journal
History, 29 Nov. 1855, p. 2. Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
1856–60
- Discourse,
delivered in Fillmore, Utah, on January 3, 1856 (note only); Deseret News,
12 Jan 1856; or Journal History, 3 Jan. 1856, p. 1.
- “A Discourse, by President E. T. Benson. Delivered in Thorp Street Chapel, Birmingham, October 28, 1856; in Millennial Star, 7 Mar. 1857, 19:10:145–50. Transcript by Ann Potter.
- “A Discourse, by President E. T. Benson, delivered at the Saints’ Hall, Orange Street, Swansea, Wales, November 11, 1856; in Millennial Star, 31 Jan. 1857, 19:5:65–70. Transcript by Ann Potter.
- “Synopsis of a Discourse, delivered by President E. T. Benson, in the Latter-day Saints’ Hall, Belfast,
December 4th, 1856; in Millennial Star, 3 Jan. 1857, 19:1:1–4. (Despite the title, this is a transcript, in first person.) Transcript by Ann Potter.
- “A Discourse, Delivered by President Ezra T. Benson, in the Saints’ Meeting Room, Whitechapel, London, Monday, February 2, 1857; in Millennial Star, 25 Apr. 1857, 19:17:265–71. Transcript by Ann Potter.
- “Reformation:
Minutes
of Meetings Held at 42, Islington, Liverpool, on Wednesday and Thursday Nights, 4th and 5th February, for the Purpose of Commencing the Work of Reformation in the Church in These Lands,” including speeches by Elder Benson; The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star, Vol. 19 No. 9 (28 Feb. 1857), pp.128–33. Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- “Report of a Conference of the Presiding Elders of the Welsh
Conference, Assembled at ‘Udgorn Seion’ Office, Swansea, on Thursday and Friday, the 12th and 13th of March, 1857,” including speeches by Elder Benson; Millennial Star, Vol. 19 No. 19 (9 May 1857), pp. 289–96. Transcript by Ben
Parkinson.
- “A Discourse, Delivered by President Ezra T. Benson, at a priesthood meeting, held in the Whitechapel Hall, London, on Monday evening, April 6th, 1857; in Millennial Star, 6 Jun. 1857, 19:23:353–57. Transcript by Ann Potter.
- “Valedictory of Ezra T. Benson,” Journal of Ezra T. Benson, 1857, Historical Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, MS 1531, pp. 116–23;
see also Millennial Star, 7 Nov. 1857, 19:45:714–15. (This was apparently delivered in writing
only.) Transcript by Ben Parkinson.
- “Mission to England—Reminiscences, etc., discourse delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, January 24, 1858,” in Journal of Discourses, 6:177–84
- Henry Hobbs, Address
by Ezra T. Benson to Handcart Pioneers, in Henry
Hobbs Journal for 1859 (1859-60), pp. 128–131; (transcript
online, microfilm in LDS Church Archives). .
1861–69
- “Testimony and Religion of the
Saints, remarks made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1861,” in Journal of Discourses,
8:369–70
- “Obedience to Counsel—The Beautifying and Building up of
Zion, remarks made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, March 8, 1862,” in Journal of Discourses, 10:99–100.
- “Gratitude for the Blessings of the
Gospel, remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1862,” in Journal of Discourses, 10:65–66.
- “Practical Duties of the Saints—Blessings Resulting from Their
Performance, remarks made in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1863,” in Journal of Discourses, 10:151–53.
- “Exhortation to Home-Manufacture, remarks at the General Conference, Great Salt Lake City, October 9, 1865,” in Journal of Discourses, 11:191–92.
- “Our Indian Relations—How
to Deal with Them, Remarks by President Brigham Young, in Springville, Sunday,
July 28th, 1866,” in Journal of Discourses,
11:263; comments by President Young on dealing with Indians, during which he
alludes to earlier comments by Elder Benson. See this 1855
speech by Elder Benson on a similar topic.
- “Word of Wisdom—Happiness to Be Obtained Only Through
Obedience, remarks by Elder E. T. Benson, delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 7th,
1867,” in Journal of Discourses, 11:366–68.
- Wilford Woodruff, “Remarks on the Death of Elder Ezra T. Benson, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sept. 5,
1869,” in Journal of Discourses, 13:318–27.
- “Remarks on the Death of Elder Ezra T. Benson,” by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sept. 5, 1869, in Millennial Star, 6 Oct. 1869, 31:41:655–57 (reprinted from Deseret News).
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