During his administration, President Ezra Taft Benson traveled to many places in the United States and to several foreign countries. He kept up a busy pace during his presidency until he was slowed by illness.
Here are some of the highlights of his travels and activities:Jan. 4-6, 1986 - Washington, D.C.: Paid courtesy calls on President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush at the White House; presided over a special meeting in the Washington Temple; presided over Annandale Virginia Stake conference.
Jan. 25-26, 1986 - El Paso, Texas: Addressed 8,000 members in a regional conference.
March 1-2, 1986 - San Antonio, Texas: Addressed 6,000 members in a regional conference.
March 21-22, 1986 - Kirtland and Hiram, Ohio: Visited the Kirtland Temple where some 30-40 people, including local LDS leaders and representatives of the Reorganized LDS Church, held a brief meeting; offered a prayer in the temple's main assembly room; addressed a small gathering in the Newel K. Whitney store; presided over the groundbreaking for new meetinghouse at Hiram.
May 10-13, 1986 - Laie, Hawaii: Addressed 6,000 members in a regional conference; spoke at a banquet of the board of directors and officers and members of the President's Club of Beneficial Life Insurance Co.; visited sites of interest in Church history, including the Pulehu chapel on Maui, the first Church meetinghouse in Hawaii.
June 7, 1986 - Lake Point, Utah: Dedicated meetinghouse for the Lake Point and Stansbury wards, Grantsville Utah Stake.
June 25, 1986 - Provo, Utah: Addressed mission presidents seminar at the Missionary Training Center.
June 29, 1986 - Provo, Utah: Spoke to a near-capacity audience in BYU Marriott Center in conjunction with Provo's Freedom Festival.
July 9, 1986 - Lake Point, Utah: Attended program commemorating beginning of restoration work on the gristmill of his great-grandfather, Ezra T. Benson, originally built in 1854, near southern shore of the Great Salt Lake.
July 27-28, 1986 - Colorado Springs, Colo.: Addressed sacrament meeting in Colorado Springs 3rd Ward; received the Service to American Agriculture Award at the National Association of County Agriculture Agents meeting.
Aug. 2-3, 1986 - Palmyra and Fayette, N.Y.: Addressed missionaries in the Sacred Grove; attended pageant at Hill Cumorah; addressed 15,000 members in a special conference on the hillside; visited the Peter Whitmer cabin.
Sept. 7, 1986 - Los Angeles, Calif.: Addressed 2,300 temple workers and Church leaders in the solemn assembly room of the Los Angeles Temple.
Sept. 16, 1986 - Provo, Utah: Spoke about the U.S. Constitution at a meeting attended by about 23,000 people at BYU Marriott Center.
Sept. 21, 1986 - Provo, Utah: Attended rededication of the Provo Tabernacle.
Oct. 10, 1986 - Rexburg, Idaho: Participated in inauguration of Ricks College Pres. Joe J. Christensen.
Oct. 11-12, 1986 - Ann Arbor, Mich.: Addressed 6,500 members at regional conference.
Oct. 24, 1986 - Littleton, Colo.: Dedicated the Denver Colorado Temple.
Dec. 14, 1986 - San Bernardino, Calif.: Addressed more than 12,000 members at the Riverside California Regional Conference.
Feb. 8, 1987 - Anaheim, Calif.: Addressed 8,500 seminary and institute students, teachers and leaders at a Church Educational System devotional.
Feb. 15, 1987 - Logan, Utah: Addressed 16,000 members at combined Logan and Logan University regional conference.
April 12, 1987 - San Juan, Puerto Rico: Addressed 2,600 members at San Juan regional conference.
May 16-17, 1987 - Helsinki, Finland: Addressed 2,030 members at a conference of Finnish members.
May 18, 1987 - Stockholm, Sweden: Visited Stockholm Temple and addressed temple workers.
June 14, 1987 - Provo, Utah: Addressed 8,400 members of Heber City and Payson regional conference at BYU Marriott Center.
June 23, 1987 - Provo, Utah: Addressed new mission presidents and wives at annual Mission Presidents Seminar.
June 28, 1987 - Oakland, Calif.: Addressed 5,000 at rededication of remodeled Oakland and Interstake Center.
July 24-26, 1987 - London, England: Attended events commemorating 150th anniversary of the first missionary work in the British Isles; greeted VIP guests, including former British prime minister Edward Heath, and spoke at banquet in London's Savoy Hotel; addressed 10,000 members in London conference.
Aug. 1, 1987 - Cardston, Alberta: Served as grand marshal of Cardston's centennial parade.
Aug. 15, 1987 - Preston, Idaho: Dedicated park in honor of his mother, Sarah Dunkley Benson.
Aug. 23, 1987 - Littleton, Colo.: Spoke at a sacrament meeting in Littleton's Columbine Colorado Stake Center, and later addressed Denver Temple workers in the stake center.
Aug. 28, 1987 - Friedrichsdorf, Germany: Presided at cornerstone ceremony and dedicated the Frankfurt Germany Temple.
Sept. 13-14, 1987 - Philadelphia, Pa.: Spoke in commemoration of the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution in nearby Valley Forge, attended by 5,000 people, mostly members from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Oct. 10-11, 1987 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Addressed 3,000 members at Des Moines Iowa Regional Conference.
Oct. 13, 1987 - Provo, Utah: Addressed 19,860 students, faculty and staff at BYU devotional.
Feb. 27, 1988 - San Diego, Calif.: Broke ground for the San Diego California Temple.
April 24, 1988 - Dallas, Texas: Addressed 12,000 members at the Dallas and Fort Worth regional conference.
May 15, 1988 - Ogden, Utah: Addressed 11,000 members in conference of Morgan, Mount Ogden and Ogden Utah regions.
June 11, 1988 - Stansbury Park, Utah: Dedicated restored gristmill of his great-grandfather, Ezra T. Benson.
June 19, 1988 - Fort Collins, Colo.: Addressed 4,500 members in regional conference.
June 21, 1988 - Provo, Utah: Addressed mission presidents seminar.
July 11, 1988 - Boise, Idaho: Addressed 650 temple workers.
Aug. 14, 1988 - Island Park, Idaho: Addressed more than 6,000 Scouts and leaders from eastern Idaho and western Wyoming at the Upper Snake River Aaronic Priesthood Scout Encampment.
Aug. 27, 1988 - Clarkston, Utah: Attended performance of Martin Harris pageant.
Oct. 30, 1988 - San Diego, Calif.: Addressed 9,000 members in two sessions of San Diego/Escondido multi-region conference.
Nov. 18-19, 1988 - Orlando, Fla.: Inspected Church's Deseret Ranch, attended missionary conference.
Dec. 11, 1988 - Los Angeles, Calif.: Addressed 12,000 members from 16 stakes in Los Angeles area.
Jan. 20, 1989 - Washington, D.C.: Attended inauguration of U.S. President George Bush.
April 1, 1989 - Salt Lake City: Was presented the Bronze Wolf, highest award in international Scouting, at the priesthood session of general conference.
June 20, 1989 - Provo, Utah: Addressed mission presidents seminar.
July 1, 1989 - Provo, Utah: Received Freedom Award for "service to mankind."
Aug. 19, 1989 - Lake Oswego, Ore.: Presided over cornerstone ceremony and first three dedicatory sessions of Portland Oregon Temple.
Dec. 16, 1989 - Las Vegas, Nev.: Presided over cornerstone ceremony and first three dedicatory sessions of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple.
Jan. 21, 1990 - Ogden, Utah: Presided over Ogden Utah Cliffview and Mount Lewis regional conference.
March 11, 1990 - Logan, Utah: Presided over Preston Idaho and Tremonton Utah regional conference.
Sept. 10, 1991 - Salt Lake City: Celebrated 65th anniversary of wedding to Flora Amussen Benson; this was their last anniversary before her death.
Jan. 16, 1992 - Salt Lake City: Received the Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Charity Awards Dinner (NCAD).
May 2, 1992 - Bountiful, Utah: Broke ground for Bountiful Utah Temple.
Aug. 19, 1992 - Salt Lake City: Attended funeral of his wife, Flora Amussen Benson, who died Aug. 14. This was his last public appearance.
April 27, 1994 - Salt Lake City: President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson accept University of Idaho Alumni Hall of Fame award on behalf of President Ezra Taft Benson.
