Early in 1839 he heard of Quincy, Ill., and he was led to go there in search of a home. There he met with the Latter-day Saints, who had just been driven out of Missouri by mob violence. He heard they were a very peculiar people; yet, in listening to the preaching of their Elders, and in conversation with themselves, he found them very agreeable. He boarded, during the winter, with a family of Latter-day Saints, and formed a high opinion of them. In the spring of 1840 he secured two acres of land in the town, fenced it in, and built a house upon it. A debate was held in Quincy between the Latter-day Saints and Dr. Nelson, who was opposed to them, at which the Prophet Joseph Smith was present. It wasn't long after this that he embraced the gospel.
In the fall he went to the conference of Nauvoo, and was ordained an Elder. After his return to Quincy, he was visited by President Hyrum Smith, who ordained him a High Priest, Oct. 25, 1840, and appointed him to be second counselor to the president of the Stake, which he had organized there.
About the first of April, 1841, he moved to Nauvoo. He bought a lot, fenced and improved it, and built a log house upon it. June 1, 1842, he started on a mission to the Eastern States. again on another mission east in company with Elder John Pack where the news of the death of the Prophet reached them, they returned to Nauvoo. That fall he was called to be a member of the High Council in Nauvoo, and in December of that year was again sent east on a mission. He presided over the Boston conference until the beginning of May, 1845, when he was counseled to gather up all the Saints who could go and move them out to Nauvoo. The remainder of that summer and fall he worked on the Temple, and at night frequently stood guard to keep off the mob.
He moved out of Nauvoo with his family in the first company in 1846. At Mount Pisgah he was appointed a counselor to Father William Huntington. While at this place he received a letter from President Young informing him of his appointment to the Quorum of the Twelve, releasing John E. Page. He moved up to the main camp at Council Bluffs, where he was ordained to the Apostleship, July 16, 1846, by Brigham Young. Shortly afterwards he was sent east on a mission, from which he returned Nov. 27, 1846. The next spring he accompanied President Young as one of the Pioneers to Great Salt Lake valley, and after their arrival there he was sent back to meet the companies which were coming on, to inform them that a place of settlement had been found. After he met the companies he returned to the valley, and then started back to Winter Quarters with the Pioneers.
In 1856 he was appointed a mission to Europe, with Apostle Lorenzo Snow, and accompanied by Elders Joseph F. Smith, Wm. W. Cluff and Alma L. Smith, he went on a mission to the Sandwich Islands in 1864, and the boat in which they were landing on one of the islands capsized. Brothers Benson and Snow were miraculously saved from drowning. Having successfully performed their mission, they returned to Utah, this being the last time Ezra T. Benson left Utah.
Besides performing these missions, Elder Benson filled many important missions at home. He was also a member of the Provisional State of Deseret, previous to the organization of the Territory; was a member of the Territorial house of representatives for several sessions, and during the last ten years of his life he was elected to the Territorial council every term.
On Sept. 3, 1869, just as he had arrived at Ogden from his home in Logan, he died suddenly while doctoring a sick horse. His body was conveyed to Logan, where the funeral took place the following Sunday.
