Joseph T. Bentley
Born: 6 March 1906
Called as Superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association: 1958
Released: 1962
Died: 16 June 1993
Called as Superintendent of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association: 1958
Released: 1962
Died: 16 June 1993
Image source: Improvement Era, July 1958
Biographical Articles
Improvement Era, July 1958, New YMMIA Superintendency Looks Ahead
Deseret News, 17 June 1993, Death: Joseph Taylor Bentley
Deseret News, 18 June 1993, Funeral Set for Joseph T. Bentley
Deseret News, 26 June 1993, Church News: Death
Deseret News, 17 June 1993, Death: Joseph Taylor Bentley
Deseret News, 18 June 1993, Funeral Set for Joseph T. Bentley
Deseret News, 26 June 1993, Church News: Death
Zobell, Albert L., Jr. "New YMMIA Superintendency Looks Ahead." Improvement Era, July 1958: pg. 522-523.
New YMMIA Superintendency Looks Ahead by Albert L. Zobell, Jr. Research Editor The new general superintendency of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association—Superintendent Joseph T. Bentley, who was announced at the April general conference, and his assistant superintendents, Elders Alvin R. Dyer and G. Carlos Smith, Jr., announced several weeks later, bring to their new responsibility training and wisdom gained by long activity in the Church. Superintendent Bentley is an assistant to the president of Brigham Young University, having recently been released as president of the Northern Mexican Mission. First Assistant Superintendent Dyer is serving as president of the Central States Mission and is expected to be released of that responsibility this summer. Second Assistant Superintendent Smith has been serving as president of the Holladay Stake. Joseph Taylor Bentley was born March 6, 1906, in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, the son of Joseph C. and Maud Taylor Bentley. His father, a merchant, was robbed many times by Mexican revolutionists of that day and time, and he was once held captive by the famous rebel, Pancho Villa. Superintendent Bentley attended grade school in Mexico, and as a young lad had many exciting and faith-promoting experiences during the revolutions. In 1924 he came to Provo, and in 1928 was graduated by BYU in accounting and business administration, having worked his way through college. After his marriage to Kathleen Bench on June 14, 1928, he and his bride journeyed to New York City, where he obtained employment and entered Columbia University on a part-time basis. In 1930, he began teaching at the Juarez Academy in Mexico and in 1935 was employed by the American Smelting and Refining Company offices in Chihuahua City. Coming again to Utah in 1940, Superintendent Bentley was principal of the Roosevelt High School. In 1942 he came to the Salt Lake offices of the smelting firm. Becoming a certified public accountant in 1946, he opened his own offices. He joined the BYU accounting department in 1953, and in 1955, became its head. In Church activity he has held most of the offices in the priesthood quorums and auxiliary organizations. He was president of the Chihuahua Branch in 1939; a counselor in the Roosevelt (Utah) Stake presidency, 1941-42; a member of the Big Cottonwood (Utah) Stake high council, 1943-46; president of the high priests quorum, Big Cottonwood Stake, 1946-49; president of the American Branch of the Church in Mexico City, 1949; first counselor in the Mexican Mission presidency, 1950-53; a member of the high council, East Sharon (Utah) Stake, 1953-56; second counselor, Brigham Young University Stake, for a short time in 1956, and president of the Northern Mexican Mission from June 1, 1956, until a few months ago. He and Mrs. Bentley are the parents of five children. When he was fifteen (the age of today's Explorers in the MIA), the young man who was to become the general superintendent of the Mutual had a very serious illness. He was taken to El Paso, Texas, where he was examined thoroughly by three physicians. Their verdict: he couldn't possibly live thirty days. But at the end of those thirty days he was well, through the healing power of the priesthood. This is just one of the things that has strengthened the faith of the new leader of one of the Church's youth organizations. Elder Dyer was born January 1, 1904, in Salt Lake City, a son of Alfred Robert and Harriet Walsh Dyer. He filled a mission to the Eastern States in 1922-24, and married May E. Jackson, June 2, 1926. He served as a counselor for eight years in the Fifteenth Ward bishopric; and in the bishopric of the Monument Park Ward for four years, and as bishop of Monument Park Ward for five years. He served as YMMIA superintendent of the Sixteenth Ward and as Sunday School superintendent in Yalecrest Ward. He has served as a member of the high council in Salt Lake and Riverside stakes. While serving as mission president, Elder Dyer has found time to be a member of the Missouri Historical Society and the Jackson County Historical Society. He and Mrs. Dyer are the parents of two children. Elder Smith was born August 23, 1910, in Salt Lake City, a son of George Carlos and Lillian Emery Smith. He was sustained as president of Big Cottonwood Stake in 1949 (the name was changed to Cottonwood Stake in 1950); and as president of Holladay Stake in 1956; previously he had served as a counselor in the Big Cottonwood Stake presidency. He has been a member of the YMMIA superintendency of Holladay Ward and has been a Sunday School teacher. He is an Eagle Scout and a Master M Man. He married LaVon Petersen, March 16, 1933; they are the parents of five children. |
Alvin R. Dyer, 1st assistant general superintendent. He is President of Central States Mission.
G. Carlos Smith, 2nd assistant general superintendent. Elder Smith was formerly President of Holladay (Salt Lake City) Stake.
The new YMMIA superintendency : Joseph T. Bentley,
general superintendent. He is an assistant to the President of Brigham Young University. |