Prior to his call as a general authority, Buehner served in the LDS Church as a bishop and stake president and was a member of the Church Welfare Committee. In 1952, he was called as second counselor to the church's Presiding BishopJoseph L. Wirthlin. He served in this capacity until 1961, when Wirthlin was succeeded by John H. Vandenburg.
Buehner died in Salt Lake City. He was married to Lucille Thurman and they were the parents of four children.
Buehner was quoted as saying, "They may forget what you said — but they will never forget how you made them feel." in Richard Evans' Quote Book, a 1971 compilation of quotations of prominent figures in the LDS church. This quote is often misattributed to many others including Maya Angelou.[2]
1971, Richard Evans’ Quote Book by Richard L. Evans, (“Selected from the ‘Spoken Word’ and ‘Thought for the Day’ and from many inspiring thought-provoking sources from many centuries”) Quote Page 244, Column 2, Publishers Press, Salt Lake City, Utah. (Verified with scans; thanks to the librarians of Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)