Jesse Wentworth Crosby - Tree Branch Falls on Head, Miraculous Healing by Elders' Prayer

In the spring of 1839, as Jesse Wentworth Crosby was working in the forest with his brother and brother-in-law, the wind being high, a large branch from a tree about six inches in diameter fell and struck one end upon the ground, the other upon Crosby's head, striking him lifeless to the earth. He was taken up for dead and conveyed to his father's dwelling. The family doctor examined his wounds and said in the hearing of witnesses that his case was doubtful and that without medical aid, he could not recover. However, Crosby's mother, who was firm in the faith of the gospel, sent a messenger for the elders of the Church living some six miles distant, asking them to come pray for her son instead of relying on medical treatment. The elders came, anointed him with oil, and laid their hands upon him in the name of the Lord and prayed. When Crosby's reason returned, he recognized the inmates of the room. Though he had been severely injured, he was extremely weak at first, but was able in about three weeks to follow his former occupation and drive teams. This was a direct answer to a mother's faith and the power of priesthood administration.