Accidents / Survival / Dramatic Recovery

Wandle Mace's Leg Saved from Amputation Through Divine Intervention

1820s ยท 1825
New York City, New York
Wandle Mace, his parents, physicians

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When Wandle Mace was between 16 and 17 years old while apprenticed to a wheelwright in New York City, he met with a severe accident that threatened his life and mobility. He was using a broadaxe and, as he was stepping upon a block with the broadaxe in his hand, he struck his right knee against the point or corner of the axe, making a very deep cut. Initially, he paid no attention to it for a day or two, but it became so painful that he had to go to his parents' home where he was confined to bed for a period of five months. During this time, a counsel of physicians was called to consult together, and they unanimously decided that amputation above the knee was necessary to save his life. However, Wandle refused to consent to the amputation. Through the blessings of the Lord, his limb was saved and he soon was able to return to work. This divine preservation of his leg allowed him to continue his apprenticeship and eventually pursue a life of active service to the Church, including the construction of buildings in Utah. Without the Lord's intervention, he would have faced a life of severe disability.

Sources & References

Wandle Mace, Autobiography of Wandle Mace (as told to his wife, Rebecca E. Howell Mace), Journal of Wandle Mace, typescript, HBLL (Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library)

Miracles of the Restoration
A collection of faith-affirming accounts from the Restoration era to the present day.