Healing of Bertie Wright after a head injury
Published October 12, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Bertie Wright was injured while riding a horse that slipped on a wet bridge. He was thrown and struck his temple, resulting in unconsciousness for about sixty hours. Doctors diagnosed brain laceration and expected he would not recover without surgery. Following administration by Brother Patterson and other Elders, and collective prayer by primary children, he was restored to health and returned to school.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 57, No. 44, 31 October 1895, p. 698):
Brother F. Wright, of Hyrum, Utah, writes: 'My son Bertie, aged 11 years, was thrown from a horse, his head striking a bridge, which caused a severe wound on the temple, and he remained unconscious for about sixty hours. The doctors said he had a laceration of the brain, and that he could not recover without an operation. We sent for Brother Patterson and other Elders, who administered to him, and he began to improve from that time. The Primary children also held a prayer meeting for him. He is now attending school, and is as well as ever.'
In Their Own Words
“In a letter from my father dated Hyrum, Utah, October 9, 1895, I ain informed that my brother Bertie was riding a horse at a fast gait over a bridge that was wet, through a recent rain storm, and the horse slipped down. The boy was thrown with great force to the ground striking on his right temple, and rendering him unconscious, in which state he remained about sixty hours. The doctors said laceration of the brain had been caused by the blow, and he never would recover without undergoing an operation, and even then the chances were againt him. Everything that could be done was attended to, and then the Lord was appealed to for help. Brother Patterson, of Salt Lake City, and some other Elders were called in and they performed the healing ordinance. The primary children in their annual meeting also prayed in concert for him, and through exercising mighty faith and prayer, and the administration of the servants of God, my brother was restored to health and strength, and he is now attending school. — Millennial Star 57:44”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 31 October 1895 (Vol. 57, No. 44). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1895-10-31_57_44 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 57, No. 44, 31 October 1895, p. 698 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1895-10-31_57_44
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