Healing of an Unnamed Man's Blindness by Priesthood Blessing
Published October 12, 2026 at 5:53 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
In June 1879, while building a rock cellar in Provo, the narrator accidentally injured his eye with a hammer while tapping a rock. The injury grew progressively worse, leading to severe inflammation and the destruction of one-third of the eye's lens, as confirmed by Dr. W. R. Pike and Dr. Pratt, who both stated the eye would never heal and might cause total blindness. Despite medical intervention being rejected (he refused the surgeon's offer to remove the eye), a white opaque growth formed over the eye, rendering him effectively blind. At a quarterly conference in Salt Lake City, the narrator was administered to by George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, and John Henry Smith. From that hour, the opaque matter began to disappear, and his vision was completely and permanently restored.
In Their Own Words
“It was in the month of June, 1879, that I was engaged in building a rock cellar for Vernee Halliday, in Provo City. While tapping a rock with a hammer, a small piece of the stone flew off and struck me in the eye. It caused me considerable pain at the time, but I thought little of it, supposing it would soon be all right. In this, however, I was mistaken, for the eye grew worse, and inflammation set in, which became so severe that I was compelled to seek medical aid. I went to Dr. W. R. Pike, of Provo, who examined the eye and told me that one-third of the lens was destroyed, and that it would never heal, and that I would eventually lose the sight of it entirely. He also said that it would be necessary to have the eye removed, or it would cause the loss of the other eye. I refused to have it removed, and went to Salt Lake City to see Dr. Pratt, who, after an examination, confirmed the statement of Dr. Pike, and said that the eye would never be any better, and that I would be blind in that eye as long as I lived. A white, opaque matter had grown over the eye, and I was to all intents and purposes blind in it. I suffered a great deal of pain, and was in a very discouraged condition. While in this state of mind, I attended a quarterly conference in Salt Lake City. I felt that if I could only get the brethren to administer to me, I might be healed. I had faith that as God made the eye, He also knew how to repair and restore a damaged one. After they got through with the others they came to me. I cannot now call to mind who anointed, or who confirmed it, but this I do know that from that very hour, the white, opaque matter that had gradually grown over my eye as gradually began to disappear, until my eyesight was completely restored, and has remained to this date as perfect as it ever has been. While suffering with this affliction I reasoned that as God made the eye, He also knew how to repair and restore a damaged one, and I testify to all that this is true.”
— Anonymous (The account is signed 'A. B.' in the original text), The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 30 January 1896 (Vol. 58, No. 5). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1896-01-30_58_5 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 58, No. 5, 30 January 1896 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1896-01-30_58_5
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