“Donny Morton”
Donny Morton was a young boy from Saskatchewan, Canada who was born on April 25, 1947. At the age of two-years old, he was diagnosed with life-threatening brain disease. During 1949–1951, Donny's parents, Arthur and Ella Morton, did everything possible to help save his life, as did several doctors in Canada.
On June 11, 1951, Arthur Morton brought his son to one of William Branham's tent revival meetings in Costa Mesa, California for prayer. When he arrived at the service that night, he did not have a “prayer card” that was “required” to enter the prayer line, but the “twenty-seven hundred” people who were allegedly in the prayer line “stepped aside” and William Branham prayed for the child ahead of them nevertheless.[1]
William Branham claimed he saw a “vision” right after he prayed for Donny, which showed that “the little boy was healed” and affirmed to Donny's father on the platform that his son would get well.[2] However, the alleged “vision” was not fulfilled and Donny did not “get well” because he died less than five months later on November 2, 1951.
Despite the tragic death of the young boy, William Branham went on to make several false claims that God healed Donny and made him well, as is evident in the sections that follow below.
The plight of the young boy is described in the November 1952 issue of Reader's Digest in a story entitled, “The Miracle of Donny Morton”, which can be read here.
Here are several key facts from the story:
“It was while both parents were at the hospital that the doctor told them the boy's brain tissue was deteriorating – he would die within six months. There was no treatment he knew of that could help.”
“Summer came, and after the crop was in, the Mortons dipped into their meager savings and took Donny from doctor to doctor in Saskatoon, and then to Regina. Always they gave the same verdict – a hopeless brain disease which would gradually paralyze him more and more until death came.”
“Then Arthur remembered a faith healer, a Rev. William Branham, who had accomplished wonders for two deaf friends with whom he had worked several years before. The Mortons located the evangelist in Costa Mesa, Calif., near Los Angeles, where he was reportedly curing the sick by prayer.”
“Morton arrived in Los Angeles in June 1951, 18 months after Donny's condition had been pronounced hopeless. Now the unflagging faith that had carried them through so many adversities began to be rewarded. Bewildered and nearly penniless, Morton asked Travelers' Aid to help him find the faith healer. They phoned the Los Angeles Times for information.”
“The healer asked no questions, but his eyes search the boy's wide blue ones and saw his emaciated, twisted body. 'Your son is suffering from a serious brain malady,' he said to Morton. 'But do not give up hope. With faith in God's power, and help from the medical world, your little son will live.' Then, while 2700 persons bowed their heads, he prayed to God to save the child's life. Donny managed a smile for the first time in weeks.”
“But on November 2 Donny Morton died in his sleep, defeated in the end by an inexorable combination of pneumonia and meningitis.”
“The personal miracle that Morton sought – that his child's life be saved – was denied.”
Footnotes:
[1] William Branham stated, “Now, in the Reader’s Digest, it wrote up there, I was standing out there, we had twenty-seven hundred people waiting to get prayed for, standing out there.” “Demonology, Religious Realm” (53-0609A),
“And, of course, everybody had to required prayer card.”, “And when the folks at the place saw—standing in that prayer line, way down through that field—when they saw this poor man coming, they just stepped aside to give him his place.” “Demonology” (53-1112).
[2] William Branham also stated, “And I prayed for the little baby. He started crying real loud, and started off the platform. He turned around, he said, “What about my baby? Will it ever get well?”
I said, “That I don't know, sir.”
And while I was speaking to him, a vision broke forth. And I said, “Yes, your baby....
“Demonology” (53-1112).
“And they brought him to the platform in California, and there the vision showed the little boy was healed (see?), and they packed a big article of it, and I was at Mayo Brothers for an interview. All right.” “Abraham” (56-1208).
The “miracle sought was denied”, but William Branham nevertheless claimed that Donny Morton was healed by God.
Even though the miracle of saving Donny's life “was denied” and he instead died a few months later, William Branham went on to falsely claim that the boy was healed by God according to his alleged “vision”, as follows,
“I said, "That, I don't know, sir." And while I was speaking to him, a vision broke forth. And I said, "Yes, your baby... Three days from now you're going to meet a woman with a--a brown looking, I guess you call it, coat-suit: it's got a coat here and a skirt beneath. And she's black headed. And she's going to tell you of some country doctor that can operate on that baby; and you won't believe it. But that's the only hope that you have, through the mercy of God, and that operation. You let the doctor operate on the baby."
And he took that baby over there, and the doctor performed the operation absolutely successfully. And the baby come out of it. And so they had the baby around there; it got so he could run, meet his daddy and everything.” “Demonology” (53-1112).
“And when the little fellow come on the prayer line, the book--the "Reader's Digest" wrote it up right. Said, "The evangelist asked no questions. Looked into the child's face and said..." Well, many of you read it. And you know the article.
And it said, "Why, he looked into... The evangelist's looked into it's face. And never asked no questions. But said, 'You come from Canada. You brought the child. It's been to Mayo's; it's been to John Hopkins. It's got a rare blood disease, a brain disease. There's no cure for it.' And the father started crying.
Said, 'You come by... started to come part of the way by a sled. And then you went down to the place and when you did... to get on a--to get on a plane, you and your wife, you found out you didn't have even enough money for both of you to come on a bus. And now, Traveler's Aid's a helping you.'"
And the man like to have fainted. And the Holy Spirit spoke THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the baby got well.” “God Perfecting His Church” (54-1204).
“Now, I've been interviewed. You read the "Reader's Digest" about a year or something ago, in October a year ago or something like that on the healing of little Donny Morton, that Mayo Brothers had give up. And they brought him to the platform in California, and there the vision showed the little boy was healed (see?), and they packed a big article of it, and I was at Mayo Brothers for an interview. All right.” “Abraham” (56-1208).
“Now, I was interviewed. Many of you read the "Reader's Digest" of the miracle of Donny Morton. And I was interviewed at Mayo Brothers Clinic on account of that, 'cause Mayo's had turned him down. And the vision told him who he was, where he come from, what was going to happen. And that's just the way it was, and the baby was healed. And they wrote it up in "Reader's Digest."” “Hear Ye Him” (58-0301E).
“When I--I was interviewed at Mayo's Clinic. They said to me, "We do not..." The old Jimmy Mayo in the old Mayo brothers had a thing back there in the office, where you used to have there. They took me back and showed me, when this Donny Morton... How many read the Reader's Digest? When Mayo's had turned him down, and everything, and come out there to California, and down out of Canada... The Lord healed him, made him well.” “Abraham” (60-0803).
“If you read the article, said many great clinics through the United States and Canada had turned him down. And a spastic, drawed up, name was Donny Morton. October's "Reader's Digest," about four years ago. And then, he said this little ba... this little boy about eight years old...
Oh, it's a pathetic story, how this little Canadian brother come down on a sled. He said he knowed some deaf and dumb girls that was brought to my meeting before that, and the Lord healed one. And one of them is a singer in church, and the other one is a telephone operator: So was both deaf and dumb.
So he said, "We're not whipped, Donny. Let's go and tell..." And the mother and them thought they could maybe take fifty dollars, and all of them come to the United States, and take Donny to the meeting, and everything else. It wouldn't even pay one of their ways on a airplane. They had to come by a bus, couldn't even come by train. And when they got there, they had to take Travelers Aid to get out there to where the meeting was.
And the Holy Spirit told him who he was, where he come from, and so forth--little drawed-over father, holding his baby. And so... Then it told him exactly what would happen. The Lord healed the child to the glory of God.” “A Greater Than Solomon Is Here” (62-0725).
Despite William Branham's claims, there is nothing written about Donny Morton being healed in the Reader's Digest story.
As is evident from his statements above, William Branham specifically claimed that the “healing of Donny Morton” was “written up” in the aforesaid Reader's Digest story.
However, it is apparent from a plain reading of the story here that there is no part of it that ever mentions or refers to Donny Morton as being healed.
Although the title of the story is, “The Miracle of Donny Morton”, the reader should not assume that it signifies or implies that Donnie was actually healed for the true meaning of the title is found in the story's third to the last paragraph, which states in full,
Skeptics will say, “You see? Miracles don’t happen in the 20th century,” But they are wrong. The personal miracle Morton sought – that his child’s life be saved – was denied. But out of his search for it came another miracle, because this Saskatchewan farmer’s selfless and unquestioning pilgrimage across half a continent stirred the hearts of thousands. There are plans for a new wing to be built on St. Luke’s Hospital, to further the advancement of children’s brain surgery, and reports of a book and a movie that would spread the story of Donny Morton. Arthur and Ella have dedicated in advance every dollar of the royalties to helping children who need care beyond their parents’ ability to pay.
From that paragraph it is clear that the “Miracle of Donny Morton” cannot be the “saving of the child's life” because that miracle “was denied” and never happened. The true “Miracle of Donny Morton” therefore can only be the one identified as “another miracle”, which is specifically related to helping children in need who would have similar conditions and needs as Donny Morton.
The apparent failure of William Branham's alleged vision of Donny Morton negates his claims that his visions have never failed.
Because Donny Morton died a few months later, William Branham's “vision” which showed that Donny would not die was not fulfilled. Consequently, it is not possible for the Lord to have shown the vision to him or for any of his claims below to be true that none of his visions ever failed,
“But when you speak, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD,' it's not you. Watch on the platform. Have you ever seen it fail? THUS SAITH THE LORD is perfect, never has failed. And as long as it is THUS SAITH THE LORD, it can't fail.” “Is This The Sign Of The End, Sir?” (62-1230E).
“A vision has never failed. Now I'm going to tell you, Jean, it's THUS SAITH THE LORD! See?” “The Evening Messenger” (63-0116).
“Now, I'm an old man now, and I've--I have never one time, and can call the world to a--to a standstill, and ask them, 'Put your finger on one thing that He ever told me as THUS SAITH THE LORD, in the Name of the Lord, but what was absolutely the truth and fact, and come to pass," out of the thousands times thousands of things.'” “Spirit of Truth” (63-0118).
“And I remember I went there in Arizona and everything; I was trying my best to... scared to death. I went to Phoenix meeting. And you remember I preached the sermon, "Sirs, What Time Is It?" You remember that? I said that I seen that, I said, "Before it comes to pass, remember, THUS SAITH THE LORD, something's going to happen." You've probably got the tapes in your library of tape now. And there I said, "You remember now the visions that never fails. Something's going to happen. Remember."” “Trying to Do God a Service Without Being the Will of God” (65-1127B).
“Now, those things are not mythical. In contact with the Holy Spirit, I'm an illiterate person. That's true. There's nothing to me. But when I come under His anointing, and He takes me away and shows me things, I just got perfect confidence that it's just exactly right, 'cause it's never failed. And He will never say one thing outside what's written in this Bible. That's right. You watch it. Through the years, He's never said one thing at any time, unless it was absolutely Scripturally based on the Bible, THUS SAITH THE LORD.” “Shepherd of the Sheepfold” (56-040).
“Many, many years before it happened perfectly on the dot... And it's never failed, and it won't fail, because it's THUS SAITH THE LORD. And it's not contrary to these Bible. It's got to be.” “Once More” (63-1117).
“I prayed for a woman at the platform who had a horrible stomach disorder and could not eat nothing. And the Holy Spirit told her, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD ...' You have your record here, if you want to see what He says. Said, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you're healed of that stomach trouble.'
When you hear that come forth, brother, I lay my life right there, it's going to be just that way. I'm forty-five years old, seen visions since I was a baby, and have never seen one time or challenge anybody to mention one time that it never spoke in that way, that it did not come to pass just exactly the way He said it. That's right. Just ask anywhere; take any recordings you want to and find out. When you hear Him speak out like that, it's not exactly exactly that way. “Divine Healing” (54-0620E).
Despite Donny Morton's health improving only slightly before his death, William Branham repeatedly claimed that Donny had been healed and was well.
The aforesaid Reader's Digest story indicates that Donny Morton underwent four critical brain operations after William Branham declared in June 1951 that he would live.
Therein, it is evident that Donny's health only improved slightly after the operations and he still needed another one and many weeks of treatments. His condition was so serious that he never was able to leave St. Luke's Hospital in Pasadena, California before he died on November 2, 1951. As stated therein,
“In mid-September a gay leave-taking was held in the St. Luke's Hospital sunroom. Donny could now sit up and reach out his arms to his parents in the first definite response since his surgery. He weighed 35 pounds. But his leg muscles were so badly atrophied, and the tendons so shrunk from inactivity, that another operation and many weeks of costly treatments were still needed. Donny was left behind, in the capable hands of the Pasadena physiotherapist who had first befriended him.”
Notwithstanding the fact that Donny Morton remained in the hospital in a serious state and never was cured from the adverse effects of his brain disease before his death, William Branham claimed repeatedly in the years that followed that Donny had been healed by God and was well, as follows,
“It wasn't two years ago, October's this year, the "Reader's Digest," when God made Mayo Clinic stand still and hear the testimony of little Donny Morton on that incurable disease, when he was brought to the platform and the Holy Spirit told him exactly what to do, and God healed the boy there.
The scientific world, John Hopkins and Mayo's, when I went there, there lay the "Reader's Digest" on their platform, or on their table there, to be read. God made the medical world stand still and see Donny Morton be healed by the power of God.” “Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord” (57-0629).
“And the baby come out of it. And so they had the baby around there; it got so he could run, meet his daddy and everything.” “Demonology” (53-1112).
“Said, 'You come by... started to come part of the way by a sled. And then you went down to the place and when you did... to get on a--to get on a plane, you and your wife, you found out you didn't have even enough money for both of you to come on a bus. And now, Traveler's Aid's a helping you.'"
And the man like to have fainted. And the Holy Spirit spoke THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the baby got well.” “God Perfecting His Church” (54-1204).
Sermon Quotations of William Branham related to Donny Morton:
“Well, now instead of somebody sanely sitting down and reasoning that with the Scriptures… Now, the only one proof… If you want to watch the difference between the fortuneteller, or the supposed to be… Recently many of you read the article that was written in the Reader’s Digest just recently of my meetings, November’s issue, of the miracle of Donny Morton. And I went on to say, and just before that the article of that Mrs. Piper.
Now, the only way to tell the real… If I gave you a dollar and said “Is this a good dollar?” If you know anything about money, the first thing you will take and feel it, to see the value of it. A real dollar is not a paper. It’s silk. It’s not exactly… It has got paper in it, but it’s not altogether paper. Now, you have to watch the value of it.” “Expectations” (53-0507).
“Now, in the Reader’s Digest, it wrote up there, I was standing out there, we had twenty-seven hundred people waiting to get prayed for, standing out there. You read the article. And a man come down from Canada, and he had a little boy that had been to Mayos’ and John Hopkins, a serious brain disease that drawed his little hands in like this, and drawed its legs up under it. And they said, “There’s not even an operation or nothing can be done.”
So he took it back to Canada. He said, “I’m not whipped yet.” You get November’s issue of the Reader’s Digest, and it’s called the—the—The Miracle of Donny Morton. And—and then said that the, in there, that the—that the man said, “I’m not whipped yet, because I know a faith healer named William Branham, that caused two of my friends who was deaf and dumb to speak and hear.”
And they called to try to find where I was at, in—in America yet. And I was over in Costa Mesa, California. And it’s a article, when you read it, get ready to cry. It’ll just break your heart. How he went through snowdrifts, and everything else, with that baby! He said, “Be careful, Donny.” Said, “Now, we’re not defeated.” And the little boy couldn’t even smile, hardly, he was so afflicted. Said, “We’re not defeated, we’re going to ask God. We’ll go to God’s prophet and ask him.”
So then they come through the snow. And they finally got down there, and the mother was coming with them, and they didn’t have money enough to go by airplane, so they sent the mother back. And the boy and daddy had to come on a bus, and how they rode all the way from Winnipeg, Canada, to Costa Mesa, California. And they got in there, broke, and the father tells about had to change the little diapers on it, little boy about seven or eight years old, just perfectly helpless. And how he would…couldn’t get a chance to eat nor nothing, and said his little boy could just hear him talk. And he could tell the way his eyes looked, that he was—he was trying to smile, you know. And know that he…He would tell him different sights he was seeing, over in America.
And when they got in there, to California, they said to the traveler’s aid, what he come to see. He said, “Come to see a Divine what?” And a big question mark.
Course, you can imagine what America said about it, you see. See, that’s us, see, “We so smart! We know everything, you know, and there’s no need telling us anything. We got it all wrote down.” See?
So then, so, “A Divine what? Come all the way from Winnipeg, Canada?” Why, they thought that was horrible.
Anyhow, the newspaper patched a—a car and sent him over there. And he said, when they got to the line, where it was at, said twenty-seven hundred people was waiting to be prayed for. But said, when they seen that deformed, little-looking boy, and that poor daddy with his cap on, his ragged coat, said everybody just stepped aside and give him his place. When he hit the platform…
It’s against the rules to swap a prayer card. Somebody must come to the meeting and get your own card. If you’re ever caught in the line, swapping prayer cards on somebody else, the prayer card is dishonored. See? Because you must come hear the instructions and know how to receive it. It’s up to you. You can’t get it for someone else. You have to come get it yourself, so you hear. Some big person said, “If…Well, I don’t believe much in this thing. But, maybe if He’ll heal me, I…” You see? And then that causes a fuss at the platform, so they just cull that thing out before it gets there.
So when the boy started, or father started on the platform, ahead of the people, Billy asked him for his prayer card. He didn’t have any. Said, “Then I’m sorry, sir.” Said, “You’ll have to wait.”
He said, “All right.” Said, “I’ll wait.” Said, “I’ll just take my turn like the others, then.” Said, “I didn’t know I had to do this.”
And so I was talking to someone, I happened to hear it. I seen that father go away, and I said, “What was the matter?” He said, “He didn’t have a prayer card.” And Something said to me, “Bring him back.”
So I said, “Bring him here.” And the father come up, and the tears running down his face, needing shaving. And he—he walked up, and here’s the Reader’s Digest said. See? I asked no questions, but looked right straight in the face of the baby, told the baby where it was from, it had been to Mayos’ Clinic, and all about what was the matter with it, how sick it had been, and everything.
And so the father started crying, and started to leave. And said he started off the platform, and he turned around, he said, “That’s right, sir.” He said, “But will my baby ever live?”
I said, “That I can’t say.” I said, “Just a moment.” I seen a vision appear. I said, “You won’t want to believe this, because Mayos’ and Hopkins both said that operation couldn’t be performed on that brain, but I tell you what you do. You, tomorrow, you just go ahead with this baby. Within the next three days you’re going to meet a black-headed woman on the street, and that woman’s going to ask you what’s the matter with that baby. And then she’s going to tell you of some little country doctor out here that can perform that operation, and you won’t want to believe it, because that Mayos’ turned it down and said, ‘It was impossible to be done.’ But that’s the only chance your baby has, through the power of God, the mercy of God and that operation. Now, if you believe me to be His prophet, go do as I tell you.” Like putting the figs on Hezekiah, and so forth. He said, he turned around and said, “Thank you.” Walked off.
Two days or more had passed, and he was down on the street one day, and a lady walked up, said, “What’s the matter with your baby?”
Said, “It’s got a—a brain disease.” And he was going on talking like that. And, well, they—they thought it was awful bad, you know.
So he said just in a few minutes something taken place. She said, “Sir, I know someone who can do that operation.”
He said, “Lady, look, Mayo Brothers give it up and said it can’t be done.” Said, “A man up here was praying for it, named Brother Branham.” Said, “He’s made a prayer for the baby.” He said, “Wait a minute! Black-headed, wearing a gray coat suit.” Said, “That’s her.” Said, “Where is that doctor?” And he told him. Took him up there and the doctor performed the operation, the baby got well.
Now, that come through the Reader’s Digest, you see. And Mayo Brothers called me in on an interview for that. Said, “Rev. Branham, what did you do to the baby?”
I said, “Nothing. I never touched it. I only told what God told me to tell it. The man obeyed it.”
“Demonology, Religious Realm” (53-0609A).
“How many read last November's issue of Reader's Digest, that article in that about the miracle of Donny Morton where he was healed? Any of you in here ever read it? I see one lady, just ... two, three. There's many of you, I guess, read it. Well.... Here it is.
I want to read in Acts 2 now, please.
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by signs, miracles, ... God did by him in the midst of you, which yourselves also know.
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, with wicked hands and have crucified and slain:
Whom God has raised up having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
David ... For David spake concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always, before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover ... my flesh shall rest in hope:
Because thou will not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
Let's bow our heads just a moment.
Now, Father dear, we love You. We pray that You'll forgive us of our trespasses, and help us in this coming part of the service now, and in the healing line. Grant, oh Lord God, that Your Spirit will be so overpowering tonight, that Satan cannot hold one speck of doubt in people's hearts, but they may all believe with one accord. And may there be a great rejoicing. And may many that's sitting here, sick and afflicted, go home well. Sinners, go home saved; backsliders, go home back in fellowship with God again. Grant it, Father, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
Now, I'll try to get over here, just a little bit. If you'll excuse me, I want to watch that clock, so ... I want to start the prayer line at nine o'clock.
Now, in the Reader's Digest, it was a very nice article. If you haven't gotten it, just write in, and tell them you want last November's issue of Reader's Digest.
And now, while I'm saying these things, I don't want you to get worked up, and walk out. I want you to sit and listen at it through, just a few minutes, so you can see how the narrative ... how people get, and how thin-minded that people can be.
In there was a glorious article. It was well written. Now, when you get it, you find the subject, “The Miracle Of Donny Morton.” I was in Costa Mesa, California, at the time when the event taken place.
And I don't like to testify about my own meetings. I'd rather somebody else would do that. Because I haven't done one thing, friends. It's what Jesus Christ has did in the meeting. It isn't me. I've always thought, in the writing of the Acts Of The Apostles.... It's called “The Acts Of The Apostles.” I would.... To my opinion, now, the writer of the Bible—ever who put it together—the early writers, they call it “The Acts Of The Apostles.” But, I think what it really is is the acts of the Holy Spirit in the apostles, is what it is, see. The apostles never acted it. It was the Holy Spirit acting in the apostles what did it, but.... Call that, so we just leave it that.
Now, the Reader's Digest writes it like this. And, it's the most dramatic story, and heart-rendering story, that you've read in a long time, to hear how this story starts.
It was way up in Saskatchewan, Canada—almost up into the no-man's land. I had meetings up around Saskatoon, and from there, way on up into the.... I forget the name of the place we had up there—had ten thousand Indians, and Eskimos in the meeting. And, oh, the place was many times bigger than this, and just packed out. They just sitting everywhere, and standing on the outside, of Eskimos and Indians that came to the meeting, and white people, at Prince Albert, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. And so, I remember having the meeting there.
Anyhow, in there was two deaf and dumb people that had come down from over around another province, and were born deaf and dumb. And both of them were healed, and went back into their province, speaking and hearing.
And so, little Donny Morton, he'd set up some kind of a rare brain disease. And the people had taken him to be examined, and everywhere, and they'd give him up. They brought the boy to my service. Now, first the doctor said, “The little boy must die.” Mayos, Johns Hopkins, they had him in the United States, everything give him up. There was no operation. That'd be impossible if you operated on the boy's head for that, it would kill him instantly—Mayo brothers.
Now, of course, the Reader's Digest didn't' say Mayo brothers, because Mayo would get after him for that. You have to watch what you're putting in public literature.
And so, but you can read between the lines and see what it meant—see what it said.
But, we have the tape recording. That's the reason, on our meetings, you see, we pick up tapes of every meeting.
Somebody comes and says, “Well, the Lord said to me certain-certain....” We'll play back over the record, and find out whether that's truth or not, see. Then we know right where we got it on the recording.
So, there was a woman come to me here sometime ago and said, “Well, the Lord said a certain woman was going to be healed right then.”
I said, “Well, if He said that, that's just....”
Said, “She hasn't been healed yet.”
I said, “Well, I don't know.”
Brother Hall was talking to her. So, he said, “We'll play the recording.”
Asked what night it was, went back and got the recording and played. Well, the Lord never said anything about it.
The woman come on the platform, a perfect unbeliever. She was a rich woman. This was her maid that brought her. And she persuaded her, and begged her to come. And finally she got her to the platform, like that. And the Lord told her where she'd been, and who she was, and what was the matter. And asked her why she had so much unbelief in her heart.
And she said, well, she would try to believe in it.
And it said to her, then, after it got through, I said, “The Lord bless you and heal you, my sister.” She went off the platform.
I told her, I said, “The Lord bless you and heal you.” But, when God speaks, and you hear Him, you know who it is speaking then. It's not the preacher, it's Him that speaks. Then that's different. What I say.... Just like any other man, I wanted her to be healed, and I prayed for her, but that's all I could do. But she said the Lord said so. You watch what He's saying. Watch what He tells them. Then you'll know just what to depend on.
When the little boy.... Now, here's the Reader's Digest—the way they wrote it. The little fellow had been brought from.... They had to put him in a sled, or something, and bring him over grounds. He was twisted. His little hands was drawn down in this condition. His little legs up under him. About eight years old. His little head sitting sideways. His eyes pushed ... one, one way, and the other. Oh, it was a pitiful-looking sight. And the little fellow shook like this, and just smelled terrible.
And the poor little father.... The little sled would turn over nearly when the horses packed him through the way—bringing them out. And he'd keep patting him on the moonlight night, and saying, “Don't fear, Donny, honey. We're not whipped yet.” Said he knowed two people that had been healed in my meeting, and said, “If I could ever get where that man's at, God'll do something for my baby.”
So they finally got to the airport—him and his wife. And they didn't have enough money for even one of them to come on the plane. They didn't have enough money to come on a train. So, they had to take just the man, and he brought the baby. And they come all the way from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Los Angeles, California; and went into traveler's aid for help.
And then, of course, watch the Reader's Digest. It said he was searching.... Said, “A divine what?”—a question mark. I'd imagine what they said.
And so they said, “Never mind. This man believes that if the man prays for his baby, he'll get help. So let's see if we can get it.”
And they detached the paper, put a car, and they took way down in Costa Mesa—forty-something miles down to Assembly Of God campgrounds, where they had a big school there. And I was speaking to the ministers. And they brought him in that night. And they said there was twenty-seven hundred people standing in line to be prayed for when we got there. And, of course, everybody had to required prayer card.
And I was praying for the people. Now, here's where I began to know. I seen him.... He said when he stepped out of the car, and all those people standing in the prayer line, they just stepped back when they seen that poor little ragged father, that little Canadian cap on, walking with this poor little baby. And coming along.... He didn't eat. He had to change him, just a like a baby—it's diapers, and everything. And he didn't eat. He didn't have time to eat. He'd just run and get a drink of water, and get him something to eat, and then go on. Oh, it was pathetic story.
And so, he kept saying, “All right, Donny, we're not whipped yet, honey. We're not whipped yet.”, and just keep on like that.
And when the folks at the place saw—standing in that prayer line, way down through that field—when they saw this poor man coming, they just stepped aside to give him his place.
Well, when he come to the platform, Billy Paul asked him for his prayer card. Of course, he didn't have any. He said, “Sir, I didn't even know I had to have a prayer card.”
Well, Billy and the ushers had orders for the people to line up. That's legitimate, and that's right. Just exactly what they should be.
And I heard him, he said, “Well that's all right.” Said, “What must I do now to get a prayer card? Where must I go?”—just holding up the prayer line.
I said, “What's the matter?”
He said, “Just a man without a prayer card.”
I said, “Well, just have him just step off to one side.”
And I looked back, and I seen that baby. And something said to me, “Call him now.” I never seen the baby.
So, the Reader's Digest gives the whole article of it. And I brought the little baby up, and said.... Never asked a question, but looked right into the little baby's face, and said, “You bring this baby from Canada. And you come here by bus—a Greyhound bus. Traveler's Aid is helped ... and had been there about five minutes. The Traveler's Aid has helped you to get here. And the baby has been to Mayo Brothers and Johns Hopkins. It's got a rare brain disease. And there's no way for them to operate. The baby must die.”
And he started screaming real loud. And I prayed for the little baby. He started crying real loud, and started off the platform. He turned around, he said, “What about my baby? Will it ever get well?”
I said, “That I don't know, sir.”
And while I was speaking to him, a vision broke forth. And I said, “Yes, your baby.... Three days from now, you're going to meet a woman with a brown looking (I guess you call it ”coat suit.“ It's got a coat here, and a skirt beneath.) And she's black-headed. And she's going to tell you of some country doctor that can operate on that baby. And you won't believe it. But, that's the only hope that you have, through the mercy of God, and that operation. You let the doctor operate on the baby.”
Well, he went off the platform crying. And well, the next day the baby seemed to be a lot better. After he was prayed for, could move his little arms. Well, he forgot all about the woman. He was going to go on that way. So, about two days after that, he was walking down the street—getting it out, so he could get in the air, you know, walking it down the street ... or, walking down the street with it in his arms, rather. And a lady said, “What's the matter with your baby, sir?”
He said, “Well, it's a brain disease.” He said, “A rare brain disease.”
And she said, “You know, I know a doctor that operated on a baby like that one time that was that way, and the baby is normal now.”
Well, he said, “But, lady,” said, “Mayo Brothers said that the....” Said, “Wait a minute. A brown coat suit, black hair.” Said, “Say, lady, where's that doctor at?”
And the Reader's Digest gives the place—who he was. And they took that baby over there. And the doctor performed the operation absolutely successfully. And the baby come out of it.
And so, they had the baby around there. It got so it could run, meet its daddy, and everything. The daddy went back to plant his spring wheat, or something another. Now, here's what the Digest didn't get, see, what didn't picture. But, we have to know behind, because if you did, the hospital would bring suit against this paper. And there's where it would be a slip-up come.
Somebody left a window up one night, and throwed a draft across the baby. And the baby taken pneumonia, and lived about two days with the pneumonia. Not with the disease, with the pneumonia, killed the baby. The Reader's Digest give it. Then it goes ahead and gives a nice, good write up about the miracle was already performed, anyhow.” “Demonology” (53-1112).
“He that receives truth... Here not long ago, you seen the article in the paper of that little Donny Morton being healed out there in California. The "Reader's Digest" packed it, went in every language under heaven, everywhere, about the miracle. Mayo Brothers had turned him down. John Hopkins had turned him down. The little fellow come on the platform and twenty-seven hundred people standing in the prayer line. Assembly of God, place we was having the meeting, out in Costa Mesa, California.
And when the little fellow come on the prayer line, the book--the "Reader's Digest" wrote it up right. Said, "The evangelist asked no questions. Looked into the child's face and said..." Well, many of you read it. And you know the article.
And it said, "Why, he looked into... The evangelist's looked into it's face. And never asked no questions. But said, 'You come from Canada. You brought the child. It's been to Mayo's; it's been to John Hopkins. It's got a rare blood disease, a brain disease. There's no cure for it.' And the father started crying.
Said, 'You come by... started to come part of the way by a sled. And then you went down to the place and when you did... to get on a--to get on a plane, you and your wife, you found out you didn't have even enough money for both of you to come on a bus. And now, Traveler's Aid's a helping you.'"
And the man like to have fainted. And the Holy Spirit spoke THUS SAITH THE LORD. And the baby got well.” “God Perfecting His Church” (54-1204).
“Notice, someone then, about a year later, you read the Reader's Digest, of my meeting in California, down there at the campgrounds, when they brought that little Donny Morton. Many of you has read it, no doubt. From Donny Morton, the miracle, when they brought him down out of Canada and give a wonderful write up, how he come to the platform., little fellow, twisted all out of condition. And how, said, the evangelist never asked one question but looked straight at the child, and told him where he come from, how he'd been to Mayo Brother's, and turned down and everything. And just exactly how the outcome of the child would be. And it was just exactly word by word.” “Glorified Jesus” (55-0225).
“Now, I've been interviewed. You read the "Reader's Digest" about a year or something ago, in October a year ago or something like that on the healing of little Donny Morton, that Mayo Brothers had give up. And they brought him to the platform in California, and there the vision showed the little boy was healed (see?), and they packed a big article of it, and I was at Mayo Brothers for an interview. All right.” “Abraham” (56-1208).
“Let me just show you a little something. Of all the fine medicines we got (to settle this)… Now, I was interviewed. Many of you read the “Reader’s Digest” of the miracle of Donny Morton.
And I was interviewed at Mayo Brothers Clinic on account of that, ’cause Mayos’ had turned him down. And the vision told him who he was, where he come from, what was going to happen. And that’s just the way it was, and the baby was healed.
And they wrote it up in “Reader’s Digest.” And when I asked them there, I said, “Don’t you believe that God heals?” They said… Took me in an old room there and showed a great, big place where Jimmy Mayo used to have, said, “We do not profess to be healers. We only profess to assist nature. There’s one Healer; that is God.” And that’s our best.”
“Hear Ye Him” (57-0105).
“It wasn't two years ago, October's this year, the "Reader's Digest," when God made Mayo Clinic stand still and hear the testimony of little Donny Morton on that incurable disease, when he was brought to the platform and the Holy Spirit told him exactly what to do, and God healed the boy there.
The scientific world, John Hopkins and Mayo's, when I went there, there lay the "Reader's Digest" on their platform, or on their table there, to be read. God made the medical world stand still and see Donny Morton be healed by the power of God.” “Stand Still and See the Salvation of the Lord” (57-0629).
“Let me just show you a little something. Of all the fine medicines we got (to settle this)... Now, I was interviewed. Many of you read the "Reader's Digest" of the miracle of Donny Morton. And I was interviewed at Mayo Brothers Clinic on account of that, 'cause Mayo's had turned him down. And the vision told him who he was, where he come from, what was going to happen. And that's just the way it was, and the baby was healed.
And they wrote it up in "Reader's Digest."” “Hear Ye Him” (58-0301E).
“Many of you, about three years ago in Reader's Digest, read the article of the miracle of Donny Morton, when I was in Arizona, I mean in California. How the Lord, after Mayo's, and John Hopkins, and all of them had turned that little twisted up baby down, the power of God unfolded that child and made him well. And Mayo's called for an interview for it, wanted to know what happened. Sure. Reader's Digest wrote it up. What happened to little Donny, that little Canadian boy?
All hopes was gone after Mayo and John Hopkins said the child cannot be healed. But the father said, "Donny, we're not whipped. For not long ago, there was someone here in Canada praying for the operator, long-distance operator. She was in a school, she was deaf and dumb." Like these people setting here. And when--there was two of them went to the meeting at Calgary. And the Lord healed both of them. One of them is a singer in church, and the other one's a long-distance telephone operator.
He said, "Donny, if God knowed them, He knows you honey, and I'll get you somewhere." He hitched his horse to the sled, down through the snow they went with the mother. And when they got to the place where they was to put the little boy, and his mother, and them on the plane, they didn't have enough money for one to get on the plane. So he found a Greyhound bus that Donny and his father could ride in. It come to Los Angeles, and--and the--some kind of an association helped them to get out to the meeting where we was at, the Assemblies of God out there at the campground, North--or Southwestern Bible School.
There when the father started in the line with the little baby, said, "There was a young man that had to put him out of the line, because he had no prayer card." That was Billy. Billy was doing that, because it wasn't fair for the man to come in the line, because others had been waiting for days in the prayer line.
But when the little fellow--I seen him walking off the platform with that little twisted baby. I said, "Let him alone, Billy. Bring him on up here."
And when the father, trembling, brought the little fellow, and his head sideways, his big eyes cast back in his head, shaking his hands, twisted down, his little legs drawed up behind him, I said, "Sir, if I could heal your baby, I'd do it. :But you're a Canadian, and you've come a long ways, and you're... This little baby's name is Donny Morton."
The father begin to shake, and he said, "That's true."
I said, "Do you believe?"
And he started screaming; he said, "With all my heart."
He went right straight from that meeting that night and bought Donny his first pair of shoes, and he wore them the next day. “Be Not Afraid” (60-0305).
“When I--I was interviewed at Mayo's Clinic. They said to me, "We do not..." The old Jimmy Mayo in the old Mayo brothers had a thing back there in the office, where you used to have there. They took me back and showed me, when this Donny Morton... How many read the Reader's Digest? When Mayo's had turned him down, and everything, and come out there to California, and down out of Canada... The Lord healed him, made him well.” “Abraham” (60-0803).
“I was interviewed at Mayo's; you seen it in the "Reader's Digest," and so forth, Donny Morton, was healed up here.” “Balm in Gilead” (61-0218).
“When this little Canadian, Donny Morton... You read the story in "Reader's Digest," when they brought him all the way down there so spastic and drawed that John Hopkins, Mayo Brothers, and all, turned him down. And he came down to Costa Mesa, and was in the meeting. And the Holy Spirit spoke. "Reader's Digest" wrote up, said the--said, "The evangelist didn't ask the boy. He told the boy who he was, told him what he had done, and where he come from, and what about it." And he was healed. See?
And then I was called in at Mayo Brothers for an interview for that, and they said... I said, "Well, I..." They never put Mayo Brothers' name on there, but they--there they had the "Reader's Digest," and it was--the father had said it. But of course the writer wouldn't say that about a hospital, and what it said.
Many great... If you read the article, said many great clinics through the United States and Canada had turned him down. And a spastic, drawed up, name was Donny Morton. October's "Reader's Digest," about four years ago. And then, he said this little ba... this little boy about eight years old...
Oh, it's a pathetic story, how this little Canadian brother come down on a sled. He said he knowed some deaf and dumb girls that was brought to my meeting before that, and the Lord healed one. And one of them is a singer in church, and the other one is a telephone operator: So was both deaf and dumb.
So he said, "We're not whipped, Donny. Let's go and tell..." And the mother and them thought they could maybe take fifty dollars, and all of them come to the United States, and take Donny to the meeting, and everything else. It wouldn't even pay one of their ways on a airplane. They had to come by a bus, couldn't even come by train. And when they got there, they had to take Travelers Aid to get out there to where the meeting was.
And the Holy Spirit told him who he was, where he come from, and so forth--little drawed-over father, holding his baby. And so... Then it told him exactly what would happen. The Lord healed the child to the glory of God.” “A Greater Than Solomon Is Here” (62-0725).
“And you seen it in Reader's Digest, not long ago, Donny Morton, The Miracle of Donny Morton. That little child right there in California, at the Assemblies of God, down there at that school, Southwestern Bible School, that child was so twisted and afflicted till even John Hopkins and Mayo Brothers said, "There's not an earthly chance for him." But the Lord is THUS SAITH THE LORD. That was different, see.” “His Unfailing Words of Promise” (64-0120).