How William Branham taught and encouraged Edith Wright to have faith when she was near death.
In 1947, William Branham specifically claimed that Edith had life-threatening appendicitis when she was seventeen or eighteen years old, which was so serious that her “appendix would've bursted” and she would have died before she could have reached a hospital.
Despite Edith's life being “at stake”, William Branham claimed that he engaged in the following very lengthy conversation and object lesson with her about faith and challenged her to move a bracelet that was hanging from a chandelier with faith,
“That appendix would've bursted and she'd a had thirty miles or more yet to drive. And she would've died before she got there.
Now, friends, the girl was looking to me, and she said, "Oh, Brother Branham, you think I'll live?"
And I said, "I believe you will." But she said... I said, "Now, do you believe?"
She said, "Oh, yes, yes, I believe. Sure, I don't care what my church says. I--I believe. Georgie Carter got well." Said, "I'll get well too. I'm scared of the operation," (See?), just like that.
Some of the neighbors had gathered in.
Now, look, here's where I want to get to you people now on this. The girl thought she believed, just like many of you come down this line tonight. You think you believe, but she did not believe.
Now, many of you have female trouble, and maybe it's just something another that--maybe a ulcered stomach. And you--you have to take your... You can have a little time.
But that girl, that had to be a emergency. Her life was at stake. Something had to be done. So I said, "Sister, I do not mean to hurt your feelings, but you--you do not believe."
Now, it's just like the brother says here, when you have your head up, no matter where you are in the building... I don't say this, friends, you remember, I'm telling you this just for your good. It's not I, but God. I know when you got your head up; I feel it. Whether you're behind me, where you are... Like one last night setting with her head up behind me. I knew it all the time. And so, that's between God and the individual. You see? I can't help that. They--they hinder the people. Many times things are hindered.
So then this girl, she said, "Oh, I believe, I believe, Brother Branham." Well, she thought she believed.
Now, look, she had hope. But faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. You see what I mean?
Now, I said, "Sister, an ordinary case," I said, "I could have a little time and let you have time, maybe to take about that much faith and go out with it. But you've got to have immediate attention, right now. For I'm going to be honest with you. You'll not live to see the hospital."
Now, the parents didn't appreciate that very much at that time. But I'd rather be honest with you, let you know the truth... Wouldn't you rather I'd be honest with you? And remember, friends, I'm not wrestling with flesh and blood; it's spiritual power. I must be honest before Almighty God. See? And because I realize the danger of my own life, and not only mine, but yours. And so she said she would--she believed, but she did not.
"Well," I said, "now, look." Now, I want you to notice this, and I want you to be real careful now and take up every word so you can divide it, of a little something that God permitted there. And I'll see if you've got faith. I said, "Sister, you do not have faith."
She said, "Oh, Reverend Branham, I have faith to believe anything."
[End of record--Ed.]... If you have faith, I want to ask you and show you, rather, that--that you do not have faith. Now, listen and catch every word of it. Hanging in the room from a chandelier was a string, and on the end of that string was a little bracelet, and it had... It was a white bracelet with little red sets in it where a child probably been playing with it, you know, swinging it in the room. Maybe some of you have your own babies to be pacified that way, swinging something around like that to play with it, to amuse them.
And I seen that little bracelet hanging down. It was... I said to the young lady; I said, "How far are you away from that bracelet?"
She said, "Prob--approximately fifteen feet."
I said, "Now, all you other adults here, all you people, just turn your backs right around to me." I said, "Now, there's nothing going to be done to hurt anyone. I just got to speak to this girl, because she's got to catch the idea now."
And that's the reason I'm getting into these things with you tonight. We got two more nights, and something's got to be done. You see? Now, I don't want you to go away and say anything wrong about this, because you might have to answer at judgment for it. And so I said, "Something has to be done immediately." And I said, "Now, you parents, you just turn your back."
And some of the neighbors was setting up with her, and they all turned their backs to me and turned their chairs around.
I said to the young lady; I said, "Now, you tell me you've got faith to believe for all things."
She said, "I have, sir."
"How long has it been since you've eaten?"
And she said, "About three days," said, "I can't even keep water on my stomach." And you know what appendix is and fever on her also.
And I said, "Now, if you believe with all your heart, and you prove to me now that you've got faith... Now, you look right directly at that bracelet," and it hanging there in mid-air, "and you make that bracelet swing around and around in the room. Then you make it swing back and forth in the room, and then stop it, and I'll believe you have faith."
She said, "Oh, Brother Branham," said, "my, why ask me something like that?"
I said, "I wanted to see if you had faith." I said, "Jesus said, 'All things are possible if you believe.'"
Now, that's just pure faith, friends. Magicians use it many times to play pranks and so forth, burst glasses and things. It will, if you believe. But I'm trying to base your--the thought on faith so you know what I'm talking of. And I want you to set still now so you'll catch this. Wake yourself up, so when I get through with it you'll know what it's all about.
Then she said, "Why, Brother Branham, no one could do that."
I said, "Oh, yes, anyone can that believes."
And she said, "Well, I don't believe that anyone could do that."
I said, "I thought you said you believed for all things." See how she was caught right there. I said, "You said you believed all things. I want you to prove it."
And she said, "I don't believe there's anyone can do that; that's material, Brother Branham." She said, "Could you do it?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
And she said, "Well, could I see it done?"
I said, "If you desire."
And she said, "I desire."
Then of course, putting my mind on it, and having her to watch that and not me. As many times in a meeting, I'll take any cross-eyed child you've got in this meeting, you bring it up here without even praying for it, and just let me look at it straight in the eyes like that, I'll make its eyes come straight. But when I turn my head... [End of record--Ed.]
And I used it for an illustration. She went back, she thought she wasn't going to get back through the line, taking two or three days before she got back. But when she come that time, she said, "Brother Branham, you told me to get back in line."
There's hundreds of people piling everywhere, standing in the... way early in the morning, coming in soaking wet from out there, coming in to be prayed for. And then when God healed her eyes there, both eyes come straight and she was normal, went out rejoicing. You see? That's the difference from your faith and the faith of God...
Now, then of course, fastening my eyes to that bracelet, which you can yourself, if you won't doubt it in your heart, and it started moving around. And then it moved back and forth, around, crossways, and stopped it.
She said, "Brother Branham," she said, "that's spiritualism."
I said, "I--I thought maybe you'd say something like that."
My, isn't it strange how people that profess they know God, and know so little about Him. Isn't that right?
She said, "You know, we belong to the Church of Christ." Excuse me, I didn't mean to say that. Excuse me, Church of Christ people, I didn't mean to say that. See? Anyhow, said, "We speak where the Bible speaks and silent where the Bible's silent."
You know, you have that slogan. I've questioned that a few times.
I said, "All right."
She said, "There's no such a thing can be showed in the Bible of anything like that."
I said, "I--I thought that's what you would say." I said, "Sure, that's in the Bible."
And she said, "Well, I never... I don't believe it."
"All right," I said, "You don't believe it?"
She said, "No, you show me where that's at in the Bible."
I said, "One day Jesus passed by a tree, He wanted to find some fruit on it. There was no fruit on it. He put a curse on it, and the tree begin to wilt. And when they passed by at noon the tree was wilting down. Peter remarked and said how quick the tree was wilted. He said, 'If you would say in your heart for this tree to be plucked up and cast into the sea and wouldn't doubt it, it would obey you.'" Did He say it? And I said, "He said, 'If you'd say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and doubt it not in your heart, by and by it would come to pass.'" Did He say it? Sure He did. I said, "I know your unbelieving pastor, trying to justify his unbelief, said that was a mountain of sin. I--I went to school myself. He was kneeling by Mount Olives. It was Mount of Olives. If you'd say in your heart for it to be moved and don't doubt it..." I said, "How much more faith?"
And He said, "If you had faith, size of a mustard seed..."
I said, "Now, if the faith the size of a mustard seed would move that mountain, how much more smaller faith would you have to have just to move that bracelet?"
You see what I mean? Now, I've often wondered why He said mustard seed. I might drop this thought. Mustard seed is the smallest among all seed. That's right. But there isn't nothing will mix with mustard seed. It's all mustard. You can't mix it with kale or nothing and make it grow. It's all mustard. If you've got that much faith, all faith, not mixed up with something else, ask what you will; it'll be given to you. But it can't be wavering; its got to be genuine mustard, if you know what I'm speaking of. All right, and I said, "How much more would it take?"
"Why," she said, "Looky here, I want to ask you something." She said, "Did God move that or did the devil move that?"
I said, "Neither one moved that."
She said, "Then how in the world did it move?"
I said, "I moved it."
She said, "Well, you're fifteen feet or better away from it."
I said, "No, its my faith that moved it." See? If you ask anything and don't doubt it... See what I mean?
[Scratch in record--Ed.]... faith, but you're a free moral agent; you're a human being. You can resent it in your heart, and I couldn't touch you if you had to. Jesus could not do many mighty works because of why? [Congregation says, "Unbelief."--Ed.] Correctly. See how little people know about--how little people know about faith? It's amazing, friends, to find out how little people know about it. They talk so much of it and yet know so little of it.
And then she said, "Well, do you mean to tell me then... What part does that play with God, that part there?"
I said, "Now, look, there was an Angel came down into the room and told me that way back, back 'fore I was born, was foreordained to have a gift of Divine healing. And He came and told me in the room one night that God had sent the gift, and it was a gift of Divine healing for the people. And if I could get the people to believe me (believe me), and would be sincere when I prayed, that nothing would stand before the prayer."
I said, "Therefore, speaking face to face with this supernatural Being, I believe it with all my heart. And if I can get you to believe me with all your heart, that's what moves God, and then you're healed. Your faith has saved you." You see what I mean? Your faith to believe has saved you. Not what you worked up and thought in your mind, but what you really know, the very evidence of things not seen. You see what I mean?
Then the girl said, "Brother Branham, I truly know that there's something above where I have ever reached." She said, "I'll try with all my heart, and God have mercy on me." She said, "Let me believe."
And I took a hold of her hand then. There was a vibration pouring from that ruptured appendix, had prayer for her and it stopped immediately. I said, "God bless you, sister. Your faith now has saved you."
A few moments later I was setting in the chair, and I went to sleep. Sun was coming up; I had to rest just a little before returning home, 'cause I was afraid I'd break up somewhere on the road, have a wreck. And I was setting there; they called the ambulance, told them there was no need. When I was--was waken up by one of the family, why, the girl was out of bed and had eat a pint of ice cream. And the--she's never had a knife from that day to this. She was standing on the porch and waved good bye. She said, "Good bye, Brother Branham." Her testimony appeared in the "Herald of Truth" not long ago.
Mrs. Edith Wright, at--at Milltown, or Depaw, Indiana, that was her there—there.”
“Faith is the Substance” (47-0412).
Footnotes:
[1] “You see, I been preaching about thirty-one years, I think, so I guess I knowed you right immediately
after I started preaching, the Wright family. So, so thankful that I knowed those people. They have
certainly been inspiration in my life.” “The Unfailing Realities Of The Living God” (60-0626).
“The Wright family has been the oldest family, one of them, with the Slaughters here. Roy
Slaughter and them, and the Wrights, or Mrs. Spencer, them were among the oldest that’s
been in the tabernacle. I think the Wrights has been coming here for some twenty-five or
twenty-six years.” “My New Ministry” (59-1115).
[2] William Branham said, “Tell her to ask whatever she will. Then you speak it, by this gift,
into existence. Whatever she asketh, speak it into existence.” “My New Ministry” (59-1115).
“Edith Wright”
William Branham made many references to an “old friend” of his named George Wright and his family who were from Depauw, Indiana. He said he first met the Wright family right after he started preaching and they were among the “oldest” families in his tabernacle.[1]
George Wright had a son named Shelby and two daughters named Hattie and Edith.
Of the three children, the middle child, Hattie Wright, is the most well-known and remembered by William Branham's followers. (She is believed to have been given the right to have anything she wanted spoken into existence by him for saying the “right thing” to him (i.e. for saying, “That's nothing but the truth.”)[2]
Although the younger daughter, Edith Wright, is not as well-known and remembered, the stories William Branham told about her actually provide significant insight into his ministry.
As follows, he alleged that he encouraged Edith's faith well enough for her to be completely healed of one condition, but she remained crippled for the rest of her life from another condition and could not be healed regardless of how much prayer, laying on of hands, anointing and fasting he did.
Edith Wright was crippled since she was an infant, but could not be healed.
It certainly is remarkable for Edith Wright to have been instantly healed of her appendicitis after William Branham showed her how his faith could move a hanging bracelet, but he could not manifest or demonstrate enough faith for her to be healed of a condition which crippled her since she was an infant.
He described her crippled condition, as follows,
“So then, the day before I come here to the meeting.... We left Sunday afternoon. Saturday afternoon I was down to a man's house, that's got a crippled girl. And she's been bound of polio since she was a little girl. And she was about thirty years old. Oh, the most afflicted child you've ever seen. I've prayed for her several times.” “Speak To This Mountain” (59-1123).
“And now, Edith, Hattie’s sister, that we know as the little girl that’s been crippled up since she was a—a baby. And she is a woman now, and she is in very bad shape. Now I, about a year ago, I went down there when she had her first spell, and immediately I found what her trouble was, by the help and grace of God. Now, really, what’s the trouble with the child…
She is setting, her limbs hit together, and she can’t even move them apart, it’s because of the tremendous pressure on the—the nerve system. But, what it is, there is nothing physically wrong with the child, outside of the affliction of infantile paralysis when she was about six months old.” “The Indictment” (63-0707M).
In 1957, he said he “anointed” and “laid hands” on Edith with the expectation that she would be healed, as follows,
“Lord God, we anoint little Edith, lay hands upon her, and ask in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that You’ll grant her request. Father, to her mother, we also anoint and lay hands upon her and ask for her healing, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may she be made whole.
Father, we anoint this precious little jewel of this family, little heartbeat, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, one day committed to Him, and I pray that You’ll heal it…?…
Oh God, Thou knowest the request of our sister and we thank You for her gallant faith. Now, may those things that she’s asked, that…?…she played with when she was little, and God, may the enemy turn the woman loose and may she come home well, Lord. We pray for that man, also, that she’s requested for, Thou hast promised, “If you ask anything in My Name, I’ll do it.” I pray that You’ll grant this request, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. God bless you.” “Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3” (57-1006).
In 1958, he said he prayed for Edith, but the Lord never delivered her from her affliction, as follows,
“Now, as far as knowing diseases, there’s only one person in here, that I know of, of any disease; and that’s not a disease. That’s my good, and sweet, little friend, Edith Wright, sitting back there. I know her. She had suffered for years. We prayed for her, and she never…Went out of pain then, has been for a long time. But the Lord has never delivered the girl from her affliction. I know what’s wrong with Edith. Outside of that, I don’t know anyone in here, what disease you have.” “Faith Is Our Victory” (58-1004).
In 1959, he also said that he “prayed several times” for her and even “fasted” and sought the Lord “with tears” for her healing.
“Oh, the most afflicted child you've ever seen. I've prayed for her several times.”
“Speak To This Mountain” (59-1123).
“We got to Brother Wright’s, early in the morning, and, as usual, a big welcome out. And we talked about the wine. And then little Edith, the little crippled girl sitting there, which I love, like we do here at the tabernacle; not only me, but this tabernacle, like she was our own sister. The Wright family has been the oldest family, one of them, with the Slaughters here. Roy Slaughter and them, and the Wrights, or Mrs. Spencer, them were among the oldest that’s been in the tabernacle. I think the Wrights has been coming here for some twenty-five or twenty-six years.
I prayed and I prayed, for that little girl. I’ve prayed, to see God heal her. And I’ve seen afflictions, even greater than hers, healed. And I’ve fasted, and I’ve prayed, and I’ve longed, and I’ve sought the Lord, with tears, for the healing of that little girl.”
“My New Ministry” (59-1115).
By 1962, Edith's condition actually worsened and he prayed yet again for her to be healed,
We got a—a request now for Sister Little, of Chicago, her husband has been in an automobile accident and is laying just at the point of death, Sister Little. And Edith Wright, our little sister here that we’ve knowed for so long, she’s very, very bad, at her home tonight, and they wanted to announce this to the church so we could all pray together for this request. And now let us bow our heads just a moment.
Our precious, Heavenly Father, we are gathering around (by faith) the Throne of God, and we’re asking for Divine mercy for these requests. Brother Little, a car accident, near death. God, help him. May the Holy Spirit be at his bedside and bring him back to us, Lord. And little Edith Wright down there, I pray, God, that the Holy Spirit will be by the side of her bed tonight and will restore her health to her again. Grant it, Father. Thou hast promised these things, and we believe them. And as we was thinking this morning, that distance means nothing to You, You are just as great one part of the world as You are the other, because You’re omnipresent, omnipotent, and infinite. And we pray, Father, that You will grant these requests through Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen. “A Guide” (62-1014E).
In 1963, he said that “she's lost much weight, and she looks bad”, but suggested that people from his church “go down and see the Wright family” and “try to cheer Edith up”, as follows,
“And little Edith has got in this condition, and she’s lost much weight, and she looks bad. And—and—and I tell you, some night, not all of you together, but just a little trip down…They set up with her, day and night. And a—a little trip down there from this tabernacle and—and the different tabernacles, the—the sister tabernacles here, some of you people go down and see the Wright family. I’m sure they would appreciate it. Just go down, set with them a little while, and talk to them, shake their hand, and if no more than a little friendly visit.
We—we forget that so easy, you know. And when it comes to our own home, then we appreciate it. And we must remember, others appreciate it, too. And the Wright family, I’m sure, would appreciate that. I—I know you would have done it if you had knowed this condition existed. But you didn’t know it, so there—therefore I was telling you this morning, for it.
Go and visit the Wright family, and try to cheer Edith up. Now, don’t tell her she looks bad. Tell her she “looks good,” she “going to be fine.” Which, she’ll be all right if we just keep holding on for her. That’s what we’re here for. She is our sister, and—and we’re here to hold on in these times for that child. Just like I want somebody to hold for me and pray while I was going through my trials, and you want somebody for yours.
And—and the Wright family has been a—a long…one of the oldest members that comes to this gathering. Them, I guess, and Brother Roy Slaughter and Sister Slaughter. I seen them just a few moments ago, waved at them when they come in. Thought, myself, as I drove around the corner, “How many years have I seen Brother and Sister Slaughter take their place in this church, through the ups-and-downs, and still wading on?” And the Wright family, and like that, you appreciate those people, you see. And let’s—let’s show our appreciations to them.” “The Indictment” (63-0707M).
Edith Wright died on December 5, 1964 without ever being healed.
On December 5, 1964, William Branham made it known that Edith Wright died earlier that day, as follows,
“Now, with our heads bowed to the dust from where God took us, and, if Jesus tarries, we’ve got to return back that way someday. Just since I been here, I got a message from the east, that a little lady I knew…She is the little girl named Edith Wright. Passed on to meet God, this afternoon, at three o’clock. We got to go back.” “The Identified Masterpiece Of God” (64-1205).
When she died that day, Edith was only 42-years old.[3]
In November, 1965, almost a year after her death, William Branham also made it known that she was never healed of her condition that afflicted her all of her life, as follows,
“Listening in, in Jeffersonville now, there's a family named Wright. Brother Woods and I went down to see them. They make the communion wine for the church. Little Edith was sitting there in the room, a little crippled girl that she had been sick all of her life, and so we had always looked to God to heal her. Her sister, a widow, her husband had been killed; her name was Hattie, very humble little woman.” “I Have Heard But Now I See” (65-1127E).
Because Edith Wright was never healed of her lifelong affliction, it is clear that William Branham never had sufficient “faith” for her healing despite leading people to believe that he knew all about “faith” and showed her how he could even use his “faith” to move a hanging bracelet,
“See how little people know about--how little people know about faith? It's amazing, friends, to find out how little people know about it. They talk so much of it and yet know so little of it.” “Faith is the Substance” (47-0412).
“I said, "Now, if the faith the size of a mustard seed would move that mountain, how much more smaller faith would you have to have just to move that bracelet?” Ibid.
By his own admissions, William Branham had more faith to move the alleged bracelet than he did for Edith Wright to be healed of her lifelong affliction.
Edith Wright had “gallant faith”, but was not healed of her lifelong affliction despite the alleged promise from an Angel of God.
When William Branham prayed for Edith in 1957, he specifically identified her as having “gallant faith”, as follows,
“Lord God, we anoint little Edith, lay hands upon her, and ask in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that You’ll grant her request. Father, to her mother, we also anoint and lay hands upon her and ask for her healing, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may she be made whole.
Father, we anoint this precious little jewel of this family, little heartbeat, in the Name of the Lord Jesus, one day committed to Him, and I pray that You’ll heal it…?…
Oh God, Thou knowest the request of our sister and we thank You for her gallant faith.” “Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3” (57-1006).
Because Edith had “gallant faith”, nothing should have stood before William Branham's prayers for her.
According to his “healing commission”, which he informed Edith about in the aforesaid lengthy conversation with her in 1947, an “Angel” of God told him that if he could get the people to believe him and would be sincere when he prayed, that “nothing would stand before the prayer”, as follows,
“I said, "Now, look, there was an Angel came down into the room and told me that way back, back 'fore I was born, was foreordained to have a gift of Divine healing. And He came and told me in the room one night that God had sent the gift, and it was a gift of Divine healing for the people. And if I could get the people to believe me (believe me), and would be sincere when I prayed, that nothing would stand before the prayer."” “Faith is the Substance” (47-0412).
It is clear that he “got Edith to believe him” from his declaration that she had “gallant faith.”
It is also clear that he was “sincere” in each of the above prayers he made for her. Consequently, “nothing” should have “stood before” his prayers and she should have been healed.
Because Edith was not healed of her lifelong affliction, it is doubtful that an Angel of God ever told William Branham that nothing would stand before his prayers if he got the people to believe him.
Footnote:
[3] The 1940 U.S. Census, which can be viewed here, indicates that Edith Wright was 18-years old when it
was conducted, so her birth year was 1922. Because she lived from 1922 until 1964, she was, in fact,
only 42-years old when she died.