Dawson Riley

Dawson Riley was a wilderness guide and mountian lion hunter. He would often take William Branham and Billy Paul Branham hunting either by himself, or with his father, Joe Riley. Dawson Riley attended some of William Branham's services, and made himself available (sometimes at the expense of his guiding business) to take William Branham hunting to let him rest.

The following healing and eyewitness testimonies are taken from a video interview with Dawson Riley in Flagstaff. Copies of this video can be ordered from Believer's Christian Fellowship in Ohio. Another video testimony is available from Zion Grace Tabernacle in Illinois.

I had a great big wart on my thumb. It was, and it wasn't hurting, it was just a nervous habit I had. And I was sitting there wanting this...It was about 4:30, 5:00 in the morning. We're sitting there, waiting on this defroster and everything. And I'm rubbing it: I got that nervous habit. And I'm thinking, "You know, wish this thing would hurry up."

He said, "What are you doing?"

I said, "Oh, nothing. It's just a dumb habit." In a couple minutes I was doing it again, and I didn't know it.

And he said, "What are you doing?"

I said, "Nothing." And pretty soon, the third time, he reached over and he took my thumb like that. That's all he did. He didn't say one word. And when he took his hand off, I didn't have a wart there. And its been as slick, and I've never had it, it never came back, and there's no scar there either. It was just gone. And all he did is touch it, he never said one thing. It was gone.

And I just sit there, and looked. And I looked at him. He just smiled. It was gone, you know.

Val got very sick, and he was in the hospital. Its a very small hospital. If you're ever in the town of Solana, Utah, its just a little brick building, a little rock building, its, I don't know, about 4-5 rooms. And he said, "He's going to have an operation in the morning." And he said, "I was just wondering if he'd pray for him?"

I was shocked. This man didn't even like preachers, you know. And at first, he got after me for bringing a preacher up there, the year before. And so he said, "Will you talk to him?"

I said, "Sure."

So, Brother Branham came out. We were walking out by some trees. We walked away from the house. I said "Jerry's brother Val, he's in the hospital up for an operation in the morning, and he asked me if you ever prayed out here, like this?"

He said, "You have him go down to the hospital, and bring him here right now."

Well he was in a smock and everything. They said, "You can't take him out."

He said, "I didn't ask you, where is he? I'm his guardian, I can take him out if I want to."

They said, "Well he's already prepped for the operation".

He said "I don't care." So he brings him out. Its about 3-4 blocks down there, and he takes him out. Brother Branham takes his hat off, and he prays a simple prayer. So he turned around, and I followed him away. He said, "Tell him not to let them cut on him." He said, "He's healed."

And so, I turned around, and I said, "Jerry, don't let them operate. He doesn't need it."

He said, "Now wait a minute, are you sure?"

I said, "I'm sure Jerry. I'm real sure." I said, "I'm sure enough that I can tell you right now: they won't find it when they look. Tell them to look first, approach it that way.

So he went in, took him back in, and he said, "Whatever you do, I am not authorizing this op...I know I signed it, tear it up. You have him examined by another doctor in the morning, and get some new x-rays. Do not touch him.

So the next morning, they couldn't find anything. So they turned him loose. So, Jerry comes up to me, and he says, "You know, it works! It works, you know that!"

We're standing outside, work'in on someth'in. And I said, "Dad, you know, Brother Branham...was telling me about not shooting doves, and I said I just blustered right over: 'Well I do.'" And I had apologized, and I said "Here's what he was telling me" [about the Holy Spirit coming like a dove]

Well, and please brothers and sisters, of all people I won't try to make something of myself. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm just witnessing what happened. And I'm not trying to be something, you know, cause I know I'm not. But, as I was telling my Dad this story... You know in Arizona you have Sonora Doves, and you've got Mourning Doves, and then you've got White Wings.

But a pure white dove landed on my shoulder. My Dad looks at me. And I was afraid to move, and he said, "Is that a pet?"

I says, "No, Dad, I've never seen it before!?!"

And it flew up to a limb. And he says "My..." And it flew back and landed on my shoulder. He said, "What's the deal?"

I said, "I don't know...I don't know!" And then it flew away.

And you know, I don't think we talked about it for about 12 years, or 15. My Dad says, "Do you remember that white dove?" He said, "Did you ever think about that?"

I said, "I think about it quite a bit, Dad."