Samuel Taylor Orton Hears Divine Voice and Witnesses Halo of Light Around Brigham Young

Samuel Taylor Orton, age 24, traveled with the Bunker handcart company in July 1856. While journeying through Wyoming, the company ran low on provisions and Orton became so weak that he could no longer pull his handcart. Lagging far behind the company and in despair, he asked the Lord to let him die. Suddenly, he heard a voice say, 'Sam, are you here?' He immediately answered 'yes,' but when he turned around, he could see no one. This small yet powerful experience motivated him to rise up and continue forward. As he pressed on, he pondered what he might expect to see when he reached Salt Lake City. He made a determined decision: 'if the Father and the Son did appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith and reveal the gospel unto him, and Brigham Young was his lawful successor, I wanted to see the halo of light around his head, like there was around the head of the Savior on nearly all of the pictures we see.' He then committed this prayer to the Lord and pulled his handcart the rest of the way to Salt Lake City. The Sabbath after his arrival in the valley, as Brother Orton sat in the old bowery waiting for church services to begin, President Brigham Young walked in. Looking toward the stand, Orton instantly and distinctly 'saw President Young with the rays of light around his head.' In that very moment, the same voice that had spoken to him on the plains said, 'Now, Sam, if ever you apostatize, here is your condemnation.' He looked around him to see if others had heard the voice, but thought they had not. This powerful spiritual confirmation became a permanent witness to him of the truth of the gospel.