William Heber Clayton — Divine Protection of a Lost Child

In 1848, while the Heber C. Kimball company was migrating to the Salt Lake Valley, five-year-old William Heber Clayton wandered away from the wagon train to pick flowers and became lost on the vast plains. As night approached, the camp realized the boy was missing, causing great alarm due to the presence of wolves and the drop in temperature. His mother, Ruth Moon Clayton, and his father, William Clayton, led a desperate search. Ruth engaged in fervent prayer for her son's safety. Despite the dangers of the wilderness, the young boy was eventually discovered unharmed. The family and the company viewed his survival and discovery as a direct result of divine protection and an answer to his mother's faithful pleadings.