To escape religious persecution, his family (wife and infant daughter, parents, one brother and two sisters, all of whom had joined the church) arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois in July, 1842.

In December, 1849 Haight and fifty others were sent by Brigham Young to explore the mountains in southern Utah, about 300 mi (480 km) south from Salt Lake City.

From 1850 to 1852, he was sent to England to learn iron making, and upon his return was placed in charge of purchasing and assembling supplies for thousands of new European converts to cross the plains.

Haight was in command of the Second Battalion, Tenth Regiment (or Iron County Militia), in which capacity he ordered the massacre of September 11, 1857, of the Baker-Fancher party of emigrants during the Utah War.

At this meeting, Young communicated to them the policy that if the natives assisted the Latter-day Saints in fighting the Americans, the tribes were to be granted all the cattle on the California trails.

Later in the afternoon of September 5: at a meeting of the high council in Cedar City, a divisive and quarrelsome debate was held to discuss the recent troubles with the passing emigrant train.

Those present - stake president Haight, his counselor John Higbee, Bishop Klingensmith and high councilor Laban Morrill among others - generally agreed on the grievances they perceived in the company that had passed the previous Thursday.

Morrill extracted a promise that an express rider would be dispatched immediately for Great Salt Lake Valley to get directions from Brigham Young.