In 1 Nephi 19:23, Nephi writes that “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.” With the “liken unto us” theme in mind, here are some photos and lessons from my recent trip to Zion, as in Zion’s National Park in Utah, close to St. George, a desert town that my ancestors helped build. In St. George, my wife and I visited the St. George Temple and did a session in that beautiful and historic building. We also hiked in Zion’s National Park, including the breathtaking climb to Angels’ Landing, a 1500 foot climb to a breathtaking view with perilous cliffs at your side along the final section. So you can say we went to where angels land and to Angels’ Landing, both in Zion.

Lesson 1: The Beauty of Lichens

While we were surrounded by massive sandstone beauty with big, imposing structures to admire, there was also beauty in the smallest details that most people completely ignored. The little lichens on the rocks presented scene after scene of ever-changing beauty, so unpredictable and varied in composition. Lichens are amazing systems, a community of fungus and algae cooperating together to form new structures that could never be done alone by either organism. Lichens can grow on bare rock or soil and thrive where life would seem improbably. They remind us that we can thrive and create beauty in our lives even under difficult circumstances if we can team and cooperate with others. Serving and working with others is where so much of the richness of life is found.

Lesson 2: Angels and the Iron Rod – to be continued.

Click to enlarge any of these photos.

If you would like a free 8 x 10 print of any of these shots or some of the shots I’ll post this week from southern Utah, make sure you follow this blog and then make a comment in the comments section. I’ll pick at least one winner on April 10 and mail out prints. Man, where else can you get such stuff for free? A couple shots may be zoomed in too much already for a good 8 x 10 — I’ll need to check. The ones I recommend are #6 (with a lot of bluish colors) and the last one, #9.