--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Rust, Dave collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 8 published: 1929-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Dave Rust, “Fleeing to Zion—for Scenery,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 8 (June 1929): 662–663." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3208unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3208unse start_page: 662 end_page: 663 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3208unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Fleeing to Zion—for Scenery Fleeing to Zion — for Scenery By Dave Rust THE great American Prophet — born in Vermont, reared in New York state, a resident of Pennsylvania and Ohio, persecuted in Missouri and martyred in Illinois — received a revelation over ninety-eight years ago, which contains the following words: "Gather ye out from the eastern lands, * * * go ye forth into the western countries, * * * every man * * * must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it (Zion) from every nation under heaven." (Doctrine and Cove- nants, section 45, paragraphs 64, 68, 69). If I may be permitted for the moment to substitute in the above assembled quotation the word "scenery" for "safety," this extra- ordinary prophecy has at the present time a most significant fulfill- ment. "From every nation under heaven," indeed, they are coming to Zion for scenery. Speeding like the wind over railways and high- ways— and airways — they are "fleeing" to the "western countries." According to its broadest interpretation, "Zion" is the sacred title for all the land of America. Usually, however, the region around Utah with the "City of the Saints" as center, is known as Zion. In this rather restricted sense, with especial focus on the marvelous Zion canyon, cut out of the Kolob Plateau in Southern Utah, do we choose to make application for the purpose of this brief literary excursion. Above all other lands, this is a land of scenery. As G. Wharton James writes in his Utah, the Land of Blossoming Valleys, this is a land of "High mountains, deep valleys, far-stretching high plateaus, fertile meadows, desolate deserts, rich forests, bare, wind-swept areas of solid rock, — with tower monuments more striking than all the other rock-carvings of the rest of the United States combined." Some- one has referred to the strip of wonderland across the Plateau Province between Zion Park and Mesa Verde as the land of per- petual sandstone. But all the other rocks are here in proper relation- ship, from the tertiary to the granite, decorated by volcanic cones and lava caps, books in stone of all the ages so plain that he who runs can read — if he knows the language. And it is a land of many colors — the very strongest of reds and blues and yellows, with all possible varieties of shades and combinations — an immeasurable art gallery whose landscapes cannot be copied on canvas. The most charming spokesman for this wonderland of all wonderlands is Captain C. E. Dutton, pioneer explorer-geologist, *™>- '929 FLEEING TO ZION — FOR SCENERY 663 who wrote of this region over fifty years ago. He refers to Southern Utah as a "land of tables and terraces, buttes and mesas, colossal stairways, varied styles of architecture," and canyons with inaccess- ible walls "seldom found elsewhere." The "marvelous sculpture and color, beautiful beyond description, tease the imagination; rich comedy is artistically mingled with religious solemnity." And then, Dutton becomes prophetic when he adds: "This profound scenery must ultimately become, when the knowledge of it is spread, among the most admired in the world. In coming time it will rank with a very small number of spectacles and be regarded as the most ex- quisite." And to seek this superlative grandeur thousands upon thou- sands are coming to Zion. This is a distinct migration. In much older days, inhabitants of "eastern lands" crossed rivers and prairies and mountain ranges for furs and gold and free pastures and homes and freedom and adventure and religious safety. They traveled slowly, with many weeks and months in which to look forward and dream of their destination. Each had his purpose, some came to stay, some drifted back. This present, endless, swift-moving caravan of travelers have a single purpose in this modern "western move- ment"— they come for scenery. And they return as swiftly as they come. What do they carry away with them? What is the value of scenery? In one of the oriental Bibles it is recorded that if we have but two cakes we should sell one and buy a narcissus; for the cake simply feeds the body while the narcissus feeds the soul. Perhaps these many travelers are feeding their souls. Perhaps the sunshine of the open spaces has destroyed some of the germs of prejudice. It is difficult to measure the influence of classic literature or classic paintings or classic music — or classic scenery. The big objective in athletics is better citizenship; the scout program, social creeds everywhere are set up with that purpose — better citizenship. The objective for travel is the same — citizenship value. And the man who climbs a mountain or crosses a desert or looks into a deep-carved canyon should return from such expe- rience with genuine values; if he does not return definitely enriched, then he is not worthy to be called "traveler." "The contemplation of natural scenery," says President Herbert Hoover, "tends to soothe our troubles and shame our wickedness." In concluding his vol- ume, The Scientific Study of Scenery, John E. Marr expresses the belief that the study of natural scenery will yet be looked upon as "one of the most beneficial means of education." So, the scenery of Zion may contribute much toward the salvation of souls.