Where Do We Pitch Our Tents?

So I was reading the Book of Mormon the other day when I came across a verse that really stuck out to me. Usually I just skip right over this one, but on this day it struck me in a new way (I love that about the scriptures-they are always new!). The verse is 1 Nephi 2:6 which says,
"And it came to pass that when he [Lehi] had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water". 
I got to thinking about the symbolism of a valley and a river. Throughout their travels, Nephi mentions that they pitched their tents next to rivers several times. What is the significance of a river? Well, if you think about it, Jesus Christ has said that He is the Living Water (John 7:38-39). Symbolically, Lehi and his family were always pitching their tents next to Jesus Christ, the Living Water. They stayed close to Jesus their entire journey. Upon realizing this I asked myself, "Am I always pitching my "tent", or my life, next to God? Am I staying close enough to Him that I need not thirst? 
Along with the symbolism of the river, I love the symbolism of the valley. Valley's are surrounded by many mountains and because of that they are protected from heavy winds and tornadoes. I grew up in a  valley and always remember feeling a sense of comfort and protection from the big, beautiful mountains. I have only ever lived in a place where there were no mountains once (Cambodia), and it felt different. There were no mountains to make me feel protected. There is spiritual symbolism to this. If we pitch out "tents" in the valley, close to Christ (river) we will be protected from a lot of Satan's destructive power. Of course we will still experience Satan's power, however, we are less likely to be moved by it. However, if we were to pitch our "tents" on a plain, where we are much more vulnerable, Satan will have more power to bring us down. 
We can surround ourselves with mountains by nurturing our faith and testimony little by little. The mountains will be made little by little, but over time as our faith grows stronger and stronger, our mountains will get stronger and stronger. 

These are just some thoughts that I had while studying the scriptures. I hope they bring insight into your studies as well! 

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