The Book of Mormon features a story about a prophet named Lehi that fled Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. Some of his sons believe that he is a prophet, and that they are following God by heeding the counsel of their father. The oldest two, Laman and Lemuel, do not.
In the wilderness, Lehi speaks to his older sons, drawing examples from his surroundings. He tells Laman that he ought to be like a nearby river, "continually flowing into the fountain of all righteousness." (1 Nephi 2:9) He then tells his second son, Lemuel, that he ought to be like a nearby valley that does not move at all "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!" (1 Nephi 2:10)
The valley and the river are both labeled as good by Lehi for possessing attributes that mutually exclude one another. The river is good because it's always flowing and moving. The valley is good because it never moves or changes. I do not wish to make excuses for the attitudes and choices of Laman and Lemuel, but this does seem confusing.
There is an explanation for this apparent opposition and context from a broader understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ provides clarification. The first principles of the gospel are faith and repentance.
The first of these principles, faith, is a principle of never moving. Nephi later declares that men must "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men." (2 Nephi 31:20) Even though this passage indicates moving forward, the unmoving part is the connection to Christ, the hope, and the love. Faith is challenged when difficulties arise. Hope is not as perfectly bright when pain and loss afflict men. Love of God and all men is frequently diminished in the face of persecution. The ideal is to prevent or at least reduce the loss of faith when these things occur. Just as the unchanging valley weathers the elements, so to should the faithful endure without losing faith.
The second of these principles, repentance, is a principle of always moving. Nephi asks that after we have gotten into the strait and narrow path, is all done? He answers that it is not, and indicates the necessity of pressing forward as in the passage quoted previously. To be continually flowing to the fountain of all righteousness means to constantly be moving closer to Jesus Christ. A man must identify aspects of his life that separates him from God, and one at a time, as much as he is able, eliminate them. This desire to change was exemplified in King Lamoni's father as he prayed to God after being taught by Aaron: "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day." (Alma 22:18) Just as the river holds back none of its water, so should the penitent withhold no aspect of themselves when striving to become as Christ.
It is consistent to say that a person should never move from their faith, but always move closer to the one in whom the faith is placed.
