The Sea of Life | 1 Nephi 18:8

Lehi's journey across the sea is very symbolic of this life just like their journey in the wilderness. I have created the following metaphor to illustrate the similarities between sailing on the open sea and this life's journey:

We set sail in the sea of life when we are born and our destination is the promised land or eternal life. We are equipped with the ability to steer our ship through our free will. We are lead with a compass or the Spirit of God and navigational charts, the word of God. The winds of affliction can move us to our ultimate goal and without them we would sit on a sea of glass making no progress. If we use the expert skills taught to us from a loving Heavenly Father, we can use the winds of afflictions and the compass to boldly navigate towards the promised land. The journey won't be easy and will require daily study of our charts. It will require great dedication as we tack back and forth across the sea sometimes only making small progress toward our destination. It will require great skill to navigate around dangers and obstacles. If we use the compass and charts and  persevere, we will make it to our destination. However, if we are not prepared for the winds of affliction or drive directly into them, it may overpower us and drive us back away from our destination to sorrow, bitterness, sin and regret.