The Sheaves and the Storm

In Alma 26, Ammon talks about missionary work using an analogy that has since become quite common: farming. Yet, Ammon takes this analogy a step or two farther than we normally do. We talk about sowing and reaping and harvesting, and so did he (minus the sowing), but he goes on to say that the "sheaves" that have been "harvested" will now be protected from the storm to come.

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.
Alma 26:6

What interested me as I read this verse is how the "sheaves" would be protected from the "storm." The sheaves represent the converts and other members of the church, and the storm probably represents the world and the evils thereof, but what could it mean that the sheaves would be "gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them"? "Their place" could be the church itself, with its temples and meetinghouses and meetings, but how would being in those prevent the storm from penetrating to us?

It could be that this protection refers to keeping the commandments. God's commandments are often intended to help us avoid some of the pitfalls of mortality. For example, when we keep the commandment not to lie, we avoid the pitfall of getting caught in a lie. When we keep the commandment not to steal, we can avoid the pitfall of getting arrested for stealing. And there's a whole host of pitfalls we can avoid by keeping the commandment to be chaste. When we keep the commandments that help us avoid problems, those problems won't be able to touch us.

Then, what about the other part? "Neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them." This could be another reference to being righteous, and thus not being "driven" to hell by the "fierce winds" of "the enemy," but I think this could mean something else. Elsewhere in the scriptures, "wind of doctrine" is an analogy used to refer to false teachings. Perhaps following the Lord's revealed, restored gospel will help us avoid being "blown around" by the ever-shifting winds of worldly values and teachings. Whether it means more protection from the penalties of sin or protection from being deceived and misled by "wind of doctrine," being protected from the "fierce winds" sounds like a very good thing.

I don't know what all "the storm at the last day" will entail, and I don't know all the ways in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ will protect us from it, but I do know that, if we follow God, He will help us avoid ultimate misery and achieve eternal happiness. We will still have to face the storm to some extent, and we may even take some storm-related damage, even if we do everything right, but if we faithfully follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and "gather... together in [our] place," we will escape the worst of the storm.