Deuteronomy 30:11-15

Now begins a divine primer explaining who these commandments apply to and when they should be applied. The Lord says the commandments given on this day are not "hidden from you", or as the footnote says, "too hard for you." They are not far off. There is no need for anyone to wait for someone to come along and deliver them to Israel from heaven before Israel can hear the words of the Lord and obey them. Israel does not need to wait for someone to travel across the sea and deliver these things to them before they hear the words of the Lord and obey them. The word is with them here and now. The commandments of God should be in their mouths and hearts right now. (vs.12-14)

The commandments given by Moses bring about a day of decision for Israel. The choice is plain and simple. Will Israel choose "life and goodness" or will Israel choose "death and evil." Israel must make a choice. Covenant obedience and blessings or covenant disobedience and cursing.

Is there a message here for us. Does the Book of Mormon apply this type of "day of choosing" to us. Of course it does. So does the Doctrine & Covenants. Lets take time to examine how the revelations of God warn us of a time when His words will cause a division among us:

1 Nephi 14:6-7 says, "Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or the other-either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken."

This prophecy foretells a work among the Gentiles that will either convince them unto peace and life eternal or it will condemn them to the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds both temporally and spiritually. That day is coming.

The next prophecy is 2 Nephi 30:7-10 "And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people. And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth. And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (This is a quote from Isaiah 11:4 The rod coming out of the Lord's mouth and his breath are his words. Since His words and the words of His are the same [D&C 1:38] they may be words spoken by His servants by diving decree. When the words/commandments of the Lord are made manifest Israel will gather and the Gentiles will divide, some turning to Israel and others turning to wickedness.)Returning to 2 Nephi 30:10, Nephi says, "For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire."

The Lord's counsel to Israel is certainly applicable to us. We need not wait for someone to ascend to heaven and return before we allow these things in our hearts. We need not wait for someone to sail the sea and return to instruct us. We have the ability to choose life and eternal felicity or death and destruction.

The final reference we look toward is D&C 1:7- "Wherefore, fear and tremble, O yea people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure- Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man. Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is night; And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people."

We, like ancient Israel are swiftly approaching a day of division, a day when the words/commandments of God come to us all and force a choice as to whether or not we choose happiness and life everlasting or death, wickedness and sin. The choice is before us now but will we choose to heed the voice of the Lord and His servants. That choice remains to be made.