HEBREWS
CHAPTER 6
Let us go on to perfection—sons of perdition crucify Christ afresh—God swears with an oath that the faithful shall be saved.
1 THEREFORE leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. [ Same as D&C 76:35 - these are the characteristics of the sons of perdition. They would take it upon themselves to kill Christ again and again if given the opportunity too because they hate him so much. This is complete and utter rebellion against Christ. To shame him in any way that they can and then to kill him in the view of everyone - openly rejecting Christ. ]
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
[ So what did it mean for the Almighty to swear by himself? God was really saying, according to the Midrash, "Even as I live and endure for ever and to all eternity, so will My oath endure for ever and to all eternity." (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:160) It was the unconditional promise of eternal life, his calling and election made sure, which, says Joseph Smith, comes to a man after "the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve him at all hazards." (Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 171) Accordingly, explained Joseph Smith, it was "the power of an endless life ... which ... Abraham obtained by the offering of his son Isaac," (Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 245) an event that "shows that if a man would attain to the keys of the kingdom of an endless life, he must sacrifice all things." (Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 362). ]
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [ Joseph Smith stated that by the "oath of God unto our Father Abraham," his children were "secured |to him] by the seal wherewith [Abraham had] been sealed."(Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 241. See also Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 380-82) In the greatest irony of Abraham's life, only by binding Isaac for the sacrifice had Abraham bound him to himself in the eternal bonds of priesthood sealing. And not just Isaac, but through that same oath Abraham had secured all of his future righteous posterity, who would be as numerous as the stars and the sand. ] is to them an end of all strife.
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: