From Facebook, keep for the ages

 Barry, I want the world to know how much I love you. After 21 years of marriage, I still get butterflies every time you walk in the door. With every breath I take, I am filled with gratitude for the day I realized I love you and wanted to spend forever with you. Thank you for working so hard to make a beautiful life with me. You're an amazing husband - happy anniversary!

Should America Bid Farewell to Exceptional Freedom

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/04/04/should-america-bid-farewell-to-exceptional-freedom/

Very good read. I highly recommend it.

Some more on the atonement

For those who question why or how the atonement works.

http://www.mormonapologetics.org/topic/48711-why-did-god-dying-as-a-sacrifice-to-himself-satisfy-the-demands-of-justice/

I really liked this specific entry.

This question presumes that the atonement was an act that satisfied the punitive nature of "justice" in quid pro quo fashion. This is a false notion. If the atonement had been quid pro quo, there would be no need for mercy as justice would have been satisfied in the same way that one pays for a loaf of bread - an even exchange of medium.

The question also supposes that it is God who demands justice on His own behalf. This is another false notion. God metes out justice and is perfectly just but it is not He that demands it.

The NT account of the woman taken in adultery perfectly illustrates why the atonement was necessary and is a key to understanding. The sinner, unclean, appears before her accusers about to be sentenced to death. Christ reminds all present that they too need saving and convicted by their own hearts, they put down their stones. The woman now has no accusers and is spared. Christ could not spare the woman - her accusers had to spare her. What Christ did was remind the accusers that they also needed mercy.

He will do the same as our advocate. He will stand before our accusers and they will remember how He willingly and with selfless love suffered an infinite injustice on their behalf. With a vivid recollection of their own need for mercy, they will lay down their stones and we will be spared.

The atonement allowed Him to claim the rights of mercy or in other words, to become the only being in whose presence none of us could dare demand justice.

There are some other links very worthy of note. From my favorite apologists, no less.

http://www.newcoolthang.com/index.php/category/theology/atonement/

http://bycommonconsent.com/2009/03/28/atonement-stew/

http://www.blakeostler.com/docs/AtonementInMormonThought.pdf

I really like Blake Ostler's take.

http://darthbill.multiply.com/reviews/item/9