by Tim Barker
In 1999, while serving as a missionary in Tampa, Florida, I read Cleon Skousen's talk on the Atonement for the first time. It was a typescript of an address that had been delivered to missionaries in the Dallas, Texas Mission on December 18, 1980.1 At the time I read the discourse, it was one of the most fascinating talks I had ever read (up to that point). Brother Skousen presented a number of issues that I had not previously considered that caused me to ponder the gospel from a new perspective. I wasn't prepared to accept everything put forth because there were a number of items that frankly, seemed strange; particularly, Skousen's concept of "intelligences." Regardless, I felt that the talk was inspiring and uplifting. I am not providing the content of the talk here because I believe it is protected under copyright laws, however, it is available for purchase online, or an abbreviated summary is also available in Skousen's work The First 2,000 Years.2
