URANTIA BOOK ONLINE

THE PERSONALITIES AND other-than-personal entities now functioning on Paradise and in the grand universe constitute a well-nigh limitless number of living beings. Even the number of major orders and types would stagger the human imagination, let alone the countless subtypes and variations. It is, however, desirable to present something of two basic classifications of living beings—a suggestion of the Paradise classification and an abbreviation of the Uversa Personality Register.

30:0.2 It is not possible to formulate comprehensive and entirely consistent classifications of the personalities of the grand universe because all of the groups are not revealed. It would require numerous additional papers to cover the further revelation required to systematically classify all groups. Such conceptual expansion would hardly be desirable as it would deprive the thinking mortals of the next thousand years of that stimulus to creative speculation which these partially revealed concepts supply. It is best that man not have an overrevelation; it stifles imagination.

1. THE PARADISE CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING BEINGS

30:1.1 Living beings are classified on Paradise in accordance with inherent and attained relationship to the Paradise Deities. During the grand gatherings of the central and superuniverses those present are often grouped in accordance with origin: those of triune origin, or of Trinity attainment; those of dual origin; and those of single origin. It is difficult to interpret the Paradise classification of living beings to the mortal mind, but we are authorized to present the following:

30:1.2 I. TRIUNE-ORIGIN BEINGS. Beings created by all three Paradise Deities, either as such or as the Trinity, together with the Trinitized Corps, which designation refers to all groups of trinitized beings, revealed and unrevealed.

30:1.3 A. The Supreme Spirits.

1. The Seven Master Spirits.

2. The Seven Supreme Executives.

3. The Seven Orders of Reflective Spirits.

30:1.4 B. The Stationary Sons of the Trinity.

1. Trinitized Secrets of Supremacy.

2. Eternals of Days.

3. Ancients of Days.

4. Perfections of Days.

5. Recents of Days.

6. Unions of Days.

7. Faithfuls of Days.

8. Perfectors of Wisdom.

9. Divine Counselors.

10. Universal Censors.

30:1.5 C. Trinity-origin and Trinitized Beings.

1. Trinity Teacher Sons.

2. Inspired Trinity Spirits.

3. Havona Natives.

4. Paradise Citizens.

5. Unrevealed Trinity-origin Beings.

6. Unrevealed Deity-trinitized Beings.

7. Trinitized Sons of Attainment.

8. Trinitized Sons of Selection.

9. Trinitized Sons of Perfection.

10. Creature-trinitized Sons.

30:1.6 II. DUAL-ORIGIN BEINGS. Those of origin in any two of the Paradise Deities or otherwise created by any two beings of direct or indirect descent from the Paradise Deities.

30:1.7 A. The Descending Orders.

1. Creator Sons.

2. Magisterial Sons.

3. Bright and Morning Stars.

4. Father Melchizedek.

5. The Melchizedeks.

6. The Vorondadeks.

7. The Lanonandeks.

8. Brilliant Evening Stars.

9. The Archangels

10. Life Carriers.

11. Unrevealed Universe Aids.

12. Unrevealed Sons of God.

30:1.8 B. The Stationary Orders.

1. Abandonters.

2. Susatia.

3. Univitatia.

4. Spironga.

5. Unrevealed Dual-origin Beings.

30:1.9 C. The Ascending Orders.

1. Adjuster-fused Mortals.

2. Son-fused Mortals.

3. Spirit-fused Mortals.

4. Translated Midwayers.

5. Unrevealed Ascenders.

30:1.10 III. SINGLE-ORIGIN BEINGS. Those of origin in any one of the Paradise Deities or otherwise created by any one being of direct or indirect descent from the Paradise Deities.

30:1.11 A. The Supreme Spirits.

1. Gravity Messengers.

2. The Seven Spirits of the Havona Circuits.

3. The Twelvefold Adjutants of the Havona Circuits.

4. The Reflective Image Aids.

5. Universe Mother Spirits.

6. The Sevenfold Adjutant Mind-Spirits.

7. Unrevealed Deity-origin Beings.

30:1.12 B. The Ascending Orders.

1. Personalized Adjusters.

2. Ascending Material Sons.

3. Evolutionary Seraphim.

4. Evolutionary Cherubim.

5. Unrevealed Ascenders.

30:1.13 C. The Family of the Infinite Spirit.

1. Solitary Messengers.

2. Universe Circuit Supervisors.

3. Census Directors.

4. Personal Aids of the Infinite Spirit.

5. Associate Inspectors.

6. Assigned Sentinels.

7. Graduate Guides.

8. Havona Servitals.

9. Universal Conciliators.

10. Morontia Companions.

11. Supernaphim.

12. Seconaphim.

13. Tertiaphim.

14. Omniaphim.

15. Seraphim.

16. Cherubim and Sanobim.

17. Unrevealed Spirit-origin Beings.

18. The Seven Supreme Power Directors.

19. The Supreme Power Centers.

20. The Master Physical Controllers.

21. The Morontia Power Supervisors.

30:1.14 IV. EVENTUATED TRANSCENDENTAL BEINGS. There is to be found on Paradise a vast host of transcendental beings whose origin is not ordinarily disclosed to the universes of time and space until they are settled in light and life. These Transcendentalers are neither creators nor creatures; they are the eventuated children of divinity, ultimacy, and eternity. These “eventuators” are neither finite nor infinite—they are absonite; and absonity is neither infinity nor absoluteness.

30:1.15 These uncreated noncreators are ever loyal to the Paradise Trinity and obedient to the Ultimate. They are existent on four ultimate levels of personality activity and are functional on the seven levels of the absonite in twelve grand divisions consisting of one thousand major working groups of seven classes each. These eventuated beings include the following orders:

1. The Architects of the Master Universe.

2. Transcendental Recorders.

3. Other Transcendentalers.

4. Primary Eventuated Master Force Organizers.

5. Associate Transcendental Master Force Organizers.

30:1.16 God, as a superperson, eventuates; God, as a person, creates; God, as a preperson, fragments; and such an Adjuster fragment of himself evolves the spirit soul upon the material and mortal mind in accordance with the freewill choosing of the personality which has been bestowed upon such a mortal creature by the parental act of God as a Father.

30:1.17 V. FRAGMENTED ENTITIES OF DEITY. This order of living existence, originating in the Universal Father, is best typified by the Thought Adjusters, though these entities are by no means the only fragmentations of the prepersonal reality of the First Source and Center. The functions of the other-than-Adjuster fragments are manifold and little known. Fusion with an Adjuster or other such fragment constitutes the creature a Father-fused being.

30:1.18 The fragmentations of the premind spirit of the Third Source and Center, though hardly comparable to the Father fragments, should be here recorded. Such entities differ very greatly from Adjusters; they do not as such dwell on Spiritington, nor do they as such traverse the mind-gravity circuits; neither do they indwell mortal creatures during the life in the flesh. They are not prepersonal in the sense that the Adjusters are, but such fragments of premind spirit are bestowed upon certain of the surviving mortals, and fusion therewith constitutes them Spirit-fused mortals in contradistinction to Adjuster-fused mortals.

30:1.19 Still more difficult of description is the individualized spirit of a Creator Son, union with which constitutes the creature a Son-fused mortal. And there are still other fragmentations of Deity.

30:1.20 VI. SUPERPERSONAL BEINGS. There is a vast host of other-than-personal beings of divine origin and of manifold service in the universe of universes. Certain of these beings are resident on the Paradise worlds of the Son; others, like the superpersonal representatives of the Eternal Son, are encountered elsewhere. They are for the most part unmentioned in these narratives, and it would be quite futile to attempt their description to personal creatures.

30:1.21 VII. UNCLASSIFIED AND UNREVEALED ORDERS. During the present universe age it would not be possible to place all beings, personal or otherwise, within classifications pertaining to the present universe age; nor have all such categories been revealed in these narratives; hence numerous orders have been omitted from these lists. Consider the following:

The Consummator of Universe Destiny.

The Qualified Vicegerents of the Ultimate.

The Unqualified Supervisors of the Supreme.

The Unrevealed Creative Agencies of the Ancients of Days.

Majeston of Paradise.

The Unnamed Reflectivator Liaisons of Majeston.

The Midsonite Orders of the Local Universes.

30:1.22 No especial significance need attach to the listing of these orders together except that none of them appear in the Paradise classification as revealed herein. These are the unclassified few; you have yet to learn of the unrevealed many.

30:1.23 There are spirits: spirit entities, spirit presences, personal spirits, prepersonal spirits, superpersonal spirits, spirit existences, spirit personalities—but neither mortal language nor mortal intellect are adequate. We may however state that there are no personalities of “pure mind”; no entity has personality unless he is endowed with it by God who is spirit. Any mind entity that is not associated with either spiritual or physical energy is not a personality. But in the same sense that there are spirit personalities who have mind there are mind personalities who have spirit. Majeston and his associates are fairly good illustrations of mind-dominated beings, but there are better illustrations of this type of personality unknown to you. There are even whole unrevealed orders of such mind personalities, but they are always spirit associated. Certain other unrevealed creatures are what might be termed mindal- and physical-energy personalities. This type of being is nonresponsive to spirit gravity but is nonetheless a true personality—is within the Father’s circuit.

30:1.24 These papers do not—cannot—even begin to exhaust the story of the living creatures, creators, eventuators, and still-otherwise-existent beings who live and worship and serve in the swarming universes of time and in the central universe of eternity. You mortals are persons; hence we can describe beings who are personalized, but how could an absonitized being ever be explained to you?

2. THE UVERSA PERSONALITY REGISTER

30:2.1 The divine family of living beings is registered on Uversa in seven grand divisions:

1. The Paradise Deities.

2. The Supreme Spirits.

3. The Trinity-origin Beings.

4. The Sons of God.

5. Personalities of the Infinite Spirit.

6. The Universe Power Directors.

7. The Corps of Permanent Citizenship.

30:2.2 These groups of will creatures are divided into numerous classes and minor subdivisions. The presentation of this classification of the personalities of the grand universe is however chiefly concerned in setting forth those orders of intelligent beings who have been revealed in these narratives, most of whom will be encountered in the ascendant experience of the mortals of time on their progressive climb to Paradise. The following listings make no mention of vast orders of universe beings who carry forward their work apart from the mortal ascension scheme.

30:2.3 I. THE PARADISE DEITIES.

1. The Universal Father.

2. The Eternal Son.

3. The Infinite Spirit.

30:2.4 II. THE SUPREME SPIRITS.

1. The Seven Master Spirits.

2. The Seven Supreme Executives.

3. The Seven Groups of Reflective Spirits.

4. The Reflective Image Aids

5. The Seven Spirits of the Circuits.

6. Local Universe Creative Spirits.

7. Adjutant Mind-Spirits.

30:2.5 III. THE TRINITY-ORIGIN BEINGS.

1. Trinitized Secrets of Supremacy.

2. Eternals of Days.

3. Ancients of Days.

4. Perfections of Days.

5. Recents of Days.

6. Unions of Days.

7. Faithfuls of Days.

8. Trinity Teacher Sons.

9. Perfectors of Wisdom.

10. Divine Counselors.

11. Universal Censors.

12. Inspired Trinity Spirits.

13. Havona Natives.

14. Paradise Citizens.

30:2.6 IV THE SONS OF GOD.

30:2.7 A. Descending Sons.

1. Creator Sons—Michaels.

2. Magisterial Sons—Avonals.

3. Trinity Teacher Sons—Daynals.

4. Melchizedek Sons.

5. Vorondadek Sons.

6. Lanonandek Sons.

7. Life Carrier Sons.

30:2.8 B. Ascending Sons.

1. Father-fused Mortals.

2. Son-fused Mortals.

3. Spirit-fused Mortals.

4. Evolutionary Seraphim.

5. Ascending Material Sons.

6. Translated Midwayers.

7. Personalized Adjusters.

30:2.9 C. Trinitized Sons.

1. Mighty Messengers.

2. Those High in Authority.

3. Those without Name and Number.

4. Trinitized Custodians.

5. Trinitized Ambassadors.

6. Celestial Guardians.

7. High Son Assistants.

8. Ascender-trinitized Sons.

9. Paradise-Havona-trinitized Sons.

10. Trinitized Sons of Destiny.

30:2.10 V. PERSONALITIES OF THE INFINITE SPIRIT.

30:2.11 A. Higher Personalities of the Infinite Spirit.

1. Solitary Messengers.

2. Universe Circuit Supervisors.

3. Census Directors.

4. Personal Aids of the Infinite Spirit.

5. Associate Inspectors.

6. Assigned Sentinels.

7. Graduate Guides.

30:2.12 B. The Messenger Hosts of Space.

1. Havona Servitals.

2. Universal Conciliators.

3. Technical Advisers.

4. Custodians of Records on Paradise.

5. Celestial Recorders.

6. Morontia Companions.

7. Paradise Companions.

30:2.13 C. The Ministering Spirits.

1. Supernaphim.

2. Seconaphim.

3. Tertiaphim.

4. Omniaphim.

5. Seraphim.

6. Cherubim and Sanobim.

7. Midwayers.

30:2.14 VI. THE UNIVERSE POWER DIRECTORS.

30:2.15 A. The Seven Supreme Power Directors.

30:2.16 B. Supreme Power Centers.

1. Supreme Center Supervisors.

2. Havona Centers.

3. Superuniverse Centers.

4. Local Universe Centers.

5. Constellation Centers.

6. System Centers.

7. Unclassified Centers.

30:2.17 C. Master Physical Controllers.

1. Associate Power Directors.

2. Mechanical Controllers.

3. Energy Transformers.

4. Energy Transmitters.

5. Primary Associators.

6. Secondary Dissociators.

7. Frandalanks and Chronoldeks.

30:2.18 D. Morontia Power Supervisors.

1. Circuit Regulators.

2. System Co-ordinators.

3. Planetary Custodians.

4. Combined Controllers.

5. Liaison Stabilizers.

6. Selective Assorters.

7. Associate Registrars.

30:2.19 VII. THE CORPS OF PERMANENT CITIZENSHIP.

1. The Planetary Midwayers.

2. The Adamic Sons of the Systems.

3. The Constellation Univitatia.

4. The Local Universe Susatia.

5. Spirit-fused Mortals of the Local Universes.

6. The Superuniverse Abandonters.

7. Son-fused Mortals of the Superuniverses.

8. The Havona Natives.

9. Natives of the Paradise Spheres of the Spirit.

10. Natives of the Father’s Paradise Spheres.

11. The Created Citizens of Paradise.

12. Adjuster-fused Mortal Citizens of Paradise.

30:2.20 This is the working classification of the personalities of the universes as they are of record on the headquarters world of Uversa.

30:2.21 COMPOSITE PERSONALITY GROUPS. There are on Uversa the records of numerous additional groups of intelligent beings, beings that are also closely related to the organization and administration of the grand universe. Among such orders are the following three composite personality groups:

30:2.22 A. The Paradise Corps of the Finality.

1. The Corps of Mortal Finaliters.

2. The Corps of Paradise Finaliters.

3. The Corps of Trinitized Finaliters.

4. The Corps of Conjoint Trinitized Finaliters.

5. The Corps of Havona Finaliters.

6. The Corps of Transcendental Finaliters.

7. The Corps of Unrevealed Sons of Destiny.

30:2.23 The Mortal Corps of the Finality is dealt with in the next and final paper of this series.

30:2.24 B. The Universe Aids.

1. Bright and Morning Stars.

2. Brilliant Evening Stars.

3. Archangels

4. Most High Assistants.

5. High Commissioners.

6. Celestial Overseers.

7. Mansion World Teachers.

30:2.25 On all headquarters worlds of both local and superuniverses, provision is made for these beings who are engaged in specific missions for the Creator Sons, the local universe rulers. We welcome these Universe Aids on Uversa, but we have no jurisdiction over them. Such emissaries prosecute their work and carry on their observations under authority of the Creator Sons. Their activities are more fully described in the narrative of your local universe.

30:2.26 C. The Seven Courtesy Colonies.

1. Star Students.

2. Celestial Artisans.

3. Reversion Directors.

4. Extension-school Instructors.

5. The Various Reserve Corps.

6. Student Visitors.

7. Ascending Pilgrims.

30:2.27 These seven groups of beings will be found thus organized and governed on all headquarters worlds from the local systems up to the capitals of the superuniverses, particularly the latter. The capitals of the seven superuniverses are the meeting places for almost all classes and orders of intelligent beings. With the exception of numerous groups of Paradise-Havoners, here the will creatures of every phase of existence may be observed and studied.

3. THE COURTESY COLONIES

30:3.1 The seven courtesy colonies sojourn on the architectural spheres for a longer or shorter time while engaged in the furtherance of their missions and in the execution of their special assignments. Their work may be described as follows:

30:3.2 1. The Star Students, the celestial astronomers, choose to work on spheres like Uversa because such specially constructed worlds are unusually favorable for their observations and calculations. Uversa is favorably situated for the work of this colony, not only because of its central location, but also because there are no gigantic living or dead suns near at hand to disturb the energy currents. These students are not in any manner organically connected with the affairs of the superuniverse; they are merely guests.

30:3.3 The astronomical colony of Uversa contains individuals from many near-by realms, from the central universe, and even from Norlatiadek. Any being on any world in any system of any universe may become a star student, may aspire to join some corps of celestial astronomers. The only requisites are: continuing life and sufficient knowledge of the worlds of space, especially their physical laws of evolution and control. Star students are not required to serve eternally in this corps, but no one admitted to this group may withdraw under one millennium of Uversa time.

30:3.4 The star-observer colony of Uversa now numbers over one million. These astronomers come and go, though some remain for comparatively long periods. They carry on their work with the aid of a multitude of mechanical instruments and physical appliances; they are also greatly assisted by the Solitary Messengers and other spirit explorers. These celestial astronomers make constant use of the living energy transformers and transmitters, as well as of the reflective personalities, in their work of star study and space survey. They study all forms and phases of space material and energy manifestations, and they are just as much interested in force function as in stellar phenomena; nothing in all space escapes their scrutiny.

30:3.5 Similar astronomer colonies are to be found on the sector headquarters worlds of the superuniverse as well as on the architectural capitals of the local universes and their administrative subdivisions. Except on Paradise, knowledge is not inherent; understanding of the physical universe is largely dependent on observation and research.

 

30:3.6 2. The Celestial Artisans serve throughout the seven superuniverses. Ascending mortals have their initial contact with these groups in the morontia career of the local universe in connection with which these artisans will be more fully discussed.

 

30:3.7 3. The Reversion Directors are the promoters of relaxation and humor—reversion to past memories. They are of great service in the practical operation of the ascending scheme of mortal progression, especially during the earlier phases of morontia transition and spirit experience. Their story belongs to the narrative of the mortal career in the local universe.

 

30:3.8 4. Extension-School Instructors. The next higher residential world of the ascendant career always maintains a strong corps of teachers on the world just below, a sort of preparatory school for the progressing residents of that sphere; this is a phase of the ascendant scheme for advancing the pilgrims of time. These schools, their methods of instruction and examinations, are wholly unlike anything which you essay to conduct on Urantia.

30:3.9 The entire ascendant plan of mortal progression is characterized by the practice of giving out to other beings new truth and experience just as soon as acquired. You work your way through the long school of Paradise attainment by serving as teachers to those pupils just behind you in the scale of progression.

 

30:3.10 5. The Various Reserve Corps. Vast reserves of beings not under our immediate supervision are mobilized on Uversa as the reserve-corps colony. There are seventy primary divisions of this colony on Uversa, and it is a liberal education to be permitted to spend a season with these extraordinary personalities. Similar general reserves are maintained on Salvington and other universe capitals; they are dispatched on active service on the requisition of their respective group directors.

 

30:3.11 6. The Student Visitors. From all the universe a constant stream of celestial visitors pours through the various headquarters worlds. As individuals and as classes these various types of beings flock in upon us as observers, exchange pupils, and student helpers. On Uversa, at present, there are over one billion persons in this courtesy colony. Some of these visitors may tarry a day, others may remain a year, all dependent on the nature of their mission. This colony contains almost every class of universe beings except Creator personalities and morontia mortals.

30:3.12 Morontia mortals are student visitors only within the confines of the local universe of their origin. They may visit in a superuniverse capacity only after they have attained spirit status. Fully one half of our visitor colony consists of “stopovers,” beings en route elsewhere who pause to visit the Orvonton capital. These personalities may be executing a universe assignment, or they may be enjoying a period of leisure—freedom from assignment. The privilege of intrauniverse travel and observation is a part of the career of all ascending beings. The human desire to travel and observe new peoples and worlds will be fully gratified during the long and eventful climb to Paradise through the local, super-, and central universes.

 

30:3.13 7. The Ascending Pilgrims. As the ascending pilgrims are assigned to various services in connection with their Paradise progression, they are domiciled as a courtesy colony on the various headquarters spheres. While functioning here and there throughout a superuniverse, such groups are largely self-governing. They are an ever-shifting colony embracing all orders of evolutionary mortals and their ascending associates.

4. THE ASCENDING MORTALS

30:4.1 While the mortal survivors of time and space are denominated ascending pilgrims when accredited for the progressive ascent to Paradise, these evolutionary creatures occupy such an important place in these narratives that we here desire to present a synopsis of the following seven stages of the ascending universe career:

1. Planetary Mortals.

2. Sleeping Survivors.

3. Mansion World Students.

4. Morontia Progressors.

5. Superuniverse Wards.

6 Havona Pilgrims.

7. Paradise Arrivals.

30:4.2 The following narrative presents the universe career of an Adjuster-indwelt mortal. The Son- and Spirit-fused mortals share portions of this career, but we have elected to tell this story as it pertains to the Adjuster-fused mortals, for such a destiny may be anticipated by all of the human races of Urantia.

30:4.3 1. Planetary Mortals. Mortals are all animal-origin evolutionary beings of ascendant potential. In origin, nature, and destiny these various groups and types of human beings are not wholly unlike the Urantia peoples. The human races of each world receive the same ministry of the Sons of God and enjoy the presence of the ministering spirits of time. After natural death all types of ascenders fraternize as one morontia family on the mansion worlds.

 

30:4.4 2. Sleeping Survivors. All mortals of survival status, in the custody of personal guardians of destiny, pass through the portals of natural death and, on the third period, personalize on the mansion worlds. Those accredited beings who have, for any reason, been unable to attain that level of intelligence mastery and endowment of spirituality which would entitle them to personal guardians, cannot thus immediately and directly go to the mansion worlds. Such surviving souls must rest in unconscious sleep until the judgment day of a new epoch, a new dispensation, the coming of a Son of God to call the rolls of the age and adjudicate the realm, and this is the general practice throughout all Nebadon. It was said of Christ Michael that, when he ascended on high at the conclusion of his work on earth, “He led a great multitude of captives.” And these captives were the sleeping survivors from the days of Adam to the day of the Master’s resurrection on Urantia.

30:4.5 The passing of time is of no moment to sleeping mortals; they are wholly unconscious and oblivious to the length of their rest. On reassembly of personality at the end of an age, those who have slept five thousand years will react no differently than those who have rested five days. Aside from this time delay these survivors pass on through the ascension regime identically with those who avoid the longer or shorter sleep of death.

30:4.6 These dispensational classes of world pilgrims are utilized for group morontia activities in the work of the local universes. There is a great advantage in the mobilization of such enormous groups; they are thus kept together for long periods of effective service.

 

30:4.7 3. Mansion World Students. All surviving mortals who reawaken on the mansion worlds belong to this class.

30:4.8 The physical body of mortal flesh is not a part of the reassembly of the sleeping survivor; the physical body has returned to dust. The seraphim of assignment sponsors the new body, the morontia form, as the new life vehicle for the immortal soul and for the indwelling of the returned Adjuster. The Adjuster is the custodian of the spirit transcript of the mind of the sleeping survivor. The assigned seraphim is the keeper of the surviving identity—the immortal soul—as far as it has evolved. And when these two, the Adjuster and the seraphim, reunite their personality trusts, the new individual constitutes the resurrection of the old personality, the survival of the evolving morontia identity of the soul. Such a reassociation of soul and Adjuster is quite properly called a resurrection, a reassembly of personality factors; but even this does not entirely explain the reappearance of the surviving personality. Though you will probably never understand the fact of such an inexplicable transaction, you will sometime experientially know the truth of it if you do not reject the plan of mortal survival.

 

30:4.9 The plan of initial mortal detention on seven worlds of progressive training is nearly universal in Orvonton. In each local system of approximately one thousand inhabited planets there are seven mansion worlds, usually satellites or subsatellites of the system capital. They are the receiving worlds for the majority of ascending mortals.

30:4.10 Sometimes all training worlds of mortal residence are called universe “mansions,” and it was to such spheres that Jesus alluded when he said: “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” From here on, within a given group of spheres like the mansion worlds, ascenders will progress individually from one sphere to another and from one phase of life to another, but they will always advance from one stage of universe study to another in class formation.

 

30:4.11 4. Morontia Progressors. From the mansion worlds on up through the spheres of the system, constellation, and the universe, mortals are classed as morontia progressors; they are traversing the transition spheres of mortal ascension. As the ascending mortals progress from the lower to the higher of the morontia worlds, they serve on countless assignments in association with their teachers and in company with their more advanced and senior brethren.

30:4.12 Morontia progression pertains to continuing advancement of intellect, spirit, and personality form. Survivors are still three-natured beings. Throughout the entire morontia experience they are wards of the local universe. The regime of the superuniverse does not function until the spirit career begins.

30:4.13 Mortals acquire real spirit identity just before they leave the local universe headquarters for the receiving worlds of the minor sectors of the superuniverse. Passing from the final morontia stage to the first or lowest spirit status is but a slight transition. The mind, personality, and character are unchanged by such an advance; only does the form undergo modification. But the spirit form is just as real as the morontia body, and it is equally discernible.

30:4.14 Before departing from their native local universes for the superuniverse receiving worlds, the mortals of time are recipients of spirit confirmation from the Creator Son and the local universe Mother Spirit. From this point on, the status of the ascending mortal is forever settled. Superuniverse wards have never been known to go astray. Ascending seraphim are also advanced in angelic standing at the time of their departure from the local universes.

 

30:4.15 5. Superuniverse Wards. All ascenders arriving on the training worlds of the superuniverses become the wards of the Ancients of Days; they have traversed the morontia life of the local universe and are now accredited spirits. As young spirits they begin the ascension of the superuniverse system of training and culture, extending from the receiving spheres of their minor sector in through the study worlds of the ten major sectors and on to the higher cultural spheres of the superuniverse headquarters.

30:4.16 There are three orders of student spirits in accordance with their sojourn upon the minor sector, major sectors, and the superuniverse headquarters worlds of spirit progression. As morontia ascenders studied and worked on the worlds of the local universe, so spirit ascenders continue to master new worlds while they practice at giving out to others that which they have imbibed at the experiential founts of wisdom. But going to school as a spirit being in the superuniverse career is very unlike anything that has ever entered the imaginative realms of the material mind of man.

30:4.17 Before leaving the superuniverse for Havona, these ascending spirits receive the same thorough course in superuniverse management that they received during their morontia experience in local universe supervision. Before spirit mortals reach Havona, their chief study, but not exclusive occupation, is the mastery of local and superuniverse administration. The reason for all of this experience is not now fully apparent, but no doubt such training is wise and necessary in view of their possible future destiny as members of the Corps of the Finality.

30:4.18 The superuniverse regime is not the same for all ascending mortals. They receive the same general education, but special groups and classes are carried through special courses of instruction and are put through specific courses of training.

 

30:4.19 6. Havona Pilgrims. When spirit development is complete, even though not replete, then the surviving mortal prepares for the long flight to Havona, the haven of evolutionary spirits. On earth you were a creature of flesh and blood; through the local universe you were a morontia being; through the superuniverse you were an evolving spirit; with your arrival on the receiving worlds of Havona your spiritual education begins in reality and in earnest; your eventual appearance on Paradise will be as a perfected spirit.

30:4.20 The journey from the superuniverse headquarters to the Havona receiving spheres is always made alone. From now on no more class or group instruction will be administered. You are through with the technical and administrative training of the evolutionary worlds of time and space. Now begins your personal education, your individual spiritual training. From first to last, throughout all Havona, the instruction is personal and threefold in nature: intellectual, spiritual, and experiential.

30:4.21 The first act of your Havona career will be to recognize and thank your transport seconaphim for the long and safe journey. Then you are presented to those beings who will sponsor your early Havona activities. Next you go to register your arrival and prepare your message of thanksgiving and adoration for dispatch to the Creator Son of your local universe, the universe Father who made possible your sonship career. This concludes the formalities of the Havona arrival; whereupon you are accorded a long period of leisure for free observation, and this affords opportunity for looking up your friends, fellows, and associates of the long ascension experience. You may also consult the broadcasts to ascertain who of your fellow pilgrims have departed for Havona since the time of your leaving Uversa.

30:4.22 The fact of your arrival on the receiving worlds of Havona will be duly transmitted to the headquarters of your local universe and personally conveyed to your seraphic guardian, wherever that seraphim may chance to be.

30:4.23 The ascendant mortals have been thoroughly trained in the affairs of the evolutionary worlds of space; now they begin their long and profitable contact with the created spheres of perfection. What a preparation for some future work is afforded by this combined, unique, and extraordinary experience! But I cannot tell you about Havona; you must see these worlds to appreciate their glory or to understand their grandeur.

 

30:4.24 7. Paradise Arrivals. On reaching Paradise with residential status, you begin the progressive course in divinity and absonity. Your residence on Paradise signifies that you have found God, and that you are to be mustered into the Mortal Corps of the Finality. Of all the creatures of the grand universe, only those who are Father fused are mustered into the Mortal Corps of the Finality. Only such individuals take the finaliter oath. Other beings of Paradise perfection or attainment may be temporarily attached to this finality corps, but they are not of eternal assignment to the unknown and unrevealed mission of this accumulating host of the evolutionary and perfected veterans of time and space.

30:4.25 Paradise arrivals are accorded a period of freedom, after which they begin their associations with the seven groups of the primary supernaphim. They are designated Paradise graduates when they have finished their course with the conductors of worship and then, as finaliters, are assigned on observational and co-operative service to the ends of the far-flung creation. As yet there seems to be no specific or settled employment for the Mortal Corps of Finaliters, though they serve in many capacities on worlds settled in light and life.

30:4.26 If there should be no future or unrevealed destiny for the Mortal Corps of the Finality, the present assignment of these ascendant beings would be altogether adequate and glorious. Their present destiny wholly justifies the universal plan of evolutionary ascent. But the future ages of the evolution of the spheres of outer space will undoubtedly further elaborate, and with more repleteness divinely illuminate, the wisdom and loving-kindness of the Gods in the execution of their divine plan of human survival and mortal ascension.

30:4.27 This narrative, together with what has been revealed to you and with what you may acquire in connection with instruction respecting your own world, presents an outline of the career of an ascending mortal. The story varies considerably in the different superuniverses, but this recital affords a glimpse of the average plan of mortal progression as it is operative in the local universe of Nebadon and in the seventh segment of the grand universe, the superuniverse of Orvonton.

30:4.28 [Sponsored by a Mighty Messenger from Uversa.]

THE CORPS OF MORTAL Finaliters represents the present known destination of the ascending Adjuster-fused mortals of time. But there are other groups who are also assigned to this corps. The primary finaliter corps is composed of the following:

1. Havona Natives.

2. Gravity Messengers.

3. Glorified Mortals.

4. Adopted Seraphim.

5. Glorified Material Sons.

6. Glorified Midway Creatures.

31:0.2 These six groups of glorified beings compose this unique body of eternal destiny. We think we know their future work, but we are not certain. While the Corps of the Mortal Finality is mobilizing on Paradise, and while they now so extensively minister to the universes of space and administer the worlds settled in light and life, their future destination must be the now-organizing universes of outer space. At least that is the conjecture of Uversa.

31:0.3 The corps is organized in accordance with the working associations of the worlds of space and in keeping with the associative experience acquired throughout the long and eventful ascendant career. All the ascendant creatures admitted to this corps are received in equality, but this exalted equality in no way abrogates individuality or destroys personal identity. We can immediately discern, in communicating with a finaliter, whether he is an ascendant mortal, Havona native, adopted seraphim, midway creature, or Material Son.

31:0.4 During the present universe age the finaliters return to serve in the universes of time. They are assigned to labor successively in the different superuniverses and never in their native superuniverses until after they have served in all the other six supercreations. Thus may they acquire the sevenfold concept of the Supreme Being.

31:0.5 One or more companies of the mortal finaliters are constantly in service on Urantia. There is no domain of universe service to which they are not assigned; they function universally and with alternating and equal periods of assigned duty and free service.

31:0.6 We have no idea as to the nature of the future organization of this extraordinary group, but the finaliters are now wholly a self-governing body. They choose their own permanent, periodic, and assignment leaders and directors. No outside influence can ever be brought to bear upon their policies, and their oath of allegiance is only to the Paradise Trinity.

31:0.7 The finaliters maintain their own headquarters on Paradise. in the superuniverses, in the local universes, and on all the divisional capitals. They are a separate order of evolutionary creation. We do not directly manage them or control them, and yet they are absolutely loyal and always co-operative with all our plans. They are indeed the accumulating tried and true souls of time and space—the evolutionary salt of the universe—and they are forever proof against evil and secure against sin.

1. THE HAVONA NATIVES

31:1.1 Many of the Havona natives who serve as teachers in the pilgrim-training schools of the central universe become greatly attached to the ascending mortals and still more intrigued with the future work and destiny of the Corps of Mortal Finaliters. On Paradise there is maintained, at the administrative headquarters of the corps, a registry for Havona volunteers presided over by the associate of Grandfanda. Today, you will find millions upon millions of Havona natives upon this waiting list. These perfect beings of direct and divine creation are of great assistance to the Mortal Corps of Finality, and they will undoubtedly be of even greater service in the far-distant future. They provide the viewpoint of one born in perfection and divine repleteness. The finaliters thus embrace both phases of experiential existence—perfect and perfected.

31:1.2 Havona natives must achieve certain experiential developments in liaison with evolutionary beings which will create reception capacity for the bestowal of a fragment of the spirit of the Universal Father. The Mortal Finaliter Corps has as permanent members only such beings as have been fused with the spirit of the First Source and Center, or who, like the Gravity Messengers, innately embody this spirit of God the Father.

31:1.3 The inhabitants of the central universe are received into the corps in the ratio of one in a thousand—a finaliter company. The corps is organized for temporary service in companies of one thousand, the ascendant creatures numbering 997 to one Havona native and one Gravity Messenger. Finaliters are thus mobilized in companies, but the finality oath is administered individually. It is an oath of sweeping implications and eternal import. The Havona native takes the same oath and becomes forever attached to the corps.

31:1.4 The Havona recruits follow the company of their assignment; wherever the group goes, they go. And you should see their enthusiasm in the new work of the finaliters. The possibility of attaining the Corps of the Finality is one of the superb thrills of Havona; the possibility of becoming a finaliter is one of the supreme adventures of these perfect races.

31:1.5 The Havona natives are also received, in the same ratio, into the Corps of Conjoint Trinitized Finaliters on Vicegerington and into the Corps of Transcendental Finaliters on Paradise. The Havona citizens regard these three destinies as constituting the supreme goals of their supernal careers, together with their possible admission to the Corps of Havona Finaliters.

2. GRAVITY MESSENGERS

31:2.1 Wherever and whenever Gravity Messengers are functioning, the finaliters are in command. All Gravity Messengers are under the exclusive jurisdiction of Grandfanda, and they are assigned only to the primary Corps of the Finality. They are invaluable to the finaliters even now, and they will be all-serviceable in the eternal future. No other group of intelligent creatures possesses such a personalized messenger corps able to transcend time and space. Similar types of messenger-recorders attached to other finaliter corps are not personalized; they are absonitized.

31:2.2 Gravity Messengers hail from Divinington, and they are modified and personalized Adjusters, but no one of our Uversa group will undertake to explain the nature of one of these messengers. We know they are highly personal beings, divine, intelligent, and touchingly understanding, but we do not comprehend their timeless technique of traversing space. They seem to be competent to utilize any and all energies, circuits, and even gravity. Finaliters of the mortal corps cannot defy time and space, but they have associated with them and subject to their command all but infinite spirit personalities who can. We presume to call Gravity Messengers personalities, but in reality they are superspirit beings, unlimited and boundless personalities. They are of an entirely different order of personality as compared with Solitary Messengers.

31:2.3 Gravity Messengers may be attached to a finaliter company in unlimited numbers, but only one messenger, the chief of his fellows, is mustered into the Mortal Corps of the Finality. This chief however has assigned to him a permanent staff of 999 fellow messengers, and as occasion may require, he may call upon the reserves of the order for assistants in unlimited numbers.

31:2.4 Gravity Messengers and glorified mortal finaliters achieve a touching and profound affection for one another; they have much in common: One is a direct personalization of a fragment of the Universal Father, the other a creature personality existent in the surviving immortal soul fused with a fragment of the same Universal Father, the spirit Thought Adjuster.

3. GLORIFIED MORTALS

31:3.1 Ascendant Adjuster-fused mortals compose the bulk of the primary Corps of the Finality. Together with the adopted and glorified seraphim they usually constitute 990 in each finaliter company. The proportion of mortals and angels in any one group varies, though the mortals far outnumber the seraphim. The Havona natives, glorified Material Sons, glorified midway creatures, the Gravity Messengers, and the unknown and missing member make up only one per cent of the corps; each company of one thousand finaliters has places for just ten of these nonmortal and nonseraphic personalities.

31:3.2 We of Uversa do not know the “finality destiny” of the ascendant mortals of time. At present they reside on Paradise and temporarily serve in the Corps of Light and Life, but such a tremendous course of ascendant training and such lengthy universe discipline must be designed to qualify them for even greater tests of trust and more sublime services of responsibility.

31:3.3 Notwithstanding that these ascendant mortals have attained Paradise, have been mustered into the Corps of the Finality, and have been sent back in large numbers to participate in the conduct of local universes and to assist in the administration of superuniverse affairs—in the face of even this apparent destiny, there remains the significant fact that they are of record as only sixth-stage spirits. There undoubtedly remains one more step in the career of the Mortal Corps of the Finality. We do not know the nature of that step, but we have taken cognizance of, and here call attention to, three facts:

31:3.4 1. We know from the records that mortals are spirits of the first order during their sojourn in the minor sectors, and that they advance to the second order when translated to the major sectors, and to the third when they go forward to the central training worlds of the superuniverse. Mortals become quartan or graduate spirits after reaching the sixth circle of Havona and become spirits of the fifth order when they find the Universal Father. They subsequently attain the sixth stage of spirit existence upon taking the oath that musters them forever into the eternity assignment of the Corps of the Mortal Finality.

31:3.5 We observe that spirit classification, or designation, has been determined by actual advancement from one realm of universe service to another realm of universe service or from one universe to another universe; and we surmise that the bestowal of seventh-spirit classification upon the Mortal Corps of the Finality will be simultaneous with their advancement to eternal assignment for service on hitherto unrecorded and unrevealed spheres and concomitant with their attainment of God the Supreme. But aside from these bold conjectures, we really know no more about all this than you do; our knowledge of the mortal career does not go beyond present Paradise destiny.

 

31:3.6 2. The mortal finaliters have fully complied with the injunction of the ages, “Be you perfect”; they have ascended the universal path of mortal attainment; they have found God, and they have been duly inducted into the Corps of the Finality. Such beings have attained the present limit of spirit progression but not finality of ultimate spirit status. They have achieved the present limit of creature perfection but not finality of creature service. They have experienced the fullness of Deity worship but not finality of experiential Deity attainment.

 

31:3.7 3. The glorified mortals of the Paradise Corps of Finality are ascendant beings in possession of experiential knowledge of every step of the actuality and philosophy of the fullest possible life of intelligent existence, while during the ages of this ascent from the lowest material worlds to the spiritual heights of Paradise, these surviving creatures have been trained to the limits of their capacity respecting every detail of every divine principle of the just and efficient, as well as merciful and patient, administration of all the universal creation of time and space.

31:3.8 We deem that human beings are entitled to share our opinions, and that you are free to conjecture with us respecting the mystery of the ultimate destiny of the Paradise Corps of Finality. It seems evident to us that the present assignments of the perfected evolutionary creatures partake of the nature of postgraduate courses in universe understanding and superuniverse administration; and we all ask, “Why should the Gods be so concerned in so thoroughly training surviving mortals in the technique of universe management?”

4. ADOPTED SERAPHIM

< 31:4.1 Many of the faithful seraphic guardians of mortals are permitted to go through the ascendant career with their human wards, and many of these guardian angels, after becoming Father fused, join their subjects in taking the finaliter oath of eternity and forever accept the destiny of their mortal associates. Angels who pass through the ascending experience of mortal beings may share the destiny of human nature; they may equally and eternally be mustered into this Corps of the Finality. Large numbers of the adopted and glorified seraphim are attached to the various nonmortal finaliter corps.

5. GLORIFIED MATERIAL SONS

31:5.1 There is provision in the universes of time and space whereby the Adamic citizens of the local systems, when long delayed in receiving planetary assignment, may initiate a petition for release from permanent-citizenship status. And if granted, they join the ascending pilgrims on the universe capitals and thence proceed onward to Paradise and the Corps of the Finality.

31:5.2 When an advanced evolutionary world attains the later eras of the age of light and life, the Material Sons, the Planetary Adam and Eve, may elect to humanize, receive Adjusters, and embark upon the evolutionary course of universe ascent leading to the Corps of Mortal Finaliters. Certain of these Material Sons have partially failed or technically defaulted in their mission as biologic accelerators, as Adam did on Urantia; and then are they compelled to take the natural course of the peoples of the realm, receive Adjusters, pass through death, and progress by faith through the ascendant regime, subsequently attaining Paradise and the Corps of the Finality.

31:5.3 These Material Sons are not to be found in many finaliter companies. Their presence lends great potential to the possibilities of high service for such a group, and they are invariably chosen as its leaders. If both of the Edenic pair are attached to the same group, they are usually permitted to function jointly, as one personality. Such ascendant pairs are far more successful in the adventure of trinitizing than are the ascendant mortals.

6. GLORIFIED MIDWAY CREATURES

31:6.1 On many planets the midway creatures are produced in large numbers, but they seldom tarry on their native world subsequent to its being settled in light and life. Then, or soon thereafter, they are released from permanent-citizenship status and start on the ascension to Paradise, passing through the morontia worlds, the superuniverse, and Havona in company with the mortals of time and space.

31:6.2 The midway creatures from various universes differ greatly in origin and nature, but they are all destined to one or another of the Paradise finality corps. The secondary midwayers are all eventually Adjuster fused and are mustered into the mortal corps. Many finaliter companies have one of these glorified beings in their group.

7. THE EVANGELS OF LIGHT

31:7.1 At the present time every finaliter company numbers 999 personalities of oath status, permanent members. The vacant place is occupied by the chief of attached Evangels of Light assigned on any single mission. But these beings are only transient members of the corps.

31:7.2 Any celestial personality assigned to the service of any finaliter corps is denominated an Evangel of Light. These beings do not take the finaliter oath, and though subject to the corps organization they are not of permanent attachment. This group may embrace Solitary Messengers, supernaphim, seconaphim, Paradise Citizens, or their trinitized offspring—any being required in the prosecution of a transient finaliter assignment. Whether or not the corps is to have these beings attached to the eternal mission, we do not know. At the conclusion of attachment these Evangels of Light resume their former status.

31:7.3 As the Mortal Corps of the Finality is at present constituted, there are just six classes of permanent members. The finaliters, as might be expected, engage in much speculation as to the identity of their future comrades, but there is little agreement among them.

31:7.4 We of Uversa often conjecture respecting the identity of the seventh group of finaliters. We entertain many ideas, embracing possible assignment of some of the accumulating corps of the numerous trinitized groups on Paradise, Vicegerington, and the inner Havona circuit. It is even conjectured that the Corps of the Finality may be permitted to trinitize many of their assistants in the work of universe administration in the event they are destined to the service of universes now in the making.

31:7.5 One of us holds the opinion that this vacant place in the corps will be filled by some type of being of origin in the new universe of their future service; the other inclines to the belief that this place will be occupied by some type of Paradise personality not yet created, eventuated, or trinitized. But we will most likely await the entrance of the finaliters upon their seventh stage of spirit attainment before we really know.

8. THE TRANSCENDENTALERS

31:8.1 Part of the perfected mortal’s experience on Paradise as a finaliter consists in the effort to achieve comprehension of the nature and function of more than one thousand groups of the transcendental supercitizens of Paradise eventuated beings of absonite attributes. In their association with these superpersonalities, the ascendant finaliters receive great assistance from the helpful guidance of numerous orders of transcendental ministers who are assigned to the task of introducing the evolved finaliters to their new Paradise brethren. The entire order of the Transcendentalers live in the west of Paradise in a vast area which they exclusively occupy.

31:8.2 In the discussion of Transcendentalers we are restricted, not only by the limitations of human comprehension, but also by the terms of the mandate governing these disclosures concerning the personalities of Paradise. These beings are in no way connected with the mortal ascent to Havona. The vast host of the Paradise Transcendentalers have nothing whatever to do with the affairs of either Havona or the seven superuniverses, being concerned only with the superadministration of the affairs of the master universe.

31:8.3 You, being a creature, can conceive of a Creator, but you can hardly comprehend that there exists an enormous and diversified aggregation of intelligent beings who are neither Creators nor creatures. These Transcendentalers create no beings, neither were they ever created. In speaking of their origin, in order to avoid using a new term—an arbitrary and meaningless designation—we deem it best to say that Transcendentalers simply eventuate. The Deity Absolute may well have been concerned in their origin and may be implicated in their destiny, but these unique beings are not now dominated by the Deity Absolute. They are subject to God the Ultimate, and their present Paradise sojourn is in every way Trinity supervised and directed.

31:8.4 Although all mortals who attain Paradise frequently fraternize with the Transcendentalers as they do with the Paradise Citizens, it develops that man’s first serious contact with a Transcendentaler occurs on that eventful occasion when, as a member of a new finaliter group, the mortal ascender stands in the finaliter receiving circle as the Trinity oath of eternity is administered by the chief of Transcendentalers, the presiding head of the Architects of the Master Universe.

9. ARCHITECTS OF THE MASTER UNIVERSE

31:9.1 The Architects of the Master Universe are the governing corps of the Paradise Transcendentalers. This governing corps numbers 28,011 personalities possessing master minds, superb spirits, and supernal absonites. The presiding officer of this magnificent group, the senior Master Architect, is the co-ordinating head of all Paradise intelligences below the level of Deity.

31:9.2 The sixteenth proscription of the mandate authorizing these narratives says: “If deemed wise, the existence of the Architects of the Master Universe and their associates may be disclosed, but their origin, nature, and destiny may not be fully revealed.” We may, however, inform you that these Master Architects exist in seven levels of the absonite. These seven groups are classified as follows:

31:9.3 1. The Paradise Level. Only the senior or first-eventuated Architect functions on this highest level of the absonite. This ultimate personality—neither Creator nor creature—eventuated in the dawn of eternity and now functions as the exquisite co-ordinator of Paradise and its twenty-one worlds of associated activities.

31:9.4 2. The Havona Level. The second Architect eventuation yielded three master planners and absonite administrators, and they have always been devoted to the co-ordination of the one billion perfect spheres of the central universe. Paradise tradition asserts that these three Architects, with the counsel of the pre-eventuated senior Architect, contributed to the planning of Havona, but we really do not know.

31:9.5 3. The Superuniverse Level. The third absonite level embraces the seven Master Architects of the seven superuniverses, who now, as a group, spend about equal time in the company of the Seven Master Spirits on Paradise and with the Seven Supreme Executives on the seven special worlds of the Infinite Spirit. They are the superco-ordinators of the grand universe.

31:9.6 4. The Primary Space Level. This group numbers seventy Architects, and we conjecture that they are concerned with the ultimate plans for the first universe of outer space, now mobilizing beyond the borders of the present seven superuniverses.

31:9.7 5. The Secondary Space Level. This fifth corps of Architects numbers 490, and again we conjecture that they must be concerned with the second universe of outer space, where already our physicists have detected definite energy mobilizations.

31:9.8 6. The Tertiary Space Level. This sixth group of Master Architects numbers 3,430, and we likewise infer that they may be occupied with the gigantic plans for the third universe of outer space.

31:9.9 7. The Quartan Space Level. This, the final and largest corps, consists of 24,010 Master Architects, and if our former conjectures are valid, it must be related to the fourth and last of the ever-increasing-sized universes of outer space.

31:9.10 These seven groups of Master Architects total 28,011 universe planners. On Paradise there is a tradition that far back in eternity there was attempted the eventuation of the 28,012th Master Architect, but that this being failed to absonitize, experiencing personality seizure by the Universal Absolute. It is possible that the ascending series of the Master Architects attained the limit of absonity in the 28,011th Architect, and that the 28,012th attempt encountered the mathematical level of the presence of the Absolute. In other words, at the 28,012th eventuation level the quality of absonity equivalated to the level of the Universal and attained the value of the Absolute.

31:9.11 In their functional organization the three supervising Architects of Havona act as associate assistants to the solitary Paradise Architect. The seven Architects of the superuniverses act as co-ordinates of the three supervisors of Havona. The seventy planners of the universes of the primary outer space level are at present serving as associate assistants to the seven Architects of the seven superuniverses.

31:9.12 The Architects of the Master Universe have at their disposal numerous groups of assistants and helpers, including two vast orders of force organizers, the primary eventuated and the associate transcendental. These Master Force Organizers are not to be confused with the power directors, who are germane to the grand universe.

31:9.13 All beings produced by the union of the children of time and eternity, such as the trinitized offspring of the finaliters and the Paradise Citizens, become wards of the Master Architects. But of all other creatures or entities revealed as functioning in the present organized universes, only Solitary Messengers and Inspired Trinity Spirits maintain any organic association with the Transcendentalers and the Architects of the Master Universe.

31:9.14 The Master Architects contribute technical approval of the assignment of the Creator Sons to their space sites for the organization of the local universes. There is a very close association between the Master Architects and the Paradise Creator Sons, and while this relationship is unrevealed, you have been informed of the association of the Architects and the grand universe Supreme Creators in the relationship of the first experiential Trinity. These two groups, together with the evolving and experiential Supreme Being, constitute the Trinity Ultimate of transcendental values and master universe meanings.

10. THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

31:10.1 The senior Master Architect has the oversight of the seven Corps of the Finality, and they are:

1. The Corps of Mortal Finaliters.

2. The Corps of Paradise Finaliters.

3. The Corps of Trinitized Finaliters.

4. The Corps of Conjoint Trinitized Finaliters.

5. The Corps of Havona Finaliters.

6. The Corps of Transcendental Finaliters.

7. The Corps of Unrevealed Sons of Destiny.

31:10.2 Each of these destiny corps has a presiding head, and the seven constitute the Supreme Council of Destiny on Paradise; and during the present universe age Grandfanda is the chief of this supreme body of universe assignment for the children of ultimate destiny.

31:10.3 The gathering together of these seven finaliter corps signifies reality mobilization of potentials, personalities, minds, spirits, absonites, and experiential actualities that probably transcend even the future master universe functions of the Supreme Being. These seven finaliter corps probably signify the present activity of the Ultimate Trinity engaged in mustering the forces of the finite and the absonite in preparation for inconceivable developments in the universes of outer space. Nothing like this mobilization has taken place since the near times of eternity when the Paradise Trinity similarly mobilized the then existing personalities of Paradise and Havona and commissioned them as administrators and rulers of the projected seven superuniverses of time and space. The seven finaliter corps represent the divinity response of the grand universe to the future needs of the undeveloped potentials in the outer universes of future-eternal activities.

31:10.4 We venture the forecast of future and greater outer universes of inhabited worlds, new spheres peopled with new orders of exquisite and unique beings, a material universe sublime in its ultimacy, a vast creation lacking in only one important detail—the presence of actual finite experience in the universal life of ascendant existence. Such a universe will come into being under a tremendous experiential handicap: the deprivation of participation in the evolution of the Almighty Supreme. These outer universes will all enjoy the matchless ministry and supernal overcontrol of the Supreme Being, but the very fact of his active presence precludes their participation in the actualization of the Supreme Deity.

31:10.5 During the present universe age the evolving personalities of the grand universe suffer many difficulties due to the incomplete actualization of the sovereignty of God the Supreme, but we are all sharing the unique experience of his evolution. We evolve in him and he evolves in us. Sometime in the eternal future the evolution of Supreme Deity will become a completed fact of universe history, and the opportunity to participate in this wonderful experience will have passed from the stage of cosmic action.

31:10.6 But those of us who have acquired this unique experience during the youth of the universe will treasure it throughout all future eternity. And many of us speculate that it may be the mission of the gradually accumulating reserves of the ascendant and perfected mortals of the Corps of the Finality, in association with the other six similarly recruiting corps, to administer these outer universes in an effort to compensate their experiential deficiencies in not having participated in the time-space evolution of the Supreme Being.

31:10.7 These deficiencies are inevitable on all levels of universe existence. During the present universe age we of the higher levels of spiritual existences now come down to administer the evolutionary universes and minister to the ascending mortals, thus endeavoring to atone for their deficiencies in the realities of the higher spiritual experience.

31:10.8 But though we really know nothing about the plans of the Architects of the Master Universe respecting these outer creations, nevertheless, of three things we are certain:

31:10.9 1. There actually is a vast and new system of universes gradually organizing in the domains of outer space. New orders of physical creations, enormous and gigantic circles of swarming universes upon universes far out beyond the present bounds of the peopled and organized creations, are actually visible through your telescopes. At present, these outer creations are wholly physical; they are apparently uninhabited and seem to be devoid of creature administration.

31:10.10 2. For ages upon ages there continues the unexplained and wholly mysterious Paradise mobilization of the perfected and ascendant beings of time and space, in association with the six other finaliter corps.

31:10.11 3. Concomitantly with these transactions the Supreme Person of Deity is powerizing as the almighty sovereign of the supercreations.

31:10.12 As we view this triune development, embracing creatures, universes, and Deity, can we be criticized for anticipating that something new and unrevealed is approaching culmination in the master universe? Is it not natural that we should associate this agelong mobilization and organization of physical universes on such a hitherto unknown scale and the personality emergence of the Supreme Being with this stupendous scheme of upstepping the mortals of time to divine perfection and with their subsequent mobilization on Paradise in the Corps of the Finality—a designation and destiny enshrouded in universe mystery? It is increasingly the belief of all Uversa that the assembling Corps of the Finality are destined to some future service in the universes of outer space, where we already are able to identify the clustering of at least seventy thousand aggregations of matter, each of which is greater than any one of the present superuniverses.

31:10.13 Evolutionary mortals are born on the planets of space, pass through the morontia worlds, ascend the spirit universes, traverse the Havona spheres, find God, attain Paradise, and are mustered into the primary Corps of the Finality, therein to await the next assignment of universe service. There are six other assembling finality corps, but Grandfanda, the first mortal ascender, presides as Paradise chief of all orders of finaliters. And as we view this sublime spectacle, we all exclaim: What a glorious destiny for the animal-origin children of time, the material sons of space!

31:10.14 [Jointly sponsored by a Divine Counselor and One without Name and Number authorized so to function by the Ancients of Days on Uversa.]

31:10.15 These thirty-one papers depicting the nature of Deity, the reality of Paradise, the organization and working of the central and superuniverses, the personalities of the grand universe, and the high destiny of evolutionary mortals, were sponsored, formulated, and put into English by a high commission consisting of twenty-four Orvonton administrators acting in accordance with a mandate issued by the Ancients of Days of Uversa directing that we should do this on Urantia, 606 of Satania, in Norlatiadek of Nebadon, in the year A.D.1934.

Sponsored by a Nebadon corps of Local Universe Personalities acting by authority of Gabriel of Salvington.

A LOCAL UNIVERSE is the handiwork of a Creator Son of the Paradise order of Michael. It comprises one hundred constellations, each embracing one hundred systems of inhabited worlds. Each system will eventually contain approximately one thousand inhabited spheres.

32:0.2 These universes of time and space are all evolutionary. The creative plan of the Paradise Michaels always proceeds along the path of gradual evolvement and progressive development of the physical, intellectual, and spiritual natures and capacities of the manifold creatures who inhabit the varied orders of spheres comprising such a local universe.

32:0.3 Urantia belongs to a local universe whose sovereign is the God-man of Nebadon, Jesus of Nazareth and Michael of Salvington. And all of Michael’s plans for this local universe were fully approved by the Paradise Trinity before he ever embarked upon the supreme adventure of space.

32:0.4 The Sons of God may choose the realms of their creator activities, but these material creations were originally projected and planned by the Paradise Architects of the Master Universe.

1. PHYSICAL EMERGENCE OF UNIVERSES

32:1.1 The preuniverse manipulations of space-force and the primordial energies are the work of the Paradise Master Force Organizers; but in the superuniverse domains, when emergent energy becomes responsive to local or linear gravity, they retire in favor of the power directors of the superuniverse concerned.

32:1.2 These power directors function alone in the prematerial and postforce phases of a local universe creation. There is no opportunity for a Creator Son to begin universe organization until the power directors have effected the mobilization of the space-energies sufficiently to provide a material foundation—literal suns and material spheres—for the emerging universe.

32:1.3 The local universes are all approximately of the same energy potential, though they differ greatly in physical dimensions and may vary in visible-matter content from time to time. The power charge and potential-matter endowment of a local universe are determined by the manipulations of the power directors and their predecessors as well as by the Creator Son’s activities and by the endowment of the inherent physical control possessed by his creative associate.

32:1.4 The energy charge of a local universe is approximately one one-hundred-thousandth of the force endowment of its superuniverse. In the case of Nebadon, your local universe, the mass materialization is a trifle less. Physically speaking, Nebadon possesses all of the physical endowment of energy and matter that may be found in any of the Orvonton local creations. The only physical limitation upon the developmental expansion of the Nebadon universe consists in the quantitative charge of space-energy held captive by the gravity control of the associated powers and personalities of the combined universe mechanism.

32:1.5 When energy-matter has attained a certain stage in mass materialization, a Paradise Creator Son appears upon the scene, accompanied by a Creative Daughter of the Infinite Spirit. Simultaneously with the arrival of the Creator Son, work is begun upon the architectural sphere which is to become the headquarters world of the projected local universe. For long ages such a local creation evolves, suns become stabilized, planets form and swing into their orbits, while the work of creating the architectural worlds which are to serve as constellation headquarters and system capitals continues.

2. UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

32:2.1 The Creator Sons are preceded in universe organization by the power directors and other beings originating in the Third Source and Center. From the energies of space, thus previously organized, Michael, your Creator Son, established the inhabited realms of the universe of Nebadon and ever since has been painstakingly devoted to their administration. From pre-existent energy these divine Sons materialize visible matter, project living creatures, and with the co-operation of the universe presence of the Infinite Spirit, create a diverse retinue of spirit personalities.

32:2.2 These power directors and energy controllers who long preceded the Creator Son in the preliminary physical work of universe organization later serve in magnificent liaison with this Universe Son, forever remaining in associated control of those energies which they originally organized and circuitized. On Salvington there now function the same one hundred power centers who co-operated with your Creator Son in the original formation of this local universe.

32:2.3 The first completed act of physical creation in Nebadon consisted in the organization of the headquarters world, the architectural sphere of Salvington, with its satellites. From the time of the initial moves of the power centers and physical controllers to the arrival of the living staff on the completed spheres of Salvington, there intervened a little over one billion years of your present planetary time. The construction of Salvington was immediately followed by the creation of the one hundred headquarters worlds of the projected constellations and the ten thousand headquarters spheres of the projected local systems of planetary control and administration, together with their architectural satellites. Such architectural worlds are designed to accommodate both physical and spiritual personalities as well as the intervening morontia or transition stages of being.

32:2.4 Salvington, the headquarters of Nebadon, is situated at the exact energy-mass center of the local universe. But your local universe is not a single astronomic system, though a large system does exist at its physical center.

32:2.5 Salvington is the personal headquarters of Michael of Nebadon, but he will not always be found there. While the smooth functioning of your local universe no longer requires the fixed presence of the Creator Son at the capital sphere, this was not true of the earlier epochs of physical organization. A Creator Son is unable to leave his headquarters world until such a time as gravity stabilization of the realm has been effected through the materialization of sufficient energy to enable the various circuits and systems to counterbalance one another by mutual material attraction.

32:2.6 Presently, the physical plan of a universe is completed, and the Creator Son, in association with the Creative Spirit, projects his plan of life creation; whereupon does this representation of the Infinite Spirit begin her universe function as a distinct creative personality. When this first creative act is formulated and executed, there springs into being the Bright and Morning Star, the personification of this initial creative concept of identity and ideal of divinity. This is the chief executive of the universe, the personal associate of the Creator Son, one like him in all aspects of character, though markedly limited in the attributes of divinity.

32:2.7 And now that the right-hand helper and chief executive of the Creator Son has been provided, there ensues the bringing into existence of a vast and wonderful array of diverse creatures. The sons and daughters of the local universe are forthcoming, and soon thereafter the government of such a creation is provided, extending from the supreme councils of the universe to the fathers of the constellations and the sovereigns of the local systems—the aggregations of those worlds which are designed subsequently to become the homes of the varied mortal races of will creatures; and each of these worlds will be presided over by a Planetary Prince.

32:2.8 And then, when such a universe has been so completely organized and so repletely manned, does the Creator Son enter into the Father’s proposal to create mortal man in their divine image.

32:2.9 The organization of planetary abodes is still progressing in Nebadon, for this universe is, indeed, a young cluster in the starry and planetary realms of Orvonton. At the last registry there were 3,840,101 inhabited planets in Nebadon, and Satania, the local system of your world, is fairly typical of other systems.

32:2.10 Satania is not a uniform physical system, a single astronomic unit or organization. Its 619 inhabited worlds are located in over five hundred different physical systems. Only five have more than two inhabited worlds, and of these only one has four peopled planets, while there are forty-six having two inhabited worlds.

32:2.11 The Satania system of inhabited worlds is far removed from Uversa and that great sun cluster which functions as the physical or astronomic center of the seventh superuniverse. From Jerusem, the headquarters of Satania, it is over two hundred thousand light-years to the physical center of the superuniverse of Orvonton, far, far away in the dense diameter of the Milky Way. Satania is on the periphery of the local universe, and Nebadon is now well out towards the edge of Orvonton. From the outermost system of inhabited worlds to the center of the superuniverse is a trifle less than two hundred and fifty thousand light-years.

32:2.12 The universe of Nebadon now swings far to the south and east in the superuniverse circuit of Orvonton. The nearest neighboring universes are: Avalon, Henselon, Sanselon, Portalon, Wolvering, Fanoving, and Alvoring.

32:2.13 But the evolution of a local universe is a long narrative. Papers dealing with the superuniverse introduce this subject, those of this section, treating of the local creations, continue it, while those to follow, touching upon the history and destiny of Urantia, complete the story. But you can adequately comprehend the destiny of the mortals of such a local creation only by a perusal of the narratives of the life and teachings of your Creator Son as he once lived the life of man, in the likeness of mortal flesh, on your own evolutionary world.

3. THE EVOLUTIONARY IDEA

32:3.1 The only creation that is perfectly settled is Havona, the central universe, which was made directly by the thought of the Universal Father and the word of the Eternal Son. Havona is an existential, perfect, and replete universe, surrounding the home of the eternal Deities, the center of all things. The creations of the seven superuniverses are finite, evolutionary, and consistently progressive.

32:3.2 The physical systems of time and space are all evolutionary in origin. They are not even physically stabilized until they are swung into the settled circuits of their superuniverses. Neither is a local universe settled in light and life until its physical possibilities of expansion and development have been exhausted, and until the spiritual status of all its inhabited worlds has been forever settled and stabilized.

32:3.3 Except in the central universe, perfection is a progressive attainment. In the central creation we have a pattern of perfection, but all other realms must attain that perfection by the methods established for the advancement of those particular worlds or universes. And an almost infinite variety characterizes the plans of the Creator Sons for organizing, evolving, disciplining, and settling their respective local universes.

32:3.4 With the exception of the deity presence of the Father, every local universe is, in a certain sense, a duplication of the administrative organization of the central or pattern creation. Although the Universal Father is personally present in the residential universe, he does not indwell the minds of the beings originating in that universe as he does literally dwell with the souls of the mortals of time and space. There seems to be an all-wise compensation in the adjustment and regulation of the spiritual affairs of the far-flung creation. In the central universe the Father is personally present as such but absent in the minds of the children of that perfect creation; in the universes of space the Father is absent in person, being represented by his Sovereign Sons, while he is intimately present in the minds of his mortal children, being spiritually represented by the prepersonal presence of the Mystery Monitors that reside in the minds of these will creatures.

32:3.5 On the headquarters of a local universe there reside all those creator and creative personalities who represent self-contained authority and administrative autonomy except the personal presence of the Universal Father. In the local universe there are to be found something of everyone and someone of almost every class of intelligent beings existing in the central universe except the Universal Father. Although the Universal Father is not personally present in a local universe, he is personally represented by its Creator Son, sometime vicegerent of God and subsequently supreme and sovereign ruler in his own right.

32:3.6 The farther down the scale of life we go, the more difficult it becomes to locate, with the eye of faith, the invisible Father. The lower creatures—and sometimes even the higher personalities—find it difficult always to envisage the Universal Father in his Creator Sons. And so, pending the time of their spiritual exaltation, when perfection of development will enable them to see God in person, they grow weary in progression, entertain spiritual doubts, stumble into confusion, and thus isolate themselves from the progressive spiritual aims of their time and universe. In this way they lose the ability to see the Father when beholding the Creator Son. The surest safeguard for the creature throughout the long struggle to attain the Father, during this time when inherent conditions make such attainment impossible, is tenaciously to hold on to the truth-fact of the Father’s presence in his Sons. Literally and figuratively, spiritually and personally, the Father and the Sons are one. It is a fact: He who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Father.

32:3.7 The personalities of a given universe are settled and dependable, at the start, only in accordance with their degree of kinship to Deity. When creature origin departs sufficiently far from the original and divine Sources, whether we are dealing with the Sons of God or the creatures of ministry belonging to the Infinite Spirit, there is an increase in the possibility of disharmony, confusion, and sometimes rebellion—sin.

32:3.8 Excepting perfect beings of Deity origin, all will creatures in the superuniverses are of evolutionary nature, beginning in lowly estate and climbing ever upward, in reality inward. Even highly spiritual personalities continue to ascend the scale of life by progressive translations from life to life and from sphere to sphere. And in the case of those who entertain the Mystery Monitors, there is indeed no limit to the possible heights of their spiritual ascent and universe attainment.

32:3.9 The perfection of the creatures of time, when finally achieved, is wholly an acquirement, a bona fide personality possession. While the elements of grace are freely admixed, nevertheless, the creature attainments are the result of individual effort and actual living, personality reaction to the existing environment.

32:3.10 The fact of animal evolutionary origin does not attach stigma to any personality in the sight of the universe as that is the exclusive method of producing one of the two basic types of finite intelligent will creatures. When the heights of perfection and eternity are attained, all the more honor to those who began at the bottom and joyfully climbed the ladder of life, round by round, and who, when they do reach the heights of glory, will have gained a personal experience which embodies an actual knowledge of every phase of life from the bottom to the top.

32:3.11 In all this is shown the wisdom of the Creators. It would be just as easy for the Universal Father to make all mortals perfect beings, to impart perfection by his divine word. But that would deprive them of the wonderful experience of the adventure and training associated with the long and gradual inward climb, an experience to be had only by those who are so fortunate as to begin at the very bottom of living existence.

32:3.12 In the universes encircling Havona there are provided only a sufficient number of perfect creatures to meet the need for pattern teacher guides for those who are ascending the evolutionary scale of life. The experiential nature of the evolutionary type of personality is the natural cosmic complement of the ever-perfect natures of the Paradise-Havona creatures. In reality, both perfect and perfected creatures are incomplete as regards finite totality. But in the complemental association of the existentially perfect creatures of the Paradise-Havona system with the experientially perfected finaliters ascending from the evolutionary universes, both types find release from inherent limitations and thus may conjointly attempt to reach the sublime heights of the ultimate of creature status.

32:3.13 These creature transactions are the universe repercussions of actions and reactions within the Sevenfold Deity, wherein the eternal divinity of the Paradise Trinity is conjoined with the evolving divinity of the Supreme Creators of the time-space universes in, by, and through the power-actualizing Deity of the Supreme Being.

32:3.14 The divinely perfect creature and the evolutionary perfected creature are equal in degree of divinity potential, but they differ in kind. Each must depend on the other to attain supremacy of service. The evolutionary superuniverses depend on perfect Havona to provide the final training for their ascending citizens, but so does the perfect central universe require the existence of the perfecting superuniverses to provide for the full development of its descending inhabitants.

32:3.15 The two prime manifestations of finite reality, innate perfection and evolved perfection, be they personalities or universes, are co-ordinate, dependent, and integrated. Each requires the other to achieve completion of function, service, and destiny.

4. GOD’S RELATION TO A LOCAL UNIVERSE

32:4.1 Do not entertain the idea that, since the Universal Father has delegated so much of himself and his power to others, he is a silent or inactive member of the Deity partnership. Aside from personality domains and Adjuster bestowal, he is apparently the least active of the Paradise Deities in that he allows his Deity co-ordinates, his Sons, and numerous created intelligences to perform so much in the carrying out of his eternal purpose. He is the silent member of the creative trio only in that he never does aught which any of his co-ordinate or subordinate associates can do.

32:4.2 God has full understanding of the need of every intelligent creature for function and experience, and therefore, in every situation, be it concerned with the destiny of a universe or the welfare of the humblest of his creatures, God retires from activity in favor of the galaxy of creature and Creator personalities who inherently intervene between himself and any given universe situation or creative event. But notwithstanding this retirement, this exhibition of infinite co-ordination, there is on God’s part an actual, literal, and personal participation in these events by and through these ordained agencies and personalities. The Father is working in and through all these channels for the welfare of all his far-flung creation.

32:4.3 As regards the policies, conduct, and administration of a local universe, the Universal Father acts in the person of his Creator Son. In the interrelationships of the Sons of God, in the group associations of the personalities of origin in the Third Source and Center, or in the relationship between any other creatures, such as human beings—as concerns such associations the Universal Father never intervenes. The law of the Creator Son, the rule of the Constellation Fathers, the System Sovereigns, and the Planetary Princes—the ordained policies and procedures for that universe—always prevail. There is no division of authority; never is there a cross working of divine power and purpose. The Deities are in perfect and eternal unanimity.

32:4.4 The Creator Son rules supreme in all matters of ethical associations, the relations of any division of creatures to any other class of creatures or of two or more individuals within any given group; but such a plan does not mean that the Universal Father may not in his own way intervene and do aught that pleases the divine mind with any individual creature throughout all creation, as pertains to that individual’s present status or future prospects and as concerns the Father’s eternal plan and infinite purpose.

32:4.5 In the mortal will creatures the Father is actually present in the indwelling Adjuster, a fragment of his prepersonal spirit; and the Father is also the source of the personality of such a mortal will creature.

32:4.6 These Thought Adjusters, the bestowals of the Universal Father, are comparatively isolated; they indwell human minds but have no discernible connection with the ethical affairs of a local creation. They are not directly co-ordinated with the seraphic service nor with the administration of systems, constellations, or a local universe, not even with the rule of a Creator Son, whose will is the supreme law of his universe.

32:4.7 The indwelling Adjusters are one of God’s separate but unified modes of contact with the creatures of his all but infinite creation. Thus does he who is invisible to mortal man manifest his presence, and could he do so, he would show himself to us in still other ways, but such further revelation is not divinely possible.

32:4.8 We can see and understand the mechanism whereby the Sons enjoy intimate and complete knowledge regarding the universes of their jurisdiction; but we cannot fully comprehend the methods whereby God is so fully and personally conversant with the details of the universe of universes, although we at least can recognize the avenue whereby the Universal Father can receive information regarding, and manifest his presence to, the beings of his immense creation. Through the personality circuit the Father is cognizant—has personal knowledge—of all the thoughts and acts of all the beings in all the systems of all the universes of all creation. Though we cannot fully grasp this technique of God’s communion with his children, we can be strengthened in the assurance that the “Lord knows his children,” and that of each one of us “he takes note where we were born.”

32:4.9 In your universe and in your heart the Universal Father is present, spiritually speaking, by one of the Seven Master Spirits of central abode and, specifically, by the divine Adjuster who lives and works and waits in the depths of the mortal mind.

32:4.10 God is not a self-centered personality; the Father freely distributes himself to his creation and to his creatures. He lives and acts, not only in the Deities, but also in his Sons, whom he intrusts with the doing of everything that it is divinely possible for them to do. The Universal Father has truly divested himself of every function which it is possible for another being to perform. And this is just as true of mortal man as of the Creator Son who rules in God’s stead at the headquarters of a local universe. Thus we behold the outworking of the ideal and infinite love of the Universal Father.

32:4.11 In this universal bestowal of himself we have abundant proof of both the magnitude and the magnanimity of the Father’s divine nature. If God has withheld aught of himself from the universal creation, then of that residue he is in lavish generosity bestowing the Thought Adjusters upon the mortals of the realms, the Mystery Monitors of time, who so patiently indwell the mortal candidates for life everlasting.

32:4.12 The Universal Father has poured out himself, as it were, to make all creation rich in personality possession and potential spiritual attainment. God has given us himself that we may be like him, and he has reserved for himself of power and glory only that which is necessary for the maintenance of those things for the love of which he has thus divested himself of all things else.

5. THE ETERNAL AND DIVINE PURPOSE

32:5.1 There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. We are all part of an immense plan, a gigantic enterprise, and it is the vastness of the undertaking that renders it impossible to see very much of it at any one time and during any one life. We are all a part of an eternal project which the Gods are supervising and outworking. The whole marvelous and universal mechanism moves on majestically through space to the music of the meter of the infinite thought and the eternal purpose of the First Great Source and Center.

32:5.2 The eternal purpose of the eternal God is a high spiritual ideal. The events of time and the struggles of material existence are but the transient scaffolding which bridges over to the other side, to the promised land of spiritual reality and supernal existence. Of course, you mortals find it difficult to grasp the idea of an eternal purpose; you are virtually unable to comprehend the thought of eternity, something never beginning and never ending. Everything familiar to you has an end.

32:5.3 As regards an individual life, the duration of a realm, or the chronology of any connected series of events, it would seem that we are dealing with an isolated stretch of time; everything seems to have a beginning and an end. And it would appear that a series of such experiences, lives, ages, or epochs, when successively arranged, constitutes a straightaway drive, an isolated event of time flashing momentarily across the infinite face of eternity. But when we look at all this from behind the scenes, a more comprehensive view and a more complete understanding suggest that such an explanation is inadequate, disconnected, and wholly unsuited properly to account for, and otherwise to correlate, the transactions of time with the underlying purposes and basic reactions of eternity.

32:5.4 To me it seems more fitting, for purposes of explanation to the mortal mind, to conceive of eternity as a cycle and the eternal purpose as an endless circle, a cycle of eternity in some way synchronized with the transient material cycles of time. As regards the sectors of time connected with, and forming a part of, the cycle of eternity, we are forced to recognize that such temporary epochs are born, live, and die just as the temporary beings of time are born, live, and die. Most human beings die because, having failed to achieve the spirit level of Adjuster fusion, the metamorphosis of death constitutes the only possible procedure whereby they may escape the fetters of time and the bonds of material creation, thereby being enabled to strike spiritual step with the progressive procession of eternity. Having survived the trial life of time and material existence, it becomes possible for you to continue on in touch with, even as a part of, eternity, swinging on forever with the worlds of space around the circle of the eternal ages.

32:5.5 The sectors of time are like the flashes of personality in temporal form; they appear for a season, and then they are lost to human sight, only to reappear as new actors and continuing factors in the higher life of the endless swing around the eternal circle. Eternity can hardly be conceived as a straightaway drive, in view of our belief in a delimited universe moving over a vast, elongated circle around the central dwelling place of the Universal Father.

32:5.6 Frankly, eternity is incomprehensible to the finite mind of time. You simply cannot grasp it; you cannot comprehend it. I do not completely visualize it, and even if I did, it would be impossible for me to convey my concept to the human mind. Nevertheless, I have done my best to portray something of our viewpoint, to tell you somewhat of our understanding of things eternal. I am endeavoring to aid you in the crystallization of your thoughts about these values which are of infinite nature and eternal import.

32:5.7 There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. And the infinite treasures of such a matchless career are yours for the striving!

32:5.8 The goal of eternity is ahead! The adventure of divinity attainment lies before you! The race for perfection is on! whosoever will may enter, and certain victory will crown the efforts of every human being who will run the race of faith and trust, depending every step of the way on the leading of the indwelling Adjuster and on the guidance of that good spirit of the Universe Son, which so freely has been poured out upon all flesh.

32:5.9 [Presented by a Mighty Messenger temporarily attached to the Supreme Council of Nebadon and assigned to this mission by Gabriel of Salvington.]

WHILE THE UNIVERSAL FATHER most certainly rules over his vast creation, he functions in a local universe administration through the person of the Creator Son. The Father does not otherwise personally function in the administrative affairs of a local universe. These matters are intrusted to the Creator Son and to the local universe Mother Spirit and to their manifold children. The plans, policies, and administrative acts of the local universe are formed and executed by this Son, who, in conjunction with his Spirit associate, delegates executive power to Gabriel and jurisdictional authority to the Constellation Fathers, System Sovereigns, and Planetary Princes.

1. MICHAEL OF NEBADON

33:1.1 Our Creator Son is the personification of the 611,121st original concept of infinite identity of simultaneous origin in the Universal Father and the Eternal Son. The Michael of Nebadon is the “only-begotten Son” personalizing this 611,121st universal concept of divinity and infinity. His headquarters is in the threefold mansion of light on Salvington. And this dwelling is so ordered because Michael has experienced the living of all three phases of intelligent creature existence: spiritual, morontial, and material. Because of the name associated with his seventh and final bestowal on Urantia, he is sometimes spoken of as Christ Michael.

33:1.2 Our Creator Son is not the Eternal Son, the existential Paradise associate of the Universal Father and the Infinite Spirit. Michael of Nebadon is not a member of the Paradise Trinity. Nevertheless our Master Son possesses in his realm all of the divine attributes and powers that the Eternal Son himself would manifest were he actually to be present on Salvington and functioning in Nebadon. Michael possesses even additional power and authority, for he not only personifies the Eternal Son but also fully represents and actually embodies the personality presence of the Universal Father to and in this local universe. He even represents the Father-Son. These relationships constitute a Creator Son the most powerful, versatile, and influential of all divine beings who are capable of direct administration of evolutionary universes and of personality contact with immature creature beings.

33:1.3 Our Creator Son exerts the same spiritual drawing power, spirit gravity, from the headquarters of the local universe that the Eternal Son of Paradise would exert if he were personally present on Salvington, and more; this Universe Son is also the personification of the Universal Father to the universe of Nebadon. Creator Sons are personality centers for the spiritual forces of the Paradise Father-Son. Creator Sons are the final power-personality focalizations of the mighty time-space attributes of God the Sevenfold.

33:1.4 The Creator Son is the vicegerent personalization of the Universal Father, the divinity co-ordinate of the Eternal Son, and the creative associate of the Infinite Spirit. To our universe and all its inhabited worlds the Sovereign Son is, to all practical intents and purposes, God. He personifies all of the Paradise Deities which evolving mortals can discerningly comprehend. This Son and his Spirit associate are your creator parents. To you, Michael, the Creator Son, is the supreme personality; to you, the Eternal Son is supersupreme—an infinite Deity personality.

33:1.5 In the person of the Creator Son we have a ruler and divine parent who is just as mighty, efficient, and beneficent as would be the Universal Father and the Eternal Son if both were present on Salvington and engaged in the administration of the affairs of the universe of Nebadon.

2. THE SOVEREIGN OF NEBADON

33:2.1 Observation of Creator Sons discloses that some resemble more the Father, some the Son, while others are a blend of both their infinite parents. Our Creator Son very definitely manifests traits and attributes which more resemble the Eternal Son.

33:2.2 Michael elected to organize this local universe, and herein he now reigns supreme. His personal power is limited by the pre-existent gravity circuits centering at Paradise and by the reservation on the part of the Ancients of Days of the superuniverse government of all final executive judgments regarding the extinction of personality. Personality is the sole bestowal of the Father, but the Creator Sons, with the approval of the Eternal Son, do initiate new creature designs, and with the working co-operation of their Spirit associates they may attempt new transformations of energy-matter.

33:2.3 Michael is the personification of the Paradise Father-Son to and in the local universe of Nebadon; therefore, when the Creative Mother Spirit, the local universe representation of the Infinite Spirit, subordinated herself to Christ Michael upon the return from his final bestowal on Urantia, the Master Son thereby acquired jurisdiction over “all power in heaven and on earth.”

33:2.4 This subordination of the Divine Ministers to the Creator Sons of the local universes constitutes these Master Sons the personal repositories of the finitely manifestable divinity of the Father, Son, and Spirit, while the creature-bestowal experiences of the Michaels qualify them to portray the experiential divinity of the Supreme Being. No other beings in the universes have thus personally exhausted the potentials of present finite experience, and no other beings in the universes possess such qualifications for solitary sovereignty.

33:2.5 Although Michael’s headquarters is officially located on Salvington, the capital of Nebadon, he spends much of his time visiting the constellation and system headquarters and even the individual planets. Periodically he journeys to Paradise and often to Uversa, where he counsels with the Ancients of Days. When he is away from Salvington, his place is assumed by Gabriel, who then functions as regent of the universe of Nebadon.

3. THE UNIVERSE SON AND SPIRIT

33:3.1 While pervading all the universes of time and space, the Infinite Spirit functions from the headquarters of each local universe as a specialized focalization acquiring full personality qualities by the technique of creative co-operation with the Creator Son. As concerns a local universe, the administrative authority of a Creator Son is supreme; the Infinite Spirit, as the Divine Minister, is wholly co-operative though perfectly co-ordinate.

33:3.2 The Universe Mother Spirit of Salvington, the associate of Michael in the control and administration of Nebadon, is of the sixth group of Supreme Spirits, being the 611,121st of that order. She volunteered to accompany Michael on the occasion of his liberation from Paradise obligations and has ever since functioned with him in creating and governing his universe.

33:3.3 The Master Creator Son is the personal sovereign of his universe, but in all the details of its management the Universe Spirit is codirector with the Son. While the Spirit ever acknowledges the Son as sovereign and ruler, the Son always accords the Spirit a co-ordinate position and equality of authority in all the affairs of the realm. In all his work of love and life bestowal the Creator Son is always and ever perfectly sustained and ably assisted by the all-wise and ever-faithful Universe Spirit and by all of her diversified retinue of angelic personalities. Such a Divine Minister is in reality the mother of spirits and spirit personalities, the ever-present and all-wise adviser of the Creator Son, a faithful and true manifestation of the Paradise Infinite Spirit.

33:3.4 The Son functions as a father in his local universe. The Spirit, as mortal creatures would understand, enacts the role of a mother, always assisting the Son and being everlastingly indispensable to the administration of the universe. In the face of insurrection only the Son and his associated Sons can function as deliverers. Never can the Spirit undertake to contest rebellion or defend authority, but ever does the Spirit sustain the Son in all of everything he may be required to experience in his efforts to stabilize government and uphold authority on worlds tainted with evil or dominated by sin. Only a Son can retrieve the work of their joint creation, but no Son could hope for final success without the incessant co-operation of the Divine Minister and her vast assemblage of spirit helpers, the daughters of God, who so faithfully and valiantly struggle for the welfare of mortal men and the glory of their divine parents.

33:3.5 Upon the completion of the Creator Son’s seventh and final creature bestowal, the uncertainties of periodic isolation terminate for the Divine Minister, and the Son’s universe helper becomes forever settled in surety and control. It is at the enthronement of the Creator Son as a Master Son, at the jubilee of jubilees, that the Universe Spirit, before the assembled hosts, first makes public and universal acknowledgment of subordination to the Son, pledging fidelity and obedience. This event occurred in Nebadon at the time of Michael’s return to Salvington after the Urantian bestowal. Never before this momentous occasion did the Universe Spirit acknowledge subordination to the Universe Son, and not until after this voluntary relinquishment of power and authority by the Spirit could it be truthfully proclaimed of the Son that “all power in heaven and on earth has been committed to his hand.”

33:3.6 After this pledge of subordination by the Creative Mother Spirit, Michael of Nebadon nobly acknowledged his eternal dependence on his Spirit companion, constituting the Spirit coruler of his universe domains and requiring all their creatures to pledge themselves in loyalty to the Spirit as they had to the Son; and there issued and went forth the final “Proclamation of Equality.” Though he was the sovereign of this local universe, the Son published to the worlds the fact of the Spirit’s equality with him in all endowments of personality and attributes of divine character. And this becomes the transcendent pattern for the family organization and government of even the lowly creatures of the worlds of space. This is, in deed and in truth, the high ideal of the family and the human institution of voluntary marriage.

33:3.7 The Son and the Spirit now preside over the universe much as a father and mother watch over, and minister to, their family of sons and daughters. It is not altogether out of place to refer to the Universe Spirit as the creative companion of the Creator Son and to regard the creatures of the realms as their sons and daughters—a grand and glorious family but one of untold responsibilities and endless watchcare.

33:3.8 The Son initiates the creation of certain of the universe children, while the Spirit is solely responsible for bringing into existence the numerous orders of spirit personalities who minister and serve under the direction and guidance of this selfsame Mother Spirit. In the creation of other types of universe personalities, both the Son and the Spirit function together, and in no creative act does the one do aught without the counsel and approval of the other.

4. GABRIEL—THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

33:4.1 The Bright and Morning Star is the personalization of the first concept of identity and ideal of personality conceived by the Creator Son and the local universe manifestation of the Infinite Spirit. Going back to the early days of the local universe, before the union of the Creator Son and the Mother Spirit in the bonds of creative association, back to the times before the beginning of the creation of their versatile family of sons and daughters, the first conjoint act of this early and free association of these two divine persons results in the creation of the highest spirit personality of the Son and the Spirit, the Bright and Morning Star.

33:4.2 Only one such being of wisdom and majesty is brought forth in each local universe. The Universal Father and the Eternal Son can, in fact do, create an unlimited number of Sons in divinity equal to themselves; but such Sons, in union with the Daughters of the Infinite Spirit, can create only one Bright and Morning Star in each universe, a being like themselves and partaking freely of their combined natures but not of their creative prerogatives. Gabriel of Salvington is like the Universe Son in divinity of nature though considerably limited in the attributes of Deity.

33:4.3 This first-born of the parents of a new universe is a unique personality possessing many wonderful traits not visibly present in either ancestor, a being of unprecedented versatility and unimagined brilliance. This supernal personality embraces the divine will of the Son combined with the creative imagination of the Spirit. The thoughts and acts of the Bright and Morning Star will ever be fully representative of both the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. Such a being is also capable of a broad understanding of, and sympathetic contact with, both the spiritual seraphic hosts and the material evolutionary will creatures.

33:4.4 The Bright and Morning Star is not a creator, but he is a marvelous administrator, being the personal administrative representative of the Creator Son. Aside from creation and life impartation the Son and the Spirit never confer upon important universe procedures without Gabriel’s presence.

33:4.5 Gabriel of Salvington is the chief executive of the universe of Nebadon and the arbiter of all executive appeals respecting its administration. This universe executive was created fully endowed for his work, but he has gained experience with the growth and evolution of our local creation.

33:4.6 Gabriel is the chief officer of execution for superuniverse mandates relating to nonpersonal affairs in the local universe. Most matters pertaining to mass judgment and dispensational resurrections, adjudicated by the Ancients of Days, are also delegated to Gabriel and his staff for execution. Gabriel is thus the combined chief executive of both the super- and the local universe rulers. He has at his command an able corps of administrative assistants, created for their special work, who are unrevealed to evolutionary mortals. In addition to these assistants, Gabriel may employ any and all of the orders of celestial beings functioning in Nebadon, and he is also the commander in chief of “the armies of heaven”—the celestial hosts.

33:4.7 Gabriel and his staff are not teachers; they are administrators. They were never known to depart from their regular work except when Michael was incarnated on a creature bestowal. During such bestowals Gabriel was ever attendant on the will of the incarnated Son, and with the collaboration of the Union of Days, he became the actual director of universe affairs during the later bestowals. Gabriel has been closely identified with the history and development of Urantia ever since the mortal bestowal of Michael.

33:4.8 Aside from meeting Gabriel on the bestowal worlds and at the times of general- and special-resurrection roll calls, mortals will seldom encounter him as they ascend through the local universe until they are inducted into the administrative work of the local creation. As administrators, of whatever order or degree, you will come under the direction of Gabriel.

5. THE TRINITY AMBASSADORS

33:5.1 The administration of Trinity-origin personalities ends with the government of the superuniverses. The local universes are characterized by dual supervision, the beginning of the father-mother concept. The universe father is the Creator Son; the universe mother is the Divine Minister, the local universe Creative Spirit. Every local universe is, however, blessed with the presence of certain personalities from the central universe and Paradise. At the head of this Paradise group in Nebadon is the ambassador of the Paradise Trinity—Immanuel of Salvington—the Union of Days assigned to the local universe of Nebadon. In a certain sense this high Trinity Son is also the personal representative of the Universal Father to the court of the Creator Son; hence his name, Immanuel.

33:5.2 Immanuel of Salvington, number 611,121 of the sixth order of Supreme Trinity Personalities, is a being of sublime dignity and of such superb condescension that he refuses the worship and adoration of all living creatures. He bears the distinction of being the only personality in all Nebadon who has never acknowledged subordination to his brother Michael. He functions as adviser to the Sovereign Son but gives counsel only on request. In the absence of the Creator Son he might preside over any high universe council but would not otherwise participate in the executive affairs of the universe except as requested.

33:5.3 This ambassador of Paradise to Nebadon is not subject to the jurisdiction of the local universe government. Neither does he exercise authoritative jurisdiction in the executive affairs of an evolving local universe except in the supervision of his liaison brethren, the Faithfuls of Days, serving on the headquarters of the constellations.

33:5.4 The Faithfuls of Days, like the Union of Days, never proffer advice or offer assistance to the constellation rulers unless it is asked for. These Paradise ambassadors to the constellations represent the final personal presence of the Stationary Sons of the Trinity functioning in advisory roles in the local universes. Constellations are more closely related to the superuniverse administration than local systems, which are administered exclusively by personalities native to the local universe.

6. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

33:6.1 Gabriel is the chief executive and actual administrator of Nebadon. Michael’s absence from Salvington in no way interferes with the orderly conduct of universe affairs. During the absence of Michael, as recently on the mission of reunion of Orvonton Master Sons on Paradise, Gabriel is the regent of the universe. At such times Gabriel always seeks the counsel of Immanuel of Salvington regarding all major problems.

33:6.2 The Father Melchizedek is Gabriel’s first assistant. When the Bright and Morning Star is absent from Salvington, his responsibilities are assumed by this original Melchizedek Son.

33:6.3 The various subadministrations of the universe have assigned to them certain special domains of responsibility. While, in general, a system government looks after the welfare of its planets, it is more particularly concerned with the physical status of living beings, with biologic problems. In turn, the constellation rulers pay especial attention to the social and governmental conditions prevailing on the different planets and systems. A constellation government is chiefly exercised over unification and stabilization. Still higher up, the universe rulers are more occupied with the spiritual status of the realms.

33:6.4 Ambassadors are appointed by judicial decree and represent universes to other universes. Consuls are representatives of constellations to one another and to the universe headquarters; they are appointed by legislative decree and function only within the confines of the local universe. Observers are commissioned by executive decree of a System Sovereign to represent that system to other systems and at the constellation capital, and they, too, function only within the confines of the local universe.

33:6.5 From Salvington, broadcasts are simultaneously directed to the constellation headquarters, the system headquarters, and to individual planets. All higher orders of celestial beings are able to utilize this service for communication with their fellows scattered throughout the universe. The universe broadcast is extended to all inhabited worlds regardless of their spiritual status. Planetary intercommunication is denied only those worlds under spiritual quarantine.

33:6.6 Constellation broadcasts are periodically sent out from the headquarters of the constellation by the chief of the Constellation Fathers.

33:6.7 Chronology is reckoned, computed, and rectified by a special group of beings on Salvington. The standard day of Nebadon is equal to eighteen days and six hours of Urantia time, plus two and one-half minutes. The Nebadon year consists of a segment of the time of universe swing in relation to the Uversa circuit and is equal to one hundred days of standard universe time, about five years of Urantia time.

33:6.8 Nebadon time, broadcast from Salvington, is the standard for all constellations and systems in this local universe. Each constellation conducts its affairs by Nebadon time, but the systems maintain their own chronology, as do the individual planets..

33:6.9 The day in Satania, as reckoned on Jerusem, is a little less (1 hour, 4 minutes, 15 seconds) than three days of Urantia time. These times are generally known as Salvington or universe time, and Satania or system time. Standard time is universe time.

7. THE COURTS OF NEBADON

33:7.1 The Master Son, Michael, is supremely concerned with but three things: creation, sustenance, and ministry. He does not personally participate in the judicial work of the universe. Creators never sit in judgment on their creatures; that is the exclusive function of creatures of high training and actual creature experience.

33:7.2 The entire judicial mechanism of Nebadon is under the supervision of Gabriel. The high courts, located on Salvington, are occupied with problems of general universe import and with the appellate cases coming up from the system tribunals. There are seventy branches of these universe courts, and they function in seven divisions of ten sections each. In all matters of adjudication there presides a dual magistracy consisting of one judge of perfection antecedents and one magistrate of ascendant experience.

33:7.3 As regards jurisdiction, the local universe courts are limited in the following matters:

33:7.4 1. The administration of the local universe is concerned with creation, evolution, maintenance, and ministry. The universe tribunals are, therefore, denied the right to pass upon those cases involving the question of eternal life and death. This has no reference to natural death as it obtains on Urantia, but if the question of the right of continued existence, life eternal, comes up for adjudication, it must be referred to the tribunals of Orvonton, and if decided adversely to the individual, all sentences of extinction are carried out upon the orders, and through the agencies, of the rulers of the supergovernment.

33:7.5 2. The default or defection of any of the Local Universe Sons of God which jeopardizes their status and authority as Sons is never adjudicated in the tribunals of a Son; such a misunderstanding would be immediately carried to the superuniverse courts.

33:7.6 3. The question of the readmission of any constituent part of a local universe—such as a local system—to the fellowship of full spiritual status in the local creation subsequent to spiritual isolation must be concurred in by the high assembly of the superuniverse.

33:7.7 In all other matters the courts of Salvington are final and supreme. There is no appeal and no escape from their decisions and decrees.

33:7.8 However unfairly human contentions may sometimes appear to be adjudicated on Urantia, in the universe justice and divine equity do prevail. You are living in a well-ordered universe, and sooner or later you may depend upon being dealt with justly, even mercifully.

8. THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

33:8.1 On Salvington, the headquarters of Nebadon, there are no true legislative bodies. The universe headquarters worlds are concerned largely with adjudication. The legislative assemblies of the local universe are located on the headquarters of the one hundred constellations. The systems are chiefly concerned with the executive and administrative work of the local creations. The System Sovereigns and their associates enforce the legislative mandates of the constellation rulers and execute the judicial decrees of the high courts of the universe.

33:8.2 While true legislation is not enacted at the universe headquarters, there do function on Salvington a variety of advisory and research assemblies, variously constituted and conducted in accordance with their scope and purpose. Some are permanent; others disband upon the accomplishment of their objective.

33:8.3 The supreme council of the local universe is made up of three members from each system and seven representatives from each constellation. Systems in isolation do not have representation in this assembly, but they are permitted to send observers who attend and study all its deliberations.

33:8.4 The one hundred councils of supreme sanction are also situated on Salvington. The presidents of these councils constitute the immediate working cabinet of Gabriel.

33:8.5 All findings of the high universe advisory councils are referred either to the Salvington judicial bodies or to the legislative assemblies of the constellations. These high councils are without authority or power to enforce their recommendations. If their advice is founded on the fundamental laws of the universe, then will the Nebadon courts issue rulings of execution; but if their recommendations have to do with local or emergency conditions, they must pass down to the legislative assemblies of the constellation for deliberative enactment and then to the system authorities for execution. These high councils are, in reality, the universe superlegislatures, but they function without the authority of enactment and without the power of execution.

33:8.6 While we speak of universe administration in terms of “courts” and “assemblies,” it should be understood that these spiritual transactions are very different from the more primitive and material activities of Urantia which bear corresponding names.

33:8.7 [Presented by the Chief of the Archangels of Nebadon.]

WHEN A CREATOR SON is personalized by the Universal Father and the Eternal Son, then does the Infinite Spirit individualize a new and unique representation of himself to accompany this Creator Son to the realms of space, there to be his companion, first, in physical organization and, later, in creation and ministry to the creatures of the newly projected universe.

34:0.2 A Creative Spirit reacts to both physical and spiritual realities; so does a Creator Son; and thus are they co-ordinate and associate in the administration of a local universe of time and space.

34:0.3 These Daughter Spirits are of the essence of the Infinite Spirit, but they cannot function in the work of physical creation and spiritual ministry simultaneously. In physical creation the Universe Son provides the pattern while the Universe Spirit initiates the materialization of physical realities. The Son operates in the power designs, but the Spirit transforms these energy creations into physical substances. Although it is somewhat difficult to portray this early universe presence of the Infinite Spirit as a person, nevertheless, to the Creator Son the Spirit associate is personal and has always functioned as a distinct individual.

1. PERSONALIZATION OF THE CREATIVE SPIRIT

34:1.1 After the completion of the physical organization of a starry and planetary cluster and the establishment of the energy circuits by the superuniverse power centers, subsequent to this preliminary work of creation by the agencies of the Infinite Spirit, operating through, and under the direction of, his local universe creative focalization, there goes forth the proclamation of the Michael Son that life is next to be projected in the newly organized universe. Upon the Paradise recognition of this declaration of intention, there occurs a reaction of approval in the Paradise Trinity, followed by the disappearance in the spiritual shining of the Deities of the Master Spirit in whose superuniverse this new creation is organizing. Meanwhile the other Master Spirits draw near this central lodgment of the Paradise Deities, and subsequently, when the Deity-embraced Master Spirit emerges to the recognition of his fellows, there occurs what is known as a “primary eruption.” This is a tremendous spiritual flash, a phenomenon clearly discernible as far away as the headquarters of the superuniverse concerned; and simultaneously with this little-understood Trinity manifestation there occurs a marked change in the nature of the creative spirit presence and power of the Infinite Spirit resident in the local universe concerned. In response to these Paradise phenomena there immediately personalizes, in the very presence of the Creator Son, a new personal representation of the Infinite Spirit. This is the Divine Minister. The individualized Creative Spirit helper of the Creator Son has become his personal creative associate, the local universe Mother Spirit.

34:1.2 From and through this new personal segregation of the Conjoint Creator there proceed the established currents and the ordained circuits of spirit power and spiritual influence destined to pervade all the worlds and beings of that local universe. In reality, this new and personal presence is but a transformation of the pre-existent and less personal associate of the Son in his earlier work of physical universe organization.

34:1.3 This is the relation of a stupendous drama in few words, but it represents about all that can be told regarding these momentous transactions. They are instantaneous, inscrutable, and incomprehensible; the secret of the technique and procedure resides in the bosom of the Paradise Trinity. Of only one thing are we certain: The Spirit presence in the local universe during the time of purely physical creation or organization was incompletely differentiated from the spirit of the Paradise Infinite Spirit; whereas, after the reappearance of the supervising Master Spirit from the secret embrace of the Gods and following the flash of spiritual energy, the local universe manifestation of the Infinite Spirit suddenly and completely changes to the personal likeness of that Master Spirit who was in transmuting liaison with the Infinite Spirit. The local universe Mother Spirit thus acquires a personal nature tinged by that of the Master Spirit of the superuniverse of astronomic jurisdiction.

34:1.4 This personalized presence of the Infinite Spirit, the Creative Mother Spirit of the local universe, is known in Satania as the Divine Minister. To all practical intents and spiritual purposes this manifestation of Deity is a divine individual, a spirit person. And she is so recognized and regarded by the Creator Son. It is through this localization and personalization of the Third Source and Center in our local universe that the Spirit could subsequently become so fully subject to the Creator Son that of this Son it was truly said, “All power in heaven and on earth has been intrusted to him.”

2. NATURE OF THE DIVINE MINISTER

34:2.1 Having undergone marked personality metamorphosis at the time of life creation, the Divine Minister thereafter functions as a person and co-operates in a very personal manner with the Creator Son in the planning and management of the extensive affairs of their local creation. To many universe types of being, even this representation of the Infinite Spirit may not appear to be wholly personal during the ages preceding the final Michael bestowal; but subsequent to the elevation of the Creator Son to the sovereign authority of a Master Son, the Creative Mother Spirit becomes so augmented in personal qualities as to be personally recognized by all contacting individuals.

34:2.2 From the earliest association with the Creator Son the Universe Spirit possesses all the physical-control attributes of the Infinite Spirit, including the full endowment of antigravity. Upon the attainment of personal status the Universe Spirit exerts just as full and complete control of mind gravity, in the local universe, as would the Infinite Spirit if personally present.

34:2.3 In each local universe the Divine Minister functions in accordance with the nature and inherent characteristics of the Infinite Spirit as embodied in one of the Seven Master Spirits of Paradise. While there is a basic uniformity of character in all Universe Spirits, there is also a diversity of function, determined by their origin through one of the Seven Master Spirits. This differential of origin accounts for the diverse techniques in the function of the local universe Mother Spirits in different superuniverses. But in all essential spiritual attributes these Spirits are identical, equally spiritual and wholly divine, irrespective of superuniverse differentiation.

34:2.4 The Creative Spirit is coresponsible with the Creator Son in producing the creatures of the worlds and never fails the Son in all efforts to uphold and conserve these creations. Life is ministered and maintained through the agency of the Creative Spirit. “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created. You renew the face of the earth.”

34:2.5 In the creation of a universe of intelligent creatures the Creative Mother Spirit functions first in the sphere of universe perfection, collaborating with the Son in the production of the Bright and Morning Star. Subsequently the offspring of the Spirit increasingly approach the order of created beings on the planets, even as the Sons grade downward from the Melchizedeks to the Material Sons, who actually contact with the mortals of the realms. In the later evolution of mortal creatures the Life Carrier Sons provide the physical body, fabricated out of the existing organized material of the realm, while the Universe Spirit contributes the “breath of life.”

34:2.6 While the seventh segment of the grand universe may, in many respects, be tardy in development, thoughtful students of our problems look forward to the evolution of an extraordinarily well-balanced creation in the ages to come. We predict this high degree of symmetry in Orvonton because the presiding Spirit of this superuniverse is the chief of the Master Spirits on high, being a spirit intelligence embodying the balanced union and perfect co-ordination of the traits and character of all three of the eternal Deities. We are tardy and backward in comparison with other sectors, but there undoubtedly awaits us a transcendent development and an unprecedented achievement sometime in the eternal ages of the future.

3. THE SON AND SPIRIT IN TIME AND SPACE

34:3.1 Neither the Eternal Son nor the Infinite Spirit is limited or conditioned by either time or space, but most of their offspring are.

34:3.2 The Infinite Spirit pervades all space and indwells the circle of eternity. Still, in their personal contact with the children of time, the personalities of the Infinite Spirit must often reckon with temporal elements, though not so much with space. Many mind ministries ignore space but suffer a time lag in effecting co-ordination of diverse levels of universe reality. A Solitary Messenger is virtually independent of space except that time is actually required in traveling from one location to another; and there are similar entities unknown to you.

34:3.3 In personal prerogatives a Creative Spirit is wholly and entirely independent of space, but not of time. There is no specialized personal presence of such a Universe Spirit on either the constellation or system headquarters. She is equally and diffusely present throughout her entire local universe and is, therefore, just as literally and personally present on one world as on any other.

34:3.4 Only as regards the element of time is a Creative Spirit ever limited in her universe ministrations. A Creator Son acts instantaneously throughout his universe; but the Creative Spirit must reckon with time in the ministration of the universal mind except as she consciously and designedly avails herself of the personal prerogatives of the Universe Son. In pure-spirit function the Creative Spirit also acts independently of time as well as in her collaboration with the mysterious function of universe reflectivity.

34:3.5 Though the spirit-gravity circuit of the Eternal Son operates independently of both time and space, all functions of the Creator Sons are not exempt from space limitations. If the transactions of the evolutionary worlds are excepted, these Michael Sons seem to be able to operate relatively independent of time. A Creator Son is not handicapped by time, but he is conditioned by space; he cannot personally be in two places at the same time. Michael of Nebadon acts timelessly within his own universe and by reflectivity practically so in the superuniverse. He communicates timelessly with the Eternal Son directly.

34:3.6 The Divine Minister is the understanding helper of the Creator Son, enabling him to overcome and atone for his inherent limitations regarding space, for when these two function in administrative union, they are practically independent of time and space within the confines of their local creation. Therefore, as practically observed throughout a local universe, the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit usually function independently of both time and space since there is always available to each the time and the space liberation of the other.

34:3.7 Only absolute beings are independent of time and space in the absolute sense. The majority of the subordinate persons of both the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit are subject to both time and space.

34:3.8 When a Creative Spirit becomes “space conscious,” she is preparing to recognize a circumscribed “space domain” as hers, a realm in which to be space free in contradistinction to all other space by which she would be conditioned. One is free to choose and act only within the realm of one’s consciousness.

4. THE LOCAL UNIVERSE CIRCUITS

34:4.1 There are three distinct spirit circuits in the local universe of Nebadon:

1. The bestowal spirit of the Creator Son, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.

2. The spirit circuit of the Divine Minister, the Holy Spirit.

3. The intelligence-ministry circuit, including the more or less unified activities but diverse functioning of the seven adjutant mind-spirits.

34:4.2 The Creator Sons are endowed with a spirit of universe presence in many ways analogous to that of the Seven Master Spirits of Paradise. This is the Spirit of Truth which is poured out upon a world by a bestowal Son after he receives spiritual title to such a sphere. This bestowed Comforter is the spiritual force which ever draws all truth seekers towards him who is the personification of truth in the local universe. This spirit is an inherent endowment of the Creator Son, emerging from his divine nature just as the master circuits of the grand universe are derived from the personality presences of the Paradise Deities.

34:4.3 The Creator Son may come and go; his personal presence may be in the local universe or elsewhere; yet the Spirit of Truth functions undisturbed, for this divine presence, while derived from the personality of the Creator Son, is functionally centered in the person of the Divine Minister.

34:4.4 The Universe Mother Spirit, however, never leaves the local universe headquarters world. The spirit of the Creator Son may and does function independently of the personal presence of the Son, but not so with her personal spirit. The Holy Spirit of the Divine Minister would become nonfunctional if her personal presence should be removed from Salvington. Her spirit presence seems to be fixed on the universe headquarters world, and it is this very fact that enables the spirit of the Creator Son to function independently of the whereabouts of the Son. The Universe Mother Spirit acts as the universe focus and center of the Spirit of Truth as well as of her own personal influence, the Holy Spirit.

34:4.5 The Creator Father-Son and the Creative Mother Spirit both contribute variously to the mind endowment of their local universe children. But the Creative Spirit does not bestow mind until she is endowed with personal prerogatives.

34:4.6 The superevolutionary orders of personality in a local universe are endowed with the local universe type of the superuniverse pattern of mind. The human and the subhuman orders of evolutionary life are endowed with the adjutant spirit types of mind ministration.

34:4.7 The seven adjutant mind-spirits are the creation of the Divine Minister of a local universe. These mind-spirits are similar in character but diverse in power, and all partake alike of the nature of the Universe Spirit, although they are hardly regarded as personalities apart from their Mother Creator. The seven adjutants have been given the following names: the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of worship, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of courage, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of intuition—of quick perception.

34:4.8 These are the “seven spirits of God,” “like lamps burning before the throne,” which the prophet saw in the symbols of vision. But he did not see the seats of the four and twenty sentinels about these seven adjutant mind-spirits. This record represents the confusion of two presentations, one pertaining to the universe headquarters and the other to the system capital. The seats of the four and twenty elders are on Jerusem, the headquarters of your local system of inhabited worlds.

34:4.9 But it was of Salvington that John wrote: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices”—the universe broadcasts to the local systems. He also envisaged the directional control creatures of the local universe, the living compasses of the headquarters world. This directional control in Nebadon is maintained by the four control creatures of Salvington, who operate over the universe currents and are ably assisted by the first functioning mind-spirit, the adjutant of intuition, the spirit of “quick understanding.” But the description of these four creatures—called beasts—has been sadly marred; they are of unparalleled beauty and exquisite form.

34:4.10 The four points of the compass are universal and inherent in the life of Nebadon. All living creatures possess bodily units which are sensitive and responsive to these directional currents. These creature creations are duplicated on down through the universe to the individual planets and, in conjunction with the magnetic forces of the worlds, so activate the hosts of microscopic bodies in the animal organism that these direction cells ever point north and south. Thus is the sense of orientation forever fixed in the living beings of the universe. This sense is not wholly wanting as a conscious possession by mankind. These bodies were first observed on Urantia about the time of this narration.

5. THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT

34:5.1 The Divine Minister co-operates with the Creator Son in the formulation of life and the creation of new orders of beings up to the time of his seventh bestowal and, subsequently, after his elevation to the full sovereignty of the universe, continues to collaborate with the Son and the Son’s bestowed spirit in the further work of world ministry and planetary progression.

34:5.2 On the inhabited worlds the Spirit begins the work of evolutionary progression, starting with the lifeless material of the realm, first endowing vegetable life, then the animal organisms, then the first orders of human existence; and each succeeding impartation contributes to the further unfolding of the evolutionary potential of planetary life from the initial and primitive stages to the appearance of will creatures. This labor of the Spirit is largely effected through the seven adjutants, the spirits of promise, the unifying and co-ordinating spirit-mind of the evolving planets, ever and unitedly leading the races of men towards higher ideas and spiritual ideals.

34:5.3 Mortal man first experiences the ministry of the Spirit in conjunction with mind when the purely animal mind of evolutionary creatures develops reception capacity for the adjutants of worship and of wisdom. This ministry of the sixth and seventh adjutants indicates mind evolution crossing the threshold of spiritual ministry. And immediately are such minds of worship- and wisdom-function included in the spiritual circuits of the Divine Minister.

34:5.4 When mind is thus endowed with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it possesses the capacity for (consciously or unconsciously) choosing the spiritual presence of the Universal Father—the Thought Adjuster. But it is not until a bestowal Son has liberated the Spirit of Truth for planetary ministry to all mortals that all normal minds are automatically prepared for the reception of the Thought Adjusters. The Spirit of Truth works as one with the presence of the spirit of the Divine Minister. This dual spirit liaison hovers over the worlds, seeking to teach truth and to spiritually enlighten the minds of men, to inspire the souls of the creatures of the ascending races, and to lead the peoples dwelling on the evolutionary planets ever towards their Paradise goal of divine destiny.

34:5.5 Though the Spirit of Truth is poured out upon all flesh, this spirit of the Son is almost wholly limited in function and power by man’s personal reception of that which constitutes the sum and substance of the mission of the bestowal Son. The Holy Spirit is partly independent of human attitude and partially conditioned by the decisions and co-operation of the will of man. Nevertheless, the ministry of the Holy Spirit becomes increasingly effective in the sanctification and spiritualization of the inner life of those mortals who the more fully obey the divine leadings.

34:5.6 As individuals you do not personally possess a segregated portion or entity of the spirit of the Creator Father-Son or the Creative Mother Spirit; these ministries do not contact with, nor indwell, the thinking centers of the individual’s mind as do the Mystery Monitors. Thought Adjusters are definite individualizations of the prepersonal reality of the Universal Father, actually indwelling the mortal mind as a very part of that mind, and they ever work in perfect harmony with the combined spirits of the Creator Son and Creative Spirit.

34:5.7 The presence of the Holy Spirit of the Universe Daughter of the Infinite Spirit, of the Spirit of Truth of the Universe Son of the Eternal Son, and of the Adjuster-spirit of the Paradise Father in or with an evolutionary mortal, denotes symmetry of spiritual endowment and ministry and qualifies such a mortal consciously to realize the faith-fact of sonship with God.

6. THE SPIRIT IN MAN

34:6.1 With the advancing evolution of an inhabited planet and the further spiritualization of its inhabitants, additional spiritual influences may be received by such mature personalities. As mortals progress in mind control and spirit perception, these multiple spirit ministries become more and more co-ordinate in function; they become increasingly blended with the overministry of the Paradise Trinity.

34:6.2 Although Divinity may be plural in manifestation, in human experience Deity is singular, always one. Neither is spiritual ministry plural in human experience. Regardless of plurality of origin, all spirit influences are one in function. Indeed they are one, being the spirit ministry of God the Sevenfold in and to the creatures of the grand universe; and as creatures grow in appreciation of, and receptivity for, this unifying ministry of the spirit, it becomes in their experience the ministry of God the Supreme.

34:6.3 From the heights of eternal glory the divine Spirit descends, by a long series of steps, to meet you as you are and where you are and then, in the partnership of faith, lovingly to embrace the soul of mortal origin and to embark on the sure and certain retracement of those steps of condescension, never stopping until the evolutionary soul is safely exalted to the very heights of bliss from which the divine Spirit originally sallied forth on this mission of mercy and ministry.

34:6.4 Spiritual forces unerringly seek and attain their own original levels. Having gone out from the Eternal, they are certain to return thereto, bringing with them all those children of time and space who have espoused the leading and teaching of the indwelling Adjuster, those who have been truly “born of the spirit,” the faith sons of God.

34:6.5 The divine Spirit is the source of continual ministry and encouragement to the children of men. Your power and achievement is “according to his mercy, through the renewing of the Spirit.” Spiritual life, like physical energy, is consumed. Spiritual effort results in relative spiritual exhaustion. The whole ascendant experience is real as well as spiritual; therefore, it is truly written, “It is the Spirit that quickens.” “The Spirit gives life.”

34:6.6 The dead theory of even the highest religious doctrines is powerless to transform human character or to control mortal behavior. What the world of today needs is the truth which your teacher of old declared: “Not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.” The seed of theoretical truth is dead, the highest moral concepts without effect, unless and until the divine Spirit breathes upon the forms of truth and quickens the formulas of righteousness.

34:6.7 Those who have received and recognized the indwelling of God have been born of the Spirit. “You are the temple of God, and the spirit of God dwells in you.” It is not enough that this spirit be poured out upon you; the divine Spirit must dominate and control every phase of human experience.

34:6.8 It is the presence of the divine Spirit, the water of life, that prevents the consuming thirst of mortal discontent and that indescribable hunger of the unspiritualized human mind. Spirit-motivated beings “never thirst, for this spiritual water shall be in them a well of satisfaction springing up into life everlasting.” Such divinely watered souls are all but independent of material environment as regards the joys of living and the satisfactions of earthly existence. They are spiritually illuminated and refreshed, morally strengthened and endowed.

34:6.9 In every mortal there exists a dual nature: the inheritance of animal tendencies and the high urge of spirit endowment. During the short life you live on Urantia, these two diverse and opposing urges can seldom be fully reconciled; they can hardly be harmonized and unified; but throughout your lifetime the combined Spirit ever ministers to assist you in subjecting the flesh more and more to the leading of the Spirit. Even though you must live your material life through, even though you cannot escape the body and its necessities, nonetheless, in purpose and ideals you are empowered increasingly to subject the animal nature to the mastery of the Spirit. There truly exists within you a conspiracy of spiritual forces, a confederation of divine powers, whose exclusive purpose is to effect your final deliverance from material bondage and finite handicaps.

34:6.10 The purpose of all this ministration is, “That you may be strengthened with power through his spirit in the inner man.” And all this represents but the preliminary steps to the final attainment of the perfection of faith and service, that experience wherein you shall be “filled with all the fullness of God,” “for all those who are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God.”

34:6.11 The Spirit never drives, only leads. If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. Every step you take must be one of willingness, intelligent and cheerful co-operation. The domination of the Spirit is never tainted with coercion nor compromised by compulsion.

34:6.12 And when such a life of spirit guidance is freely and intelligently accepted, there gradually develops within the human mind a positive consciousness of divine contact and assurance of spirit communion; sooner or later “the Spirit bears witness with your spirit (the Adjuster) that you are a child of God.” Already has your own Thought Adjuster told you of your kinship to God so that the record testifies that the Spirit bears witness “with your spirit,” not to your spirit.

34:6.13 The consciousness of the spirit domination of a human life is presently attended by an increasing exhibition of the characteristics of the Spirit in the life reactions of such a spirit-led mortal, “for the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” Such spirit-guided and divinely illuminated mortals, while they yet tread the lowly paths of toil and in human faithfulness perform the duties of their earthly assignments, have already begun to discern the lights of eternal life as they glimmer on the faraway shores of another world; already have they begun to comprehend the reality of that inspiring and comforting truth, “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” And throughout every trial and in the presence of every hardship, spirit-born souls are sustained by that hope which transcends all fear because the love of God is shed abroad in all hearts by the presence of the divine Spirit.

7. THE SPIRIT AND THE FLESH

34:7.1 The flesh, the inherent nature derived from the animal-origin races, does not naturally bear the fruits of the divine Spirit. When the mortal nature has been upstepped by the addition of the nature of the Material Sons of God, as the Urantia races were in a measure advanced by the bestowal of Adam, then is the way better prepared for the Spirit of Truth to co-operate with the indwelling Adjuster to bring forth the beautiful harvest of the character fruits of the spirit. If you do not reject this spirit, even though eternity may be required to fulfill the commission, “he will guide you into all truth.”

34:7.2 Evolutionary mortals inhabiting normal worlds of spiritual progress do not experience the acute conflicts between the spirit and the flesh which characterize the present-day Urantia races. But even on the most ideal planets, pre-Adamic man must put forth positive efforts to ascend from the purely animalistic plane of existence up through successive levels of increasingly intellectual meanings and higher spiritual values.

34:7.3 The mortals of a normal world do not experience constant warfare between their physical and spiritual natures. They are confronted with the necessity of climbing up from the animal levels of existence to the higher planes of spiritual living, but this ascent is more like undergoing an educational training when compared with the intense conflicts of Urantia mortals in this realm of the divergent material and spiritual natures.

34:7.4 The Urantia peoples are suffering the consequences of a double deprivation of help in this task of progressive planetary spiritual attainment. The Caligastia upheaval precipitated world-wide confusion and robbed all subsequent generations of the moral assistance which a well-ordered society would have provided. But even more disastrous was the Adamic default in that it deprived the races of that superior type of physical nature which would have been more consonant with spiritual aspirations.

34:7.5 Urantia mortals are compelled to undergo such marked struggling between the spirit and the flesh because their remote ancestors were not more fully Adamized by the Edenic bestowal. It was the divine plan that the mortal races of Urantia should have had physical natures more naturally spirit responsive.

34:7.6 Notwithstanding this double disaster to man’s nature and his environment, present-day mortals would experience less of this apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the Father in heaven. Jesus showed mankind the new way of mortal living whereby human beings may very largely escape the dire consequences of the Caligastic rebellion and most effectively compensate for the deprivations resulting from the Adamic default. “The spirit of the life of Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of animal living and the temptations of evil and sin.” “This is the victory that overcomes the flesh, even your faith.”

34:7.7 Those God-knowing men and women who have been born of the Spirit experience no more conflict with their mortal natures than do the inhabitants of the most normal of worlds, planets which have never been tainted with sin nor touched by rebellion. Faith sons work on intellectual levels and live on spiritual planes far above the conflicts produced by unrestrained or unnatural physical desires. The normal urges of animal beings and the natural appetites and impulses of the physical nature are not in conflict with even the highest spiritual attainment except in the minds of ignorant, mistaught, or unfortunately overconscientious persons.

34:7.8 Having started out on the way of life everlasting, having accepted the assignment and received your orders to advance, do not fear the dangers of human forgetfulness and mortal inconstancy, do not be troubled with doubts of failure or by perplexing confusion, do not falter and question your status and standing, for in every dark hour, at every crossroad in the forward struggle, the Spirit of Truth will always speak, saying, “This is the way.”

34:7.9 [Presented by a Mighty Messenger temporarily assigned to service on Urantia.]

THE SONS OF GOD previously introduced have had a Paradise origin. They are the offspring of the divine Rulers of the universal domains. Of the first Paradise order of sonship, the Creator Sons, there is in Nebadon only one, Michael, the universe father and sovereign. Of the second order of Paradise sonship, the Avonal or Magisterial Sons, Nebadon has its full quota—1,062. And these “lesser Christs” are just as effective and all-powerful in their planetary bestowals as was the Creator and Master Son on Urantia. The third order, being of Trinity origin, do not register in a local universe, but I estimate there are in Nebadon between fifteen and twenty thousand Trinity Teacher Sons exclusive of 9,642 creature-trinitized assistants of record. These Paradise Daynals are neither magistrates nor administrators; they are superteachers.

35:0.2 The types of Sons about to be considered are of local universe origin; they are the offspring of a Paradise Creator Son in varied association with the complemental Universe Mother Spirit. The following orders of local universe sonship find mention in these narratives:

1. Melchizedek Sons.

2. Vorondadek Sons.

3. Lanonandek Sons.

4. Life Carrier Sons.

35:0.3 Triune Paradise Deity functions for the creation of three orders of sonship: the Michaels, the Avonals, and the Daynals. Dual Deity in the local universe, the Son and the Spirit, also functions in the creation of three high orders of Sons: the Melchizedeks, the Vorondadeks, and the Lanonandeks; and having achieved this threefold expression, they collaborate with the next level of God the Sevenfold in the production of the versatile order of Life Carriers. These beings are classified with the descending Sons of God, but they are a unique and original form of universe life. Their consideration will occupy the whole of the next paper.

1. THE FATHER MELCHIZEDEK

35:1.1 After bringing into existence the beings of personal aid, such as the Bright and Morning Star and other administrative personalities, in accordance with the divine purpose and creative plans of a given universe, there occurs a new form of creative union between the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit, the local universe Daughter of the Infinite Spirit. The personality offspring resulting from this creative partnership is the original Melchizedek—the Father Melchizedek—that unique being who subsequently collaborates with the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit to bring into existence the entire group of that name.

35:1.2 In the universe of Nebadon the Father Melchizedek acts as the first executive associate of the Bright and Morning Star. Gabriel is occupied more with universe policies, Melchizedek with practical procedures. Gabriel presides over the regularly constituted tribunals and councils of Nebadon, Melchizedek over the special, extraordinary, and emergency commissions and advisory bodies. Gabriel and the Father Melchizedek are never away from Salvington at the same time, for in Gabriel’s absence the Father Melchizedek functions as the chief executive of Nebadon.

35:1.3The Melchizedeks of our universe were all created within one millennial period of standard time by the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit in liaison with the Father Melchizedek. Being an order of sonship wherein one of their own number functioned as co-ordinate creator, Melchizedeks are in constitution partly of self-origin and therefore candidates for the realization of a supernal type of self-government. They periodically elect their own administrative chief for a term of seven years of standard time and otherwise function as a self-regulating order, though the original Melchizedek does exercise certain inherent coparental prerogatives. From time to time this Father Melchizedek designates certain individuals of his order to function as special Life Carriers to the midsonite worlds, a type of inhabited planet not heretofore revealed on Urantia.

35:1.4The Melchizedeks do not function extensively outside the local universe except when they are called as witnesses in matters pending before the tribunals of the superuniverse, and when designated special ambassadors, as they sometimes are, representing one universe to another in the same superuniverse. The original or first-born Melchizedek of each universe is always at liberty to journey to the neighboring universes or to Paradise on missions having to do with the interests and duties of his order.

2. THE MELCHIZEDEK SONS

35:2.1The Melchizedeks are the first order of divine Sons to approach sufficiently near the lower creature life to be able to function directly in the ministry of mortal uplift, to serve the evolutionary races without the necessity of incarnation. These Sons are naturally at the mid-point of the great personality descent, by origin being just about midway between the highest Divinity and the lowest creature life of will endowment. They thus become the natural intermediaries between the higher and divine levels of living existence and the lower, even the material, forms of life on the evolutionary worlds. The seraphic orders, the angels, delight to work with the Melchizedeks; in fact, all forms of intelligent life find in these Sons understanding friends, sympathetic teachers, and wise counselors.

35:2.2The Melchizedek are a self-governing order. With this unique group we encounter the first attempt at self-determination on the part of local universe beings and observe the highest type of true self-government. These Sons organize their own machinery for their group and home-planet administration, as well as that for the six associated spheres and their tributary worlds. And it should be recorded that they have never abused their prerogatives; not once throughout all the superuniverse of Orvonton have these Melchizedek Sons ever betrayed their trust. They are the hope of every universe group which aspires to self-government; they are the pattern and the teachers of self-government to all the spheres of Nebadon. All orders of intelligent beings, superiors from above and subordinates from below, are wholehearted in their praise of the government of the Melchizedeks.

35:2.3The Melchizedek order of sonship occupies the position, and assumes the responsibility, of the eldest son in a large family. Most of their work is regular and somewhat routine, but much of it is voluntary and altogether self-imposed. A majority of the special assemblies which, from time to time, convene on Salvington are called on motion of the Melchizedeks. On their own initiative these Sons patrol their native universe. They maintain an autonomous organization devoted to universe intelligence, making periodical reports to the Creator Son independent of all information coming up to universe headquarters through the regular agencies concerned with the routine administration of the realm. They are by nature unprejudiced observers; they have the full confidence of all classes of intelligent beings.

35:2.4The Melchizedeks function as mobile and advisory review courts of the realms; these universe Sons go in small groups to the worlds to serve as advisory commissions, to take depositions, to receive suggestions, and to act as counselors, thus helping to compose the major difficulties and settle the serious differences which arise from time to time in the affairs of the evolutionary domains.

35:2.5 These eldest Sons of a universe are the chief aids of the Bright and Morning Star in carrying out the mandates of the Creator Son. When a Melchizedek goes to a remote world in the name of Gabriel, he may, for the purposes of that particular mission, be deputized in the name of the sender and in that event will appear on the planet of assignment with the full authority of the Bright and Morning Star. Especially is this true on those spheres where a higher Son has not yet appeared in the likeness of the creatures of the realm.

35:2.6 When a Creator Son enters upon the bestowal career on an evolutionary world, he goes alone; but when one of his Paradise brothers, an Avonal Son, enters upon a bestowal, he is accompanied by the Melchizedek supporters, twelve in number, who so efficiently contribute to the success of the bestowal mission. They also support the Paradise Avonals on magisterial missions to the inhabited worlds, and in these assignments the Melchizedeks are visible to mortal eyes if the Avonal Son is also thus manifest.

35:2.7 There is no phase of planetary spiritual need to which they do not minister. They are the teachers who so often win whole worlds of advanced life to the final and full recognition of the Creator Son and his Paradise Father.

35:2.8The Melchizedeks are well-nigh perfect in wisdom, but they are not infallible in judgment. When detached and alone on planetary missions, they have sometimes erred in minor matters, that is, they have elected to do certain things which their supervisors did not subsequently approve. Such an error of judgment temporarily disqualifies a Melchizedek until he goes to Salvington and, in audience with the Creator Son, receives that instruction which effectually purges him of the disharmony which caused disagreement with his fellows; and then, following the correctional rest, reinstatement to service ensues on the third day. But these minor misadaptations in Melchizedek function have rarely occurred in Nebadon.

35:2.9 These Sons are not an increasing order; their number is stationary, although varying in each local universe. The number of Melchizedeks of record on their headquarters planet in Nebadon is upward of ten million.

3. THE MELCHIZEDEK WORLDS

35:3.1The Melchizedeks occupy a world of their own near Salvington, the universe headquarters. This sphere, by name Melchizedek, is the pilot world of the Salvington circuit of seventy primary spheres, each of which is encircled by six tributary spheres devoted to specialized activities. These marvelous spheres—seventy primaries and 420 tributaries—are often spoken of as the Melchizedek University. Ascending mortals from all the constellations of Nebadon pass through training on all 490 worlds in the acquirement of residential status on Salvington. But the education of ascenders is only one phase of the manifold activities taking place on the Salvington cluster of architectural spheres.

35:3.2 The 490 spheres of the Salvington circuit are divided into ten groups, each containing seven primary and forty-two tributary spheres. Each of these groups is under the general supervision of some one of the major orders of universe life. The first group, embracing the pilot world and the next six primary spheres in the encircling planetary procession, is under the supervision of the Melchizedeks. These Melchizedek worlds are:

1. The pilot world—the home world of the Melchizedek Sons.

2. The world of the physical-life schools and the laboratories of living energies.

3. The world of morontia life.

4. The sphere of initial spirit life.

5. The world of mid-spirit life.

6. The sphere of advancing spirit life.

7. The domain of co-ordinate and supreme self-realization.

35:3.3 The six tributary worlds of each of these Melchizedek spheres are devoted to activities germane to the work of the associated primary sphere.

35:3.4 The pilot world, the sphere Melchizedek, is the common meeting ground for all beings who are engaged in educating and spiritualizing the ascending mortals of time and space. To an ascender this world is probably the most interesting place in all Nebadon. All evolutionary mortals who graduate from their constellation training are destined to land on Melchizedek, where they are initiated into the regime of the disciplines and spirit progression of the Salvington educational system. And never will you forget your reactions to the first day of life on this unique world, not even after you have reached your Paradise destination.

35:3.5 Ascending mortals maintain residence on the Melchizedek world while pursuing their training on the six encircling planets of specialized education. And this same method is adhered to throughout their sojourn on the seventy cultural worlds, the primary spheres of the Salvington circuit.

35:3.6 Many diverse activities occupy the time of the numerous beings who reside on the six tributary worlds of the Melchizedek sphere, but as concerns the ascending mortals, these satellites are devoted to the following special phases of study:

35:3.7 1. Sphere number one is occupied with the review of the initial planetary life of the ascending mortals. This work is carried on in classes composed of those who hail from a given world of mortal origin. Those from Urantia pursue such an experiential review together.

35:3.8 2. The special work of sphere number two consists in a similar review of the experiences passed through on the mansion worlds encircling the premier satellite of the local system headquarters.

35:3.9 3. The reviews of this sphere pertain to the sojourn on the capital of the local system and embrace the activities of the remainder of the architectural worlds of the system headquarters cluster.

35:3.10 4. The fourth sphere is occupied with a review of the experiences of the seventy tributary worlds of the constellation and of their associated spheres.

35:3.11 5. On the fifth sphere there is conducted the review of the ascendant sojourn on the constellation headquarters world.

35:3.12 6. The time on sphere number six is devoted to an attempt to correlate these five epochs and thus achieve co-ordination of experience preparatory to entering the Melchizedek primary schools of universe training.

35:3.13 The schools of universe administration and spiritual wisdom are located on the Melchizedek home world, where also are to be found those schools devoted to a single line of research, such as energy, matter, organization, communication, records, ethics, and comparative creature existence.

35:3.14 In the Melchizedek College of Spiritual Endowment all orders—even the Paradise orders—of the Sons of God co-operate with the Melchizedek and the seraphic teachers in training the hosts who go forth as evangels of destiny, proclaiming spiritual liberty and divine sonship even to the remote worlds of the universe. This particular school of the Melchizedek University is an exclusive universe institution; student visitors are not received from other realms.

35:3.15 The highest course of training in universe administration is given by the Melchizedeks on their home world. This College of High Ethics is presided over by the original Father Melchizedek. It is to these schools that the various universes send exchange students. While the young universe of Nebadon stands low in the scale of universes as regards spiritual achievement and high ethical development, nevertheless, our administrative troubles have so turned the whole universe into a vast clinic for other near-by creations that the Melchizedek colleges are thronged with student visitors and observers from other realms. Besides the immense group of local registrants there are always upward of one hundred thousand foreign students in attendance upon the Melchizedek schools, for the order of Melchizedeks in Nebadon is renowned throughout all Splandon.

4. SPECIAL WORK OF THE MELCHIZEDEKS

35:4.1 A highly specialized branch of Melchizedek activities has to do with the supervision of the progressive morontia career of the ascending mortals. Much of this training is conducted by the patient and wise seraphic ministers, assisted by mortals who have ascended to relatively higher levels of universe attainment, but all of this educational work is under the general supervision of the Melchizedeks in association with the Trinity Teacher Sons.

35:4.2 While the Melchizedek orders are chiefly devoted to the vast educational system and experiential training regime of the local universe, they also function in unique assignments and in unusual circumstances. In an evolving universe eventually embracing approximately ten million inhabited worlds, many things out of the ordinary are destined to happen, and it is in such emergencies that the Melchizedeks act. On Edentia, your constellation headquarters, they are known as emergency Sons. They are always ready to serve in all exigencies—physical, intellectual, or spiritual—whether on a planet, in a system, in a constellation, or in the universe. Whenever and wherever special help is needed, there you will find one or more of the Melchizedek Sons.

35:4.3 When failure of some feature of the Creator Son’s plan is threatened, forthwith will go a Melchizedek to render assistance. But not often are they summoned to function in the presence of sinful rebellion, such as occurred in Satania.

35:4.4The Melchizedeks are the first to act in all emergencies of whatever nature on all worlds where will creatures dwell. They sometimes act as temporary custodians on wayward planets, serving as receivers of a defaulting planetary government. In a planetary crisis these Melchizedek Sons serve in many unique capacities. It is easily possible for such a Son to make himself visible to mortal beings, and sometimes one of this order has even incarnated in the likeness of mortal flesh. Seven times in Nebadon has a Melchizedek served on an evolutionary world in the similitude of mortal flesh, and on numerous occasions these Sons have appeared in the likeness of other orders of universe creatures. They are indeed the versatile and volunteer emergency ministers to all orders of universe intelligences and to all the worlds and systems of worlds.

35:4.5 The Melchizedek who lived on Urantia during the time of Abraham was locally known as Prince of Salem because he presided over a small colony of truth seekers residing at a place called Salem. He volunteered to incarnate in the likeness of mortal flesh and did so with the approval of the Melchizedek receivers of the planet, who feared that the light of life would become extinguished during that period of increasing spiritual darkness. And he did foster the truth of his day and safely pass it on to Abraham and his associates.

5. THE VORONDADEK SONS

35:5.1 After the creation of the personal aids and the first group of the versatile Melchizedeks, the Creator Son and the local universe Creative Spirit planned for, and brought into existence, the second great and diverse order of universe sonship, the Vorondadeks. They are more generally known as Constellation Fathers because a Son of this order is uniformly found at the head of each constellation government in every local universe.

35:5.2 The number of Vorondadeks varies in each local universe, just one million being the recorded number in Nebadon. These Sons, like their co-ordinates, the Melchizedeks, possess no power of reproduction. There exists no known method whereby they can increase their numbers.

35:5.3 In many respects these Sons are a self-governing body; as individuals and as groups, even as a whole, they are largely self-determinative, much as are the Melchizedeks, but Vorondadeks do not function through such a wide range of activities. They do not equal their Melchizedek brethren in brilliant versatility, but they are even more reliable and efficient as rulers and farseeing administrators. Neither are they quite the administrative peers of their subordinates, the Lanonandek System Sovereigns, but they excel all orders of universe sonship in stability of purpose and in divinity of judgment.

35:5.4 Although the decisions and rulings of this order of Sons are always in accordance with the spirit of divine sonship and in harmony with the policies of the Creator Son, they have been cited for error to the Creator Son, and in details of technique their decisions have sometimes been reversed on appeal to the superior tribunals of the universe. But these Sons rarely fall into error, and they have never gone into rebellion; never in all the history of Nebadon has a Vorondadek been found in contempt of the universe government.

35:5.5 The service of the Vorondadeks in the local universes is extensive and varied. They serve as ambassadors to other universes and as consuls representing constellations within their native universe. Of all orders of local universe sonship they are the most often intrusted with the full delegation of sovereign powers to be exercised in critical universe situations.

35:5.6 On those worlds segregated in spiritual darkness, those spheres which have, through rebellion and default, suffered planetary isolation, an observer Vorondadek is usually present pending the restoration of normal status. In certain emergencies this Most High observer could exercise absolute and arbitrary authority over every celestial being assigned to that planet. It is of record on Salvington that the Vorondadeks have sometimes exercised such authority as Most High regents of such planets. And this has also been true even of inhabited worlds that were untouched by rebellion.

35:5.7 Often a corps of twelve or more Vorondadek Sons sits en banc as a high court of review and appeal concerning special cases involving the status of a planet or a system. But their work more largely pertains to the legislative functions indigenous to the constellation governments. As a result of all these services, the Vorondadek Sons have become the historians of the local universes; they are personally familiar with all the political struggles and the social upheavals of the inhabited worlds.

6. THE CONSTELLATION FATHERS

35:6.1 At least three Vorondadeks are assigned to the rulership of each of the one hundred constellations of a local universe. These Sons are selected by the Creator Son and are commissioned by Gabriel as the Most Highs of the constellations for service during one dekamillennium—10,000 standard years, about 50,000 years of Urantia time. The reigning Most High, the Constellation Father, has two associates, a senior and a junior. At each change of administration the senior associate becomes the head of the government, the junior assumes the duties of the senior, while the unassigned Vorondadeks resident on the Salvington worlds nominate one of their number as candidate for selection to assume the responsibilities of junior associate. Thus each of the Most High rulers, in accordance with present policy, has a period of service on the headquarters of a constellation of three dekamillenniums, about 150,000 Urantia years.

35:6.2 The one hundred Constellation Fathers, the actual presiding heads of the constellation governments, constitute the supreme advisory cabinet of the Creator Son. This council is in frequent session at universe headquarters and is unlimited in the scope and range of its deliberations but is chiefly concerned with the welfare of the constellations and with the unification of the administration of the entire local universe.

35:6.3 When a Constellation Father is in attendance upon duties at the universe headquarters as he frequently is, the senior associate becomes acting director of constellation affairs. The normal function of the senior associate is the oversight of spiritual affairs, while the junior associate is personally occupied with the physical welfare of the constellation. No major policy, however, is ever carried out in a constellation unless all three of the Most Highs are agreed upon all the details of its execution.

35:6.4 The entire mechanism of spirit intelligence and communication channels is at the disposal of the constellation Most Highs. They are in perfect touch with their superiors on Salvington and with their direct subordinates, the sovereigns of the local systems. They frequently convene in council with these System Sovereigns to deliberate upon the state of the constellation.

35:6.5 The Most Highs surround themselves with a corps of counselors, which varies in number and personnel from time to time in accordance with the presence of the various groups at constellation headquarters and also as the local requirements vary. During times of stress they may ask for, and will quickly receive, additional Sons of the Vorondadek order to assist with the administrative work. Norlatiadek, your own constellation, is at present administered by twelve Vorondadek Sons.

7. THE VORONDADEK WORLDS

35:7.1 The second group of seven worlds in the circuit of seventy primary spheres surrounding Salvington comprise the Vorondadek planets. Each of these spheres, with its six encircling satellites, is devoted to a special phase of Vorondadek activities. On these forty-nine realms the ascending mortals secure the acme of their education respecting universe legislation.

35:7.2 The ascending mortals have observed the legislative assemblies as they functioned on the headquarters worlds of the constellations, but here on these Vorondadek worlds they participate in the enactment of the actual general legislation of the local universe under the tutelage of the senior Vorondadeks. Such enactments are designed to co-ordinate the varied pronouncements of the autonomous legislative assemblies of the one hundred constellations. The instruction to be had in the Vorondadek schools is unexcelled even on Uversa. This training is progressive, extending from the first sphere, with supplemental work on its six satellites, on up through the remaining six primary spheres and their associated satellite groups.

35:7.3 The ascending pilgrims will be introduced to numerous new activities on these worlds of study and practical work. We are not forbidden to undertake the revelation of these new and undreamed-of pursuits, but we despair of being able to portray these undertakings to the material mind of mortal beings. We are without words to convey the meanings of these supernal activities, and there are no analogous human engagements which might be utilized as illustrations of these new occupations of the ascending mortals as they pursue their studies on these forty-nine worlds. And many other activities, not a part of the ascendant regime, are centered on these Vorondadek worlds of the Salvington circuit.

8. THE LANONANDEK SONS

35:8.1 After the creation of the Vorondadeks, the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit unite for the purpose of bringing into existence the third order of universe sonship, the Lanonandeks. Although occupied with varied tasks connected with the system administrations, they are best known as System Sovereigns, the rulers of the local systems, and as Planetary Princes, the administrative heads of the inhabited worlds.

35:8.2 Being a later and lower—as concerns divinity levels—order of sonship creation, these beings were required to pass through certain courses of training on the Melchizedek worlds in preparation for subsequent service. They were the first students in the Melchizedek University and were classified and certified by their Melchizedek teachers and examiners according to ability, personality, and attainment.

35:8.3 The universe of Nebadon began its existence with exactly twelve million Lanonandeks, and when they had passed through the Melchizedek sphere, they were divided in the final tests into three classes:

35:8.4 1. Primary Lanonandeks. Of the highest rank there were 709,841. These are the Sons designated as System Sovereigns and assistants to the supreme councils of the constellations and as counselors in the higher administrative work of the universe.

35:8.5 2. Secondary Lanonandeks. Of this order emerging from Melchizedek there were 10,234,601. They are assigned as Planetary Princes and to the reserves of that order.

35:8.6 3. Tertiary Lanonandeks. This group contained 1,055,558. These Sons function as subordinate assistants, messengers, custodians, commissioners, observers, and prosecute the miscellaneous duties of a system and its component worlds.

35:8.7 It is not possible, as it is with evolutionary beings, for these Sons to progress from one group to another. When subjected to the Melchizedek training, when once tested and classified, they serve continuously in the rank assigned. Neither do these Sons engage in reproduction; their number in the universe is stationary.

35:8.8 In round numbers the Lanonandek order of Sons is classified on Salvington as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Universe Co-ordinators and Constellation Counselors 100,000

System Sovereigns and Assistants 600,000

Planetary Princes and Reserves 10,000,000

Messenger Corps 400,000

Custodians and Recorders 100,000

Reserve Corps 800,000

35:8.9 Since Lanonandeks are a somewhat lower order of sonship than the Melchizedeks and the Vorondadeks, they are of even greater service in the subordinate units of the universe, for they are capable of drawing nearer the lower creatures of the intelligent races. They also stand in greater danger of going astray, of departing from the acceptable technique of universe government. But these Lanonandeks, especially the primary order, are the most able and versatile of all local universe administrators. In executive ability they are excelled only by Gabriel and his unrevealed associates.

9. THE LANONANDEK RULERS

35:9.1 The Lanonandeks are the continuous rulers of the planets and the rotating sovereigns of the systems. Such a Son now rules on Jerusem, the headquarters of your local system of inhabited worlds.

35:9.2 The System Sovereigns rule in commissions of two or three on the headquarters of each system of inhabited worlds. The Constellation Father names one of these Lanonandeks as chief every dekamillennium. Sometimes no change in the head of the trio is made, the matter being entirely optional with the constellation rulers. System governments do not suddenly change in personnel unless a tragedy of some sort occurs.

35:9.3 When System Sovereigns or assistants are recalled, their places are filled by selections made by the supreme council located on the constellation headquarters from the reserves of that order, a group which is larger on Edentia than the average indicated.

35:9.4 The supreme Lanonandek councils are stationed on the various constellation headquarters. Such a body is presided over by the senior Most High associate of the Constellation Father, while the junior associate supervises the reserves of the secondary order.

35:9.5 The System Sovereigns are true to their names; they are well-nigh sovereign in the local affairs of the inhabited worlds. They are almost paternal in their direction of the Planetary Princes, the Material Sons, and the ministering spirits. The personal grasp of the sovereign is all but complete. These rulers are not supervised by Trinity observers from the central universe. They are the executive division of the local universe, and as custodians of the enforcement of legislative mandates and as executives for the application of judicial verdicts, they present the one place in all universe administration where personal disloyalty to the will of the Michael Son could most easily and readily intrench itself and seek to assert itself.

35:9.6 Our local universe has been unfortunate in that over seven hundred Sons of the Lanonandek order have rebelled against the universe government, thus precipitating confusion in several systems and on numerous planets. Of this entire number of failures only three were System Sovereigns; practically all of these Sons belonged to the second and third orders, Planetary Princes and tertiary Lanonandeks.

35:9.7 The large number of these Sons who have lapsed from integrity does not indicate any fault in creatorship. They could have been made divinely perfect, but they were so created that they might better understand, and draw near to, the evolutionary creatures dwelling on the worlds of time and space.

35:9.8 Of all the local universes in Orvonton, our universe has, with the exception of Henselon, lost the largest number of this order of Sons. On Uversa it is the consensus that we have had so much administrative trouble in Nebadon because our Sons of the Lanonandek order have been created with such a large degree of personal liberty in choosing and planning. I do not make this observation by way of criticism. The Creator of our universe has full authority and power to do this. It is the contention of our high rulers that, while such free-choosing Sons make excessive trouble in the earlier ages of the universe, when things are fully sifted and finally settled, the gains of higher loyalty and fuller volitional service on the part of these thoroughly tested Sons will far more than compensate for the confusion and tribulations of earlier times.

35:9.9 In the event of rebellion on a system headquarters, a new sovereign is usually installed within a comparatively short time, but not so on the individual planets. They are the component units of the material creation, and creature free will is a factor in the final adjudication of all such problems. Successor Planetary Princes are designated for isolated worlds, planets whose princes of authority may have gone astray, but they do not assume active rulership of such worlds until the results of insurrection are partially overcome and removed by the remedial measures adopted by the Melchizedeks and other ministering personalities. Rebellion by a Planetary Prince instantly isolates his planet; the local spiritual circuits are immediately severed. Only a bestowal Son can re-establish interplanetary lines of communication on such a spiritually isolated world.

35:9.10 There exists a plan for saving these wayward and unwise Sons, and many have availed themselves of this merciful provision; but never again may they function in those positions wherein they defaulted. After rehabilitation they are assigned to custodial duties and to departments of physical administration.

10. THE LANONANDEK WORLDS

35:10.1 The third group of seven worlds in the Salvington circuit of seventy planets, with their respective forty-two satellites, constitute the Lanonandek cluster of administrative spheres. On these realms the experienced Lanonandeks belonging to the ex-System Sovereign corps officiate as administrative teachers of the ascending pilgrims and the seraphic hosts. The evolutionary mortals observe the system administrators at work on the system capitals, but here they participate in the actual co-ordination of the administrative pronouncements of the ten thousand local systems.

35:10.2 These administrative schools of the local universe are supervised by a corps of Lanonandek Sons who have had long experience as System Sovereigns and as constellation counselors. These executive colleges are excelled only by the administrative schools of Ensa.

35:10.3 While serving as training spheres for ascending mortals, the Lanonandek worlds are the centers for extensive undertakings having to do with the normal and routine administrative operations of the universe. All the way in to Paradise the ascending pilgrims pursue their studies in the practical schools of applied knowledge—actual training in really doing the things they are being taught. The universe educational system sponsored by the Melchizedeks is practical, progressive, meaningful, and experiential. It embraces training in things material, intellectual, morontial, and spiritual.

35:10.4 It is in connection with these administrative spheres of the Lanonandeks that most of the salvaged Sons of that order serve as custodians and directors of planetary affairs. And these defaulting Planetary Princes and their associates in rebellion who choose to accept the proffered rehabilitation will continue to serve in these routine capacities, at least until the universe of Nebadon is settled in light and life.

35:10.5 Many of the Lanonandek Sons in the older systems, however, have established wonderful records of service, administration, and spiritual achievement. They are a noble, faithful, and loyal group, notwithstanding their tendency to fall into error through fallacies of personal liberty and fictions of self-determination.

35:10.6 [Sponsored by the Chief of Archangels acting by authority of Gabriel of Salvington].

LIFE DOES NOT originate spontaneously. Life is constructed according to plans formulated by the (unrevealed) Architects of Being and appears on the inhabited planets either by direct importation or as a result of the operations of the Life Carriers of the local universes. These carriers of life are among the most interesting and versatile of the diverse family of universe Sons. They are intrusted with designing and carrying creature life to the planetary spheres. And after planting this life on such new worlds, they remain there for long periods to foster its development.

1. ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE CARRIERS

36:1.1 Though the Life Carriers belong to the family of divine sonship, they are a peculiar and distinct type of universe Sons, being the only group of intelligent life in a local universe in whose creation the rulers of a superuniverse participate. The Life Carriers are the offspring of three pre-existent personalities: the Creator Son, the Universe Mother Spirit, and, by designation, one of the three Ancients of Days presiding over the destinies of the superuniverse concerned. These Ancients of Days, who alone can decree the extinction of intelligent life, participate in the creation of the Life Carriers, who are intrusted with establishing physical life on the evolving worlds.

36:1.2 In the universe of Nebadon we have on record the creation of one hundred million Life Carriers. This efficient corps of life disseminators is not a truly self-governing group. They are directed by the life-determining trio, consisting of Gabriel, the Father Melchizedek, and Nambia, the original and first-born Life Carrier of Nebadon. But in all phases of their divisional administration they are self-governing.

36:1.3 Life Carriers are graded into three grand divisions: The first division is the senior Life Carriers, the second, assistants, and the third, custodians. The primary division is subdivided into twelve groups of specialists in the various forms of life manifestation. The segregation of these three divisions was effected by the Melchizedeks, who conducted tests for such purposes on the Life Carriers’ headquarters sphere. The Melchizedeks have ever since been closely associated with the Life Carriers and always accompany them when they go forth to establish life on a new planet.

36:1.4 When an evolutionary planet is finally settled in light and life, the Life Carriers are organized into the higher deliberative bodies of advisory capacity to assist in the further administration and development of the world and its glorified beings. In the later and settled ages of an evolving universe these Life Carriers are intrusted with many new duties.

2. THE LIFE CARRIER WORLDS

36:2.1The Melchizedeks have the general oversight of the fourth group of seven primary spheres in the Salvington circuit. These worlds of the Life Carriers are designated as follows:

1. The Life Carrier headquarters.

2. The life-planning sphere.

3. The life-conservation sphere.

4. The sphere of life evolution.

5. The sphere of life associated with mind.

6. The sphere of mind and spirit in living beings.

7. The sphere of unrevealed life.

36:2.2 Each of these primary spheres is surrounded by six satellites, on which the special phases of all the Life Carrier activities in the universe are centered.

36:2.3 World Number One, the headquarters sphere, together with its six tributary satellites, is devoted to the study of universal life, life in all of its known phases of manifestation. Here is located the college of life planning, wherein function teachers and advisers from Uversa and Havona, even from Paradise. And I am permitted to reveal that the seven central emplacements of the adjutant mind-spirits are situated on this world of the Life Carriers.

36:2.4 The number ten—the decimal system—is inherent in the physical universe but not in the spiritual. The domain of life is characterized by three, seven, and twelve or by multiples and combinations of these basic numbers. There are three primal and essentially different life plans, after the order of the three Paradise Sources and Centers, and in the universe of Nebadon these three basic forms of life are segregated on three different types of planets. There were, originally, twelve distinct and divine concepts of transmissible life. This number twelve, with its subdivisions and multiples, runs throughout all basic life patterns of all seven superuniverses. There are also seven architectural types of life design, fundamental arrangements of the reproducing configurations of living matter. The Orvonton life patterns are configured as twelve inheritance carriers. The differing orders of will creatures are configured as 12, 24, 48, 96, 192, 384, and 768. On Urantia there are forty-eight units of pattern control—trait determiners—in the sex cells of human reproduction.

36:2.5 The Second World is the life-designing sphere; here all new modes of life organization are worked out. While the original life designs are provided by the Creator Son, the actual outworking of these plans is intrusted to the Life Carriers and their associates. When the general life plans for a new world have been formulated, they are transmitted to the headquarters sphere, where they are minutely scrutinized by the supreme council of the senior Life Carriers in collaboration with a corps of consulting Melchizedeks. If the plans are a departure from previously accepted formulas, they must be passed upon, and endorsed by, the Creator Son. The chief of Melchizedeks often represents the Creator Son in these deliberations.

36:2.6 Planetary life, therefore, while similar in some respects, differs in many ways on each evolutionary world. Even in a uniform life series in a single family of worlds, life is not exactly the same on any two planets; there is always a planetary type, for the Life Carriers work constantly in an effort to improve the vital formulas committed to their keeping.

36:2.7 There are over one million fundamental or cosmic chemical formulas which constitute the parent patterns and the numerous basic functional variations of life manifestations. Satellite number one of the life-planning sphere is the realm of the universe physicists and electrochemists who serve as technical assistants to the Life Carriers in the work of capturing, organizing, and manipulating the essential units of energy which are employed in building up the material vehicles of life transmission, the so-called germ plasm.

36:2.8 The planetary life-planning laboratories are situated on the second satellite of this world number two. In these laboratories the Life Carriers and all their associates collaborate with the Melchizedeks in the effort to modify and possibly improve the life designed for implantation on the decimal planets of Nebadon. The life now evolving on Urantia was planned and partially worked out on this very world, for Urantia is a decimal planet, a life-experiment world. On one world in each ten a greater variance in the standard life designs is permitted than on the other (nonexperimental) worlds.

36:2.9 World Number Three is devoted to the conservation of life. Here various modes of life protection and preservation are studied and developed by the assistants and custodians of the Life Carrier corps. The life plans for every new world always provide for the early establishment of the life-conservation commission, consisting of custodian specialists in the expert manipulation of the basic life patterns. On Urantia there were twenty-four such custodian commissioners, two for each fundamental or parent pattern of the architectural organization of the life material. On planets such as yours the highest form of life is reproduced by a life-carrying bundle which possesses twenty-four pattern units. (And since the intellectual life grows out of, and upon the foundation of, the physical, there come into existence the four and twenty basic orders of psychic organization.)

36:2.10 Sphere Number Four and its tributary satellites are devoted to the study of the evolution of creature life in general and to the evolutionary antecedents of any one life level in particular. The original life plasm of an evolutionary world must contain the full potential for all future developmental variations and for all subsequent evolutionary changes and modifications. The provision for such far-reaching projects of life metamorphosis may require the appearance of many apparently useless forms of animal and vegetable life. Such by-products of planetary evolution, foreseen or unforeseen, appear upon the stage of action only to disappear, but in and through all this long process there runs the thread of the wise and intelligent formulations of the original designers of the planetary life plan and species scheme. The manifold by-products of biologic evolution are all essential to the final and full function of the higher intelligent forms of life, notwithstanding that great outward disharmony may prevail from time to time in the long upward struggle of the higher creatures to effect the mastery of the lower forms of life, many of which are sometimes so antagonistic to the peace and comfort of the evolving will creatures.

36:2.11 Number Five World is concerned wholly with life associated with mind. Each of its satellites is devoted to the study of a single phase of creature mind correlated with creature life. Mind such as man comprehends is an endowment of the seven adjutant mind-spirits superimposed on the nonteachable or mechanical levels of mind by the agencies of the Infinite Spirit. The life patterns are variously responsive to these adjutants and to the different spirit ministries operating throughout the universes of time and space. The capacity of material creatures to effect spirit response is entirely dependent on the associated mind endowment, which, in turn, has directionized the course of the biologic evolution of these same mortal creatures.

36:2.12 World Number Six is dedicated to the correlation of mind with spirit as they are associated with living forms and organisms. This world and its six tributaries embrace the schools of creature co-ordination, wherein teachers from both the central universe and the superuniverse collaborate with the Nebadon instructors in presenting the highest levels of creature attainment in time and space.

36:2.13 The Seventh Sphere of the Life Carriers is dedicated to the unrevealed domains of evolutionary creature life as it is related to the cosmic philosophy of the expanding factualization of the Supreme Being.

3. LIFE TRANSPLANTATION

36:3.1 Life does not spontaneously appear in the universes; the Life Carriers must initiate it on the barren planets. They are the carriers, disseminators, and guardians of life as it appears on the evolutionary worlds of space. All life of the order and forms known on Urantia arises with these Sons, though not all forms of planetary life are existent on Urantia.

36:3.2 The corps of Life Carriers commissioned to plant life upon a new world usually consists of one hundred senior carriers, one hundred assistants, and one thousand custodians. The Life Carriers often carry actual life plasm to a new world, but not always. They sometimes organize the life patterns after arriving on the planet of assignment in accordance with formulas previously approved for a new adventure in life establishment. Such was the origin of the planetary life of Urantia.

36:3.3 When, in accordance with approved formulas, the physical patterns have been provided, then do the Life Carriers catalyze this lifeless material, imparting through their persons the vital spirit spark; and forthwith do the inert patterns become living matter.

36:3.4 The vital spark—the mystery of life—is bestowed through the Life Carriers, not by them. They do indeed supervise such transactions, they formulate the life plasm itself, but it is the Universe Mother Spirit who supplies the essential factor of the living plasm. From the Creative Daughter of the Infinite Spirit comes that energy spark which enlivens the body and presages the mind.

36:3.5 In the bestowal of life the Life Carriers transmit nothing of their personal natures, not even on those spheres where new orders of life are projected. At such times they simply initiate and transmit the spark of life, start the required revolutions of matter in accordance with the physical, chemical, and electrical specifications of the ordained plans and patterns. Life Carriers are living catalytic presences which agitate, organize, and vitalize the otherwise inert elements of the material order of existence.

36:3.6 The Life Carriers of a planetary corps are given a certain period in which to establish life on a new world, approximately one-half million years of the time of that planet. At the termination of this period, indicated by certain developmental attainments of the planetary life, they cease implantation efforts, and they may not subsequently add any thing new or supplemental to the life of that planet.

36:3.7 During the ages intervening between life establishment and the emergence of human creatures of moral status, the Life Carriers are permitted to manipulate the life environment and otherwise favorably directionize the course of biologic evolution. And this they do for long periods of time.

36:3.8 When the Life Carriers operating on a new world have once succeeded in producing a being with will, with the power of moral decision and spiritual choice, then and there their work terminates—they are through; they may manipulate the evolving life no further. From this point forward the evolution of living things must proceed in accordance with the endowment of the inherent nature and tendencies which have already been imparted to, and established in, the planetary life formulas and patterns. The Life Carriers are not permitted to experiment or to interfere with will; they are not allowed to dominate or arbitrarily influence moral creatures.

36:3.9 Upon the arrival of a Planetary Prince they prepare to leave, though two of the senior carriers and twelve custodians may volunteer, by taking temporary renunciation vows, to remain indefinitely on the planet as advisers in the matter of the further development and conservation of the life plasm. Two such Sons and their twelve associates are now serving on Urantia.

4. MELCHIZEDEK LIFE CARRIERS

36:4.1 In every local system of inhabited worlds throughout Nebadon there is a single sphere whereon the Melchizedeks have functioned as life carriers. These abodes are known as the system midsonite worlds, and on each of them a materially modified Melchizedek Son has mated with a selected Daughter of the material order of sonship. The Mother Eves of such midsonite worlds are dispatched from the system headquarters of jurisdiction, having been chosen by the designated Melchizedek life carrier from among the numerous volunteers who respond to the call of the System Sovereign addressed to the Material Daughters of his sphere.

36:4.2 The progeny of a Melchizedek life carrier and a Material Daughter are known as midsoniters. The Melchizedek father of such a race of supernal creatures eventually leaves the planet of his unique life function, and the Mother Eve of this special order of universe beings also departs upon the appearance of the seventh generation of planetary offspring. The direction of such a world then devolves upon her eldest son.

36:4.3 The midsonite creatures live and function as reproducing beings on their magnificent worlds until they are one thousand standard years of age; whereupon they are translated by seraphic transport. Midsoniters are nonreproducing beings thereafter because the technique of dematerialization which they pass through in preparation for enseraphiming forever deprives them of reproductive prerogatives.

36:4.4 The present status of these beings can hardly be reckoned as either mortal or immortal, neither can they be definitely classified as human or divine. These creatures are not Adjuster indwelt, hence hardly immortal. But neither do they seem to be mortal; no midsoniter has experienced death. All midsoniters ever born in Nebadon are alive today, functioning on their native worlds, on some intervening sphere, or on the Salvington midsonite sphere in the finaliters’ group of worlds.

36:4.5 The Salvington Worlds of the Finaliters. The Melchizedek life carriers, as well as the associated Mother Eves, go from the system midsonite spheres to the finaliters’ worlds of the Salvington circuit, where their offspring are also destined to forgather.

36:4.6 It should be explained in this connection that the fifth group of seven primary worlds in the Salvington circuit are the Nebadon worlds of the finaliters. The children of the Melchizedek life carriers and the Material Daughters are domiciled on the seventh world of the finaliters, the Salvington midsonite sphere.

36:4.7 The satellites of the seven primary worlds of the finaliters are the rendezvous of the personalities of the super- and central universes who may be executing assignments in Nebadon. While the ascending mortals go about freely on all of the cultural worlds and training spheres of the 490 worlds comprising the Melchizedek University, there are certain special schools and numerous restricted zones which they are not permitted to enter. This is especially true of the forty-nine spheres under the jurisdiction of the finaliters.

36:4.8 The purpose of the midsonite creatures is not at present known, but it would appear that these personalities are forgathering on the seventh finaliter world in preparation for some future eventuality in universe evolution. Our inquiries concerning the midsonite races are always referred to the finaliters, and always do the finaliters decline to discuss the destiny of their wards. Regardless of our uncertainty as to the future of the midsoniters, we do know that every local universe in Orvonton harbors such an accumulating corps of these mysterious beings. It is the belief of the Melchizedek life carriers that their midsonite children will some day be endowed with the transcendental and eternal spirit of absonity by God the Ultimate.

5. THE SEVEN ADJUTANT MIND-SPIRITS

36:5.1 It is the presence of the seven adjutant mind-spirits on the primitive worlds that conditions the course of organic evolution; that explains why evolution is purposeful and not accidental. These adjutants represent that function of the mind ministry of the Infinite Spirit which is extended to the lower orders of intelligent life through the operations of a local universe Mother Spirit. The adjutants are the children of the Universe Mother Spirit and constitute her personal ministry to the material minds of the realms. Wherever and whenever such mind is manifest, these spirits are variously functioning.

36:5.2 The seven adjutant mind-spirits are called by names which are the equivalents of the following designations: intuition, understanding, courage, knowledge, counsel, worship, and wisdom. These mind-spirits send forth their influence into all the inhabited worlds as a differential urge, each seeking receptivity capacity for manifestation quite apart from the degree to which its fellows may find reception and opportunity for function.

36:5.3 The central lodgments of the adjutant spirits on the Life Carrier headquarters world indicate to the Life Carrier supervisors the extent and quality of the mind function of the adjutants on any world and in any given living organism of intellect status. These life-mind emplacements are perfect indicators of living mind function for the first five adjutants. But with regard to the sixth and seventh adjutant spirits—worship and wisdom—these central lodgments record only a qualitative function. The quantitative activity of the adjutant of worship and the adjutant of wisdom is registered in the immediate presence of the Divine Minister on Salvington, being a personal experience of the Universe Mother Spirit.

36:5.4 The seven adjutant mind-spirits always accompany the Life Carriers to a new planet, but they should not be regarded as entities; they are more like circuits. The spirits of the seven universe adjutants do not function as personalities apart from the universe presence of the Divine Minister; they are in fact a level of consciousness of the Divine Minister and are always subordinate to the action and presence of their creative mother.

36:5.5 We are handicapped for words adequately to designate these seven adjutant mind-spirits. They are ministers of the lower levels of experiential mind, and they may be described, in the order of evolutionary attainment, as follows:

36:5.6 1. The spirit of intuition—quick perception, the primitive physical and inherent reflex instincts, the directional and other self-preservative endowments of all mind creations; the only one of the adjutants to function so largely in the lower orders of animal life and the only one to make extensive functional contact with the nonteachable levels of mechanical mind.

36:5.7 2. The spirit of understanding—the impulse of co-ordination, the spontaneous and apparently automatic association of ideas. This is the gift of the co-ordination of acquired knowledge, the phenomenon of quick reasoning, rapid judgment, and prompt decision.

36:5.8 3. The spirit of courage—the fidelity endowment—in personal beings, the basis of character acquirement and the intellectual root of moral stamina and spiritual bravery. When enlightened by facts and inspired by truth, this becomes the secret of the urge of evolutionary ascension by the channels of intelligent and conscientious self-direction.

36:5.9 4. The spirit of knowledge—the curiosity-mother of adventure and discovery, the scientific spirit; the guide and faithful associate of the spirits of courage and counsel; the urge to direct the endowments of courage into useful and progressive paths of growth.

36:5.10 5. The spirit of counsel—the social urge, the endowment of species co-operation; the ability of will creatures to harmonize with their fellows; the origin of the gregarious instinct among the more lowly creatures.

36:5.11 6. The spirit of worship—the religious impulse, the first differential urge separating mind creatures into the two basic classes of mortal existence. The spirit of worship forever distinguishes the animal of its association from the soulless creatures of mind endowment. Worship is the badge of spiritual-ascension candidacy.

36:5.12 7. The spirit of wisdom—the inherent tendency of all moral creatures towards orderly and progressive evolutionary advancement. This is the highest of the adjutants, the spirit co-ordinator and articulator of the work of all the others. This spirit is the secret of that inborn urge of mind creatures which initiates and maintains the practical and effective program of the ascending scale of existence; that gift of living things which accounts for their inexplicable ability to survive and, in survival, to utilize the co-ordination of all their past experience and present opportunities for the acquisition of all of everything that all of the other six mental ministers can mobilize in the mind of the organism concerned. Wisdom is the acme of intellectual performance. Wisdom is the goal of a purely mental and moral existence.

36:5.13 The adjutant mind-spirits experientially grow, but they never become personal. They evolve in function, and the function of the first five in the animal orders is to a certain extent essential to the function of all seven as human intellect. This animal relationship makes the adjutants more practically effective as human mind; hence animals are to a certain extent indispensable to man’s intellectual as well as to his physical evolution.

36:5.14 These mind-adjutants of a local universe Mother Spirit are related to creature life of intelligence status much as the power centers and physical controllers are related to the nonliving forces of the universe. They perform invaluable service in the mind circuits on the inhabited worlds and are effective collaborators with the Master Physical Controllers, who also serve as controllers and directors of the preadjutant mind levels, the levels of nonteachable or mechanical mind.

36:5.15 Living mind, prior to the appearance of capacity to learn from experience, is the ministry domain of the Master Physical Controllers. Creature mind, before acquiring the ability to recognize divinity and worship Deity, is the exclusive domain of the adjutant spirits. With the appearance of the spiritual response of the creature intellect, such created minds at once become superminded, being instantly encircuited in the spirit cycles of the local universe Mother Spirit.

36:5.16 The adjutant mind-spirits are in no manner directly related to the diverse and highly spiritual function of the spirit of the personal presence of the Divine Minister, the Holy Spirit of the inhabited worlds; but they are functionally antecedent to, and preparatory for, the appearance of this very spirit in evolutionary man. The adjutants afford the Universe Mother Spirit a varied contact with, and control over, the material living creatures of a local universe, but they do not repercuss in the Supreme Being when acting on prepersonality levels.

36:6.17 Nonspiritual mind is either a spirit-energy manifestation or a physical-energy phenomenon. Even human mind, personal mind, has no survival qualities apart from spirit identification. Mind is a divinity bestowal, but it is not immortal when it functions without spirit insight, and when it is devoid of the ability to worship and crave survival.

6. LIVING FORCES

36:6.1 Life is both mechanistic and vitalistic—material and spiritual. Ever will Urantia physicists and chemists progress in their understanding of the protoplasmic forms of vegetable and animal life, but never will they be able to produce living organisms. Life is something different from all energy manifestations; even the material life of physical creatures is not inherent in matter.

36:6.2 Things material may enjoy an independent existence, but life springs only from life. Mind can be derived only from pre-existent mind. Spirit takes origin only from spirit ancestors. The creature may produce the forms of life, but only a creator personality or a creative force can supply the activating living spark.

36:6.3 Life Carriers can organize the material forms, or physical patterns, of living beings, but the Spirit provides the initial spark of life and bestows the endowment of mind. Even the living forms of experimental life which the Life Carriers organize on their Salvington worlds are always devoid of reproductive powers. When the life formulas and the vital patterns are correctly assembled and properly organized, the presence of a Life Carrier is sufficient to initiate life, but all such living organisms are lacking in two essential attributes—mind endowment and reproductive powers. Animal mind and human mind are gifts of the local universe Mother Spirit, functioning through the seven adjutant mind-spirits, while creature ability to reproduce is the specific and personal impartation of the Universe Spirit to the ancestral life plasm inaugurated by the Life Carriers.

36:6.4 When the Life Carriers have designed the patterns of life, after they have organized the energy systems, there must occur an additional phenomenon; the “breath of life” must be imparted to these lifeless forms. The Sons of God can construct the forms of life, but it is the Spirit of God who really contributes the vital spark. And when the life thus imparted is spent, then again the remaining material body becomes dead matter. When the bestowed life is exhausted, the body returns to the bosom of the material universe from which it was borrowed by the Life Carriers to serve as a transient vehicle for that life endowment which they conveyed to such a visible association of energy-matter.

36:6.5 The life bestowed upon plants and animals by the Life Carriers does not return to the Life Carriers upon the death of plant or animal. The departing life of such a living thing possesses neither identity nor personality; it does not individually survive death. During its existence and the time of its sojourn in the body of matter, it has undergone a change; it has undergone energy evolution and survives only as a part of the cosmic forces of the universe; it does not survive as individual life. The survival of mortal creatures is wholly predicated on the evolvement of an immortal soul within the mortal mind.

36:6.6 We speak of life as “energy” and as “force,” but it is really neither. Force-energy is variously gravity responsive; life is not. Pattern is also nonresponsive to gravity, being a configuration of energies that have already fulfilled all gravity-responsive obligations. Life, as such, constitutes the animation of some pattern-configured or otherwise segregated system of energy—material, mindal, or spiritual.

36:6.7 There are some things connected with the elaboration of life on the evolutionary planets which are not altogether clear to us. We fully comprehend the physical organization of the electrochemical formulas of the Life Carriers, but we do not wholly understand the nature and source of the life-activation spark. We know that life flows from the Father through the Son and by the Spirit. It is more than possible that the Master Spirits are the sevenfold channel of the river of life which is poured out upon all creation. But we do not comprehend the technique whereby the supervising Master Spirit participates in the initial episode of life bestowal on a new planet. The Ancients of Days, we are confident, also have some part in this inauguration of life on a new world, but we are wholly ignorant of the nature thereof. We do know that the Universe Mother Spirit actually vitalizes the lifeless patterns and imparts to such activated plasm the prerogatives of organismal reproduction. We observe that these three are the levels of God the Sevenfold, sometimes designated as the Supreme Creators of time and space; but otherwise we know little more than Urantia mortals—simply that concept is inherent in the Father, expression in the Son, and life realization in the Spirit.

36:6.8 [Indited by a Vorondadek Son stationed on Urantia as an observer and acting in this capacity by request of the Melchizedek Chief of the Supervising Revelatory Corps.]

AT THE HEAD of all personality in Nebadon stands the Creator and Master Son, Michael, the universe father and sovereign. Co-ordinate in divinity and complemental in creative attributes is the local universe Mother Spirit, the Divine Minister of Salvington. And these creators are in a very literal sense the Father-Son and the Spirit-Mother of all the native creatures of Nebadon.

37:0.2 Preceding papers have dealt with the created orders of sonship; succeeding narratives will portray the ministering spirits and the ascending orders of sonship. This paper is chiefly concerned with an intervening group, the Universe Aids, but it will also give brief consideration to certain of the higher spirits stationed in Nebadon and to certain of the orders of permanent citizenship in the local universe.

1. THE UNIVERSE AIDS

37:1.1 Many of the unique orders generally grouped in this category are unrevealed, but as presented in these papers, the Universe Aids include the following seven orders:

1. Bright and Morning Stars.

2. Brilliant Evening Stars.

3. Archangels.

4. Most High Assistants.

5. High Commissioners.

6. Celestial Overseers.

7. Mansion World Teachers.

37:1.2 Of the first order of Universe Aids, the Bright and Morning Stars, there is just one in each local universe, and he is the first-born of all creatures native to a local universe. The Bright and Morning Star of our universe is known as Gabriel of Salvington. He is the chief executive of all Nebadon, functioning as the personal representative of the Sovereign Son and as spokesman for his creative consort.

37:1.3 During the earlier times of Nebadon, Gabriel worked quite alone with Michael and the Creative Spirit. As the universe grew and administrative problems multiplied, he was provided with a personal staff of unrevealed assistants, and eventually this group was augmented by the creation of the Nebadon corps of Evening Stars.

2. THE BRILLIANT EVENING STARS

37:2.1 These brilliant creatures were planned by the Melchizedeks and were then brought into being by the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. They serve in many capacities but chiefly as liaison officers of Gabriel, the local universe chief executive. One or more of these beings function as his representatives at the capital of every constellation and system in Nebadon.

37:2.2 As chief executive of Nebadon, Gabriel is ex officio chairman of, or observer at, most of the Salvington conclaves, and as many as one thousand of these are often in session simultaneously. The Brilliant Evening Stars represent Gabriel on these occasions; he cannot be in two places at the same time, and these superangels compensate for this limitation. They perform an analogous service for the corps of the Trinity Teacher Sons.

37:2.3 Though personally occupied with administrative duties, Gabriel maintains contact with all other phases of universe life and affairs through the Brilliant Evening Stars. They always accompany him on his planetary tours and frequently go on special missions to the individual planets as his personal representatives. On such assignments they have sometimes been known as “the angel of the Lord.” They frequently go to Uversa to represent the Bright and Morning Star before the courts and assemblies of the Ancients of Days, but they seldom journey beyond the confines of Orvonton.

37:2.4 The Brilliant Evening Stars are a unique twofold order, embracing some of created dignity and others of attained service. The Nebadon corps of these superangels now numbers 13,641. There are 4,832 of created dignity, while 8,809 are ascendant spirits who have attained this goal of exalted service. Many of these ascendant Evening Stars started their universe careers as seraphim; others have ascended from unrevealed levels of creature life. As an attainment goal this high corps is never closed to ascension candidates so long as a universe is not settled in light and life.

37:2.5 Both types of Brilliant Evening Stars are easily visible to morontia personalities and certain types of supermortal material beings. The created beings of this interesting and versatile order possess a spirit force which can be manifested independently of their personal presence.

37:2.6 The head of these superangels is Gavalia, the first-born of this order in Nebadon. Since the return of Christ Michael from his triumphant bestowal on Urantia, Gavalia has been assigned to the ascendant mortal ministry, and for the last nineteen hundred Urantia years his associate, Galantia, has maintained headquarters on Jerusem, where he spends about half of his time. Galantia is the first of the ascendant superangels to attain this high estate.

37:2.7 No grouping or company organization of the Brilliant Evening Stars exists other than their customary association in pairs on many assignments. They are not extensively assigned on missions pertaining to the ascendant career of mortals, but when thus commissioned, they never function alone. They always work in pairs—one a created being, the other an ascendant Evening Star.

37:2.8 One of the high duties of the Evening Stars is to accompany the Avonal bestowal Sons on their planetary missions, even as Gabriel accompanied Michael on his Urantia bestowal. The two attending superangels are the ranking personalities of such missions, serving as cocommanders of the archangels and all others assigned to these undertakings. It is the senior of these superangel commanders who, at the significant time and age, bids the Avonal bestowal Son, “Be about your brother’s business.”

37:2.9 Similar pairs of these superangels are assigned to the planetary corps of Trinity Teacher Sons that functions to establish the postbestowal or dawning spiritual age of an inhabited world. On such assignments the Evening Stars serve as liaisons between the mortals of the realm and the invisible corps of Teacher Sons.

37:2.10 The Worlds of the Evening Stars. The sixth group of seven Salvington worlds and their forty-two tributary satellites are assigned to the administration of the Brilliant Evening Stars. The seven primary worlds are presided over by the created orders of these superangels, while the tributary satellites are administered by ascendant Evening Stars.

37:2.11 The satellites of the first three worlds are devoted to the schools of the Teacher Sons and the Evening Stars dedicated to the spirit personalities of the local universe. The next three groups are occupied by similar joint schools devoted to the training of ascending mortals. The seventh-world satellites are reserved for the triune deliberations of the Teacher Sons, the Evening Stars, and the finaliters. During recent times these superangels have been closely identified with the local universe work of the Corps of the Finality, and they have long been associated with the Teacher Sons. There exists a liaison of tremendous power and import between the Evening Stars and the Gravity Messengers attached to the finaliter working groups. The seventh primary world itself is reserved for those unrevealed matters which pertain to the future relationship that will obtain between the Teacher Sons, the finaliters, and the Evening Stars consequent upon the completed emergence of the superuniverse manifestation of the personality of God the Supreme.

3. THE ARCHANGELS

37:3.1 Archangels are the offspring of the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit. They are the highest type of high spirit being produced in large numbers in a local universe, and at the time of the last registry there were almost eight hundred thousand in Nebadon.

37:3.2 Archangels are one of the few groups of local universe personalities who are not normally under the jurisdiction of Gabriel. They are not in any manner concerned with the routine administration of the universe, being dedicated to the work of creature survival and to the furtherance of the ascending career of the mortals of time and space. While not ordinarily subject to the direction of the Bright and Morning Star, the archangels do sometimes function by his authority. They also collaborate with others of the Universe Aids, such as the Evening Stars, as is illustrated by certain transactions depicted in the narrative of life transplantation on your world.

37:3.3 The archangel corps of Nebadon is directed by the first-born of this order, and in more recent times a divisional headquarters of the archangels has been maintained on Urantia. It is this unusual fact that soon arrests the attention of extra-Nebadon student visitors. Among their early observations of intrauniverse transactions is the discovery that many ascendant activities of the Brilliant Evening Stars are directed from the capital of a local system, Satania. On further examination they discover that certain archangel activities are directed from a small and apparently insignificant inhabited world called Urantia. And then ensues the revelation of Michael’s bestowal on Urantia and their immediately quickened interest in you and your lowly sphere.

37:3.4 Do you grasp the significance of the fact that your lowly and confused planet has become a divisional headquarters for the universe administration and direction of certain archangel activities having to do with the Paradise ascension scheme? This undoubtedly presages the future concentration of other ascendant activities on the bestowal world of Michael and lends a tremendous and solemn import to the Master’s personal promise, “I will come again.”

37:3.5 In general, the archangels are assigned to the service and ministry of the Avonal order of sonship, but not until they have passed through extensive preliminary training in all phases of the work of the various ministering spirits. A corps of one hundred accompanies every Paradise bestowal Son to an inhabited world, being temporarily assigned to him for the duration of such a bestowal. If the Magisterial Son should become temporary ruler of the planet, these archangels would act as the directing heads of all celestial life on that sphere.

37:3.6 Two senior archangels are always assigned as the personal aids of a Paradise Avonal on all planetary missions, whether involving judicial actions, magisterial missions, or bestowal incarnations. When this Paradise Son has finished the judgment of a realm and the dead are called to record (the so-called resurrection), it is literally true that the seraphic guardians of the slumbering personalities respond to “the voice of the archangel.” The roll call of a dispensation termination is promulgated by an attendant archangel. This is the archangel of the resurrection, sometimes referred to as the “archangel of Michael.”

37:3.7 The Worlds of the Archangels. The seventh group of the encircling Salvington worlds, with their associated satellites, is assigned to the archangels. Sphere number one and all of its six tributary satellites are occupied by the personality record keepers. This enormous corps of recorders busy themselves with keeping straight the record of each mortal of time from the moment of birth up through the universe career until such an individual either leaves Salvington for the superuniverse regime or is “blotted out of recorded existence” by the mandate of the Ancients of Days.

37:3.8 It is on these worlds that personality records and identification sureties are classified, filed, and preserved during that time which intervenes between mortal death and the hour of repersonalization, the resurrection from death.

4. MOST HIGH ASSISTANTS

37:4.1 The Most High Assistants are a group of volunteering beings, of origin outside the local universe, who are temporarily assigned as central and superuniverse representatives to, or observers of, the local creations. Their number varies constantly but is always far up in the millions.

37:4.2 From time to time we thus benefit from the ministry and assistance of such Paradise-origin beings as Perfectors of Wisdom, Divine Counselors, Universal Censors, Inspired Trinity Spirits, Trinitized Sons, Solitary Messengers, supernaphim, seconaphim, tertiaphim, and other gracious ministers, who sojourn with us for the purpose of helping our native personalities in the effort to bring all Nebadon into fuller harmony with the ideas of Orvonton and the ideals of Paradise.

37:4.3 Any of these beings may be voluntarily serving in Nebadon and hence be technically outside our jurisdiction, but when functioning by assignment, such personalities of the super- and central universes are not wholly exempt from the regulations of the local universe of their sojourn, though they continue to function as representatives of the higher universes and to work in accordance with the instructions which constitute their mission in our realm. Their general headquarters is situated in the Salvington sector of the Union of Days, and they operate in Nebadon subject to the oversupervision of this ambassador of the Paradise Trinity. When serving in unattached groups, these personalities from the higher realms are usually self-directing, but when serving on request, they often voluntarily place themselves wholly under the jurisdiction of the supervising directors of the realms of assigned function.

37:4.4 Most High Assistants serve in local universe and in constellation capacities but are not directly attached to the system or planetary governments. They may, however, function anywhere in the local universe and may be assigned to any phase of Nebadon activity—administrative, executive, educational, and others.

37:4.5 Most of this corps is enlisted in assisting the Nebadon Paradise personalities—the Union of Days, the Creator Son, the Faithfuls of Days, the Magisterial Sons, and the Trinity Teacher Sons. Now and then in the transaction of the affairs of a local creation it becomes wise to withhold certain details, temporarily, from the knowledge of practically all of the native personalities of that local universe. Certain advanced plans and complex rulings are also better grasped and more fully understood by the more mature and farseeing corps of Most High Assistants, and it is in such situations, and many others, that they are so highly serviceable to the universe rulers and administrators.

5. HIGH COMMISSIONERS

37:5.1 The High Commissioners are Spirit-fused ascendant mortals; they are not Adjuster fused. You quite well understand about the universe-ascension career of a mortal candidate for Adjuster fusion, that being the high destiny in prospect for all Urantia mortals since the bestowal of Christ Michael. But this is not the exclusive destiny of all mortals in the prebestowal ages of worlds like yours, and there is another type of world whose inhabitants are never permanently indwelt by Thought Adjusters. Such mortals are never permanently joined in union with a Mystery Monitor of Paradise bestowal; nevertheless, the Adjusters do transiently indwell them, serving as guides and patterns for the duration of the life in the flesh. During this temporary sojourn they foster the evolution of an immortal soul just as in those beings with whom they hope to fuse, but when the mortal race is run, they take eternal leave of the creatures of temporary association.

37:5.2Surviving souls of this order attain immortality by eternal fusion with an individualized fragment of the spirit of the local universe Mother Spirit. They are not a numerous group, at least not in Nebadon. On the mansion worlds you will meet and fraternize with these Spirit-fused mortals as they ascend the Paradise path with you as far as Salvington, where they stop. Some of them may subsequently ascend to higher universe levels, but the majority will forever remain in the service of the local universe; as a class they are not destined to attain Paradise.

37:5.3 Not being Adjuster fused, they never become finaliters, but they do eventually become enrolled in the local universe Corps of Perfection. They have in spirit obeyed the Father’s command, “Be you perfect.”

37:5.4 After attaining the Nebadon Corps of Perfection, Spirit-fused ascenders may accept assignment as Universe Aids, this being one of the avenues of continuing experiential growth which is open to them. Thus do they become candidates for commissions to the high service of interpreting the viewpoints of the evolving creatures of the material worlds to the celestial authorities of the local universe.

37:5.5 The High Commissioners begin their service on the planets as race commissioners. In this capacity they interpret the viewpoints and portray the needs of the various human races. They are supremely devoted to the welfare of the mortal races whose spokesmen they are, ever seeking to obtain for them mercy, justice, and fair treatment in all relationships with other peoples. Race commissioners function in an endless series of planetary crises and serve as the articulate expression of whole groups of struggling mortals.

37:5.6 After long experience in problem solving on the inhabited worlds, these race commissioners are advanced to the higher levels of function, eventually attaining the status of High Commissioners of and in the local universe. The last registration recorded slightly over one and one-half billion of these High Commissioners in Nebadon. These beings are not finaliters, but they are ascendant beings of long experience and of great service to their native realm.

37:5.7 We invariably find these commissioners in all the tribunals of justice, from the lowest to the highest. Not that they participate in the proceedings of justice, but they do act as friends of the court, advising the presiding magistrates respecting the antecedents, environment, and inherent nature of those concerned in the adjudication.

37:5.8 High Commissioners are attached to the various messenger hosts of space and always to the ministering spirits of time. They are encountered on the programs of various universe assemblies, and these same mortal-wise commissioners are always attached to the missions of the Sons of God to the worlds of space.

37:5.9 Whenever fairness and justice require an understanding of how a contemplated policy or procedure would affect the evolutionary races of time, these commissioners are at hand to present their recommendations; they are always present to speak for those who cannot be present to speak for themselves.

37:5.10 The Worlds of the Spirit-fused Mortals. The eighth group of seven primary worlds and tributary satellites in the Salvington circuit are the exclusive possession of the Spirit-fused mortals of Nebadon. Ascending Adjuster-fused mortals are not concerned with these worlds except to enjoy many pleasant and profitable sojourns as the invited guests of the Spirit-fused residents.

37:5.11 Except for those few who attain Uversa and Paradise, these worlds are the permanent residence of the Spirit-fused survivors. Such designed limitation of mortal ascent reacts to the good of the local universes by insuring the retention of a permanent evolved population whose augmenting experience will continue to enhance the future stabilization and diversification of the local universe administration. These beings may not attain Paradise, but they achieve an experiential wisdom in the mastery of Nebadon problems that utterly surpasses anything attained by the transient ascenders. And these surviving souls continue as unique combinations of the human and the divine, being increasingly able to unite the viewpoints of these two widely separate levels and to present such a dual viewpoint with ever-heightening wisdom.

6. CELESTIAL OVERSEERS

37:6.1 The Nebadon educational system is jointly administered by the Trinity Teacher Sons and the Melchizedek teaching corps, but much of the work designed to effect its maintenance and upbuilding is carried on by the Celestial Overseers. These beings are a recruited corps embracing all types of individuals connected with the scheme of educating and training the ascending mortals. There are upward of three million of them in Nebadon, and they are all volunteers who have qualified by experience to serve as educational advisers to the entire realm. From their headquarters on the Salvington worlds of the Melchizedeks, these overseers range the local universe as inspectors of the Nebadon school technique designed to effect the mind training and the spirit education of the ascending creatures.

37:6.2 This training of mind and education of spirit is carried on from the worlds of human origin up through the system mansion worlds and the other spheres of progress associated with Jerusem, on the seventy socializing realms attached to Edentia, and on the four hundred and ninety spheres of spirit progress encircling Salvington. On the universe headquarters itself are numerous Melchizedek schools, the colleges of the Universe Sons, the seraphic universities, and the schools of the Teacher Sons and the Union of Days. Every possible provision is made to qualify the various personalities of the universe for advancing service and improving function. The entire universe is one vast school.

37:6.3 The methods employed in many of the higher schools are beyond the human concept of the art of teaching truth, but this is the keynote of the whole educational system: character acquired by enlightened experience. The teachers provide the enlightenment; the universe station and the ascender’s status afford the opportunity for experience; the wise utilization of these two augments character.

37:6.4 Fundamentally, the Nebadon educational system provides for your assignment to a task and then affords you opportunity to receive instruction as to the ideal and divine method of best performing that task. You are given a definite task to perform, and at the same time you are provided with teachers who are qualified to instruct you in the best method of executing your assignment. The divine plan of education provides for the intimate association of work and instruction. We teach you how best to execute the things we command you to do.

37:6.5 The purpose of all this training and experience is to prepare you for admission to the higher and more spiritual training spheres of the superuniverse. Progress within a given realm is individual, but transition from one phase to another is usually by classes.

37:6.6 The progression of eternity does not consist solely in spiritual development. Intellectual acquisition is also a part of universal education. The experience of the mind is broadened equally with the expansion of the spiritual horizon. Mind and spirit are afforded like opportunities for training and advancement. But in all this superb training of mind and spirit you are forever free from the handicaps of mortal flesh. No longer must you constantly referee the conflicting contentions of your divergent spiritual and material natures. At last you are qualified to enjoy the unified urge of a glorified mind long since divested of primitive animalistic trends towards things material.

37:6.7 Before leaving the universe of Nebadon, most Urantia mortals will be afforded opportunity to serve for a longer or shorter time as members of the Nebadon corps of Celestial Overseers.

7. MANSION WORLD TEACHERS

37:7.1 The Mansion World Teachers are recruited and glorified cherubim. Like most other instructors in Nebadon they are commissioned by the Melchizedeks. They function in most of the educational enterprises of the morontia life, and their number is quite beyond the comprehension of mortal mind.

37:7.2 As an attainment level of cherubim and sanobim, the Mansion World Teachers will receive further consideration in the next paper, while as teachers playing an important part in the morontia life, they will be more extensively discussed in the paper of that name.

8. HIGHER SPIRIT ORDERS OF ASSIGNMENT

37:8.1 Besides the power centers and the physical controllers, certain of the higher-origin spirit beings of the family of the Infinite Spirit are of permanent assignment to the local universe. Of the higher spirit orders of the family of the Infinite Spirit the following are so assigned:

37:8.2 The Solitary Messengers, when functionally attached to the local universe administration, render invaluable service to us in our efforts to overcome the handicaps of time and space. When they are not thus assigned, we of the local universes have absolutely no authority over them, but even then these unique beings are always willing to help us with the solution of our problems and with the execution of our mandates.

37:8.3 Andovontia is the name of the tertiary Universe Circuit Supervisor stationed in our local universe. He is concerned only with spirit and morontia circuits, not with those under the jurisdiction of the power directors. It was he who isolated Urantia at the time of the Caligastia betrayal of the planet during the testing seasons of the Lucifer rebellion. In sending greetings to the mortals of Urantia, he expresses pleasure in the anticipation of your sometime restoration to the universe circuits of his supervision.

37:8.4 The Nebadon Census Director, Salsatia, maintains headquarters within the Gabriel sector of Salvington. He is automatically cognizant of the birth and death of will and currently registers the exact number of will creatures functioning in the local universe. He works in close association with the personality recorders domiciled on the record worlds of the archangels.

37:8.5 An Associate Inspector is resident on Salvington. He is the personal representative of the Supreme Executive of Orvonton. His associates, the Assigned Sentinels in the local systems, are also representatives of the Supreme Executive of Orvonton.

37:8.6 The Universal Conciliators are the traveling courts of the universes of time and space, functioning from the evolutionary worlds up through every section of the local universe and on beyond. These referees are registered on Uversa; the exact number operating in Nebadon is not of record, but I estimate that there are in the neighborhood of one hundred million conciliating commissions in our local universe.

37:8.7 Of the Technical Advisers, the legal minds of the realm, we have our quota, about one-half billion. These beings are the living and circulating experiential law libraries of all space.

37:8.8 Of the Celestial Recorders, the ascendant seraphim, we have in Nebadon seventy-five. These are the senior or supervising recorders. The advancing students of this order in training number almost four billion.

37:8.9 The ministry of the seventy billion Morontia Companions in Nebadon is described in those narratives dealing with the transition planets of the pilgrims of time.

37:8.10 Each universe has its own native angelic corps; nevertheless, there are occasions on which it is very helpful to have the assistance of those higher spirits of origin outside the local creation. Supernaphim perform certain rare and unique services; the present chief of Urantia seraphim is a primary supernaphim of Paradise. The reflective seconaphim are encountered wherever the superuniverse personnel is functioning, and a great many tertiaphim are of temporary service as Most High Assistants.

9. PERMANENT CITIZENS OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE

37:9.1 As with the super- and central universes, the local universe has its orders of permanent citizenship. These include the following created types:

1. Susatia.

2. Univitatia.

3. Material Sons.

4. Midway Creatures.

37:9.2 These natives of the local creation, together with the Spirit-fused ascenders and the spironga (who are otherwise classified), constitute a relatively permanent citizenship. These orders of beings are by and large neither ascending nor descending. They are all experiential creatures, but their enlarging experience continues to be available to the universe on their level of origin. While this is not wholly true of the Adamic Sons and midway creatures, it is relatively true of these orders.

37:9.3 The Susatia. These marvelous beings reside and function as permanent citizens on Salvington, the headquarters of this local universe. They are the brilliant offspring of the Creator Son and Creative Spirit and are closely associated with the ascendant citizens of the local universe, the Spirit-fused mortals of the Nebadon Corps of Perfection.

37:9.4 The Univitatia. Each of the one hundred constellation headquarters clusters of architectural spheres enjoys the continuous ministry of a residential order of beings known as the univitatia. These children of the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit constitute the permanent population of the constellation headquarters worlds. They are nonreproducing beings existing on a plane of life about halfway between the semimaterial status of the Material Sons domiciled on the system headquarters and the more definitely spiritual plane of the Spirit-fused mortals and the susatia of Salvington; but the univitatia are not morontia beings. They accomplish for ascending mortals during the traversal of the constellation spheres what the Havona natives contribute to the pilgrim spirits passing through the central creation.

37:9.5 The Material Sons of God. When a creative liaison between the Creator Son and the universe representative of the Infinite Spirit, the Universe Mother Spirit, has completed its cycle, when no more offspring of the combined nature are forthcoming, then does the Creator Son personalize in dual form his last concept of being, thus finally confirming his own and original dual origin. In and of himself he then creates the beautiful and superb Sons and Daughters of the material order of universe sonship. This is the origin of the original Adam and Eve of each local system of Nebadon. They are a reproducing order of sonship, being created male and female. Their progeny function as the relatively permanent citizens of a system capital, though some are commissioned as Planetary Adams.

37:9.6 On a planetary mission the Material Son and Daughter are commissioned to found the Adamic race of that world, a race designed eventually to amalgamate with the mortal inhabitants of that sphere. Planetary Adams are both descending and ascending Sons, but we ordinarily class them as ascending.

37:9.7 The Midway Creatures. In the early days of most inhabited worlds, certain superhuman but materialized beings are of assignment, but they usually retire upon the arrival of the Planetary Adams. The transactions of such beings and the efforts of the Material Sons to improve the evolutionary races often result in the appearance of a limited number of creatures who are difficult to classify. These unique beings are often midway between the Material Sons and the evolutionary creatures; hence their designation, midway creatures. In a comparative sense these midwayers are the permanent citizens of the evolutionary worlds. From the early days of the arrival of a Planetary Prince to the far-distant time of the settling of the planet in light and life, they are the only group of intelligent beings to remain continuously on the sphere. On Urantia the midway ministers are in reality the actual custodians of the planet; they are, practically speaking, the citizens of Urantia. Mortals are indeed the physical and material inhabitants of an evolutionary world, but you are all so short-lived; you tarry on your nativity planet such a short time. You are born, live, die, and pass on to other worlds of evolutionary progression. Even the superhuman beings who serve on the planets as celestial ministers are of transient assignment; few of them are long attached to a given sphere. The midway creatures, however, provide continuity of planetary administration in the face of ever-changing celestial ministries and constantly shifting mortal inhabitants. Throughout all of this never-ceasing changing and shifting, the midway creatures remain on the planet uninterruptedly carrying on their work.

37:9.8 In like manner, all divisions of the administrative organization of the local universes and superuniverses have their more or less permanent populations, inhabitants of citizenship status. As Urantia has its midwayers, Jerusem, your system capital, has the Material Sons and Daughters; Edentia, your constellation headquarters, has the univitatia, while the citizens of Salvington are twofold, the created susatia and the evolved Spirit-fused mortals. The administrative worlds of the minor and major sectors of the superuniverses do not have permanent citizens. But the Uversa headquarters spheres are continuously fostered by an amazing group of beings known as the abandonters, the creation of the unrevealed agents of the Ancients of Days and the seven Reflective Spirits resident on the capital of Orvonton. These residential citizens on Uversa are at present administering the routine affairs of their world under the immediate supervision of the Uversa corps of the Son-fused mortals. Even Havona has its native beings, and the central Isle of Light and Life is the home of the various groups of Paradise Citizens.

10. OTHER LOCAL UNIVERSE GROUPS

37:10.1 Besides the seraphic and mortal orders, who will be considered in later papers, there are numerous additional beings concerned in the maintenance and perfecting of such a gigantic organization as the universe of Nebadon, which even now has more than three million inhabited worlds, with ten million in prospect. The various Nebadon types of life are much too numerous to be catalogued in this paper, but there are two unusual orders that function extensively on the 647,591 architectural spheres of the local universe, that may be mentioned.

37:10.2 The Spironga are the spirit offspring of the Bright and Morning Star and the Father Melchizedek. They are exempt from personality termination but are not evolutionary or ascending beings. Neither are they functionally concerned with the evolutionary ascension regime. They are the spirit helpers of the local universe, executing the routine spirit tasks of Nebadon.

37:10.3 The Spornagia. The architectural headquarters worlds of the local universe are real worlds—physical creations. There is much work connected with their physical upkeep, and herein we have the assistance of a group of physical creatures called spornagia. They are devoted to the care and culture of the material phases of these headquarters worlds, from Jerusem to Salvington. Spornagia are neither spirits nor persons; they are an animal order of existence, but if you could see them, you would agree that they seem to be perfect animals.

37:10.4 The various courtesy colonies are domiciled on Salvington and elsewhere. We especially profit from the ministry of the celestial artisans on the constellations and benefit from the activities of the reversion directors, who operate chiefly on the capitals of the local systems.

37:10.5 Always there is attached to the universe service a corps of ascending mortals, including the glorified midway creatures. These ascenders, after attaining Salvington, are used in an almost endless variety of activities in the conduct of universe affairs. From each level of achievement these advancing mortals reach back and down to extend a helping hand to their fellows who follow them in the upward climb. Such mortals of temporary sojourn on Salvington are assigned on requisition to practically all corps of celestial personalities as helpers, students, observers, and teachers.

37:10.6 There are still other types of intelligent life concerned with the administration of a local universe, but the plan of this narrative does not provide for the further revelation of these orders of creation. Enough of the life and administration of this universe is being herewith portrayed to afford the mortal mind a grasp of the reality and grandeur of the survival existence. Further experience in your advancing careers will increasingly reveal these interesting and charming beings. This narrative cannot be more than a brief outline of the nature and work of the manifold personalities who throng the universes of space administering these creations as enormous training schools, schools wherein the pilgrims of time advance from life to life and from world to world until they are lovingly dispatched from the borders of the universe of their origin to the higher educational regime of the superuniverse and thence on to the spirit-training worlds of Havona and eventually to Paradise and the high destiny of the finaliters—the eternal assignment on missions not yet revealed to the universes of time and space.

37:10.7 [Dictated by a Brilliant Evening Star of Nebadon, Number 1,146 of the Created Corps.]

THERE ARE THREE distinct orders of the personalities of the Infinite Spirit. The impetuous apostle understood this when he wrote respecting Jesus, “who has gone to heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.” Angels are the ministering spirits of time; authorities, the messenger hosts of space; powers, the higher personalities of the Infinite Spirit.

38:0.2 As the supernaphim in the central universe and the seconaphim in a superuniverse, so the seraphim, with the associated cherubim and sanobim, constitute the angelic corps of a local universe.

38:0.3 The seraphim are all fairly uniform in design. From universe to universe, throughout all seven of the superuniverses, they show a minimum of variation; they are the most nearly standard of all spirit types of personal beings. Their various orders constitute the corps of the skilled and common ministers of the local creations.

1. ORIGIN OF SERAPHIM

38:1.1 Seraphim are created by the Universe Mother Spirit and have been projected in unit formation—41,472 at a time—ever since the creation of the “pattern angels” and certain angelic archetypes in the early times of Nebadon. The Creator Son and the universe representation of the Infinite Spirit collaborate in the creation of a large number of Sons and other universe personalities. Following the completion of this united effort, the Son engages in the creation of the Material Sons, the first of the sex creatures, while the Universe Mother Spirit concurrently engages in her initial solitary effort at spirit reproduction. Thus begins the creation of the seraphic hosts of a local universe.

38:1.2 These angelic orders are projected at the time of planning for the evolution of mortal will creatures. The creation of seraphim dates from the attainment of relative personality by the Universe Mother Spirit, not as the later co-ordinate of the Master Son, but as the early creative helper of the Creator Son. Previous to this event the seraphim on duty in Nebadon were temporarily loaned by a neighboring universe.

38:1.3 Seraphim are still being periodically created; the universe of Nebadon is still in the making. The Universe Mother Spirit never ceases creative activity in a growing and perfecting universe.

2. ANGELIC NATURES

38:2.1 Angels do not have material bodies, but they are definite and discrete beings; they are of spirit nature and origin. Though invisible to mortals, they perceive you as you are in the flesh without the aid of transformers or translators; they intellectually understand the mode of mortal life, and they share all of man’s nonsensuous emotions and sentiments. They appreciate and greatly enjoy your efforts in music, art, and real humor. They are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them.

38:2.2 Though seraphim are very affectionate and sympathetic beings, they are not sex-emotion creatures. They are much as you will be on the mansion worlds, where you will “neither marry nor be given in marriage but will be as the angels of heaven.” For all who “shall be accounted worthy to attain the mansion worlds neither marry nor are given in marriage; neither do they die any more, for they are equal to the angels.” Nevertheless, in dealing with sex creatures it is our custom to speak of those beings of more direct descent from the Father and the Son as the sons of God, while referring to the children of the Spirit as the daughters of God. Angels are, therefore, commonly designated by feminine pronouns on the sex planets.

38:2.3 The seraphim are so created as to function on both spiritual and literal levels. There are few phases of morontia or spirit activity which are not open to their ministrations. While in personal status angels are not so far removed from human beings, in certain functional performances seraphim far transcend them. They possess many powers far beyond human comprehension. For example: You have been told that the “very hairs of your head are numbered,” and it is true they are, but a seraphim does not spend her time counting them and keeping the number corrected up to date. Angels possess inherent and automatic (that is, automatic as far as you could perceive) powers of knowing such things; you would truly regard a seraphim as a mathematical prodigy. Therefore, numerous duties which would be tremendous tasks for mortals are performed with exceeding ease by seraphim.

38:2.4 Angels are superior to you in spiritual status, but they are not your judges or accusers. No matter what your faults, “the angels, although greater in power and might, bring no accusation against you.” Angels do not sit in judgment on mankind, neither should individual mortals prejudge their fellow creatures.

38:2.5 You do well to love them, but you should not adore them; angels are not objects of worship. The great seraphim, Loyalatia, when your seer “fell down to worship before the feet of the angel,” said: “See that you do it not; I am a fellow servant with you and with your races, who are all enjoined to worship God.”

38:2.6 In nature and personality endowment the seraphim are just a trifle ahead of mortal races in the scale of creature existence. Indeed, when you are delivered from the flesh, you become very much like them. On the mansion worlds you will begin to appreciate the seraphim, on the constellation spheres to enjoy them, while on Salvington they will share their places of rest and worship with you. Throughout the whole morontia and subsequent spirit ascent, your fraternity with the seraphim will be ideal; your companionship will be superb.

3. UNREVEALED ANGELS

38:3.1 Numerous orders of spirit beings function throughout the domains of the local universe that are unrevealed to mortals because they are in no manner connected with the evolutionary plan of Paradise ascension. In this paper the word “angel” is purposely limited to the designation of those seraphic and associated offspring of the Universe Mother Spirit who are so largely concerned with the operation of the plans of mortal survival. There serve in the local universe six other orders of related beings, the unrevealed angels, who are not in any specific manner connected with those universe activities pertaining to the Paradise ascent of evolutionary mortals. These six groups of angelic associates are never called seraphim, neither are they referred to as ministering spirits. These personalities are wholly occupied with the administrative and other affairs of Nebadon, engagements which are in no way related to man’s progressive career of spiritual ascent and perfection attainment.

4. THE SERAPHIC WORLDS

38:4.1 The ninth group of seven primary spheres in the Salvington circuit are the worlds of the seraphim. Each of these worlds has six tributary satellites, whereon are the special schools devoted to all phases of seraphic training. While the seraphim have access to all forty-nine worlds comprising this group of Salvington spheres, they exclusively occupy only the first cluster of seven. The remaining six clusters are occupied by the six orders of angelic associates unrevealed on Urantia; each such group maintains headquarters on one of these six primary worlds and carries on specialized activities on the six tributary satellites. Each angelic order has free access to all the worlds of these seven diverse groups.

38:4.2 These headquarters worlds are among the magnificent realms of Nebadon; the seraphic estates are characterized by both beauty and vastness. Here each seraphim has a real home, and “home” means the domicile of two seraphim; they live in pairs.

38:4.3 Though not male and female as are the Material Sons and the mortal races, seraphim are negative and positive. In the majority of assignments it requires two angels to accomplish the task. When they are not encircuited, they can work alone; neither do they require complements of being when stationary. Ordinarily they retain their original complements of being, but not necessarily. Such associations are primarily necessitated by function; they are not characterized by sex emotion, though they are exceedingly personal and truly affectionate.

38:4.4 Besides designated homes, seraphim also have group, company, battalion, and unit headquarters. They forgather for reunions every millennium and are all present in accordance with the time of their creation. If a seraphim bears responsibilities which forbid absence from duty, she alternates attendance with her complement, being relieved by a seraphim of another birth date. Each seraphic partner is thereby present at least every other reunion.

5. SERAPHIC TRAINING

38:5.1 Seraphim spend their first millennium as noncommissioned observers on Salvington and its associated world schools. The second millennium is spent on the seraphic worlds of the Salvington circuit. Their central training school is now presided over by the first one hundred thousand Nebadon seraphim, and at their head is the original or first-born angel of this local universe. The first created group of Nebadon seraphim were trained by a corps of one thousand seraphim from Avalon; subsequently our angels have been taught by their own seniors. The Melchizedeks also have a large part in the education and training of all local universe angels—seraphim, cherubim, and sanobim.

38:5.2 At the termination of this period of training on the seraphic worlds of Salvington, seraphim are mobilized in the conventional groups and units of the angelic organization and are assigned to some one of the constellations. They are not yet commissioned as ministering spirits, although they have well entered upon the precommissioned phases of angelic training.

38:5.3 Seraphim are initiated as ministering spirits by serving as observers on the lowest of the evolutionary worlds. After this experience they return to the associate worlds of the headquarters of the assigned constellation to begin their advanced studies and more definitely to prepare for service in some particular local system. Following this general education they are advanced to the service of some one of the local systems. On the architectural worlds associated with the capital of some Nebadon system our seraphim complete their training and are commissioned as ministering spirits of time.

38:5.4 When once seraphim are commissioned, they may range all Nebadon, even Orvonton, on assignment. Their work in the universe is without bounds and limitations; they are closely associated with the material creatures of the worlds and are ever in the service of the lower orders of spiritual personalities, making contact between these beings of the spirit world and the mortals of the material realms.

6. SERAPHIC ORGANIZATION

38:6.1 After the second millennium of sojourn at seraphic headquarters the seraphim are organized under chiefs into groups of twelve (12 pairs, 24 seraphim), and twelve such groups constitute a company (144 pairs, 288 seraphim), which is commanded by a leader. Twelve companies under a commander constitute a battalion (1,728 pairs or 3,456 seraphim), and twelve battalions under a director equal a seraphic unit (20,736 pairs or 41,472 individuals), while twelve units, subject to the command of a supervisor, constitute a legion numbering 248,832 pairs or 497,664 individuals. Jesus alluded to such a group of angels that night in the garden of Gethsemane when he said: “I can even now ask my Father, and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of angels.”

38:6.2 Twelve legions of angels comprise a host numbering 2,985,984 pairs or 5,971,968 individuals, and twelve such hosts (35,831,808 pairs or 71,663,616 individuals) make up the largest operating organization of seraphim, an angelic army. A seraphic host is commanded by an archangel or by some other personality of co-ordinate status, while the angelic armies are directed by the Brilliant Evening Stars or by other immediate lieutenants of Gabriel. And Gabriel is the “supreme commander of the armies of heaven,” the chief executive of the Sovereign of Nebadon, “the Lord God of hosts.”

38:6.3 Though serving under the direct supervision of the Infinite Spirit as personalized on Salvington, since the bestowal of Michael on Urantia, seraphim and all other local universe orders have become subject to the sovereignty of the Master Son. Even when Michael was born of the flesh on Urantia, there issued the superuniverse broadcast to all Nebadon which proclaimed, “And let all the angels worship him.” All ranks of angels are subject to his sovereignty; they are a part of that group which has been denominated “his mighty angels.”

7. CHERUBIM AND SANOBIM

38:7.1 In all essential endowments cherubim and sanobim are similar to seraphim. They have the same origin but not always the same destiny. They are wonderfully intelligent, marvelously efficient, touchingly affectionate and almost human. They are the lowest order of angels, hence all the nearer of kin to the more progressive types of human beings on the evolutionary worlds.

38:7.2 Cherubim and sanobim are inherently associated, functionally united. One is an energy positive personality; the other, energy negative. The right-hand deflector, or positively charged angel, is the cherubim—the senior or controlling personality. The left-hand deflector, or negatively charged angel, is the sanobim—the complement of being. Each type of angel is very limited in solitary function; hence they usually serve in pairs. When serving independently of their seraphic directors, they are more than ever dependent on mutual contact and always function together.

38:7.3 Cherubim and sanobim are the faithful and efficient aids of the seraphic ministers, and all seven orders of seraphim are provided with these subordinate assistants. Cherubim and sanobim serve for ages in these capacities, but they do not accompany seraphim on assignments beyond the confines of the local universe.

38:7.4 The cherubim and sanobim are the routine spirit workers on the individual worlds of the systems. On a nonpersonal assignment and in an emergency, they may serve in the place of a seraphic pair, but they never function, even temporarily, as attending angels to human beings; that is an exclusive seraphic privilege.

38:7.5 When assigned to a planet, cherubim enter the local courses of training, including a study of planetary usages and languages. The ministering spirits of time are all bilingual, speaking the language of the local universe of their origin and that of their native superuniverse. By study in the schools of the realms they acquire additional tongues. Cherubim and sanobim, like seraphim and all other orders of spirit beings, are continuously engaged in efforts at self-improvement. Only such as the subordinate beings of power control and energy direction are incapable of progression; all creatures having actual or potential personality volition seek new achievements.

38:7.6 Cherubim and sanobim are by nature very near the morontia level of existence, and they prove to be most efficient in the borderland work of the physical, morontial, and spiritual domains. These children of the local universe Mother Spirit are characterized by “fourth creatures” much as are the Havona Servitals and the conciliating commissions. Every fourth cherubim and every fourth sanobim are quasi-material, very definitely resembling the morontia level of existence.

38:7.7 These angelic fourth creatures are of great assistance to the seraphim in the more literal phases of their universe and planetary activities. Such morontia cherubim also perform many indispensable borderline tasks on the morontia training worlds and are assigned to the service of the Morontia Companions in large numbers. They are to the morontia spheres about what the midway creatures are to the evolutionary planets. On the inhabited worlds these morontia cherubim frequently work in liaison with the midway creatures. Cherubim and midway creatures are distinctly separate orders of beings; they have dissimilar origins, but they disclose great similarity in nature and function.

8. EVOLUTION OF CHERUBIM AND SANOBIM

38:8.1 Numerous avenues of advancing service are open to cherubim and sanobim leading to an enhancement of status, which may be still further augmented by the embrace of the Divine Minister. There are three great classes of cherubim and sanobim with regard to evolutionary potential:

38:8.2 1. Ascension Candidates. These beings are by nature candidates for seraphic status. Cherubim and sanobim of this order are brilliant, though not by inherent endowment equal to the seraphim; but by application and experience it is possible for them to attain full seraphic standing.

38:8.3 2. Mid-phase Cherubim. All cherubim and sanobim are not equal in ascension potential, and these are the inherently limited beings of the angelic creations. Most of them will remain cherubim and sanobim, although the more gifted individuals may achieve limited seraphic service.

38:8.4 3. Morontia Cherubim. These “fourth creatures” of the angelic orders always retain their quasi-material characteristics. They will continue on as cherubim and sanobim, together with a majority of their mid-phase brethren, pending the completed factualization of the Supreme Being.

38:8.5 While the second and third groups are somewhat limited in growth potential, the ascension candidates may attain the heights of universal seraphic service. Many of the more experienced of these cherubim are attached to the seraphic guardians of destiny and are thus placed in direct line for advancement to the status of Mansion World Teachers when deserted by their seraphic seniors. Guardians of destiny do not have cherubim and sanobim as helpers when their mortal wards attain the morontia life. And when other types of evolutionary seraphim are granted clearance for Seraphington and Paradise, they must forsake their former subordinates when they pass out of the confines of Nebadon. Such deserted cherubim and sanobim are usually embraced by the Universe Mother Spirit, thus achieving a level equivalent to that of a Mansion World Teacher in the attainment of seraphic status.

38:8.6 When, as Mansion World Teachers, the once-embraced cherubim and sanobim have long served on the morontia spheres, from the lowest to the highest, and when their corps on Salvington is overrecruited, the Bright and Morning Star summons these faithful servants of the creatures of time to appear in his presence. The oath of personality transformation is administered; and thereupon, in groups of seven thousand, these advanced and senior cherubim and sanobim are re-embraced by the Universe Mother Spirit. From this second embrace they emerge as full-fledged seraphim. Henceforth, the full and complete career of a seraphim, with all of its Paradise possibilities, is open to such reborn cherubim and sanobim. Such angels may be assigned as guardians of destiny to some mortal being, and if the mortal ward attains survival, then do they become eligible for advancement to Seraphington and the seven circles of seraphic attainment, even to Paradise and the Corps of the Finality.

9. THE MIDWAY CREATURES

38:9.1 The midway creatures have a threefold classification: They are properly classified with the ascending Sons of God; they are factually grouped with the orders of permanent citizenship, while they are functionally reckoned with the ministering spirits of time because of their intimate and effective association with the angelic hosts in the work of serving mortal man on the individual worlds of space.

38:9.2 These unique creatures appear on the majority of the inhabited worlds and are always found on the decimal or life-experiment planets, such as Urantia. Midwayers are of two types—primary and secondary—and they appear by the following techniques:

38:9.3 1. Primary Midwayers, the more spiritual group, are a somewhat standardized order of beings who are uniformly derived from the modified ascendant-mortal staffs of the Planetary Princes. The number of primary midway creatures is always fifty thousand, and no planet enjoying their ministry has a larger group.

38:9.4 2. Secondary Midwayers, the more material group of these creatures, vary greatly in numbers on the different worlds, though the average is around fifty thousand. They are variously derived from the planetary biologic uplifters, the Adams and Eves, or from their immediate progeny. There are no less than twenty-four diverse techniques involved in the production of these secondary midway creatures on the evolutionary worlds of space. The mode of origin for this group on Urantia was unusual and extraordinary.

38:9.5 Neither of these groups is an evolutionary accident; both are essential features in the predetermined plans of the universe architects, and their appearance on the evolving worlds at the opportune juncture is in accordance with the original designs and developmental plans of the supervising Life Carriers.

38:9.6 Primary midwayers are energized intellectually and spiritually by the angelic technique and are uniform in intellectual status. The seven adjutant mind-spirits make no contact with them; and only the sixth and the seventh, the spirit of worship and the spirit of wisdom, are able to minister to the secondary group.

38:9.7 Secondary midwayers are physically energized by the Adamic technique, spiritually encircuited by the seraphic, and intellectually endowed with the morontia transition type of mind. They are divided into four physical types, seven orders spiritually, and twelve levels of intellectual response to the joint ministry of the last two adjutant spirits and the morontia mind. These diversities determine their differential of activity and of planetary assignment.

38:9.8 Primary midwayers resemble angels more than mortals; the secondary orders are much more like human beings. Each renders invaluable assistance to the other in the execution of their manifold planetary assignments. The primary ministers can achieve liaison co-operation with both morontia- and spirit-energy controllers and mind circuiters. The secondary group can establish working connections only with the physical controllers and the material-circuit manipulators. But since each order of midwayer can establish perfect synchrony of contact with the other, either group is thereby able to achieve practical utilization of the entire energy gamut extending from the gross physical power of the material worlds up through the transition phases of universe energies to the higher spirit-reality forces of the celestial realms.

38:9.9 The gap between the material and spiritual worlds is perfectly bridged by the serial association of mortal man, secondary midwayer, primary midwayer, morontia cherubim, mid-phase cherubim, and seraphim. In the personal experience of an individual mortal these diverse levels are undoubtedly more or less unified and made personally meaningful by the unobserved and mysterious operations of the divine Thought Adjuster.

38:9.10 On normal worlds the primary midwayers maintain their service as the intelligence corps and as celestial entertainers in behalf of the Planetary Prince, while the secondary ministers continue their co-operation with the Adamic regime of furthering the cause of progressive planetary civilization. In case of the defection of the Planetary Prince and the failure of the Material Son, as occurred on Urantia, the midway creatures become the wards of the System Sovereign and serve under the directing guidance of the acting custodian of the planet. But on only three other worlds in Satania do these beings function as one group under unified leadership as do the united midway ministers of Urantia.

38:9.11 The planetary work of both primary and secondary midwayers is varied and diverse on the numerous individual worlds of a universe, but on the normal and average planets their activities are very different from the duties which occupy their time on isolated spheres, such as Urantia.

38:9.12 The primary midwayers are the planetary historians who, from the time of the arrival of the Planetary Prince to the age of settled light and life, formulate the pageants and design the portrayals of planetary history for the exhibits of the planets on the system headquarters worlds.

38:9.13 Midwayers remain for long periods on an inhabited world, but if faithful to their trust, they will eventually and most certainly be recognized for their agelong service in maintaining the sovereignty of the Creator Son; they will be duly rewarded for their patient ministry to the material mortals on their world of time and space. Sooner or later all accredited midway creatures will be mustered into the ranks of the ascending Sons of God and will be duly initiated into the long adventure of the Paradise ascent in company with those very mortals of animal origin, their earth brethren, whom they so jealously guarded and so effectively served during the long planetary sojourn.

38:9.14 [Presented by a Melchizedek acting by request of the Chief of the Seraphic Hosts of Nebadon.]