Friday, July 20, 2007
Our Loved Ones And The Afterlife
Q: It says in the Urantia book that after one dies they get to see loved ones that have preceded before them for a certain amount of days of visitation. After those visitation days does one never see them again?
That's a good question for which The Urantia Book doesn't really provide an answer but we can assume that whatever the case all of our needs and desires will be intelligently met -- the mansion worlds are, after all, our entry way into the Paradise ascent so it wouldn't make much logical sense to think that we would start off with a feeling of longing or remorse. Also, our journey to Paradise is a personal and individual undertaking -- we will be associated with greater and greater numbers of others as we become more spiritually aware but our progress isn't tied to that of anyone else even though we will acquire more "loved ones" as we progress. I hope that answer helps.
Thank you for your question. May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.
Best wishes,
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.Com
I hope you won't mind if I add just a few remarks to what Larry has already said...
The only exception to this "visitation" idea, is the case of a child who has preceded a parent - a child who has not yet reached the age of reason. In a case like this, the surviving parent has an opportunity to raise that child. The child is still reckoned to be attached to the parent, and so the child - who has been asleep -is "awakened" with the arrival of the parent or parents on the Mansion Worlds. There are no real specifics about just what that entails, but one could assume that that parent and child will be together for longer than the ten-day visitation.
As Larry has pointed out, our new lives are going to be so different, so full of new experiences, and peopled with so many new friends...and don't forget, your loved ones are also engaged in their new lives now, too.
I am sure that whatever the circumstances, Larry is correct...we can expect a future of hope and anticpation - not longing and sorrow. And I am quite certain that, no matter what, we will never forget our loved ones from Urantia, and they will never forget us, either.
Sincerely,
MaryJo
Truthbook.comLabels: afterlife, children, death, Larry Watkins, loved ones, Mansion Worlds, Mary Jo
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Dates In The Urantia Book, And Women Who Followed Jesus
Q: Thank you for the information found on your website. It is quite surprising with regard to the specific dates of certain occurences. Can you please tell me how you came up with these dates? What/who are your sources?
I am researching these subject women in the Bible in an effort to "chronicle" their lives according to what I've read in The Bible and certain other articles. I am really curious to know if anyone can share with me the approximate ages of these women at the time of The Ascension, as well as any other information, e.g., the persecution of Lazarus and his sisters after the Crucifixion.
A: Thank you for your question to Truthbook.Com. We always appreciate hearing from someone who's just come across the teachings of The Urantia Book for the first time.
Yes, the information on our website is quite surprising and startling when first encountered. The Urantia Book is unique; one of its purposes is to provide (when necessary) information heretofore unknown or otherwise unavailable -- the specific dates of Jesus' life being one example. Another startling bit of information is that there is no "we" in coming up with information such as these dates presented by this marvelous book -- the book is a divine gift to humanity -- we read it and accept or disregard it as we choose. To our way of thinking there is no more definitive work on Jesus' life and teachings extant than can be learned through study of The Urantia Book.
You asked about the source. Do you believe in angels? If not you may have a challenge with accepting the caveat in the book relating to the Jesus Papers (Paper 120 through Paper 196) which says: "Part IV, The Life and Teachings of Jesus, This group of papers was sponsored by a commission of twelve Urantia midwayers acting under the supervision of a Melchizedek revelatory director. The basis of this narrative was supplied by a secondary midwayer who was onetime assigned to the superhuman watchcare of the Apostle Andrew."
Your research project is most challenging, partly because the role of women in religion has been historically suppressed by the role of men in religion. Much in The Urantia Book helps explain the roles of men and women from a perspective outside of a humanly skewed historical and religious viewpoint. The two questions you've asked regarding the women around Jesus and Lazarus's sisters are covered in The Urantia Book and I wouldn't want to spoil your discovery by simply answering them. There's a study on our site titled "Mary Magdalene and Other Women Who Followed Jesus" which will help you but don't stop there.
May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.
Best wishes and intriguing reading and unbounded discovery to you.
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.ComLabels: angels, Bible, dates, Jesus, Larry Watkins, midwayers, The Urantia Book, women who followed Jesus
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Extreme Interest in Spirituality - a "Twin" Connection?
Q: I would like to know if by my being a "mortal-twin" has anything to do with my EXTREME interests and spiritual connections I have always been aware of even as an infant?
A: Being a twin is solely a physical phenomenon although both you and your twin can share a strong psychic connection as well as both being held within the mind circuits of your parents until your late teen years. These have little to do with a spiritual connection though -- that comes more through your own personal sensitivity and orientation toward your angels and Thought Adjuster leadings, your connection with the Spirit of Truth and the Holy Spirit, and in those areas you and your twin could be quite different.
One caution about having an EXTREME interest in things spiritual -- this is the world of your first and only material existence. From this point on we will be "spirit beings" so don't rush into being "spiritual". Love and enjoy where you are here and now and experience it thoroughly and wholeheartedly. Keep your focus on the reality about you (keep your tires on the pavement and don't let them get pointed at the sky). Avoid wishful thinking and be practical. That's the best formula for living a happy, fulfilling and productive material existence.
May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.
Thank you again for your question.
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.ComLabels: Larry Watkins, material existence, spirtuality, twins
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Friday, July 13, 2007
Life After Death
Q: Is there life after death
A: Yes, what we're experiencing now is just the beginning, the springboard to something much more profound and meaningful. The Urantia Book has a lot of information about the purpose of this life and what existence is as we progress -- it gives an awe inspiring vision of our place in eternity.
If you'll go to our home page you'll see a block in the center part of the page titled "There is Life After Death" -- you might want to review that section to see if it answers your query. In addition, you might enjoy viewing our flash movie titled "After You Die," which gives an uplifting and comforting explanation of the life-to-death-to-life transition that we all will experience, and which is so extensively covered in The Urantia Book.
Feel free to ask more if you have other questions too. May I also recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of the marvelous Urantia Book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.
Best wishes,
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.ComLabels: Larry Watkins, life after death
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Wizards, Dreams and Spirituality
Q: Is it possible for a human being to become a witch or a wizard?
What is the relationship between dreams and spirituality?
What have dreams got to do with spiritual growth?
A: It's natural to wish we could change our environment with our thoughts alone but what we truly have control over are our own thoughts and our own actions. Harry Potter has stirred the desires for a magic world of sorcerers, witches and magicians but that's the stuff of folklore. There are always a few exceptional people capable of doing things that the rest of us can't do, but as the Hindu mystic once said, why spend years learning how to walk on water when I can easily take the ferry across instead?
Dreams are similar -- occasionally we do have profound, life altering dreams but most of them are the result of an active subconscious mind and while they may be interesting they have little if any spiritual value. Sometimes we can turn a problem over to our subconscious to work on, such as a spiritual growth decision, and it will provide an answer in our dreams. For the most part though, spiritual growth is a natural phenomenon and unless we work to inhibit it it will occur without effort.
I hope these answers are helpful. May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of the marvelous Urantia Book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.
Best wishes,
Larry Watkins
Truthbook.ComLabels: dreams, Larry Watkins, spiritual growth, The Urantia Book, witches, wizards
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Xerpi
