Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: Can spiritual death occur even while man is still materially alive? Paper 112:3.2 (Part 1) says "if mortal man has willingly rejected survival the Thought Adjuster leaves him although the Seraphim is still with him". Does it mean the individual still goes on living without the Thought Adjuster as he possess cosmic energies till his material death? My question: "Does spiritual death mean the final destruction of the SOUL? In such a situation how can soul be called immortal?

A: Thanks for this interesting question...

I am going to cite the entire passage that you quoted:

(112:3.2) 1. Spiritual (soul) death. If and when mortal man has finally rejected survival, when he has been pronounced spiritually insolvent, morontially bankrupt, in the conjoint opinion of the Adjuster and the surviving seraphim, when such co-ordinate advice has been recorded on Uversa, and after the Censors and their reflective associates have verified these findings, thereupon do the rulers of Orvonton order the immediate release of the indwelling Monitor. But this release of the Adjuster in no way affects the duties of the personal or group seraphim concerned with that Adjuster-abandoned individual. This kind of death is final in its significance irrespective of the temporary continuation of the living energies of the physical and mind mechanisms. From the cosmic standpoint the mortal is already dead; the continuing life merely indicates the persistence of the material momentum of cosmic energies.

To answer your question briefly - the answer is yes. According to this passage, spiritual death means the final destruction of the soul. In such a case, the soul of that person no longer possesses immortality, because it has died, but "the continuing life merely indicates the persistence of the material momentum of cosmic energies." At natural death, the personality will also (presumably) be extinguished.

Now, it is likely that there is still something of value that remains - perhaps some soul-growth that took place before this final determination of soul-death. Such values are indeed immortal and they do survive. In such a case, it would seem safe to assume that that value, as well as the personality of that person, will be added to the "oversoul of creation," or it will survive in the Adjuster, as explained here:

(2:3.4) ...When the continued embrace of sin by the associated mind culminates in complete self-identification with iniquity, then upon the cessation of life, upon cosmic dissolution, such an isolated personality is absorbed into the oversoul of creation, becoming a part of the evolving experience of the Supreme Being. Never again does it appear as a personality; its identity becomes as though it had never been. In the case of an Adjuster-indwelt personality, the experiential spirit values survive in the reality of the continuing Adjuster.

The soul gains immortality due to the freewill decisions of the possessor of that soul. When a person consistently fails to make such decisions, and instead embraces iniquity (the extremity of sin), their soul ceases to grow and no longer has immortal status. You may recall that consistent iniquity indicates "vanishing personality control," and loss of reality.

Our soul is a spiritual counterpart of our physical beings - a spiritual counterpart which grows throughout a lifetime as a result of freewill decisions made and choices made which are in harmony with God's will. It all comes down to freewill choice. When a person decides to reject survival, when "he has been pronounced spiritually insolvent, morontially bankrupt," his soul has ceased to grow. Once the Adjuster takes leave of that person, that person is, in effect, already spiritually dead. They still possess mortal life, however...

This seems a very harsh - and strange - set of events, and hopefully, not something that occurs very often. It is difficult to imagine going through life without the guidance of the Adjuster, and having no soul, isn't it? However, just its mention in the book means to me that it DOES happen. In my opinion, this would have to be a person who knows full well what they are doing - someone who knows and who has experienced God, and then consistently, willingly, knowingly and deliberately decides to reject him and his plan of survival while still on this earth. Again, it seems a very radical decision to make, and I can't begin to judge whether any person is now living with such a fate.

Larger minds than ours make such determinations, and we have to just keep on with our spiritual lives, staying close to God and trying as best we can to grow our souls with consistent decisions towards grace, faith, trust and love - producing the fruits of the Spirit in our lives, and believing through faith that immortality is ours - not by chance, but by choice.

Again, thanks for this interesting question. I hope that my answer has been of some help to you. For a better understanding, you may enjoy having a look at our topical study on the soul HERE.

Best Wishes...

Labels: death, free will, God, iniquity, personality, soul, The Urantia Book, Thought Adjuster, value

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Simplistically, what actually happens when we die?

Q: It's all very confusing, the life after death part! Simplistically, what actually happens when we die?

A: Thanks so much for writing to us with this question about our life after death. Even with the revelatory information about the process that we have from The Urantia Book, it is understandable that there is some uncertainty. Death is still the "great unknown" in a lot of ways. Really, it is simply the "great adventure" that we all have yet to experience.

I suppose if this life here on Earth had been explained to you before you incarnated it would have seemed very confusing too, yet you gradually became aware of your surroundings, your mother and father's faces, eating and sleeping and eventually the greater world around you. It's a natural process and now it's all familiar and natural to you...

Each night when you go to sleep you surrender your consciousness with the expectation that when you awake it will be given back to you just like it was when you went to sleep... and sure enough! Wouldn't you expect that that's pretty much what will occur when you die?

You'll die, for whatever reasons, either peacefully or with struggle. You'll gradually awaken as a newly arrived soul to new surroundings that you'll become familiar with over time as you become aware of the greater world around you. Eventually you'll recall that you'd had a previous life in the flesh, and that your personality had survived that death and that you are now embarked upon a fantastic new adventure.

In any event, you will lose consciousness at death, just as in nightly sleep - but we know from Urantia Book teachings, that we will awaken again on the Mansion Worlds. It is our faith and our desire for survival that ensures our awakening, so try not to be overly concerned - just cultivate faith and trust in God's goodness.

At death, your Thought Adjuster takes leave of your mind, while your soul, your mind and your personality are taken by the angels and kept in perfect safety until your resurrection, which takes place when your soul is re-united with your Adjuster on the Mansion Worlds. You will be unconscious until that resurrection experience, and so it will be just like waking up here, only you'll have that consciousness of having survived the death experience.

And don't forget: Jesus provided the living proof that life continues after death through his resurrection... that we begin over there just as we left off over here. He was a human just as we are human. He rose from the dead, and so will you (except of course, you will awaken on the Mansion Worlds). Trust Jesus.

I hope that this reply has been of some help to you...for some inspiration, please see our flash movie called "After You Die" HERE

And you might also enjoy looking through our study on Life after Death HERE

Thanks again for writing to us.

Labels: consciousness, death, Jesus, life after death, Mansion Worlds, soul, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Only some humans have guardian angels, according to The Urantia Book. Why is that...?

Q: Only some humans have guardian angels, according to The Urantia Book. Why is that if God is not a respecter of persons?

A: I want to thank you for writing to us here at Truthbook with this very good question. We always love to hear from our visitors, and from students of The Urantia Book.

You are correct about the guardian angels. In The Urantia Book, we learn that:

(113:1.1) The teaching about guardian angels is not a myth; certain groups of human beings do actually have personal angels.

And then you wonder why, if God is no respecter of persons, all people are not gifted with personal angels. This is a good question, and we can find the answers in this same section I quoted above, called The Guardian Angels

First and foremost, we learn that:

(113:1.2) Originally, the seraphim were definitely assigned to the separate Urantia races. But since the bestowal of Michael, they are assigned in accordance with human intelligence, spirituality, and destiny.

I would suggest that you click on the link and read about the kinds of intellectual categories of human beings. You'll see that, even those people of subnormal mind are fellowshipped by angelic ministry.

The assignment of personal guardians is given according to attainment by an individual - attainment of spiritual benchmarks. These benchmarks are indicated by the "circles of human progress and spiritual development."

You can read more about these circles of human progress HERE

In this section we learn that circle attainment is a result of "successive conquest of the seven psychic circles of mortal potentiality." This indicates that such attainment is through personal initiative towards spiritual growth. Not all persons are inclined to pursue such spiritual growth, and this quote seems to indicate that those that are, and who make progress in this area, are given personal angels because they have been earned, in a sense.

From this section:

(110:6.13) "The seventh circle. This level is entered when human beings develop the powers of personal choice, individual decision, moral responsibility, and the capacity for the attainment of spiritual individuality. This signifies the united function of the seven adjutant mind-spirits under the direction of the spirit of wisdom, the encircuitment of the mortal creature in the influence of the Holy Spirit, and, on Urantia, the first functioning of the Spirit of Truth, together with the reception of a Thought Adjuster in the mortal mind. Entrance upon the seventh circle constitutes a mortal creature a truly potential citizen of the local universe.

"The third circle. The Adjuster's work is much more effective after the human ascender attains the third circle and receives a personal seraphic guardian of destiny. While there is no apparent concert of effort between the Adjuster and the seraphic guardian, nonetheless there is to be observed an unmistakable improvement in all phases of cosmic achievement and spiritual development subsequent to the assignment of the personal seraphic attendant. When the third circle is attained, the Adjuster endeavors to morontiaize the mind of man during the remainder of the mortal life span, to make the remaining circles, and achieve the final stage of the divine-human association before natural death dissolves the unique partnership."

And:

(110:6.17) "The motivation of faith makes experiential the full realization of man's sonship with God, but action, completion of decisions, is essential to the evolutionary attainment of consciousness of progressive kinship with the cosmic actuality of the Supreme Being. Faith transmutes potentials to actuals in the spiritual world, but potentials become actuals in the finite realms of the Supreme only by and through the realization of choice-experience. But choosing to do the will of God joins spiritual faith to material decisions in personality action and thus supplies a divine and spiritual fulcrum for the more effective functioning of the human and material leverage of God-hunger.

It is true that "God is no respecter of persons," and this is shown by the fact that all of his children are given the same chances for spiritual advancement - all have available to them the same spiritual agencies - just as the sun and the rain fall on both the just and the unjust. But not all of God's children have the same spiritual longings or have accomplished the same spiritual achievements - action, and choice-experience. And so, this appears to be the reason for the fact that only certain individuals are given personal angels.

It would be very difficult to discern who has a personal angel and who does not, but it would seem that if we carefully read these sections which are linked above, we can help ourselves to understand what is needed to reach that point where we may at least imagine that we have such heavenly help...of course, staying close to God, dedicating our wills to do his will, and a thorough study of The Urantia Book can only help us as we pursue our spiritual quest...

I hope that this answer has been helpful to you today. Thanks again for writing. Please feel free to write back any time. And, you might enjoy taking a look at our study on Angels HERE - also, we have a lovely short video called "You'll Never Walk Alone" HERE

Labels: choice, faith, God, guardian angels, seven cosmic circles, The Urantia Book

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Sunday, February 28, 2010

I am very interested in the work of Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science movement...does it parallel The Urantia Book?

Q: I am very interested in the work of Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science movement. There seems to be many parallels between her revelations and The Urantia Book. Am I close in that observation?

A: Thanks so much for this interesting question to us here at Truthbook.com. It sent me on a research adventure...

Christian Science basically teaches that a person suffering from disease or injury of any kind can be healed, or heal themselves, without help from medicines or other outside means - that all that is needed is prayer, living faith and trust in God. Mary Baker Eddy considered herself to be living proof of this theory when she experienced a cure from a supposedly permanent case of paralysis due to a fall.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science was influenced greatly by a man called Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, the commonly accepted father of the "New Thought" movement, which elevated the importance of "mind over matter" in the case of diseases of the body. His teachings have an element of similarity to Urantia Book teachings, in that he declares that the mind and spirit are dominant over matter. The Urantia Book teaches:

(116:6.1) "In the evolutionary superuniverses energy-matter is dominant except in personality, where spirit through the mediation of mind is struggling for the mastery. The goal of the evolutionary universes is the subjugation of energy-matter by mind, the co-ordination of mind with spirit, and all of this by virtue of the creative and unifying presence of personality. Thus, in relation to personality, do physical systems become subordinate; mind systems, co-ordinate; and spirit systems, directive. "

This is taken from a section titled: Spirit Dominance

So, in theory, it does appear that this idea of spirit-dominance that is taught in The Urantia Book does correspond with the teachings of the Christian Science church. And there are other smatterings of similarities, such as the belief that our afterlife is similar to this life and provides the means whereby we can progress towards eternal life, an idea not unlike that of the Mansion Worlds.

Other tenets of the Christian Science religion are definitely in contradiction to Urantia Book teachings - tenets such as the belief that Jesus was not divine and that illness is an error produced by sin or fear.

The Urantia Book teaches us that our biologic makeup is still quite faulty, due to many factors - chiefly that of the default of the Adamic mission which, had it been more successful, would have ridded our bodies of much disease through upstepping our biology with their life-plasm.

(76:4.7) "The body cells of the Material Sons and their progeny are far more resistant to disease than are those of the evolutionary beings indigenous to the planet. The body cells of the native races are akin to the living disease-producing microscopic and ultramicroscopic organisms of the realm. These facts explain why the Urantia peoples must do so much by way of scientific effort to withstand so many physical disorders. You would be far more disease resistant if your races carried more of the Adamic life. "

So, we are still trying to address these physical problems with medical science and in our modern times we have been able to map our genetic code, for one example, and are starting to have the ability to prevent and cure some conditions that have plagued the human races through gene manipulation. And the discovery of penicillin was a great breakthrough in fighting certain diseases. Christian Science denies the importance of medical science.

In a perfect world, the reliance on prayer and faith would always be effective - but the fact is that this world is far from perfect. Having said that, faith is definitely a positive influence on conditions of body and mind, and in Jesus' times, there were many so-called miraculous cures effected by the power of faith. When Jesus ministered to sick people he "inspired the faith and confidence of the sick and suffering." And indeed, this is what appears to have cured them in certain cases, such as the woman with the issue of blood, recounted HERE:

However, in the case of prayer, The Urantia Book states that:

(91:6.2) "Prayer is not a technique for curing real and organic diseases, but it has contributed enormously to the enjoyment of abundant health and to the cure of numerous mental, emotional, and nervous ailments. And even in actual bacterial disease, prayer has many times added to the efficacy of other remedial procedures. Prayer has turned many an irritable and complaining invalid into a paragon of patience and made him an inspiration to all other human sufferers."

This passage is taken from the section titled: The Province of Prayer

So, to answer your question - yes, there parallels between the Christian Science church and Urantia Book teachings - and there are also contradictions. However, one must use reason and wisdom when standing in expectation of a cure for all dis-ease solely by the power of prayer and faith.

While prayer and faith can be powerful aids in physical healing, they are conditioned by the strength of the individual's capacity for, and commitment to them and belief in them, as in the woman in the above story. Not everyone possesses such a level of faith that they can be cured of all disease, and it appears to me to be a dangerous thing to expect that all people - even children - can be cured by spiritual means alone. Over the years, people have been denied the advances of medical science and have died because of it. Then it is assumed that their faith was lacking, or that they were inherently sinful, causing their untimely death. This seems to be an unfair and unwise practice, and clearly contradicts Urantia Book teachings about sickness and disease, which we learn are not the "frown of God." I remember in particular a case in the news where a young child was denied a blood transfusion which could have saved his life, in favor of a strictly prayerful cure. It did not happen - the child died, and the family was left wondering and doubting the strength of their faith.

The Urantia Book helps us to understand the province of prayer, and also the possibilities of prayer and faith; its teachings encourage us to develop a strong faith and to trust in God. It also extols the value of science, and we would do well to take advantage of the discoveries of science while unifying science with mindal and spiritual realities.

I hope that this reply has been helpful. I might suggest that you do a SEARCH using the word "disease" or "sickness" for even more information. Please write back with any further questions or comments... we love to hear from our visitors.

Labels: biology, Christian Science, faith, healing, Mary Baker Eddy, prayer, science, spiri dominance, The Urantia Book

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

JESUS is the name that came from Heaven...Is CHRIST also a given name from GOD...?

Q: We know that JESUS is the name that came from Heaven, from GOD in JOSEPH. What I wish to know: Is CHRIST also a given name from GOD, or the name that Joseph the parent used?

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com. Let me explain about Jesus' name. The name "Jesus" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew "Yeshua" which is the contracted form of Yehoshua. The English translation of Yehoshua is "Joshua" but since the original Gospels were written in Greek we use the name "Jesus". (from "The Life and Teachings of Jesus", by Preston Thomas) It's interesting to note that whenever one works in a foreign language you find out that things you think wouldn't be translated, are... for example names. In Spanish Adam is Adan, Eve is Eva, Mary is Maria... and the same applies to Jesus' name. Jesus was also most likely called Joshua ben Joseph -- Joshua the son of Joseph.

In The Urantia Book section titled "Gabriel's Announcement to Mary" Gabriel instructed Mary to name her baby Joshua -- in the Hebrew language this would have been Yeshua.

"Christ" is a term that was applied to Jesus primarily after his death, during the period of the formation of the Christian Church. Christ is from the Greek "Christos", literally a translation of the Hebrew word "anointed". The Jewish scriptures taught the coming of one anointed by God who would bring about the kingdom of God on earth. He was also known as the "Deliverer" since he was to deliver his people from their bondage. The word "Messiah" is the Hebrew word for "anointed one"; its Greek form is "Christ." (from "The Life and Teachings of Jesus", by Preston Thomas).

So, Jesus' name was given by Gabriel to Mary. Christ is a designation from the Greek language signifying the divinity of Jesus.

Thank you for this interesting question. I hope that you are subscribed to the daily "Quote of the Day," it's an excellent way to begin to learn about the teachings of The Urantia Book. If you're not, just take this link and then click on "subscribe." It is a free service and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Labels: Christ, Jesus' name, The Urantia Book

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Monday, February 22, 2010

The Bible deals with...the Jewish people. What about the Chinese, Aztecs, Indians, etc.?

Q: The Bible deals with people from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Jacob to David to Jesus and the Jewish people. What about the Chinese, Aztecs, Indians, etc.? How are they connected to the Bible? Please help.

A: That's a good question that goes to the heart of the question "Is the Bible the Word of God?" since, if it is, then apparently God had little regard for those people dismissed by the Scriptures.

The Old Testament is a historical account of the Semites and the Hebrews, precursors to the Jewish people. The Old Testament is Jewish history, still thought by many to be "sacred;" since the Jewish people were devout Semites their historical account focuses on the development and evolution of the God concept within their culture and from that we have acquired the Jewish religious writings that are the Old Testament from which Christianity was born.

Is the Bible (the Old Testament) the Word of God? Certainly some of the writers were inspired by God; their contact with deity is evident to this day through their ancient writings. Yet, if it were the Word of God intended for all of mankind, one might think that it would encompass all of mankind as you've pointed out, since "God is no respecter of persons."

The historical account of the religious and spiritual development of the tribe of Semites capable of recording their history has given us the foundation of Western civilization -- the Bible. But, being localized, it does not provided an accurate historical account of the development of the human race on the planet. That history has been buried and lost over the eons and that's one of the purposes for receiving the overall scope of creation reveled by The Urantia Book -- it sets the record straight and puts historical events into perspective.

For example, in The Urantia Book, we learn this about the early relationship between the Chinese peoples (the yellow races) and the Indians (the red races) -

(79:5.5) For over two hundred thousand years these two superior races waged bitter and unremitting warfare. In the earlier struggles the red men were generally successful, their raiding parties spreading havoc among the yellow settlements. But the yellow man was an apt pupil in the art of warfare, and he early manifested a marked ability to live peaceably with his compatriots; the Chinese were the first to learn that in union there is strength. The red tribes continued their internecine conflicts, and presently they began to suffer repeated defeats at the aggressive hands of the relentless Chinese, who continued their inexorable march northward.

(79:5.8) The red and the yellow races are the only human stocks that ever achieved a high degree of civilization apart from the influences of the Andites. The oldest Amerindian culture was the Onamonalonton center in California, but this had long since vanished by 35,000 B.C. In Mexico, Central America and in the mountains of South America the later and more enduring civilizations were founded by a race predominantly red but containing a considerable admixture of the yellow, orange, and blue.

This is taken from a section of The Urantia Book titled: The Red Man and the Yellow Man.

Related to this most fascinating subject, it should be said that the Biblical stories of Adam and Eve as the first two human beings are in great need of updating, and The Urantia Book does that for us. When Adam and Eve arrived on the planet, there were many, many peoples of various colorations on the earth who were deemed ready for a spiritual and biological upliftment - among them the Yellow race and the Red race. This is the reason that Adam and Eve came.

You can read about the races of mankind which developed as a result of evolution before Adam and Eve HERE

You can read the story of Adam and Eve - who they were, where they came from, why they came, and what happened to them - in its entirety HERE.

This following section chronicles the distribution of the races of man following the default of Adam and Eve and their banishment from the Garden of Eden: Racial and Cultural Distribution

As mentioned above, far from the being the final word on humanity and its relationship to God, the Old Testament of the Bible is more the history of a single people - the early precursors to what we now know as the Jewish peoples. The races of mankind were not included, probably because the writers of the Bible books were not even aware of their existence. The world in those ancient times was nothing like our world today - there was no sophistication in regards to communications or global travel; life was pretty primitive, and the world outside of the Levantine areas was practically unknown.

And so, to answer your question, the races of mankind that you mention really have no connection to the Bible. This is not to say that they have no connection to God, however. Every individual of every race stands on an equal spiritual footing before God. And this great truth is fully explored within the revelation of The Urantia Book.

The Urantia Book unifies the history of our planet and effectively clarifies heretofore unknown details of human civilization. If you will take the time to click on the links which we have provided in this reply, you will discover a story of humanity - and Divinity - which will greatly assist you in your understanding of our planetary history and the role of the various races of mankind.

Thanks for this most interesting question. I hope that this reply has been of help to you. If you wish to take this exploration further, please feel free to access our convenient SEARCH feature. Just type in a word or phrase to be connected to every instance of it in the text of The Urantia Book.

Labels: Adam and Eve, Bible, Chinese, God, Indians, Jewish history, Old Testament, races, The Urantia Book

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Monday, February 15, 2010

I am trying to know more about my Jesus...

Q: I'm from Kerala in India. By birth I am Hindu. But I met Jesus in 2006 on my college days. I believe in Jesus.

I am trying to know more about my Jesus. I read Bible & other christian magazine. But I don't get the details about Jesus's childhood. When I search the Internet I saw Your great Urantia Book - Part IV the life and teachings of Jesus. That was a grateful feel on my heart. But I have several doubts on it. Where did you get these details, I mean where do we get these writings. Which historian tell this details?

I am studying in Malayalam medium (language of Kerala) and study English as optional language. So I don't understand some words in this Book. I would like know, The Urantia Book translated to Malayalam, the language of Kerala in India? I want to know more about my Jesus. Please help me.

In the name of Jesus

A: Thank you for writing to Truthbook.com. Our website is designed to promote the teachings of The Urantia Book, and especially those of Jesus from Part IV of the book. You have stumbled upon a treasure that is gradually becoming more widely known but is still unknown to most people.

You've said you have several doubts. Well, healthy and open-minded skepticism is to be encouraged when confronted with new and controversial material. In material of a spiritual nature you have to test what you're learning against your own perceptions of truth, beauty, goodness -- no one else's opinions and beliefs can be of any real value to you.

You asked where did we get these details. The details were given to us by the authors of The Urantia Book which was first published in 1955. We have a considerable amount of information on our website about the history of The Urantia Book so please take some time to become familiar with what's provided there. A good place to begin with the historical aspects of the book is found under the heading "The Urantia Book" on our home page -- Urantia Book history is located HERE. Please be aware however that all the information "about" The Urantia Book does not substitute for actually reading the book and learning first hand for oneself.

You asked which historian knows this information. Surprisingly enough, there are many old books that contain portions of this story -- books written by authors who apparently were inspired in some manner during the course of their lifetimes. The beauty of The Urantia Book is that its authors assimilated much of this obscure information, combining it in a masterful way and adding to it material that is unique to the teachings of The Urantia Book. The Urantia Book claims itself to be a revelation of truth. The authors of the book are celestial beings, angels, the true historians of the universe. They have access to the records of all that has transpired and their records of the life and teachings of Jesus are partially recounted here in a never-before revealed way.

If you're curious about the overall historical perspective provided by The Urantia Book, of which the life and teachings of Jesus is just a part, please spend some time reviewing the Urantia Book Timeline -- also found as an entry under the left-hand menu heading "The Urantia Book" on our home page. Also, on the home page you'll find "Jesus and The Urantia Book", "Answers to Life's Toughest Questions", "How The Urantia Book Changed My Life", and "FAQ" -- each of these will help you in your understanding of just what it is you've stumbled upon.

It's understandable that you don't understand some of the words in this book. The Urantia Book may contain some of the most complex writing ever made in the English language. Even native English speakers marvel at the language, and struggle too, and there is much there that can't be absorbed on a single reading. Many students of The Urantia Book study the book for the remainder of their lives, always finding new insight, new concepts, new ideas.

The Urantia Book has been translated into about a dozen different languages at this time and additional translations are under way but I don't believe Malayalam is one of them. But, I can tell from your writing that your grasp of English is excellent -- certainly good enough to understand Part IV of the book. Also, please understand that as a revelation given in the English language The Urantia Book can't be translated into any other language without losing some of its impact. As difficult as it may be for you, you'll get much more from reading the book in English rather than as a translation into some other language from the original. There can be no better study for the mastery of the English language than to read this life and teachings of Jesus.

You want to know more about Jesus -- I suggest you have been inspired to discover Jesus in The Urantia Book -- there is no better, more authentic, more real depiction of Jesus on the planet at this time. Read with an open mind and an open heart, taste the savor of the words as you read, ask for guidance in knowing the truth. Jesus left his spirit here, the Spirit of Truth, at Pentecost when he ascended. That spirit is here just for you, to help you find and to know what is true. Trust Jesus.

Please feel free to write with your questions or concerns. Part IV of The Urantia Book begins Please feel free to write with your questions or concerns. Part IV of The Urantia Book begins HERE with Paper 120. At the top of each Paper you'll see a (((Listen))) link where the text will be read aloud so you can hear and read at the same time -- you may find this helpful.

Labels: details, doubts, history, Jesus, The Urantia Book, Urantia Book Timeline

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Were there humans on earth before Adam and Eve...?

Q: Were there humans on earth before Adam and Eve during the first earth age of creation - day 6 of the creation period?

A: Thanks for your note to us here at www.Truthbook.com. Since you have asked this question of us, we hope that you are open to receiving true and thoughtful answers to the questions you have submitted - answers that are gleaned from the revelation of The Urantia Book. Truthbook.com is dedicated to furthering the teachings of this most recent revelation of God to man.

Most people have been taught that Adam was the first human being, and that he was created by God on the spot, out of the clay of the earth. Later on it is said that Eve was fashioned out of one of Adam's ribs. Of course, we recognize this story from the Bible book of Genesis, and it has long been taken as literal fact by those who believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, despite the story's several inconsistencies.

The Urantia Book offers us a quite different - and entirely more plausible - account of the origins of Adam and Eve, as well as the story of creation. You can read the story in its entirety HERE

To answer your question though - yes, there were humans on earth before Adam and Eve. The legends of creation had their origins as a result of the first seven days that Adam and Eve spent on the planet after their arrival. You can read more about it HERE. The arrival of these two supermortal beings was such an astounding event to the primitive inhabitants of earth that their every move in that first week inspired legends that persist to this day.

The first human beings were evolved over many millenia of development, and appeared suddenly in a family of simians. From this very humble beginning this twin pair, named Andon and Fonta, left the family of their origins and struck off on their own to start the human race. By the time Adam and Eve arrived, thousands of years later, there were many human beings on the planet. Adam and Eve were sent as the second of five epochal revelations of God to mankind. Their mission was to be the physical and spiritual upstepping of the then-existing primitive races of mankind. Their mission was not wholly successful, however, due to the default of both Eve, and then Adam, in their sacred trust.

I have supplied you with several links in this reply. I hope that you will click on each of them, which will open up the text of The Urantia Book pertaining to your question. There, you will be able to fully satisfy your curiosity about these most important issues. Again, we give you the answer to your question from the pages of The Urantia Book, which contains a wealth of information and inspiration presented as the fifth epochal revelation of God to mankind. We hope you'll take this opportunity to read, and absorb, its message of hope for humanity.

Again, we appreciate that you have written to us, and we hope that this answer has been helpful to you. If you are not already signed up, please accept my invitation to subscribe to our free Quote of the Day service HERE. It will also be a good way to familiarize yourself with Urantia Book teachings on a daily basis.

Labels: Adam and Eve, creation, the first humans, The Urantia Book

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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

I have a very important question regarding different versions of "The Bible..."

Q: Greetings!.. I have a very important question regarding different versions of "The Bible" - KJV ( King James Version ) vs. NIV ( New International Version ). One - the KJV - refers to Christ as "The son of God.". The other - the NIV - refers to Christ as "The Son of man." Please explain which is the correct interpretation. I do not want to be deceived by one or the other, and am a bit confused..

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com. As a site promoting the teachings of The Urantia Book we're not overly concerned with the Bible although we believe it is an important and valuable historical and religious work upon which the Christian religion is based and should therefore not be modified to suit the politics of the day. Our main interest is more along the lines of where The Urantia Book and the Bible correlate and where they diverge in their teachings.

Your question about the difference between the Son of God and the Son of Man is addressed in detail in the account of Jesus' life presented in The Urantia Book. You may also be interested in reading and listening to this compelling and complete biography of Jesus on our site. As you will learn, although Jesus had a divine pre-existence before being born here as Jesus, still, as a fully human child he had questions in his mind to be resolved about his purpose and life's work. Here's one of the paragraphs that explains a bit about why Jesus was drawn to the term "Son of Man" as a youngster:

126.3.6 In the course of this year Jesus found a passage in the so-called Book of Enoch which influenced him in the later adoption of the term "son of man" as a designation for his bestowal mission on Urantia. He had thoroughly considered the idea of the Jewish Messiah and was firmly convinced that he was not to be that Messiah. He longed to help his father's people, but he never expected to lead Jewish armies in overthrowing the foreign domination of Palestine. He knew he would never sit on the throne of David at Jerusalem. Neither did he believe that his mission was that of a spiritual deliverer or moral teacher solely to the Jewish people. In no sense, therefore, could his life mission be the fulfillment of the intense longings and supposed Messianic prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures; at least, not as the Jews understood these predictions of the prophets. Likewise he was certain he was never to appear as the son of man depicted by the Prophet Daniel.

You may wish to do a SEARCH of The Urantia Book from our site using the term Son of Man -- there are well over 200 references to that phrase, a term that was used by others than Jesus as well. Son of Man basically indicates that Jesus was fully human and fully representative of human beings, their thoughts and actions and relationship to God the Father.

Son of God is also an accurate term in association with Jesus since he was fully divine after his baptism by John at which time the knowledge of his pre-existence was fully restored. Jesus was both human and divine -- unlike us, who are wholly human in nature. The term Son of God is found in The Urantia Book well over 100 times.

Please feel free to spend some time at our site in order to research and get a better grasp of the significance of these two phrases. I hope this has helped answer your question.

Labels: Bible, Jesus, son of God, son of man, The Urantia Book

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Sunday, February 07, 2010

Help please...

Q: If a person has had memories of a pre-existence for most of life, how do they find meaning within this? Please help. It is so very confusing. No, I am not psychotic. I have always had these memories and visions. My life has been hard and I don't know how to reconcile the two. I pray and try to meditate; but, cannot find a way to figure it out or receive more guidance. Or, I am afraid to rely upon what I do receive. None of it is very clear. Help please...

A: Thanks for your note to us at Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book.

I am sure that whatever you are experiencing in your mind is quite real to you. You say that you are not psychotic, and so I assume that you have seen a medical professional in order to make that assessment of your condition...I will assume that you know for certain that your mind is sound.

You say that you have always have had memories of "pre-existence..." I wonder if that is the same as "past-life" memories? According to The Urantia Book teachings, reincarnation is a false belief. We have not had any lives previous to the one we are now experiencing, nor will we ever reincarnate again on this planet. Instead, our spirit-selves - our immortal souls which we develop throughout a life spent in the flesh - experience resurrection on the Mansion Worlds, from there to enter upon the eternal adventure of finding God in Paradise. We are "translated" a number of times in our upward journey, but never do we return to the planet of our nativity.

And you then seem to make a connection between the visions and memories and the fact that your life has been hard. I am not really understanding what the two have to do with each other, unless you have been so preoccupied with your mental state that you have not paid enough attention to the life right in front of you... Most people have varying degrees of difficulty in life, and difficulties always help us to become stronger, and to develop a strong and enduring character. But if you are putting too much time and energy into belief of a "past-life" instead of actively living your present life, this will continue to cause difficulties. And this is a choice you must make.

Not having much information about the kinds of visions and memories you are having, I cannot really advise you on how to ascribe a final meaning to the experiences. You do not appear to be frightened by them, but you do say that you are "confused." You say that you try to pray and meditate - I am glad to know that you do this, as it is a good practice, and will yield results if you persist in it.

One thing that I do know for sure is that you possess within your mind a literal fragment of the Universal Father - the indwelling Spirit of God that is called the Thought Adjuster in The Urantia Book. It is this fragment of God that serves as your constant companion, your spiritual guide, and your most intimate friend throughout your lifetime, and which assists you immeasurably in acquiring and developing your immortal soul.

It may help you to know that you are not alone in having some kinds of experiences regarding "past-life" issues. This has been a very widespread phenomenon for decades, and many people assume that because they have some kind of memories about having existed before, that they actually have done so. They can't imagine what else it could be...

I am going to offer something to think about - and please understand that this is my own opinion and my own attempt to help you come to peace. Even though we do not experience past-lives, we learn in The Urantia Book that some of the indwelling Thought Adjusters have had some previous experience indwelling mortals - mortals with whom they sojourned throughout a life, mortals who either chose not to survive, or who were not eligible for Father-fusion.

Now, I am not saying that you possess such an Adjuster, but I am saying that it is a possibility, and could be the source of the kinds of visions and memories that you experience, as "Nothing of survival value is ever lost..." with the Adjuster. One might wonder whether, in some individuals, this Adjuster experience could show itself in fragmentary dreams, visions, imaginings, or in what might be interpreted as "memory." Having ruled out mental illness, this could be the case, and possibly the source of the kinds of "memories and visions" that you experience. Again, this is my own interpretation, and may, or may not be an explanation that could be of help to you...I don't pretend to understand how this could be, or even if it is, but I am saying that it may be something to think about and even be grateful for...it is the way that we respond to such a possibility that is important.

You can read about the classification of Thought Adjusters HERE. The type of Adjuster I am thinking of is the second or third type - the Advanced, or the Supreme Adjusters.

In any event, you would do well to continue your prayer and meditation and your search for answers through becoming closer to God and learning to trust God. Since God dwells within your mind, it is through these communions with him that your answers will come. I would advise that you lay out this problem to God, and then spend time in quiet receptivity to discern the answer to your prayers. God is always with you, and you have nothing to fear. Just spending time in conscious, prayerful, worshipful contact with the Father and receiving his counsel will always bring peace to your spirit.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, do your best to live in the here-and-now - not in the past - even if you persist in having these kinds of thoughts. The life that you live NOW is the important thing - the experience that you gain through living the life you have been given is what will count in the end.

To become mature is to live more intensely in the present, at the same time escaping from the limitations of the present. (118:1.7)

Even while the Adjuster indwells our mind to assist us spiritually, you possess the freewill choice of what to think and what to concentrate on in order to maximize that assistance. Living life right now is always the right choice...and, if you ever reach a point where spiritual progress in your present life is suffering as a result of this mental activity, I would advise you to see your mental health professional one more time in order to rule out any other form of psychosis.

I hope that you are signed up to receive our daily Quote of the Day, which you can find HERE. To subscribe, please click on the link and look for "Subscribe" under the image.

Thanks again for your note to Truthbook.com. I hope this reply has been of some help to you...

Labels: God, mind, past-lives, reincarnation, resurrection, The Urantia Book, Thought Adjuster

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Saturday, February 06, 2010

I am a minister of Theology and political science, 72 years old...

Q: I am a minister of Theology and political science, 72 years old, and I studied 7 years in Christian seminaries. I found the Urantia Book last week, and have read some 30 pages on many important subjects. I have been so excited for the revelations that no one on earth could write them. Where can I ask many questions such as why such an important book but very few intellectuals or theologians know about it ? The book is too great for any mortal dare to claim its authorship. I agree. Where can I contact best in Los Angeles area ?

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com. It's always a pleasure to hear from someone just discovering this incomparable book and we understand you excitement and awe -- that's typical for each of us when we first come into contact with this material... it can become a life-altering experience.

First, you're to be commended for taking an open-minded approach to look at something so foreign to your field of expertise. As we know, the world is full of fanciful scientific, philosophical and spiritual material posing as factual and authentic and it takes a discerning mind to separate the wheat from the chaff. Where religious and spiritual material is concerned most professional religionists tend to simply discount anything that is not traditional. So, with our encouragement, please continue to read with an open but discerning mind -- you will know whether or not this material continues to speak truth to you if you rely on your own truth receptivity.

You have already arrived at one critical discovery -- one which each student of these remarkable teachings must face and decide for themselves -- no one on earth could write this material. Fortunately it was provided in the early 1930s -- before computers could have been of use; its scope is too broad and deep for any one person to have composed; its consistency and integrity is too flawless to have been compiled by a committee; it encompasses material that beforehand had been unknown in human understanding.

One of our purposes here at Truthbook.com is to provide the service you've requested -- answering questions. There are several of us here who do just that and if the questions become too challenging for us to answer we can forward them to others who have more understanding, so feel free to pose your questions here.

As to your first question -- intellectuals and theologians. Many students of the Urantia material are intellectuals -- they're drawn to the book because of its logic and intellectual appeal. Some are drawn because of the astronomy, physics, geology, anthropology... others because of the philosophy and history and still others because of the spirituality and religious content. It overall appeals to inquisitive minds looking for logical explanations of the cosmos and our place in it. It is possible that many well-known intellectuals have taken a cursory look at the Urantia material and rejected it without delving into it in any great depth because it of its uniqueness and it is also possible that well-known intellectuals embrace the teachings of the book but don't make their discovery known because it could bring criticism down on them. For theologians -- there are a good many theologians, ministers, rabbis, priests, monks, who know of The Urantia Book but, because of their position and because of the years spent in training they are reluctant to come right out and proclaim their source for new insight. One prominent theologian was Dr. Meredith Sprunger, a long-time United Church of Christ minister, who became involved with the Urantia teachings shortly after the book was first published in 1955. Dr Sprunger is retired now and not particularly active at this time but we have a number of his written materials on our site. Please go to our home page and enter Sprunger in the search window at the bottom left where it says "Search Truthbook" to discover Dr. Sprunger's and others' writings on all manner of topics relating to the Urantia teachings.

Also, you'll notice there that we have a section marked FAQ and one marked Answers to Life's Toughest Questions -- you'll be able to learn a lot about The Urantia Book from these sections. The section named How The Urantia Book Changed My Life is also quite inspirational. Please feel free to spend as much time as necessary reviewing the material we've prepared on our site -- it's intended to help anyone newly discovering the book to become familiar with it. However, all of this material is about The Urantia Book. The Urantia Book itself is the revelation and must be read in order to be believed. All the material in the world about the book does not substitute for actually reading the words of the book.

As you may have discovered, the complete book is available on our site, where you can read on-line and listen to it being read aloud as you read along. You may also purchase The Urantia Book on Amazon.com through our site. I would like to recommend when you feel compelled to purchase the book that you select the The Urantia Book: English Indexed Version - Hard Cover since that version comes with a DVD that has the text available for your computer and includes a 600 page index which the others don't.

There are study groups in the Los Angeles area, from Santa Barbara down to San Diego so it's possible there's one near you. I might suggest though that you become familiar with the Urantia material from your own perspective before discussing it with others who aren't familiar with it or before connecting with a study group. There seems to be a connection that builds between the reader and the text when one invests ones own time and thinking -- it's a personal connection best done on one's own I think. I often suggest to new readers that they not be overly concerned with understanding everything they read at first, that it may be most important that they read the whole book as rapidly as they're able, not spending a lot of time pondering over the strange new thoughts they're presented with, but to forge ahead so that they can grasp the overall picture of the scope and content of this magnificent revelation. Then they will be prepared to go back and savor it with the overall comprehension of what it is disclosing.

Thank you again for writing. Best wishes to you and please feel free to write any time.

Labels: authorship, intellectuals, revelation, The Urantia Book, theologians, truth

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Why is the Bible in the Urantia book but the Urantia book is not in the Bible?

Q: Why is the bible in the Urantia book but the Urantia book is not in the bible?

A: Thanks so much for your note to us here at Truthbook.com. We are always glad to hear from our visitors and friends.

You want to know why the Bible is mentioned in The Urantia Book, but not vice-versa - the Bible does not mention The Urantia Book.

As you likely know, The Urantia Book is the fifth of five epochal revelations of God to mankind. The previous (4th) epochal revelation was that of Jesus of Nazareth - the bestowal of Christ Michael of Nebadon as the babe of Belthlehem. And the Bible contains pretty much all that humanity has had about the life of Jesus up till the arrival of The Urantia Book, even though the Bible itself is not an epochal revelation, but a compilation of previous inspired writings. It is understandable that The Urantia Book would mention these stories and try to enhance our understanding of them through its revelatory teachings.

When Jesus was on earth, many things that he said and taught are revisited in The Urantia Book. For example, Jesus mentions angels and heaven, life after death and the mansion worlds. He also reveals the loving heavenly Father in the various Bible books, and many of the miraculous happenings of his life are described. The Urantia Book describes all of them in far greater detail than their mere mention. In fact, Jesus' entire life is expanded and detailed so greatly that the Bible stories about him pale in comparison. Context is added, history is added, the personalities of the key people in Jesus' life are greatly expanded, and the true mission and teachings of the Son of Man are newly restated.

So, in that sense, the Bible accounts, while not specifically mentioning a new revelation, do act as a sort of precursor to this new 21st century restatement of his life and teachings.

Likewise, the 3rd epochal revelation of God to mankind - that of Machiventa Melchizedek did teach that another Son of God, born of woman, would come to the earth, but he does not specifically mention him by name.

Even further back, the 2nd epochal revelation of God to man - Adam and Eve - did not mention nor predict the arrival of the 3rd revelation, that of Melchizedek. Of course, Melchizedek was an emergency bestowal, and the absence of any hint can be easily understood.

And finally, the first epochal revelation of God to man - that of Caligastia...The Urantia Book states: "The plans for race upstepping are prepared by the Planetary Prince and his staff and are executed by Adam and Eve." But nowhere that I know of in the book does Caligastia speak of the Edenic pair, or predict their arrival.

So, the fact that The Urantia Book is not mentioned in the Bible fits the pattern of all previous revelations, in that it contains hints of the next revelation. But it is not until that revelation arrives that these "seeds" are able to flourish.

Each succeeding epochal revelation is meant to build on the previous one, but they are not always predicted or predictable.

I hope that this answer has been helpful to you today. Thanks for writing to us, and please write back any time...are you subscribed to our free Quote of the Day service? If not, please feel free to click on the link and sign up!!!

Labels: Bible, Jesus, revelation, The Urantia Book

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Who is the first man?

Q: Who is the first man?

A: Thanks for writing this question to us here at Truthbook, a website devoted to the teachings of The Urantia Book. We're glad you found us.

You want to know who the first man is...well, the first "man" was in reality, the first truly human pair - twins named Andon and Fonta. They were the crown of the evolutionary ascent up to that time - humans who could speak and who had the capacity for wisdom and worship.

When the twins reached 11 years of age, the angels made this announcement and prayer:

(63:0.2) "Man-mind has appeared on 606 of Satania, and these parents of the new race shall be called Andon and Fonta. And all archangels pray that these creatures may speedily be endowed with the personal indwelling of the gift of the spirit of the Universal Father."

It was a very important time, and they were very important beings - the first real human beings, developed over millenia through the technique of evolution, now having reached the point where they could be called human beings. They left their simian family behind, and struck out on their own to become the beginnings of a whole new family - the family of man.

You can read all about Andon and Fonta and the first human family HERE.

Many religions teach that the first man was Adam. However, The Urantia Book makes very clear the difference between the first human family of Andon and Fonta and the very different mission of Adam and Eve.

Thanks again for writing to us. I hope you'll visit often. And I would like to invite you to subscribe to our free Quote of the Day service which will deliver an inspiring teaching from The Urantia Book each day to your inbox.

Labels: Adam and Eve, Andon and Fonta, evolution, humans, The Urantia Book

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Is 21.12.2012 of any significance to Urantia?

Q: Is 21.12.2012 of any significance to Urantia?

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook. 2012 is a hot topic in the world today, and I understand your desire to know if The Urantia Book teachings can shed any light on what may happen...

Unfortunately, I cannot give you any enlightenment on this subject from the teachings, except as I understand them. The Urantia Book does not engage in predictions or idle conjecture about any particular age to come, except for the normal ages of development that all worlds are subject to. Our planet - Urantia - is not progressing in the normal ways that most planets do, but that does not mean that we are exempt from gradual, and lovingly-fostered planetary development which will one day in the distant future, see Urantia achieve the final ages of Light and Life.

Because The Urantia Book spends so much time on giving us hope and information about our future destiny, I choose to believe that "21 12 2012" will be a day like any other. Absent any hard evidence, why would anyone want to believe otherwise?

The information out there on the internet is spotty, and there are positive and negative interpretations. It can be fun to see all the hype and read all the predictions, and we can get a thrill by scaring ourselves, but I would not recommend becoming too serious about it.

It is useless to waste our time trying to discern the future two years, or even two days down the road. The truth is that NOW is really all the time we have. It is also the place where we find God. He is not accessible tomorrow (although he will be), or yesterday (although he WAS)... Right this minute is where we find him. So, why be concerned over what might happen in 2010? If we live the best life we can, walking with God in every moment, we will have effectively created a future of increased goodness, no matter what...

In the end, "The real universe is friendly to every child of the eternal God"

This question has popped up before, and so I am giving you THIS LINK so that you can read what's been said before - about 2 years ago...

Thanks again for writing to us, and please write back if you have other questions.

Labels: 2012, God, predictions, The Urantia Book

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How much time will we have to live in heaven/paradise? forever or a certain amount of time?

Q: How much time will we have to live in heaven/paradise? forever or a certain amount of time?

A: Thanks for this note to Truthbook.com. Your question is a very good and thoughtful one. I suppose most people imagine that once they get to Paradise, that the adventure is over, and that they will be in God's embrace forever. And that might be an obvious imagining before the revelation of The Urantia Book.

The Urantia Book reveals to us a near-endless journey of spiritual growth, universe education, and fellowship provided by God's plan of ascension. It is a plan that is provided for all who will accept their sonship with God - all who choose to survive after death. But, there will come a time when we will have achieved our initial goal - we will step onto the shores of Paradise, there to stand in the Presence of God, and be embraced as the true spirit beings that we have become through countless ages of adventure and determination. One might think that this is the end - we have reached our goal. But, such is likely not the case in the Father's plan...

Part of the revelation of The Urantia Book is the Corps of the Finality. This Corps is comprised of, among others, spiritual beings who in their former life were human mortals - mortals born into the worlds of time and space - mortals like you and me.

The Corps of the Finality appears to be the next goal that we will have before us, once we arrive and become permanent residents of Paradise.

(31:0.1) "THE CORPS OF MORTAL Finaliters represents the present known destination of the ascending Adjuster-fused mortals of time."

The authors of this paper do not say that they know for certain, but they conjecture that the ultimate goal of this Paradise corps of mortal ascenders is to serve in an expanded way in the now-forming universes of time and space in the outer space levels of the master universe:

(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.

We see from this passage that our eternal residence will be on Paradise, but is that our final goal? They further state:

(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:

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.

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.

(31:10.12)...can we be criticized for anticipating that something new and unrevealed is approaching culmination in the master universe? ...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!

If you have read any of the cosmology of The Urantia Book - specifically those cosmologies having to do with the vast and almost unimaginable size of our present superuniverse, it might seem reasonable to think that within these evolving and gigantic creations, countless worlds will evolve - worlds that may even be something like our earth - worlds that will one day benefit from visitations of spiritual beings who will be sent as ambassadors from Paradise. Could this be our destiny? To travel the vast universe as ambassadors from Paradise, helping, revealing and educating evolving civilizations in the ways of God? Here is why we may qualify for this thrilling destiny:

(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.

Again, the authors consider such thinking as conjecture, but they do invite us to conjecture freely, and add up the things that we DO know in an effort to discern what it all means.

Personally, I find such a thought very thrilling indeed. One thing we do know is that in God's universe, "progress" is the watchword. It seems reasonable to assume that, even after attaining Paradise, we will be expected to progress in some way. Even though our universe home will be on Paradise, this idea of serving as ambassadors to these now-forming creations, just as we have been visited and served by other spiritual orders of universe beings throughout our earth history seems both reasonable, and quite exciting!

I cannot say for certain whether this destiny truly awaits us, but I invite you to go HERE, which is the link to Paper 31, which deals exclusively with the Corps of the Finality, and the adventure that might await us as Finaliters. And HERE, is the specific section that deals with the Corps and glorified mortals. You can then make up your own mind as to the destiny that awaits you. It also might be a fun exercise for you to use our convenient SEARCH feature to find all the references to the Corps of the Finality. I guarantee that you will find it a fascinating journey!

Again, I thank you for this most interesting, and important, question.

Labels: ascension scheme, Corps of the Finality, heaven, The Urantia Book

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

...if God created us and everything, where did God come from?" Please answer me

Q: I believe in God Almighty. But I had a conversation with a person and the subject was "science vs God." After that a doubt raised in my mind; if God created us and everything, where did God come from?" Please answer me

A: Thanks for writing to us here at Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book...we are always happy to hear from our visitors.

You ask where God came from...this is something that is difficult for one human to answer for another. Being finite humans, we are accustomed to things having beginnings and endings; the infinite, non-beginning and non-ending nature of God is hard to wrap our minds around. But we do carry an infinite spark of this infinite God within our minds, and at some point in our eternal future we will grasp more of this mystery.

The truth is that in this earth-life we simply do not have the capacity to fully understand the mystery of God, and that is where our faith has to become active. We humans are just not yet able to fully satisfy our desire to understand, as much as we would like to...on normal planets, the eternal nature of God is a subject upon which there is no doubt, but here on Earth, we must rely on faith and experience alone to satisfy our doubts. The Urantia Book is a great help in this regard as well, being a new revelation of God that opens up the reality and nature of God in a way that helps make God more accessible to us than ever before.

Over the years, we have received this question in several forms in our "FAQ" and "Life's Toughest Questions." I am giving you the links to those questions and answers below. I hope that you will find an answer here that will help you through this doubt that you are experiencing. Within these Q+As are numerous links to passages from The Urantia Book, and pages on our site that will give you a great deal of additional information and inspiration.

...where did God come from?

Where was God before the creation of heaven and earth?

If there is God, who created God?

Does God really exist?

And remember - honest doubt is something that all believers grapple with from time to time. There is nothing wrong in having honest doubt. When you find yourself faced with doubt, there is a simple prayer that will help you through it:

"Lord, I believe. I pray you help my unbelief."

I hope you have gotten a satisfactory answer to your question today. Please write back any time!

Labels: belief, doubts, God, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Is it true that the more you ask for God's guidance and the chance to change for the better, the more you receive tougher trials?

Q: Is it true that the more you ask for God's guidance and the chance to change for the better, the more you receive tougher trials??

A: Thanks for your note to Truthbook. Your question is a really good one, and I am so glad you wrote...

What comes to my mind immediately is the Parable of the Talents. In this parable, Jesus talks about the three stewards who are given a portion of their master's goods for safekeeping while he is away. One of them takes what he is given and invests it, doubling his master's talents. The second steward also invests his portion, and also realizes a profit for his master. But the third steward buries his talent in the earth, and gives back just the one talent just as it was given to him. Jesus rewards the first two stewards by giving them even more and higher responsibility, but from the third steward, he takes away what he has given him and gives it to the more productive stewards, leaving him with nothing. He has squandered his chance to progress in his master's household by ignoring the talent which was entrusted to him.

in this parable (see the above link), Jesus says:

"To every one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away. You cannot stand still in the affairs of the eternal kingdom. My Father requires all his children to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the truth. You who know these truths must yield the increase of the fruits of the spirit and manifest a growing devotion to the unselfish service of your fellow servants. And remember that, inasmuch as you minister to one of the least of my brethren, you have done this service to me.

Even in our material world, one might assume that with more responsibility will come more challenge. Likewise, in the spiritual kingdom, those who are willing to invest their "talents" can also expect to reap the greater challenges, and also the greater return for their efforts. When we make the effort to ask God for help, that is like making an investment in those talents. Growing in "grace and in a knowledge of the truth" - yielding an "increase in the fruits of the spirit" and becoming more devoted to the "unselfish service" of the brotherhood naturally imply gradually more complex and difficult situations to overcome with goodness. But those who grow like that have also greater help and greater capacity for success. They have proved themselves in the smaller things, and so, they are entrusted with the greater as they progress, helping them to grow even more.

It is like a person who is an aspiring long-distance runner; at first, they might be able to run one mile with difficulty. But after running that distance successfully for awhile, they become better able to increase their speed and distance, so that in time they may have conditioned themselves to run a marathon, where once that might have seemed impossible. The increased training has made them more capable of handling the greater challenge with ease. It is their determination and persistence in their training that has made the marathon possible.

I think that it is like that with us in our quest for the perfection of God. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction to be had when we do our best to prove ourselves worthy of the talents that we have been given, by using and increasing them. Remember that "progress" is the watchword of the universe. We cannot sit still and expect to progress; there's the danger that we might tend to stagnate, or even go backwards. Progress always implies increasing responsibility and increasing chance for success. But the increased duty is manageable because we have done the necessary work beforehand in the smaller things. I think it is true that God does not give us problems to deal with that we are not capable of overcoming.

I hope that this reply has been of help to you today...if you have not already done so, please accept this invitation to subscribe to our free Quote of the Day service. Click on "subscribe" beneath the picture. You will receive a daily email from us containing an inspiring passage from The Urantia Book to assist you in reaping the highest and best in your own personal journey with God.

Again, thanks for writing to us with this important question...

Labels: God, parable of the talents, progress, The Urantia Book, trials

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

...are there any more accurate records of the birth of the Urantia Book?

Q: I am aware that there are no 100% accurate records of the birth of the Urantia Book. The most popular record was through that of Sleeping Subject. What are the scientific odds that this could happen in reality (if it weren't for aliens)? And also, are there any more accurate records of the birth of the Urantia Book?

A: Thanks for your note to Truthbook. It is always nice to hear from our viewers.

You are correct that the origins of The Urantia Book are somewhat obscure. This was a deliberate effort on the part of the revelators, due to the human tendency to concentrate on the messenger rather than the message. If the names of humans (such as the Sleeping Subject) had been associated with the birth of the revelation, far too much importance would likely have been directed to them, and the message of the book itself may have been missed. There was a concerted effort to disassociate the Papers from any mortal connection. The most recognizable name associated with it now is that of William Sadler. Some try to claim that he is the author, but this claim simply does not hold water. It was simply his professional association with the sleeping subject that really brought the nighttime sessions to light, and ultimately to publication.

From what we do know, the man who was used to deliver the book was an ordinary person who happened to take part in a very extraordinary process through circumstances that remain mysterious to this day. Even the Contact Commission were not told the method by which the Papers came into being. We know what the method of delivery was NOT, but not what it WAS. We are only told that it was delivered by a technique that had never been used before, and which will never be used again. The subject's life was not disrupted - the contact took place only in times of deep sleep, and as far as we know, he lived a normal life in other respects...he himself, remained aloof from the amazing process to which he was such an intimate party, and reportedly had no desire to have his name connected to it. Those who did know his name were sworn to secrecy, and as far as I know, none betrayed that trust.

I don't know about the odds, but I think that it is pretty clear that the revelation that is The Urantia Book has super-normal, and supernatural origins and purposes. One has to ask oneself:

For what purpose could this book have been given to our planet, other than a purely spiritual one?

In the 50+ years since its publication, have any humans claimed authorship? For a book of this size and scope to have had human authorship, one might expect SOMEONE to claim responsibility...

Are any humans reaping extraordinary profits from its sale? If that was the purpose, one might expect a far more aggressive marketing strategy to have been employed for its spread.

Is there a human or material motivation for the Papers that will enrich or otherwise favorably influence any group or individual? Like God himself, The Urantia Book invites ALL. It is inclusive of all, intended for all...

For every question there is an answer that defies any human connection...after reflective thought, and by applying logic, one can only conclude that the source of the book is spiritual, and its aims and purposes are spiritual as well; it is just as it claims to be - a new epochal revelation of God to mankind.

You want to call them "aliens," but I think a better way of thinking of these authors is as "unseen friends." Some of them may be "extraterrestrial," but also, many of them are still present on our planet, such as the Midwayers, and some orders of angels. And all of the authors are spiritual beings...

There is a good website that will give you a lot of detailed information regarding the origins of The Urantia Book - it is The Urantia Book Historical Society

Within that site, you might be interested to read the documents in this section

I also came across this internet article, titled "Origins of the Urantia Papers," written by a reader, which you may find informative.

Thanks again for your note to us at Truthbook.

Labels: aliens, authorship, origins, sleeping subject, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

I am not spirit experiencing being human - not human experiencing being spirit.

Q: I am not spirit experiencing being human - not human experiencing being spirit.

A: Thank you for your note to Truthbook.com, a website devoted to the teachings of The Urantia Book.

The statement you make here is obviously a statement of your opinion, and all I can say is, thank you for sharing. The Urantia Book does have a passage regarding the spirit and the body, and it was recently featured in the Quote of the Day; I suspect this statement is your answer to it. The quote is:

"On a material world you think of a body as having a spirit, but we regard the spirit as having a body." (42:12.5)

The remainder of the quote is:

"The material eyes are truly the windows of the spirit-born soul. The spirit is the architect, the mind is the builder, the body is the material building."

They are not saying that we are wrong to think as we do. They are simply instructing us that the Spirit is the influence that creates the soul, which is a spiritual counterpart of the material body. "The spirit is the architect..." The soul evolves over a lifetime, every time we make a choice for truth, beauty and goodness. When we die, it is that immortal soul which survives death and goes on to eternal life. So, indeed the spirit does create and HAVE that body for eternity - that soul-body which also contains our personality, and memory, and which lives forever. The material body, having served its purpose, and incapable of eternal existence, returns to the earth.

I hope that this helps you to see this quote in a different light. For me, and many others, it is a joyful truth...

I am not sure what your question is, if any. If you have a question in the future, please don't hesitate to write back to us. We are always glad to discuss spiritual matters. Our answers come from long expeience with the life-changing teachings of The Urantia Book

Labels: humans, soul, spirit beings, The Urantia Book

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Why does The Urantia Book say, "if any man has Christ Jesus in him, he is a new creature...?

Q: Why does the UB say, "If any man has Christ Jesus in him, he is a new creature; old things are passing away; behold all things are becoming new." Because "Christ Jesus in you" is antichrist in my book.

A: I am a little perplexed at your reference to the "antichrist" in connection to this statement about Christ Jesus being within us. It is my understanding that the antichrist is an individual that is supposed to appear sometime after the rapture and the tribulations of the Bible - a being who will seem to be good, but will actually be bad.

I found this website which lists 27 ways (from Bible verses) in which we will be able to recognize this being, and nowhere in there do I see anything about having Jesus as our inner companion, and being a new creature because of it.

I just want to include this entire passage from The Urantia Book that you referenced, so we can look at it together:

Jesus was the perfectly unified human personality. And today, as in Galilee, he continues to unify mortal experience and to co-ordinate human endeavors. He unifies life, ennobles character, and simplifies experience. He enters the human mind to elevate, transform, and transfigure it. It is literally true: "If any man has Christ Jesus within him, he is a new creature; old things are passing away; behold, all things are becoming new."(100:7.18)

This is one of the most inspiring statements that I've ever read. I think that anyone who has been born of the Spirit, anyone who has seen in Jesus' life the ideal of doing God's will, anyone who follows the religion of the Spirit as Jesus taught - anyone who has had any experiences like this with the Master knows that experience with Jesus truly does "elevate, transform, and transfigure" our minds.

Jesus is literally still with us, represented as the Spirit of Truth. It is the presence that he promised. Jesus talked about the promised helper many times:

"When I have gone to the Father, and after he has fully accepted the work I have done for you on earth, and after I have received the final sovereignty of my own domain, I shall say to my Father: Having left my children alone on earth, it is in accordance with my promise to send them another teacher. And when the Father shall approve, I will pour out the Spirit of Truth upon all flesh. Already is my Father's spirit in your hearts, and when this day shall come, you will also have me with you even as you now have the Father. This new gift is the spirit of living truth. (180:4.1)

"...when my spirit comes to indwell you, he will illuminate the difference between sin and righteousness and will enable you to judge wisely in your hearts concerning them." (180:6.2)

" ...I am going to send you my spirit, just like me except for this material body. This new teacher is the Spirit of Truth who will live with each one of you, in your hearts, and so will all the children of light be made one and be drawn toward one another. And in this very manner will my Father and I be able to live in the souls of each one of you and also in the hearts of all other men who love us and make that love real in their experiences by loving one another, even as I am now loving you." (180:4.5)

And this bestowal of the Spirit of Truth happened on the day of Pentecost.

HERE Is a good section to read for you. Perhaps you misunderstand the function of the Spirit of Truth - the promised helper. Among other things in this section, we read:

The new helper which Jesus promised to send into the hearts of believers, to pour out upon all flesh, is the Spirit of Truth. This divine endowment is not the letter or law of truth, neither is it to function as the form or expression of truth. The new teacher is the conviction of truth, the consciousness and assurance of true meanings on real spirit levels. And this new teacher is the spirit of living and growing truth, expanding, unfolding, and adaptative truth. (180:5.1)

The Spirit of Truth works in the mind with the Thought Adjuster. This is a great mercy for humanity, and without these Divine spiritual helpers we would be lost even more than we already are...

...But we know that there dwells within the human mind a fragment of God, and that there sojourns with the human soul the Spirit of Truth; and we further know that these spirit forces conspire to enable material man to grasp the reality of spiritual values and to comprehend the philosophy of universe meanings. But even more certainly we know that these spirits of the Divine Presence are able to assist man in the spiritual appropriation of all truth contributory to the enhancement of the ever-progressing reality of personal religious experienceâ€”God-consciousness. (0:12.12)

The indwelling Spirit of Truth does not make us think that WE are God. What it does do, is bring us CLOSER to God in loving parent/child relationship and in greater CONSCIOUSNESS of him. And through that relationship and through experiencing God in this way - in our minds and thoughts - we eventually strive to become more like God, our Spirit Father. But no sincere seeker of God would ever think of replacing him, nor think that having the indwelling Presence would somehow be anything but good. I suspect that may be another aspect of this question you have about "antichrist" - this idea that somehow man is going to start to believe that he is a god, or somehow equal to God - very "antichrist," indeed. But it bears no relation whatsoever to this passage that you cited.

Any connection of the Spirit of Truth with a being who is "anti" Christ just does not add up. Jesus lives in the heart of every believer, ministering and answering when he is asked. He stands at the door and knocks...willing to reveal divine Truth to us. Jesus not only SEEMS to be good, he really IS good.

But don't take my word for it. He lives in your heart, too...and you can always call upon him to find out if there is any truth contained in the assumptions you have made...if you are sincere, he will always answer you.

I hope that my reply was of some help...

Labels: antichrist, Jesus, Spirit of Truth, The Urantia Book

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I believe in Sefira of Kabbalah. Does this conflict with the Urantia Book?

Q: I believe in Sefira of Kabbalah. Does this conflict with the Urantia Book? And is it proper to say sefira is an aramaic named spirit of the Father?

A: Thanks for your note to Truthbook.com.

I went to Google to find out more about your question, and I came up with this definition of "sefira," from the Britannica Online:

"Also spelled Sephira (Hebrew: â€œnumberâ€�), plural Sefirot, or Sephiroth, in the speculations of esoteric Jewish mysticism (Kabbala), any of the 10 emanations, or powers, by which God the Creator was said to become manifest. The concept first appeared in the Sefer Yetzira (â€œBook of Creationâ€�), as the 10 ideal numbers.

In the development of Kabbalistic literature, the idea was expanded and elaborated to denote the 10 stages of emanation from En Sof (the Infinite; the unknowable God), by which God the Creator can be discerned. Each sefira refers to an aspect of God as Creator..."

Just on the face of it, it does not appear that "sefira" is a name of the Spirit of God; however, I suppose that you are referring to the Kabbalah as a whole...?

Regardless of the many names that have been given to God over the centuries, he is still the First Source and Center - the Creator and the Universal Father - I believe that he is my Father and your Father - Father of our Spirit selves. I don't think that it matters what we call him, but you might like this description:

"On those worlds where a Paradise Son has lived a bestowal life, God is generally known by some name indicative of personal relationship, tender affection, and fatherly devotion. On your constellation headquarters God is referred to as the Universal Father, and on different planets in your local system of inhabited worlds he is variously known as the Father of Fathers, the Paradise Father, the Havona Father, and the Spirit Father. Those who know God through the revelations of the bestowals of the Paradise Sons, eventually yield to the sentimental appeal of the touching relationship of the creature-Creator association and refer to God as "our Father." (1:1.5)

Kabbalah is another, and quite ancient, type of religious belief - an example of an evolutionary religion - and is an offshoot of Judaism, as I understand it. As you know, Jesus came from Jewish roots, and was raised as a Jew. And as you also likely know, he later attempted to establish his new religion of the Spirit among the Jewish peoples; but he was rejected by the Jews in power, and put to death for his ideas of spiritual liberty - freedom from the fetters of the religions of authority.

I cannot say that Kabbalah is in conflict with the teachings of The Urantia Book, simply because I don't know enough about it. However, most religions that have at their heart the one-God concept are not at serious odds with what we learn from The Urantia Book, which also has at its heart one God - the Universal Father of all.

The Urantia Book is a new revelation of God to mankind. It reveals things to us about God that we have not known before. And it is designed to improve our understanding of God, the universe, our planet, and ourselves.

There are many, many people who love, embrace, and study The Urantia Book who are also members of various churches and religious beliefs; there are quite a few Jewish people among that group as well. It is entirely possible to remain a believer in established religions, while also using The Urantia Book as an additional tool to come to a deeper understanding of God.

If you have specific concerns regarding Kabbalah vs Urantia Book teachings, please write back, so we can discuss them. I suspect, though, after reading some other material about Kabbalah, that there would be few inconsistencies, and that you would not have to feel that you have to abandon your spiritual practice in order to benefit from studying The Urantia Book.

The Urantia Book is meant to help mankind to upstep our ideas of God - to give us new information, and new insight as to the nature, the personality, and the love of God. If your aim is to live a good life, and to walk a spiritual path with God, using the teachings of The Urantia Book can only help you, as you expand your mind, and discover new truths about God, and his relationship to you, and with you. If you derive pleasure, satisfaction and spiritual growth in Kabbalah, you may have all you need already in the spiritual sense; but if you are still searching for more (and there is ALWAYS more to know about God) you would do well to continue to read and study The Urantia Book at the same time that you practice Kabbalah, as it will only assist your search for true meaning in your life. Eventually, you will come to a new understanding of both Kabbalh AND The Urantia Book if you are sincere seeker for truth.

Thanks again for your question. I hope my answer has been helpful. Again - if you have further questions, please write back.

Labels: conflict, God, Kabbalah, The Urantia Book

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