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Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book



Thursday, August 13, 2009

Please can you please help me understand the full meaning of the popular phrase, "To do the will of Father in Heaven ?"

Q: Please can you please help me understand the full meaning of the popular phrase, "To do the will of Father in Heaven ?"

A: How do we actually DO the will of God? These quotes may give you some direction and encouragement:

(111:5.1) The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God—with the very God who has made such a creature life of inner meaning-value possible. Sharing is Godlike—divine. God shares all with the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, while they, in turn, share all things with the divine Sons and spirit Daughters of the universes.

The imitation of God is the key to perfection; the doing of his will is the secret of survival and of perfection in survival.

(111:5.6) This choosing of the Father's will is the spiritual finding of the spirit Father by mortal man, even though an age must pass before the creature son may actually stand in the factual presence of God on Paradise. This choosing does not so much consist in the negation of creature will—"Not my will but yours be done"—as it consists in the creature's positive affirmation: "It is my will that your will be done."

Doing the will of the Father in Heaven is truly an "inside job." The will of God exists in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God in the minds of mortals (known in Urantia Book teachings as the Thought Adjuster, or Mystery Monitor), and the finding and doing of that will consists in sharing that inner life - the life apart from the purely mechanical function of the brain - the life of the mind, and in the arena of free will. In other words, it is our mandate to choose, of our own free will, to do the will of God, allowing the leadings of the indwelling Spirit to inform our choices in life.

Finally, I chose the following quotes to give you an even broader view of the function of the will of God in the mind of man.

(12:7.7) The will of God does not uniformly prevail in the heart of the God-seeking material mortal, but if the time frame is enlarged beyond the moment to embrace the whole of the first life, then does God's will become increasingly discernible in the spirit fruits which are borne in the lives of the spirit-led children of God.

(34:7.6) ... present-day mortals would experience less of this apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the Father in heaven.

(39:4.14) The keys of the kingdom of heaven are: sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All men have these keys. Men use them—advance in spirit status—by decisions, by more decisions, and by more decisions. The highest moral choice is the choice of the highest possible value, and always—in any sphere, in all of them—this is to choose to do the will of God. If man thus chooses, he is great, though he be the humblest citizen of Jerusem or even the least of mortals on Urantia.

(107:0.4) Any mortal who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Universal Father, and he who is indwelt by a divine Adjuster is indwelt by the Paradise Father. Every mortal who is consciously or unconsciously following the leading of his indwelling Adjuster is living in accordance with the will of God. Consciousness of Adjuster presence is consciousness of God's presence.

This is about as full an explanation that I can give in a letter. If you like, you can see our topical study of The Will of God for even more inspiring quotes and links to specific Urantia Book text.

Thanks for writing!

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Are the Thought Adjuster and Personality alien to each other?

Q: The Urantia Book speaks as though the Thought Adjuster and Personality are alien to each other, yet they both come from God-Father. Why would God play such a game with Him/Her self ?

A: I guess it might seem like some sort of a game that God is playing, but somehow, I don't think that is the case. To me, it is a very interesting, but also very logical thing he does...far more than a mere "game," it is an amazing opportunity that he gives to his mortal and finite children of time.

Mortal beings are endowed with personality, but Adjusters are not - they are designated "pre-personal," indicating that they have personality potential. But while Adjusters do not possess personality, they do possess divine "identity," while the mortal does not, except as potential in the evolving soul. And so, the eventual fusion of the pre-personal Adjuster and the personality of man constitutes the creation of a new kind of being altogether - one with the characteristics and the identity of both the human and the Divine.

In order for the human to achieve this divinity, s/he must make those kinds of decisions and choices throughout life that constitute "spirit-identification," by allying the self with the will of God. These kinds of decisions result in the growth of an immortal soul; it is this immortal entity that is able to eventually fuse with the pre-personal Adjuster. In this way, the Adjuster achieves fusion with that aspect of personality which was once bestowed upon the mortal, and with which that mortal was able to effect those decisions to be like God. In turn, the mortal becomes eternally God-identified. The two become one - a whole new creature capable of completing the Paradise ascent - the return to the Paradise Father who bestowed both of these components. Unless this happens, the mortal creature cannot make this supernal journey.

Far from being alien to each other, these two components of God do - with the consent of the mortal of their indwelling - conspire and cooperate in this amazing creation of a being of eternal status and dignity. The personality and the Thought Adjuster - both gifts of God to evolving mortals - are really the closest of associations in potential. It is the decision of the freewill mortal that activates and completes this liaison. By taking advantage of this opportunity, we can progress from the lowest of the low, to the highest of the high.

As an aside, you might enjoy this intriguing section about the Universal Father as The God of Personality.

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Friday, April 10, 2009

How is it possible for a first time personality to even be mature enough, wise enough to make eternal decisions?

Q: The Urantia Book describes the process by which we will eventually become one with our Thought Adjuster through "cooperating", submitting our will to God's will; making decisions, choices etc.... How is it possible for a first time personality to even be mature enough, wise enough to make eternal decisions?

A: It may not be possible to make eternal decisions in this earth life, although we can certainly make decisions that contribute to our eternal life. Like the process you describe in your question, we can choose to cooperate with our Thought Adjuster, we can decide that God's will is what we want in our lives, and we can reinforce those basic decisions with the every-day kinds of choices that we all face. By doing this, we grow our soul - the immortal part of us that will survive the death experience. And that is the eternal part of us that will eventually fuse with the TA. Even if we haven't made the "final decision" here - still, by contributing to our soul's growth, we are just that much better able to eventually make that decision when we are really ready.

Here's an abbreviated quote that might be helpful:

p449:4(40:8.1) ...practically all surviving mortals are fused with their Adjusters on one of the mansion worlds or immediately upon their arrival on the higher morontia spheres...

And this:

p538:1(47:8.3) This is a brilliant age for ascending mortals and usually witnesses the perfect fusion of the human mind and the divine Adjuster. In potential, this fusion may have occurred previously, but the actual working identity many times is not achieved until the time of the sojourn on the fifth mansion world or even the sixth.

For me, it is enough of a hope that my faith is sufficient to ensure that I will survive to wake up on the Mansion Worlds, and I think that is the best that most us can wish for at this juncture in our lives. And that's pretty good news! The Urantia Book teaches that fusion with the TA may be a long way off, even after we survive. That kind of decision is not made lightly, even though we may feel that we want it while we are here. As far as I know, only Enoch was able to achieve it here on Urantia, when he went up in a "flash of fire." The Urantia Book says that he was "the first," so maybe there have been others since then, but I don't know...Through our continuing purification, spirit identification, and education on the Mansion Worlds, we can hope to become far better equipped to make that kind of eternal decision when the time is right.

Just for interest, you might like to read about Death and Translation on the Spheres of Light and Life. I think we here on Urantia are going to be waiting a long time before that becomes a reality, but someday...

Thanks for this interesting question!

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Is God Playing Games?

Q: The Urantia Book speaks as though the Thought Adjuster and Personality are alien to each other, yet they both come from God-Father. Why would God play such a game with Him/Her self?

A: I guess it might seem like some sort of a game that God is playing, but somehow, I don't think that is the case. To me, it is a very interesting, but also very logical thing he does...far more than a mere "game," it is an amazing opportunity that he gives to his mortal and finite children of time.

Mortal beings are endowed with personality, but Adjusters are not - they are designated "pre-personal," indicating that they have personality potential. But while Adjusters do not possess personality, they do possess divine "identity," while the mortal does not, except as potential in the evolving soul. And so, the eventual fusion of the pre-personal Adjuster and the personality of man constitutes the creation of a new kind of being altogether - one with the characteristics and the identity of both the human and the Divine.

In order for the human to achieve this divinity, s/he must make those kinds of decisions and choices throughout life that constitute "spirit-identification," by allying the self with the will of God. These kinds of decisions result in the growth of an immortal soul; it is this immortal entity that is able to eventually fuse with the pre-personal Adjuster. In this way, the Adjuster achieves fusion with that aspect of personality which was once bestowed upon the mortal, and with which that mortal was able to effect those decisions to be like God. In turn, the mortal becomes eternally God-identified. The two become one - a whole new creature capable of completing the Paradise ascent - the return to the Paradise Father who bestowed both of these components. Unless this happens, the mortal creature cannot make this supernal journey.

Far from being alien to each other, these two components of God do - with the consent of the mortal of their indwelling - conspire and cooperate in this amazing creation of a being of eternal status and dignity. The personality and the Thought Adjuster - both gifts of God to evolving mortals - are really the closest of associations in potential. It is the decision of the freewill mortal that activates and completes this liaison. By taking advantage of this opportunity, we can progress from the lowest of the low, to the highest of the high.

As an aside, you might enjoy this intriguing section about the Universal Father as The God of Personality.

I hope this answer has been helpful....

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Saturday, April 04, 2009

Does TUB discuss any hitherto unknown human senses or abilities?

Q: Does The Urantia Book discuss any hitherto unknown human senses or abilities?

A: The authors of The Urantia Book tell us that our average sense endowment numbers twelve. Now, I am only aware of the usual five sense - sight, smell, taste, feeling, and hearing, so, it gets one to thinking... They call these twelve sense "physical-sense endowments," and I wonder if at least one of them could be connected to the legacy of animal fear that we have inherited. Fear can be a very visceral reaction. I also wonder if one of our senses could be connected to discernment of the passage of time or our ability to discern the presence of another personality - or non-personality. Additionally, our bodies possess an innate ability to heal themselves. Perhaps memory is considered a "sense." And then, there's always the "sense of humor and the "sense of fairness," or the "sense of right and wrong." Or, it could just be that our senses simply fall below what is considered "average" when taken in total against all humans in the cosmos. It is an interesting subject to think about, right?

Here is a quote:

The average special physical-sense endowment of human beings is twelve, though the special senses of the three-brained mortals are extended slightly beyond those of the one- and two-brained types; they can see and hear considerably more than the Urantia races. p564:5(49:4.3)

I find it interesting to conjecture whether we would have developed keener senses had Adam and Eve not defaulted, and we had had the benefit of their superior life plasm. Consider this quote:

Both the physical and spiritual visions of Adam and Eve were far superior to those of the present-day peoples. Their special senses were much more acute, and they were able to see the midwayers and the angelic hosts, the Melchizedeks, and the fallen Prince Caligastia, who several times came to confer with his noble successor. They retained the ability to see these celestial beings for over one hundred years after the default. These special senses were not so acutely present in their children and tended to diminish with each succeeding generation. p851:3(76:4.5)

I say it is a pity, for I would love to be able to see our friends in the spiritual realms.

We can look forward to some extra- and enhanced senses once we pass through the portals of death and assume our morontia existence, as in this quote:

The morontia senses are seventy, and the higher spiritual orders of reaction response vary in different types of beings from seventy to two hundred and ten.p154:5(14:2.3)

And to give you an idea of how inadequate our physical senses are in discerning spiritual reality, consider this quote about the central universe and Havona:

None of the physical beings of the central universe would be visible to Urantians. Neither would any of the physical stimuli of those faraway worlds excite a reaction in your gross sense organs. If a Urantia mortal could be transported to Havona, he would there be deaf, blind, and utterly lacking in all other sense reactions; he could only function as a limited self-conscious being deprived of all environmental stimuli and all reactions thereto. p154:6(14:2.4)

Finally, as to special abilities, I think that mortals are variously gifted with many different abilities - in art, music, writing, mathmatics, science, etc. Some people have amazing abilities that no one even understands - like savants in math or music or memory who are otherwise seemingly mentally retarded. Some of these folks are an endless source of wonder for us all.

Here's a quote that helps illuminate some of this for us:

There are three possible sources of special human ability: At the bottom always there exists the natural or inherent aptitude. Special ability is never an arbitrary gift of the Gods; there is always an ancestral foundation for every outstanding talent. In addition to this natural ability, or rather supplemental thereto, there may be contributed the leadings of the Thought Adjuster in those individuals whose indwelling Adjusters may have had actual and bona fide experiences along such lines on other worlds and in other mortal creatures. In those cases where both the human mind and the indwelling Adjuster are unusually skillful, the spirit artisans may be delegated to act as harmonizers of these talents and otherwise to assist and inspire these mortals to seek for ever-perfecting ideals and to attempt their enhanced portrayal for the edification of the realm. p507:7 (44:8.2)

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

What does The Urantia Book say about the practice of euthanasia?

There are no references to euthanasia (mercy-killing) in The Urantia Book. But knowing what I do, I hope can form an opinion that will be in line with its teachings.

Euthanasia is an interesting subject, and once again in the news of the day. I can't tell you what to think - whether it is right or wrong. I suspect that every case is different. But it is my personal opinion that if a person has been in a vegetative state for some amount of time (in the recent case I read of, the person has been in such a state for over ten years!) and shows no sign of recovery, and no sign of brain activity, I would say that euthanasia would be justified. I know that if it was me in that bed, that I would not want to be kept alive if my Thought Adjuster had left. And we are told that when brain activity ceases, that is the equivalent of death, at which time the Adjuster returns to Divinington to await the personality and soul reunion. Do the soul and personality remain with the body until it is allowed to die?

The Urantia Book says this:

2. Intellectual (mind) death. When the vital circuits of higher adjutant ministry are disrupted through the aberrations of intellect or because of the partial destruction of the mechanism of the brain, and if these conditions pass a certain critical point of irreparability, the indwelling Adjuster is immediately released to depart for Divinington. On the universe records a mortal personality is considered to have met with death whenever the essential mind circuits of human will-action have been destroyed. And again, this is death, irrespective of the continuing function of the living mechanism of the physical body. The body minus the volitional mind is no longer human, but according to the prior choosing of the human will, the soul of such an individual may survive.

3. Physical (body and mind) death. When death overtakes a human being, the Adjuster remains in the citadel of the mind until it ceases to function as an intelligent mechanism, about the time that the measurable brain energies cease their rhythmic vital pulsations. Following this dissolution the Adjuster takes leave of the vanishing mind, just as unceremoniously as entry was made years before, and proceeds to Divinington by way of Uversa. p1230:1(112:3.3)

In days past, this was not ever thought about much, because a person who had sustained a serious injury would have naturally passed away, but in our times of amazing medical miracles and cutting-edge technologies, doctors have the power to keep a person alive undefinitely. But is that always wise? To me it seems like a case of science without the moderation of spirit.

Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning "good death." Lingering in a hospital bed, waiting for someone to "pull the plug" does not seems like a very merciful way to treat someone. Allowing them to have a "good death" seems to be, in these extreme sorts of cases, the best course of action.

This is a question that has prompted the rise of "living wills," which allow a person beforehand, to say how they would like such a situation handled if they are not able to speak or act on their own. "Natural death," as understood in The Urantia Book may not be possible in such a situation, and so a person has to demand it these days.

Thanks for this thought-provoking question.

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Saturday, February 14, 2009

When does the soul enter the human body?

Q: When does the soul enter the human body?

A: There has long been speculation about the soul - what it is, where it resides, how it is nurtured...but it is a fairly common belief that the soul is the non-material component of a human being, a component that possesses immortality. And this belief is true. Only the details have been missing.

The Urantia Book dispels all doubt as to the soul's origin and purpose. We learn that the soul is the spiritual counterpart of a human being which is born at the moment of the person's first moral choice - usually at about age five. Coincident with the first moral choosing, this occasion also marks the arrival of the indwelling Spirit of God into the mind of a human being. At this time, this brand new entity is created, and its evolution and growth is continued throughout a lifetime by every new choice towards the good, true and beautiful.

Rather than something that enters a human from without, the immortal soul is born from within, and is nurtured by continued identification with the indwelling Spirit of God. And at the end of life, it is this entity which survives the death experience and goes on to eternal life.

Please see Jesus' Discourse on the Soul for a far more inspiring explanation than I can give...

Thank you for this important question...

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Do our Thought Adjusters cooperate with each other? And if so, can they do so over vast distances?

Q: Do our Thought Adjusters cooperate with each other? And if so, can they do so over vast distances?

A: What an interesting question...it took me into some research of The Urantia Book to find the answer for you.

As you likely know, the Thought Adjusters are those fragments of God which indwell the minds of mortals. It is in this way that God is able to experience life with his creatures, and assist mortals in their search for truth, beauty and goodness. The Thought Adjusters ARE god, and collectively, constitute God. When we are told that "God is within" it is literally true.

Since the Divine fragments of God which indwell the minds of mortal man are all part and parcel of the Universal Father, I think it would be safe to say that Adjusters would always co-operate with each other. And they also co-operate with other spiritual influences, such as the Spirit of Truth and the seraphic hosts. But we are told that they act alone in our minds, although there might be instances of "possible co-ordination," as in this passage:

Apart from possible co-ordination with other Deity fragments, the Adjusters are quite alone in their sphere of activity in the mortal mind. The Mystery Monitors eloquently bespeak the fact that, though the Father may have apparently resigned the exercise of all direct personal power and authority throughout the grand universe, notwithstanding this act of abnegation in behalf of the Supreme Creator children of the Paradise Deities, the Father has certainly reserved to himself the unchallengeable right to be present in the minds and souls of his evolving creatures to the end that he may so act as to draw all creature creation to himself, co-ordinately with the spiritual gravity of the Paradise Sons. Said your Paradise bestowal Son when yet on Urantia, "I, if I am lifted up, will draw all men." This spiritual drawing power of the Paradise Sons and their creative associates we recognize and understand, but we do not so fully comprehend the methods of the all-wise Father's functioning in and through these Mystery Monitors that live and work so valiantly within the human mind. p1190:2(108:4.1)

I also found these passages which speak of the communication of Adjusters with one another (which would seem to be implicit in co-operation), and as interplanetary liaisons; this would seem to answer the question of their ability to communicate (or co-operate) over vast distances. All of these passages imply co-operation, as well as communication:

Since Adjusters can plan, work, and love, they must have powers of selfhood which are commensurate with mind. They are possessed of unlimited ability to communicate with each other, that is, all forms of Monitors above the first or virgin groups. As to the nature and purport of their intercommunications, we can reveal very little, for we do not know. And we further know that they must be minded in some manner else they could never be personalized. p1181:5(107:5.2)

When a world is isolated by rebellion, when a planet is cut off from all outside encircuited communication, as was Urantia after the Caligastia upheaval, aside from personal messengers there remains but one possibility of direct interplanetary or universe communication, and that is through the liaison of the Adjusters of the spheres. No matter what happens on a world or in a universe, the Adjusters are never directly concerned. The isolation of a planet in no way affects the Adjusters and their ability to communicate with any part of the local universe, superuniverse, or the central universe.
p1190:5(108:4.4)

Undoubtedly these higher and more experienced types of [self-acting] Adjusters can communicate with those in other realms. But while self-acting Adjusters do thus intercommunicate, they do so only on the levels of their mutual work and for the purpose of preserving custodial data essential to the Adjuster ministry of the realms of their sojourn, though on occasions they have been known to function in interplanetary matters during times of crisis. p1196:11(109:2.9)

These are isolated quotes, answering the gist of your question, but no isolated passage can take the place of actually learning about the ministry of Thought Adjusters in depth.

The following papers of The Urantia Book give us the most complete picture of the mysterious Thought Adjusters:

Paper 107:Origin and Nature of Thought Adjusters

Paper 108:Mission and Ministry of Thought Adjusters

Paper 109:Relation of Adjusters to Universe Creatures

Paper 110:Relation of Adjusters to Individual Mortals

Paper 111:The Adjuster and the Soul

Thanks for this interesting question!

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Monday, October 06, 2008

How Can I Find God's Voice?

Q: How to find God's voice?

A: What I hear in your short sentence is a question regarding the voice of God, and how to hear that Voice within yourself.

Many of us have been instructed that God is within us, and The Urantia Book expands and enlarges this concept beautifully. We learn in its teachings that this spark of Divinity within is called the Thought Adjuster, and that it is an actual fragment of the Father himself:
__________
(148:6.10) ...the Father...speaks within the human heart as a still, small voice, saying, `This is the way; walk therein.' Do you not comprehend that God dwells within you, that he has become what you are that he may make you what he is!"
__________
Here is another quote regarding the voice of God-within:
__________
(110:7.9) While the voice of the Adjuster is ever within you, most of you will hear it seldom during a lifetime. Human beings below the third and second circles of attainment rarely hear the Adjuster's direct voice except in moments of supreme desire, in a supreme situation, and consequent upon a supreme decision.
__________
And this:
__________
(101:1.2) The Thought Adjuster has no special mechanism through which to gain self-expression; there is no mystic religious faculty for the reception or expression of religious emotions. These experiences are made available through the naturally ordained mechanism of mortal mind. And therein lies one explanation of the Adjuster's difficulty in engaging in direct communication with the material mind of its constant indwelling.

The divine spirit makes contact with mortal man, not by feelings or emotions, but in the realm of the highest and most spiritualized thinking. It is your thoughts, not your feelings, that lead you Godward. The divine nature may be perceived only with the eyes of the mind. But the mind that really discerns God, hears the indwelling Adjuster, is the pure mind. "Without holiness no man may see the Lord." All such inner and spiritual communion is termed spiritual insight. Such religious experiences result from the impress made upon the mind of man by the combined operations of the Adjuster and the Spirit of Truth as they function amid and upon the ideas, ideals, insights, and spirit strivings of the evolving sons of God.
_________
We see by these quotes that the best way to find this voice within is through our highest thinking, as that is where the combined Spirit of God (the Thought Adjuster) and the Spirit of Truth (Jesus) work together for our highest good.

Even though it may seem difficult from the above quotes to actually experience the hearing of God's voice, we are not left only with difficulty. A very practical way that The Urantia Book helps us to find and hear the Divine voice, is through the prayerful practice of conversing with our "alter ego." Consider this quote:
__________
(91:3.7) Enlightened prayer must recognize not only an external and personal God but also an internal and impersonal Divinity, the indwelling Adjuster. It is altogether fitting that man, when he prays, should strive to grasp the concept of the Universal Father on Paradise; but the more effective technique for most practical purposes will be to revert to the concept of a near-by alter ego, just as the primitive mind was wont to do, and then to recognize that the idea of this alter ego has evolved from a mere fiction to the truth of God's indwelling mortal man in the factual presence of the Adjuster so that man can talk face to face, as it were, with a real and genuine and divine alter ego that indwells him and is the very presence and essence of the living God, the Universal Father.
____________

Basically, we can "talk to ourselves," a practice that we all naturally learn to do as children, when we have inner conversations with an imaginary companion. As we grow, and as we desire closer communication with God, we may ennoble that concept to become the reality of a conversation with God-within.

Please click here for the entire section on Prayer and the Alter-Ego.

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Friday, May 30, 2008

If Jesus fused, why didn't he go up in flames? Can people fuse and still remain on Earth?

Q: If Jesus was fused with his adjuster, why did he not go up in flames, so to speak? Is it possible that many human beings have fused with their adjusters and still live on earth?

A: I was happy to answer your question, and I can see why there might still be some confusion. We learn in The Urantia Book that mortals who fuse with their Adjusters while still on the planet go up in a flash of fire. Obviously, Jesus did not experience this.

I did some searches of The Urantia Book, and I was not able to find a definitive answer to this question, but maybe we can reason it out (being mindful that it may not be something that can be entirely understood.)

What occurs to me right away is the obvious problem that would have developed if he had fused...at the time of Jesus' baptism, his ministry was at its very beginning stages; to have him disappear from Earth at this stage would certainly have been counter-productive to his completing his mission of revealing the Father and establishing the Kingdom.

The passage that I cited above has this statement:

"He stood in the Jordan that day a perfected mortal of the evolutionary worlds of time and space. Perfect synchrony and full communication had become established between the mortal mind of Jesus and the indwelling spirit Adjuster, the divine gift of his Father in Paradise."

And: "This ceremony was the final act of his purely human life on Urantia..."

Since Jesus was also Divine - already of the Father himself - there likely was no need for him to fuse with his Adjuster as other humans do. Instead he was given the vision of himself as he really was:

"...the Son of Man saw the vision, presented by the now Personalized Adjuster, of himself as a Son of God as he was before he came to earth in the likeness of mortal flesh, and as he would be when the incarnated life should be finished. This heavenly vision was seen only by Jesus. "

"Throughout the remainder of Jesus' earth life this Personalized Adjuster was associated with him in all his labors; Jesus was in constant communion with this exalted Adjuster."

Jesus, while human, also was God. This makes him a totally unique person. It seems to me to have been unnecessary for him to fuse in the usual way, as the partnership of his mortal self with his Adjuster was already perfected that day in the Jordan. As well, as noted above, his mission would have been effectively ended had he disappeared in the flash of fire. Since he now knew of a certainty who he really was, he was then able to partner quite effectively with his Personalized Adjuster for the remainder of his earth life.

Did this Adjuster indwell the mind of Jesus, as is true of us? It sounds as if it did not, but remained somewhat separate from him, but "associated" and in "constant communion" nonetheless.

As to the second part of your question:
I can think of no good reason for a person to remain, even if s/he could, once fusion has occurred. But aside from that, we read that: "...fusion during physical life instantly consumes the material body..." (p1212:3), so there would be no body left in any event. And once fusion has taken place, the entire purpose for a mortal life has been fulfilled, so no reason to go further in that state of being.

I hope that this reply has been useful to you. Thanks for writing back, and please feel free to write again, anytime...

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Did Jesus fuse with his Adjuster while on Earth?

Thank you for this question. Obviously, Jesus was a very special human being, and the events of his baptism in the Jordan culminated in a very special union of human and divine - a unique kind of union with a very special Adjuster. In this following section you will read about the events of that day, including the special kind of fusion that occurred with the human Jesus that day in the Jordan. (I have bolded the pertinent paragraphs pertaining to your question)

p1510:4 ((136:2.1)) Jesus was baptized at the very height of John's preaching when Palestine was aflame with the expectancy of his message—"the kingdom of God is at hand"—when all Jewry was engaged in serious and solemn self-examination. The Jewish sense of racial solidarity was very profound. The Jews not only believed that the sins of the father might afflict his children, but they firmly believed that the sin of one individual might curse the nation. Accordingly, not all who submitted to John's baptism regarded themselves as being guilty of the specific sins which John denounced. Many devout souls were baptized by John for the good of Israel. They feared lest some sin of ignorance on their part might delay the coming of the Messiah. They felt themselves to belong to a guilty and sin-cursed nation, and they presented themselves for baptism that they might by so doing manifest fruits of race penitence. It is therefore evident that Jesus in no sense received John's baptism as a rite of repentance or for the remission of sins. In accepting baptism at the hands of John, Jesus was only following the example of many pious Israelites.

When Jesus of Nazareth went down into the Jordan to be baptized, he was a mortal of the realm who had attained the pinnacle of human evolutionary ascension in all matters related to the conquest of mind and to self-identification with the spirit. He stood in the Jordan that day a perfected mortal of the evolutionary worlds of time and space. Perfect synchrony and full communication had become established between the mortal mind of Jesus and the indwelling spirit Adjuster, the divine gift of his Father in Paradise. And just such an Adjuster indwells all normal beings living on Urantia since the ascension of Michael to the headship of his universe, except that Jesus' Adjuster had been previously prepared for this special mission by similarly indwelling another superhuman incarnated in the likeness of mortal flesh, Machiventa Melchizedek.

Ordinarily, when a mortal of the realm attains such high levels of personality perfection, there occur those preliminary phenomena of spiritual elevation which terminate in eventual fusion of the matured soul of the mortal with its associated divine Adjuster. And such a change was apparently due to take place in the personality experience of Jesus of Nazareth on that very day when he went down into the Jordan with his two brothers to be baptized by John. This ceremony was the final act of his purely human life on Urantia, and many superhuman observers expected to witness the fusion of the Adjuster with its indwelt mind, but they were all destined to suffer disappointment. Something new and even greater occurred. As John laid his hands upon Jesus to baptize him, the indwelling Adjuster took final leave of the perfected human soul of Joshua ben Joseph. And in a few moments this divine entity returned from Divinington as a Personalized Adjuster and chief of his kind throughout the entire local universe of Nebadon. Thus did Jesus observe his own former divine spirit descending on its return to him in personalized form. And he heard this same spirit of Paradise origin now speak, saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." And John, with Jesus' two brothers, also heard these words. John's disciples, standing by the water's edge, did not hear these words, neither did they see the apparition of the Personalized Adjuster. Only the eyes of Jesus beheld the Personalized Adjuster.

When the returned and now exalted Personalized Adjuster had thus spoken, all was silence. And while the four of them tarried in the water, Jesus, looking up to the near-by Adjuster, prayed: "My Father who reigns in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven." When he had prayed, the "heavens were opened," and the Son of Man saw the vision, presented by the now Personalized Adjuster, of himself as a Son of God as he was before he came to earth in the likeness of mortal flesh, and as he would be when the incarnated life should be finished. This heavenly vision was seen only by Jesus.

It was the voice of the Personalized Adjuster that John and Jesus heard, speaking in behalf of the Universal Father, for the Adjuster is of, and as, the Paradise Father. Throughout the remainder of Jesus' earth life this Personalized Adjuster was associated with him in all his labors; Jesus was in constant communion with this exalted Adjuster.

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Is there such a thing as "soul travel?"

Q: Is there anything called soul travel as practice by eckanker or other school of thought?

A: Thank you for your question. Yes, there is something called soul travel. It's associated with confusing beliefs about souls disconnecting from the body and traveling around, observing, becoming ghosts, reincarnating -- beliefs that are ancient and based in superstition. The process is along the lines that intent, or meditation, or drugs can allow the soul to detach, that it remains attached to the body only through a thin silver cord, that it can travel great distances -- to other planets as well -- and as long as the cord is attached the soul will return to the body but if it breaks it won't return. Eckankar focuses on teaching this technique and other meditation practices promote it as well -- after all, who wouldn't want to be able to fly off and observe all manner of interesting things?

It's a mind game deception. Our minds are powerful as well as directable. We do have the ability to direct our mind and a conscious connection so that it may seem we have left our body. Mind can detect information at a distance but "you" don't leave one place and travel to another. Through practice one can strengthen the connection to the subconscious mind's psychic abilities and participate in many otherwise strange mind games. Such a practice will disengage one from reality substituting the practical to make it become impractical.

The Urantia Book warns against attempting to augment psychic abilities, offering instead a practical, inspiring, spiritually beneficent cosmology which answers life's most challenging questions and gives focus to human longings and desires in a logical, positive, and uplifting manner. There's more than enough in reality to satisfy curiosity and the desire for adventure without veering away into augmenting unreality experiences.

Another of our responders has a few words on this subject as well...

I wonder if you are familiar with The Urantia Book teaching on the soul? I find it to be one of the loveliest parts of the Revelation. And it goes like this: When a child reaches the age of reason - anywhere from 5-7 years - and makes a conscious choice for good, that is the time when God sends a fragment of himself to indwell that child's mind. The Urantia Book calls this fragment the Thought Adjuster. And, it signals the birth of the soul. Thereafter, every moral choice that the child makes results in growth of the soul. The soul is comprised on only goodness, and it is that part of us that will survive us after our material bodies have died here on earth. It grows throughout our lifetime, and will actually be our true appearance when we awaken on the Mansion Worlds of God.

I only add this because sometimes people have a fuzzy understanding of just what the soul is - I know I did, before I read about it in The Urantia Book.

Personally, I would not like to think of my soul traveling away from me. I agree that our minds, including imagination, can play tricks on us - if we are so-minded. But they also can be influenced greatly by our spiritual choices. Maybe your spiritual frame of mind wants to think that your soul can travel to other realms, perhaps, but what does that really mean? There really are only two realms - the material and the spiritual. If you want to travel to spirit realms, you have to go no further than your own mind, where that fragment of God still resides, and get to know him. That is the best spiritual realm of all, and it is in the here-and-now, and will help your soul to grow, and you'll be conscious of everything.

If you are thinking more along the lines of remote-viewing or something, I would definitely not want to send my soul somewhere less than spiritual. This seems dangerous to me, only because it really could disassociate you from reality - reality being spiritual - and this would not be beneficial for your soul's growth. I don't know the limits of the human mind, and I find remote-viewing kind of interesting, but I doubt that it has anything to do with our soul. Again, this is a confusion of mind and soul, in my opinion.

Some additional soul quotes from The Utantia Book:
The material self has personality and identity, temporal identity; the prepersonal spirit Adjuster also has identity, eternal identity. This material personality and this spirit prepersonality are capable of so uniting their creative attributes as to bring into existence the surviving identity of the immortal soul.

Having thus provided for the growth of the immortal soul and having liberated man's inner self from the fetters of absolute dependence on antecedent causation, the Father stands aside. Now, man having thus been liberated from the fetters of causation response, at least as pertains to eternal destiny, and provision having been made for the growth of the immortal self, the soul, it remains for man himself to will the creation or to inhibit the creation of this surviving and eternal self which is his for the choosing. No other being, force, creator, or agency in all the wide universe of universes can interfere to any degree with the absolute sovereignty of the mortal free will, as it operates within the realms of choice, regarding the eternal destiny of the personality of the choosing mortal. As pertains to eternal survival, God has decreed the sovereignty of the material and mortal will, and that decree is absolute.
p71:2 (5:6.7)

The association of actuals and potentials equals growth, the experiential realization of values. But growth is not mere progress. Progress is always meaningful, but it is relatively valueless without growth. The supreme value of human life consists in growth of values, progress in meanings, and realization of the cosmic interrelatedness of both of these experiences. And such an experience is the equivalent of God-consciousness. Such a mortal, while not supernatural, is truly becoming superhuman; an immortal soul is evolving.
p1097:3 (100:3.6)

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Friday, December 28, 2007

Does My Guardian Angel Have A Name?

Thank you for your question to Truthbook.Com. You asked: I believe I have been led to the Urantia Book by my guardian angel called Nathaniel. Is he one of the angels?

Nearly all serious students of The Urantia Book feel that in one way or another they've been led to The Urantia Book by their angels. Since an awareness of the existence of this revelation is still pretty obscure it seems quite likely that sincere seekers for truth, who listen to the Spirit of Truth and ask for guidance from their angels are guided to the book if they're ready to receive its message.

Normally we're unaware of the ministry of our angels and of their names. You may call your angel by any name you wish -- Nathaniel is a perfectly good one; The Urantia Book does not give their names since there are many millions of them here lovingly performing various tasks.

Best wishes in your study of the book. May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe click on the Quote of the Day link on the left side of our home page and follow the instructions. Also, you might be interested in viewing some of our flash movies - in particular, "After You Die," and "You Can Live Forever." Just click on "Audio + Video" in the left column.

Larry Watkins

Here are a few Urantia Book quotes to add to your understanding of these marvelous and sympathetic helpers of the celestial realms.

p1243:2 113:2.5 The angels develop an abiding affection for their human associates; and you would, if you could only visualize the seraphim, develop a warm affection for them. Divested of material bodies, given spirit forms, you would be very near the angels in many attributes of personality. They share most of your emotions and experience some additional ones. The only emotion actuating you which is somewhat difficult for them to comprehend is the legacy of animal fear that bulks so large in the mental life of the average inhabitant of Urantia. The angels really find it hard to understand why you will so persistently allow your higher intellectual powers, even your religious faith, to be so dominated by fear, so thoroughly demoralized by the thoughtless panic of dread and anxiety.

p1243:3 113:2.6 All seraphim have individual names, but in the records of assignment to world service they are frequently designated by their planetary numbers. At the universe headquarters they are registered by name and number. The destiny guardian of the human subject used in this contactual communication is number 3 of group 17, of company 126, of battalion 4, of unit 384, of legion 6, of host 37, of the 182,314th seraphic army of Nebadon. The current planetary assignment number of this seraphim on Urantia and to this human subject is 3,641,852.

p1245:7 113:5.1 Angels do not invade the sanctity of the human mind; they do not manipulate the will of mortals; neither do they directly contact with the indwelling Adjusters. The guardian of destiny influences you in every possible manner consistent with the dignity of your personality; under no circumstances do these angels interfere with the free action of the human will. Neither angels nor any other order of universe personality have power or authority to curtail or abridge the prerogatives of human choosing.

p1246:1 113:5.2 Angels are so near you and care so feelingly for you that they figuratively "weep because of your willful intolerance and stubbornness." Seraphim do not shed physical tears; they do not have physical bodies; neither do they possess wings. But they do have spiritual emotions, and they do experience feelings and sentiments of a spiritual nature which are in certain ways comparable to human emotions.

p1246:2 113:5.3 The seraphim act in your behalf quite independent of your direct appeals; they are executing the mandates of their superiors, and thus they function regardless of your passing whims or changing moods. This does not imply that you may not make their tasks either easier or more difficult, but rather that angels are not directly concerned with your appeals or with your prayers.

p1246:3 113:5.4 In the life of the flesh the intelligence of angels is not directly available to mortal men. They are not overlords or directors; they are simply guardians. The seraphim guard you; they do not seek directly to influence you; you must chart your own course, but these angels then act to make the best possible use of the course you have chosen. They do not (ordinarily) arbitrarily intervene in the routine affairs of human life. But when they receive instructions from their superiors to perform some unusual exploit, you may rest assured that these guardians will find some means of carrying out these mandates. They do not, therefore, intrude into the picture of human drama except in emergencies and then usually on the direct orders of their superiors. They are the beings who are going to follow you for many an age, and they are thus receiving an introduction to their future work and personality association.

p1246:4 113:5.5 Seraphim are able to function as material ministers to human beings under certain circumstances, but their action in this capacity is very rare. They are able, with the assistance of the midway creatures and the physical controllers, to function in a wide range of activities in behalf of human beings, even to make actual contact with mankind, but such occurrences are very unusual. In most instances the circumstances of the material realm proceed unaltered by seraphic action, although occasions have arisen, involving jeopardy to vital links in the chain of human evolution, in which seraphic guardians have acted, and properly, on their own initiative.

Thanks again for your question

MaryJo
Truthbook.com

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Is Euthanasia or Suicide Acceptable?

Q: Some people these days are opting for euthanasia and suicide - the terminally ill and people who feel they have lived past their use- by date. How does this action sit with God?

A: Thank you for this interesting question. It is true that people today are beginning to question whether they want to stay on the earth while they have diseases that may rob them of a quality of life that they desire. They make these decisions not only on an individual level, but also begin to question whether laws can be made to assist others when they feel that their life has reached a point of unsustainability without extreme medical intervention or discomfort of other kinds. Physical pain is a big factor - money or availability of resources may be a factor as well. The Urantia Book does not specifically address these questions, although suicide is mentioned, most meaningfully in this quote:

p1773:2 (160:1.5) Suicide among men testifies that such beings have emerged from the purely animal stage of existence, and to the further fact that the exploratory efforts of such human beings have failed to attain the artistic levels of mortal experience. Animals know not the meaning of life; man not only possesses capacity for the recognition of values and the comprehension of meanings, but he also is conscious of the meaning of meanings—he is self-conscious of insight.

From this quote we can see that suicide is not a good choice because it fails to address the issues of living a life that includes pain of some kind. All mortals experience pain of one kind or another, but we are called to address those issues, and reach, with God, a means of living a good life in spite of our mortal troubles. And this kind of life is possible when we go in partnership with God.

The issue of euthanasia is a bit thornier, but this issue comes down to whether one person, or group of persons can make the decision for another whether to continue a life or end it. In some cases - the one that comes readily to my mind is that of the woman a few years back, who was on a life-support machine - the issue seems somewhat clear. In this woman's case, she was being kept alive by artificial means when her brain had ceased to function, yet some of her relatives were determined to keep her body alive, in a vegetative state. The husband eventually won, saying that he knew from her when she was functioning, that she did not desire this kind of intervention. And so, her machine was disconnected, and she died soon afterwards. Was this murder? Or was it compassion?

God seems silent on this issue, and I certainly cannot presume to speak for God, but I think we can use our reasoning minds to make some conclusions about euthanasia. And to do so, I will speak only for myself. I have a directive in my will that instructs my loved ones to let me go when my brain has ceased to function, and not to keep me alive with artificial means. We learn in the Urantia Book that, once the brain has ceased to function, the Thought adjuster leaves, and the only mechanisms that are left are those keeping the physical body alive - the heart beating, the lungs taking in air, etc. When there is no brain function, there is no longer a reason to have a breathing body, in my opinion. In such an extreme circumstance, there is also no consciousness, and life loses any meaning for the one inhabiting the body.

I certainly cannot support euthanasia for a person who has potential for life and spiritual progress, no matter what the ailment may be. In our modern life, when we have so many medical miracles, and life-sustaining methods, we will surely be confronted with more of these kinds of ethical questions. But for me, the issue is pretty clear. Once the mind is demonstrated to be non-functioning, and the person has lost the ability to think and reason and is in a life-support situation, I see no moral problem with pulling the plug and letting that person go to God, where they can continue their upward ascension. Again - I cannot presume to say that this is what God wills. In these kinds of situations, there are social mores that come into play, and these change from generation to generation. But I do believe that God wants us to live as long as we can - to be productive, to be able to love him and receive his love in return, to contribute to our world, and serve our fellows. I do not believe that he means for us to just be a breathing body, and that that is a good enough reason to be alive. Since God indwells each of us at the level of mind, the evaluation of that mindal function has to be the final determiner as to whether euthanasia can be a valid and moral act.

I hope that this answer is helpful to you...

Sincerely,
MaryJo
Truthbook.com

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Friday, May 04, 2007

What Is The Will Of God?

Q: What is the will of God?

A: This is a wonderful question, and I am happy to help you explore the subject as it is treated in The Urantia Book. It is actually a more elusive subject than one might think at first glance.

In this following quote we find the first mention of the will of God:

p25:6 1:3.6 In the universes God the Father is, in potential, the overcontroller of matter, mind, and spirit. Only by means of his far-flung personality circuit does God deal directly with the personalities of his vast creation of will creatures, but he is contactable (outside of Paradise) only in the presences of his fragmented entities, the will of God abroad in the universes. This Paradise spirit that indwells the minds of the mortals of time and there fosters the evolution of the immortal soul of the surviving creature is of the nature and divinity of the Universal Father. But the minds of such evolutionary creatures originate in the local universes and must gain divine perfection by achieving those experiential transformations of spiritual attainment which are the inevitable result of a creature's choosing to do the will of the Father in heaven.

This quote explains that the will of God is present in our world, but it exists only in the Spirit of God which indwells all normal-minded mortals. The good Spirit actually IS God, and is our only means of contacting God outside of Paradise . This is a wonderful and reassuring truth - that God actually DOES indwell our minds, and through our own efforts, we can use this indwelling presence to progressively discern the will of God.

This following quote further explains just how we, as mortals of earthly origin, grow to adopt the leadings of the indwelling Spirit, the "will of God," thereby achieving ultimate eternal survival. When we choose to be led by the Spirit-within, we then create that indestructible entity known as the soul, which is the very part of us that survives.

p26:1 1:3.7 In the inner experience of man, mind is joined to matter. Such material-linked minds cannot survive mortal death. The technique of survival is embraced in those adjustments of the human will and those transformations in the mortal mind whereby such a God-conscious intellect gradually becomes spirit taught and eventually spirit led. This evolution of the human mind from matter association to spirit union results in the transmutation of the potentially spirit phases of the mortal mind into the morontia realities of the immortal soul. Mortal mind subservient to matter is destined to become increasingly material and consequently to suffer eventual personality extinction; mind yielded to spirit is destined to become increasingly spiritual and ultimately to achieve oneness with the surviving and guiding divine spirit and in this way to attain survival and eternity of personality existence.

Although you did not specifically ask, I thought you might like to have further information regarding the will of God - for example, how the will of God is discerned and performed in a human life. How do we actually DO the will of God?

These quotes may give you some direction and encouragement:

p1221:2 111:5.1 The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God—with the very God who has made such a creature life of inner meaning-value possible. Sharing is Godlike—divine. God shares all with the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, while they, in turn, share all things with the divine Sons and spirit Daughters of the universes.

p1221:3 111:5.2 The imitation of God is the key to perfection; the doing of his will is the secret of survival and of perfection in survival.

p1221:7 111:5.6 This choosing of the Father's will is the spiritual finding of the spirit Father by mortal man, even though an age must pass before the creature son may actually stand in the factual presence of God on Paradise. This choosing does not so much consist in the negation of creature will—"Not my will but yours be done"—as it consists in the creature's positive affirmation: "It is my will that your will be done."

So, we can now see that the "will of God" is truly an "inside job." The will of God exists in the form of the indwelling Spirit of God in the minds of mortals (known in Urantia Book teachings as the Thought Adjuster, or Mystery Monitor), and the finding and doing of that will consists in sharing that inner life - the life apart from the purely mechanical function of the brain - the life of the mind, and in the arena of free will. In other words, it is our mandate to choose, of our own free will, to do the will of God, allowing the leadings of the indwelling Spirit to inform our choices in life.

Finally, I chose the following quotes to give you an even broader view of the function of the will of God in the mind of man.

p138:2 12:7.7 The will of God does not uniformly prevail in the heart of the God-seeking material mortal, but if the time frame is enlarged beyond the moment to embrace the whole of the first life, then does God's will become increasingly discernible in the spirit fruits which are borne in the lives of the spirit-led children of God.

p382:6 34:7.6 ... present-day mortals would experience less of this apparent warfare between the flesh and the spirit if they would enter the spirit kingdom, wherein the faith sons of God enjoy comparative deliverance from the slave-bondage of the flesh in the enlightened and liberating service of wholehearted devotion to doing the will of the Father in heaven.

p435:7 39:4.14 The keys of the kingdom of heaven are: sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All men have these keys. Men use them—advance in spirit status—by decisions, by more decisions, and by more decisions. The highest moral choice is the choice of the highest possible value, and always—in any sphere, in all of them—this is to choose to do the will of God. If man thus chooses, he is great, though he be the humblest citizen of Jerusem or even the least of mortals on Urantia.

p1176:4 107:0.4 Any mortal who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Universal Father, and he who is indwelt by a divine Adjuster is indwelt by the Paradise Father. Every mortal who is consciously or unconsciously following the leading of his indwelling Adjuster is living in accordance with the will of God. Consciousness of Adjuster presence is consciousness of God's presence.

Thank you for this most interesting question. I hope the answer has been helpful to you.

Sincerely,

MaryJo
Truthbook.com

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Three Important Questions

Q: 1. What is the source of the Urantia book? Who wrote it and where did the extra-biblical information come from?
2. What is the means by which a person enters into relationship with God? Is it automatic for everyone, or is there something that a person must believe or do?
3. Who is responsible for authorititively interpreting the teachings in the Urantia book? Is there an individual or group who is responsible?

Thank you for your post to Truthbook.com. Yes, this can be confusing on first contact -- I'll see if I can help.

For background, The Urantia Book speaks for itself; it claims to be the next (the fifth) revelation of truth to the world following on the heels of Jesus and as such it proclaims that nothing that has transpired in the intervening 2000 years is of the epochal significance it presents to you personally. There are organizations that publish the book and handle administrative tasks related to the shepherding of the revelation but there are no official pronouncements about the book's contents other than those the book makes regarding itself. As a new revelation of divine truth it is written specifically to you, not to any one culture, group, religion, race, but to each of its individual readers. It is a revelation of truth in book form with no authorized human spokesperson.

With that background the answer to your first question is -- the authors of the 196 Papers (or chapters) of the book plus its foreword are listed and described within the text of the book -- we'd call them celestial beings because they do not live here (on Urantia) -- they were tasked with a divine mandate to present the new knowledge and spiritual insight that are contained in the book. This occurred in the 1930s and was completed by the early 1940s; the book was first published in 1955. Some of the celestial beings either are, or are in close contact with, the angels administering life on this world -- the extra-biblical information you mention comes either from previously published or written records, or, when those were inadequate, it and other revelatory material comes from the records the angels keep.

Your second question: an excellent and insightful question. There is no teaching, no philosophy, no religion that is required in order to enter into a relationship with God. Teachings, religions, philosophies can help, can provide stepping stones and bridges to know and understand our heavenly Father, but any human being, even one born and raised in the jungle, can have a personal relationship with God -- God resides within every human being (in the Urantia revelation this divine fragment of the heavenly Father is named the adjuster, thought adjuster, mystery monitor). God is right here within us, we each have an inborn urge to seek God in whatever manner we may and if we do so a connection is made. Meditation may help, prayer and worship may help, a tragic or life-altering event may help or the connection may just come naturally. However natural this connection may be, it isn't automatic or automatically experienced because many people don't recognize its existence. God reaches down to us but we are required also to reach up toward God in order for that connection to occur.

Your third question -- who is responsible for authoritatively interpreting its teachings? You are. No one else is. The book is written to you -- your challenge is to read it. If it rings true your life will be transformed. If it doesn't then it would be your duty to refute its teachings -- that's something many attempt to do without reading the book or understanding its message so such criticisms are irrelevant. There are thousands of students of The Urantia Book who would be willing to discuss their understanding of its teachings with you but the only way to know the truth is to taste and experience if first hand.

Best Wishes,

LarryWatkins
Truthbook.com

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Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Can I Make Contact With My Thought Adjuster?

Q: How do I know for sure if I have made contact with my Thought Adjuster? Sometimes I feel very connected to it and other times I think I am making too many presumptions. How does one know for sure?

A: That's a good question, and I'm glad you asked. As you know, your Thought Adjuster is God within you — the Father permeates everything but even so, resides within you as your Thought Adjuster. You don't make "contact with" your Thought Adjuster; your Thought Adjuster contacts you. You can't force or promote or encourage or instigate contact; the Thought Adjuster is the pitcher that pours, you are the vessel that receives; the vessel doesn't produce the pouring.

Relax. It's a journey and a process, not a competition or a race and your thought that you may be making too many presumptions is may in fact be the Spirit of Truth acting in your mind. The best you can "do" is to open yourself to new possibilities through prayer and meditation, both of which are passive, "not doing", listening.

Jesus left by saying "My Peace I leave with you." Accept peace. Fear not -- life proceeds naturally. Perhaps a zen poem is in order:

In the landscape of nature,
There is neither better nor worse.
The flowering branches grow naturally,
Some long, some short.

Best wishes and thank you for your question.

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Thursday, October 26, 2006

Our son had not yet found God before he died. Do you think he will become a sleeping survivor?

Q: We recently lost our 21 year-old son. He was a good person, but he had not really found God. Given his young age, do you think that he will become a sleeping survivor?


A: So sorry to hear of your loss -- the loss of a child must be even more poignant than the loss of a spouse.

May I offer an interpretation of Urantia Book teachings? Although not so specifically stated, it can be interpreted that children are inescapably linked to the mind currents of both parents from the moment of conception until they reach an age of self-determination, which is about 16, and from that point on they become true individuals. They also receive their Thought Adjuster, their contact with the Holy Spirit, connection with the Spirit of Truth, and the birth of their soul at about age 6. Outward appearances don't indicate what is going on within the mind and soul of any individual whether child or adult.

It's also my interpretation that it requires extraordinary effort here to make sure that one doesn't arrive at the mansion worlds -- I believe the major sorting occurs there after the deficiencies we live with here have been corrected and only then an informed decision about personal survival can be made.

As for myself, I have no concern or worry whether I will arrive on Mansion World One three days after I die here or whether it happens at the next dispensation, however long that takes. We're not in a race, it's a process where time is no longer of any consequence. So I'd be just as happy being a sleeping survivor as I would to be resurrected on the third day -- the time lapse will seem to be the same in either case to my perceptions.

So, my answer for you would be that there is no way for us here to determine what the immediate outcome for your son's journey to Paradise happens to be -- think the best, see him happy and embarking on the mansion world career, pray for your own peace and understanding.

Best wishes,
Larry Watkins (continued...)

Along with Larry, who sent you a letter yesterday, I also want to offer my sincere condolences on the loss of your child.

Your concern for your son's welfare in the afterlife mirrors the concern you likely had for him in his physical life. Now that he is gone from your sight, you continue to hope the best for him, and that you will be seeing him again, sooner than later.You want him to be happy, safe, and protected.

All of us desire the best for our children, and I think that when we read in the Urantia Book about the experiences of the sleeping survivor vs those who resurrect in three days, we automatically hope that we and our loved ones are among the latter group.

One reason may be that we don't want to wait any longer than is necessary to resume our lives in the "better world" to come. And we want our loved ones close - not separated by 1000 years.

I hear in your question a real concern that you and your son may have to postpone your reunion when once you reach the shores of the first Mansion World, if there is a possibility that you will be in different progressing groups.

I don't suppose that any one of us is guaranteed a short sleep of death, or a long one. These are things that we can only speculate about, but I would surely trust in God on this one, and try not to worry. No matter what the conditions of your son's existence right now, he is safe, he is protected, and his resurrection is sure, as is yours.

At some future time, you will reunite with your beloved child. Whether it is sooner or later, it IS certain. For all we really know, he may already be happily progressing and waiting for your someday arrival.

You say that your son was a good person, though he had not really found God. It sounds like he may have been looking, in any event. Jesus said: "My Father responds to even the faintest flicker of faith." It may comfort you to imagine that in his innermost heart, that flicker was present in your son, known only to God.

As Larry has pointed out, time becomes far less of a concern once we leave this time-limited planet, and the sleep of death, whether it is three days or 1000 years will not be a concern to us, no matter where we find ourselves. Those who sleep long will always be protected and safe. The time of reunion is sure, and you can rely on the goodness of God to make it all work out well.

Again, I am sorry for this loss in your life. I can only imagine the effect on your lives.

God bless you.

Sincerely,
MaryJo
Truthbook.com

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Wednesday, January 25, 2006

What are spiritual influences?

Q: What are spiritual influences?

A: That's a good question. The Urantia Book has a lot to tell us about spiritual influences and students of the book don't necessarily agree upon what it says so I can only give you my perception.

We're told that our world teems with spiritual influences – various orders of angels involved in myriad tasks and beings who are midway between material beings like ourselves and the angels whom we can't see. Our minds are also inhabited by a spiritual spark of God the Father ministering incessantly to help spiritualize our thoughts throughout this short life in the flesh. None of these influences however are perceived by our senses so it's as if we're alone and without their ministry, although that's not the case.

Some people (even believers in the Urantia revelation) like to believe that they're more spiritually sensitive than average and that they have special spiritual connections – that they can communicate with spirit beings or with the "dead" and can relay messages from them. The Urantia Book doesn't teach that this is so – what it does teach is that one should strive to be open to spiritual guidance but that on the whole we should learn to be the best material beings we know how to be and not become overly involved in psychic experiences – we're given this material life for a purpose that is of more value than is striving to be "more spiritual than material." We'll have the rest of eternity to be spiritual – we have now to be material.

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Saturday, October 22, 2005

Contacting God

Q: How do we make direct contact with the thought adjuster?

A: How do you contact God? Through prayer and through your inner life. How do you make direct contact with God? By soul-fusion with your adjuster. How do you do these things? You don't do them -- you live and experience and grow and eventually, far into the future, it happens but it's not a task to be performed. We're give this one opportunity to experience a material existence and the rest of eternity to experience a spirit existence. Enjoy being human, it won't happen again, and enjoy it to the fullest using the Golden Rule and the teachings of Jesus as your guide -- what can be better than this?

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