PAPER 43
- THE CONSTELLATIONS
Urantia is
commonly referred to as 606 of Satania in
Norlatiadek of Nebadon, meaning the six hundred
sixth inhabited world in the local system of Satania,
situated in the constellation of Norlatiadek, one of
the one hundred constellations of the local universe
of Nebadon. Constellations being the primary
divisions of a local universe, their rulers link the
local systems of inhabited worlds to the central
administration of the local universe on Salvington
and by reflectivity to the superadministration of
the Ancients of Days on Uversa.
The government of
your constellation is situated in a cluster of 771
architectural spheres, the centermost and largest of
which is Edentia, the seat of the administration of
the Constellation Fathers, the Most Highs of
Norlatiadek. Edentia itself is approximately one
hundred times as large as your world. The seventy
major spheres surrounding Edentia are about ten
times the size of Urantia, while the ten satellites
which revolve around each of these seventy worlds
are about the size of Urantia. These 771
architectural spheres are quite comparable in size
to those of other constellations.
Edentia time
reckoning and distance measurement are those of
Salvington, and like the spheres of the universe
capital, the constellation headquarters worlds are
fully supplied with all orders of celestial
intelligences. In general, these personalities are
not very different from those described in
connection with the universe administration.
The supervisor
seraphim, the third order of local universe angels,
are assigned to the service of the constellations.
They make their headquarters on the capital spheres
and minister extensively to the encircling morontia-training
worlds. In Norlatiadek the seventy major spheres,
together with the seven hundred minor satellites,
are inhabited by the univitatia, the permanent
citizens of the constellation. All these
architectural worlds are fully administered by the
various groups of native life, for the greater part
unrevealed but including the efficient spironga and
the beautiful spornagia. Being the mid-point in the
morontia-training regime, as you might suspect, the
morontia life of the constellations is both typical
and ideal.
1. THE
CONSTELLATION HEADQUARTERS
Edentia abounds in
fascinating highlands, extensive elevations of
physical matter crowned with morontia life and
overspread with spiritual glory, but there are no
rugged mountain ranges such as appear on Urantia.
There are tens of thousands of sparkling lakes and
thousands upon thousands of interconnecting
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streams, but
there are no great oceans nor torrential rivers.
Only the highlands are devoid of these surface
streams.
The water of
Edentia and similar architectural spheres is no
different from the water of the evolutionary
planets. The water systems of such spheres are both
surface and subterranean, and the moisture is in
constant circulation. Edentia can be circumnavigated
via these various water routes, though the chief
channel of transportation is the atmosphere. Spirit
beings would naturally travel above the surface of
the sphere, while the morontia and material beings
make use of material and semimaterial means to
negotiate atmospheric passage.
Edentia and its
associated worlds have a true atmosphere, the usual
three-gas mixture which is characteristic of such
architectural creations, and which embodies the two
elements of Urantian atmosphere plus that morontia
gas suitable for the respiration of morontia
creatures. But while this atmosphere is both
material and morontial, there are no storms or
hurricanes; neither is there summer nor winter. This
absence of atmospheric disturbances and of seasonal
variation makes it possible to embellish all
outdoors on these especially created worlds.
The Edentia
highlands are magnificent physical features, and
their beauty is enhanced by the endless profusion of
life which abounds throughout their length and
breadth. Excepting a few rather isolated structures,
these highlands contain no work of creature hands.
Material and morontial ornamentations are limited to
the dwelling areas. The lesser elevations are the
sites of special residences and are beautifully
embellished with both biologic and morontia art.
Situated on the
summit of the seventh highland range are the
resurrection halls of Edentia, wherein awaken the
ascending mortals of the secondary modified order of
ascension. These chambers of creature reassembly are
under the supervision of the Melchizedeks. The first
of the receiving spheres of Edentia (like the planet
Melchizedek near Salvington) also has special
resurrection halls, wherein the mortals of the
modified orders of ascension are reassembled.
The Melchizedeks
also maintain two special colleges on Edentia. One,
the emergency school, is devoted to the study of
problems growing out of the Satania rebellion. The
other, the bestowal school, is dedicated to the
mastery of the new problems arising out of the fact
that Michael made his final bestowal on one of the
worlds of Norlatiadek. This latter college was
established almost forty thousand years ago,
immediately after the announcement by Michael that
Urantia had been selected as the world for his final
bestowal.
The sea of glass,
the receiving area of Edentia, is near the
administrative center and is encircled by the
headquarters amphitheater. Surrounding this area are
the governing centers for the seventy divisions of
constellation affairs. One half of Edentia is
divided into seventy triangular sections, whose
boundaries converge at the headquarters buildings of
their respective sectors. The remainder of this
sphere is one vast natural park, the gardens of God.
During your
periodic visits to Edentia, though the entire planet
is open to your inspection, most of your time will
be spent in that administrative triangle whose
number corresponds to that of your current
residential world. You will always be welcome as an
observer in the legislative assemblies.
The morontia area
assigned to ascending mortals resident on Edentia is
located in the mid-zone of the thirty-fifth triangle
adjoining the headquarters of the finaliters,
situated in the thirty-sixth triangle. The general
headquarters of
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the univitatia
occupies an enormous area in the mid-region of the
thirty-fourth triangle immediately adjoining the
residential reservation of the morontia citizens.
From these arrangements it may be seen that
provision is made for the accommodation of at least
seventy major divisions of celestial life, and also
that each of these seventy triangular areas is
correlated with some one of the seventy major
spheres of morontia training.
The Edentia sea of
glass is one enormous circular crystal about one
hundred miles in circumference and about thirty
miles in depth. This magnificent crystal serves as
the receiving field for all transport seraphim and
other beings arriving from points outside the
sphere; such a sea of glass greatly facilitates the
landing of transport seraphim.
A crystal field on
this order is found on almost all architectural
worlds; and it serves many purposes aside from its
decorative value, being utilized for portraying
superuniverse reflectivity to assembled groups and
as a factor in the energy-transformation technique
for modifying the currents of space and for adapting
other incoming physical-energy streams.
2. THE
CONSTELLATION GOVERNMENT
The constellations
are the autonomous units of a local universe, each
constellation being administered according to its
own legislative enactments. When the courts of
Nebadon sit in judgment on universe affairs, all
internal matters are adjudicated in accordance with
the laws prevailing in the constellation concerned.
These judicial decrees of Salvington, together with
the legislative enactments of the constellations,
are executed by the administrators of the local
systems.
Constellations
thus function as the legislative or lawmaking units,
while the local systems serve as the executive or
enforcement units. The Salvington government is the
supreme judicial and co-ordinating authority.
While the supreme
judicial function rests with the central
administration of a local universe, there are two
subsidiary but major tribunals at the headquarters
of each constellation, the Melchizedek council and
the court of the Most High.
All judicial
problems are first reviewed by the council of the
Melchizedeks. Twelve of this order who have had
certain requisite experience on the evolutionary
planets and on the system headquarters worlds are
empowered to review evidence, digest pleas, and
formulate provisional verdicts, which are passed on
to the court of the Most High, the reigning
Constellation Father. The mortal division of this
latter tribunal consists of seven judges, all of
whom are ascendant mortals. The higher you ascend in
the universe, the more certain you are to be judged
by those of your own kind.
The constellation
legislative body is divided into three groups. The
legislative program of a constellation originates in
the lower house of ascenders, a group presided over
by a finaliter and consisting of one thousand
representative mortals. Each system nominates ten
members to sit in this deliberative assembly. On
Edentia this body is not fully recruited at the
present time.
The mid-chamber of
legislators is composed of the seraphic hosts and
their associates, other children of the local
universe Mother Spirit. This group numbers one
hundred and is nominated by the supervising
personalities who preside
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over the various
activities of such beings as they function within
the constellation.
The advisory or
highest body of constellation legislators consists
of the house of peers--the house of the divine Sons.
This corps is chosen by the Most High Fathers and
numbers ten. Only Sons of special experience may
serve in this upper house. This is the fact-finding
and timesaving group which very effectively serves
both of the lower divisions of the legislative
assembly.
The combined
council of legislators consists of three members
from each of these separate branches of the
constellation deliberative assembly and is presided
over by the reigning junior Most High. This group
sanctions the final form of all enactments and
authorizes their promulgation by the broadcasters.
The approval of this supreme commission renders
legislative enactments the law of the realm; their
acts are final. The legislative pronouncements of
Edentia constitute the fundamental law of all
Norlatiadek.
3. THE
MOST HIGHS OF NORLATIADEK
The rulers of the
constellations are of the Vorondadek order of local
universe sonship. When commissioned to active duty
in the universe as constellation rulers or
otherwise, these Sons are known as the Most Highs
since they embody the highest administrative wisdom,
coupled with the most farseeing and intelligent
loyalty, of all the orders of the Local Universe
Sons of God. Their personal integrity and their
group loyalty have never been questioned; no
disaffection of the Vorondadek Sons has ever
occurred in Nebadon.
At least three
Vorondadek Sons are commissioned by Gabriel as the
Most Highs of each of the Nebadon constellations.
The presiding member of this trio is known as the
Constellation Father and his two associates as
the senior Most High and the junior Most
High. A Constellation Father reigns for ten
thousand standard years (about 50,000 Urantia
years), having previously served as junior associate
and as senior associate for equal periods.
The Psalmist knew
that Edentia was ruled by three Constellation
Fathers and accordingly spoke of their abode in the
plural: "There is a river, the streams whereof shall
make glad the city of God, the most holy place of
the tabernacles of the Most Highs."
Down through the
ages there has been great confusion on Urantia
regarding the various universe rulers. Many later
teachers confused their vague and indefinite tribal
deities with the Most High Fathers. Still later, the
Hebrews merged all of these celestial rulers into a
composite Deity. One teacher understood that the
Most Highs were not the Supreme Rulers, for he said,
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." In
the Urantia records it is very difficult at times to
know exactly who is referred to by the term "Most
High." But Daniel fully understood these matters. He
said, "The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and
gives it to whomsoever he will."
The Constellation
Fathers are little occupied with the individuals of
an inhabited planet, but they are closely associated
with those legislative and lawmaking functions of
the constellations which so greatly concern every
mortal race and national group of the
inhabited worlds.
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Although the
constellation regime stands between you and the
universe administration, as individuals you would
ordinarily be little concerned with the
constellation government. Your great interest would
normally center in the local system, Satania; but
temporarily, Urantia is closely related to the
constellation rulers because of certain system and
planetary conditions growing out of the Lucifer
rebellion.
The Edentia Most
Highs seized certain phases of planetary authority
on the rebellious worlds at the time of the Lucifer
secession. They have continued to exercise this
power, and the Ancients of Days long since confirmed
this assumption of control over these wayward
worlds. They will no doubt continue to exercise this
assumed jurisdiction as long as Lucifer lives. Much
of this authority would ordinarily, in a loyal
system, be invested in the System Sovereign.
But there is still
another way in which Urantia became peculiarly
related to the Most Highs. When Michael, the Creator
Son, was on his terminal bestowal mission, since the
successor of Lucifer was not in full authority in
the local system, all Urantia affairs which
concerned the Michael bestowal were immediately
supervised by the Most Highs of Norlatiadek.
4. MOUNT
ASSEMBLY--THE FAITHFUL OF DAYS
The most holy
mount of assembly is the dwelling place of the
Faithful of Days, the representative of the Paradise
Trinity who functions on Edentia.
This Faithful of
Days is a Trinity Son of Paradise and has been
present on Edentia as the personal representative of
Immanuel since the creation of the headquarters
world. Ever the Faithful of Days stands at the right
hand of the Constellation Fathers to counsel them,
but never does he proffer advice unless it is asked
for. The high Sons of Paradise never participate in
the conduct of the affairs of a local universe
except upon the petition of the acting rulers of
such domains. But all that a Union of Days is to a
Creator Son, a Faithful of Days is to the Most Highs
of a constellation.
The residence of
the Edentia Faithful of Days is the constellation
center of the Paradise system of extrauniverse
communication and intelligence. These Trinity Sons,
with their staffs of Havona and Paradise
personalities, in liaison with the supervising Union
of Days, are in direct and constant communication
with their order throughout all the universes, even
to Havona and Paradise.
The most holy
mount is exquisitely beautiful and marvelously
appointed, but the actual residence of the Paradise
Son is modest in comparison with the central abode
of the Most Highs and the surrounding seventy
structures comprising the residential unit of the
Vorondadek Sons. These appointments are exclusively
residential; they are entirely separate from the
extensive administrative headquarters buildings
wherein the affairs of the constellation are
transacted.
The residence of
the Faithful of Days on Edentia is located to the
north of these residences of the Most Highs and is
known as the "mount of Paradise assembly." On this
consecrated highland the ascending mortals
periodically assemble to hear this Son of Paradise
tell of the long and intriguing journey of
progressing mortals through the one billion
perfection worlds of Havona and on to the
indescribable delights of Paradise. And it is at
these special gatherings on Mount Assembly that the
morontia mortals become more fully acquainted with
the various groups of personalities of origin in the
central universe.
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The traitorous
Lucifer, onetime sovereign of Satania, in announcing
his claims to increased jurisdiction, sought to
displace all superior orders of sonship in the
governmental plan of the local universe. He purposed
in his heart, saying: "I will exalt my throne above
the Sons of God; I will sit upon the mount of
assembly in the north; I will be like the Most
High."
The one hundred
System Sovereigns come periodically to the Edentia
conclaves which deliberate on the welfare of the
constellation. After the Satania rebellion the
archrebels of Jerusem were wont to come up to these
Edentia councils just as they had on former
occasions. And there was found no way to stop this
arrogant effrontery until after the bestowal of
Michael on Urantia and his subsequent assumption of
unlimited sovereignty throughout all Nebadon. Never,
since that day, have these instigators of sin been
permitted to sit in the Edentia councils of the
loyal System Sovereigns.
That the teachers
of olden times knew of these things is shown by the
record: "And there was a day when the Sons of God
came to present themselves before the Most Highs,
and Satan came also and presented himself among
them." And this is a statement of fact regardless of
the connection in which it chances to appear.
Since the triumph
of Christ, all Norlatiadek is being cleansed of sin
and rebels. Sometime before Michael's death in the
flesh the fallen Lucifer's associate, Satan, sought
to attend such an Edentia conclave, but the
solidification of sentiment against the archrebels
had reached the point where the doors of sympathy
were so well-nigh universally closed that there
could be found no standing ground for the Satania
adversaries. When there exists no open door for the
reception of evil, there exists no opportunity for
the entertainment of sin. The doors of the hearts of
all Edentia closed against Satan; he was unanimously
rejected by the assembled System Sovereigns, and it
was at this time that the Son of Man "beheld Satan
fall as lightning from heaven."
Since the Lucifer
rebellion a new structure has been provided near the
residence of the Faithful of Days. This temporary
edifice is the headquarters of the Most High
liaison, who functions in close touch with the
Paradise Son as adviser to the constellation
government in all matters respecting the policy and
attitude of the order of Days toward sin and
rebellion.
5. THE
EDENTIA FATHERS SINCE THE LUCIFER REBELLION
The rotation of
the Most Highs on Edentia was suspended at the time
of the Lucifer rebellion. We now have the same
rulers who were on duty at that time. We infer that
no change in these rulers will be made until Lucifer
and his associates are finally disposed of.
The present
government of the constellation, however, has been
expanded to include twelve Sons of the Vorondadek
order. These twelve are as follows:
1. The
Constellation Father. The present Most High ruler of
Norlatiadek is number 617,318 of the Vorondadek
series of Nebadon. He saw service in many
constellations throughout our local universe before
taking up his Edentia responsibilities.
2. The senior Most
High associate.
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3. The junior
Most High associate.
4. The Most High
adviser, the personal representative of Michael
since his attainment of the status of a Master Son.
5. The Most High
executive, the personal representative of Gabriel
stationed on Edentia ever since the Lucifer
rebellion.
6. The Most High
chief of planetary observers, the director of the
Vorondadek observers stationed on the isolated
worlds of Satania.
7. The Most High
referee, the Vorondadek Son intrusted with the duty
of adjusting all difficulties consequential to
rebellion within the constellation.
8. The Most High
emergency administrator, the Vorondadek Son charged
with the task of adapting the emergency enactments
of the Norlatiadek legislature to the
rebellion-isolated worlds of Satania.
9. The Most High
mediator, the Vorondadek Son assigned to harmonize
the special bestowal adjustments on Urantia with the
routine administration of the constellation. The
presence of certain archangel activities and
numerous other irregular ministrations on Urantia,
together with the special activities of the
Brilliant Evening Stars on Jerusem, necessitates the
functioning of this Son.
10. The Most High
judge-advocate, the head of the emergency tribunal
devoted to the adjustment of the special problems of
Norlatiadek growing out of the confusion consequent
upon the Satania rebellion.
11. The Most High
liaison, the Vorondadek Son attached to the Edentia
rulers but commissioned as a special counselor with
the Faithful of Days regarding the best course to
pursue in the management of problems pertaining to
rebellion and creature disloyalty.
12. The Most High
director, the president of the emergency council of
Edentia. All personalities assigned to Norlatiadek
because of the Satania upheaval constitute the
emergency council, and their presiding officer is a
Vorondadek Son of extraordinary experience.
And this takes no
account of the numerous Vorondadeks, envoys of
Nebadon constellations, and others who are also
resident on Edentia.
Ever since the
Lucifer rebellion the Edentia Fathers have exercised
a special care over Urantia and the other isolated
worlds of Satania. Long ago the prophet recognized
the controlling hand of the Constellation Fathers in
the affairs of nations. "When the Most High divided
to the nations their inheritance, when he separated
the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people."
Every quarantined
or isolated world has a Vorondadek Son acting as an
observer. He does not participate in planetary
administration except when ordered by the
Constellation Father to intervene in the affairs of
the nations. Actually it is this Most High observer
who "rules in the kingdoms of men." Urantia is one
of the isolated worlds of Norlatiadek, and a
Vorondadek observer has been stationed on the planet
ever since the Caligastia betrayal. When Machiventa
Melchizedek ministered in semimaterial form on
Urantia, he paid respectful homage to the Most High
observer then on duty, as it is written, "And
Melchizedek, king of Salem, was the priest of the
Most High." Melchizedek revealed the relations of
this Most High observer to Abraham when he said,
"And blessed be the Most High, who has delivered
your enemies into your hand."
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6. THE
GARDENS OF GOD
The system
capitals are particularly beautified with material
and mineral constructions, while the universe
headquarters is more reflective of spiritual glory,
but the capitals of the constellations are the acme
of morontia activities and living embellishments. On
the constellation headquarters worlds living
embellishment is more generally utilized, and it is
this preponderance of life--botanic artistry--that
causes these worlds to be called "the gardens of
God."
About one half of
Edentia is devoted to the exquisite gardens of the
Most Highs, and these gardens are among the most
entrancing morontia creations of the local universe.
This explains why the extraordinarily beautiful
places on the inhabited worlds of Norlatiadek are so
often called "the garden of Eden."
Centrally located
in this magnificent garden is the worship shrine of
the Most Highs. The Psalmist must have known
something about these things, for he wrote: "Who
shall ascend the hill of the Most Highs? Who shall
stand in this holy place? He who has clean hands and
a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to
vanity nor sworn deceitfully." At this shrine the
Most Highs, on every tenth day of relaxation, lead
all Edentia in the worshipful contemplation of God
the Supreme.
The architectural
worlds enjoy ten forms of life of the material
order. On Urantia there is plant and animal life,
but on such a world as Edentia there are ten
divisions of the material orders of life. Were you
to view these ten divisions of Edentia life, you
would quickly classify the first three as vegetable
and the last three as animal, but you would be
utterly unable to comprehend the nature of the
intervening four groups of prolific and fascinating
forms of life.
Even the
distinctively animal life is very different from
that of the evolutionary worlds, so different that
it is quite impossible to portray to mortal minds
the unique character and affectionate nature of
these nonspeaking creatures. There are thousands
upon thousands of living creatures which your
imagination could not possibly picture. The whole
animal creation is of an entirely different order
from the gross animal species of the evolutionary
planets. But all this animal life is most
intelligent and exquisitely serviceable, and all the
various species are surprisingly gentle and
touchingly companionable. There are no carnivorous
creatures on such architectural worlds; there is
nothing in all Edentia to make any living being
afraid.
The vegetable life
is also very different from that of Urantia,
consisting of both material and morontia varieties.
The material growths have a characteristic green
coloration, but the morontia equivalents of
vegetative life have a violet or orchid tinge of
varying hue and reflection. Such morontia vegetation
is purely an energy growth; when eaten there is no
residual portion.
Being endowed with
ten divisions of physical life, not to mention the
morontia variations, these architectural worlds
provide tremendous possibilities for the biologic
beautification of the landscape and of the material
and the morontia structures. The celestial artisans
direct the native spornagia in this extensive work
of botanic decoration and biologic embellishment.
Whereas your artists must resort to inert paint and
lifeless marble to portray their concepts, the
celestial artisans and the univitatia more
frequently utilize living materials to represent
their ideas and to capture their ideals.
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If you enjoy the
flowers, shrubs, and trees of Urantia, then will you
feast your eyes upon the botanical beauty and the
floral grandeur of the supernal gardens of Edentia.
But it is beyond my powers of description to
undertake to convey to the mortal mind an adequate
concept of these beauties of the heavenly worlds.
Truly, eye has not seen such glories as await your
arrival on these worlds of the mortal-ascension
adventure.
7. THE
UNIVITATIA
Univitatia are the
permanent citizens of Edentia and its associated
worlds, all seven hundred seventy worlds surrounding
the constellation headquarters being under their
supervision. These children of the Creator Son and
the Creative Spirit are projected on a plane of
existence in between the material and the spiritual,
but they are not morontia creatures. The natives of
each of the seventy major spheres of Edentia possess
different visible forms, and the morontia mortals
have their morontia forms attuned to correspond with
the ascending scale of the univitatia each time they
change residence from one Edentia sphere to another
as they pass successively from world number one to
world number seventy.
Spiritually, the
univitatia are alike; intellectually, they vary as
do mortals; in form, they much resemble the morontia
state of existence, and they are created to function
in seventy diverse orders of personality. Each of
these orders of univitatia exhibits ten major
variations of intellectual activity, and each of
these varying intellectual types presides over the
special training and cultural schools of progressive
occupational or practical socialization on some one
of the ten satellites which swing around each of the
major Edentia worlds.
These seven
hundred minor worlds are technical spheres of
practical education in the working of the entire
local universe and are open to all classes of
intelligent beings. These training schools of
special skill and technical knowledge are not
conducted exclusively for ascending mortals,
although morontia students constitute by far the
largest group of all those who attend these courses
of training. When you are received on any one of the
seventy major worlds of social culture, you are
immediately given clearance for each of the ten
surrounding satellites.
In the various
courtesy colonies, ascending morontia mortals
predominate among the reversion directors, but the
univitatia represent the largest group associated
with the Nebadon corps of celestial artisans. In all
Orvonton no extra-Havona beings excepting the Uversa
abandonters can equal the univitatia in artistic
skill, social adaptability, and co-ordinating
cleverness.
These citizens of
the constellation are not actually members of the
artisan corps, but they freely work with all groups
and contribute much to making the constellation
worlds the chief spheres for the realization of the
magnificent artistic possibilities of transition
culture. They do not function beyond the confines of
the constellation headquarters worlds.
8. THE
EDENTIA TRAINING WORLDS
The physical
endowment of Edentia and its surrounding spheres is
well-nigh perfect; they could hardly equal the
spiritual grandeur of the spheres of Salvington, but
they far surpass the glories of the training worlds
of Jerusem. All
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these Edentia
spheres are energized directly by the universal
space currents, and their enormous power systems,
both material and morontial, are expertly supervised
and distributed by the constellation centers,
assisted by a competent corps of Master Physical
Controllers and Morontia Power Supervisors.
The time spent on
the seventy training worlds of transition morontia
culture associated with the Edentia age of mortal
ascension, is the most settled period in an
ascending mortal's career up to the status of a
finaliter; this is really the typical morontia life.
While you are re-keyed each time you pass from one
major cultural world to another, you retain the same
morontia body, and there are no periods of
personality unconsciousness.
Your sojourn on
Edentia and its associated spheres will be chiefly
occupied with the mastery of group ethics, the
secret of pleasant and profitable interrelationship
between the various universe and superuniverse
orders of intelligent personalities.
On the mansion
worlds you completed the unification of the evolving
mortal personality; on the system capital you
attained Jerusem citizenship and achieved the
willingness to submit the self to the disciplines of
group activities and co-ordinated undertakings; but
now on the constellation training worlds you are to
achieve the real socialization of your evolving
morontia personality. This supernal cultural
acquirement consists in learning how to:
1. Live happily
and work effectively with ten diverse fellow
morontians, while ten such groups are associated in
companies of one hundred and then federated in corps
of one thousand.
2. Abide joyfully
and co-operate heartily with ten univitatia, who,
though similar intellectually to morontia beings,
are very different in every other way. And then must
you function with this group of ten as it
co-ordinates with ten other families, which are in
turn confederated into a corps of one thousand
univitatia.
3. Achieve
simultaneous adjustment to both fellow morontians
and these host univitatia. Acquire the ability
voluntarily and effectively to co-operate with your
own order of beings in close working association
with a somewhat dissimilar group of intelligent
creatures.
4. While thus
socially functioning with beings like and unlike
yourself, achieve intellectual harmony with, and
make vocational adjustment to, both groups of
associates.
5. While attaining
satisfactory socialization of the personality on
intellectual and vocational levels, further perfect
the ability to live in intimate contact with similar
and slightly dissimilar beings with ever-lessening
irritability and ever-diminishing resentment. The
reversion directors contribute much to this latter
attainment through their group-play activities.
6. Adjust all of
these various socialization techniques to the
furtherance of the progressive co-ordination of the
Paradise-ascension career; augment universe insight
by enhancing the ability to grasp the eternal
goal-meanings concealed within these seemingly
insignificant time-space activities.
7. And then,
climax all of these procedures of multisocialization
with the concurrent enhancement of spiritual insight
as it pertains to the augmentation of all phases of
personal endowment through group spiritual
association and morontia co-ordination.
Intellectually, socially, and spiritually two moral
creatures
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do not merely
double their personal potentials of universe
achievement by partnership technique; they more
nearly quadruple their attainment and accomplishment
possibilities.
We have portrayed
Edentia socialization as an association of a
morontia mortal with a univitatia family group
consisting of ten intellectually dissimilar
individuals concomitant with a similar association
with ten fellow morontians. But on the first seven
major worlds only one ascending mortal lives with
ten univitatia. On the second group of seven major
worlds two mortals abide with each native group of
ten, and so on up until, on the last group of seven
major spheres, ten morontia beings are domiciled
with ten univitatia. As you learn how better to
socialize with the univitatia, you will practice
such improved ethics in your relations with your
fellow morontia progressors.
As ascending
mortals you will enjoy your sojourn on the progress
worlds of Edentia, but you will not experience that
personal thrill of satisfaction which characterizes
your initial contact with universe affairs on the
system headquarters or your farewell touch with
these realities on the final worlds of the universe
capital.
9.
CITIZENSHIP ON EDENTIA
After graduation
from world number seventy, ascending mortals take up
residence on Edentia. Ascenders now, for the first
time, attend the "assemblies of Paradise" and hear
the story of their far-flung career as it is
depicted by the Faithful of Days, the first of the
Supreme Trinity-origin Personalities they have met.
This entire
sojourn on the constellation training worlds,
culminating in Edentia citizenship, is a period of
true and heavenly bliss for the morontia progressors.
Throughout your sojourn on the system worlds you
were evolving from a near-animal to a morontia
creature; you were more material than spiritual. On
the Salvington spheres you will be evolving from a
morontia being to the status of a true spirit; you
will be more spiritual than material. But on Edentia,
ascenders are midway between their former and their
future estates, midway in their passage from
evolutionary animal to ascending spirit. During your
whole stay on Edentia and its worlds you are "as the
angels"; you are constantly progressing but all the
while maintaining a general and a typical morontia
status.
This constellation
sojourn of an ascending mortal is the most uniform
and stabilized epoch in the entire career of
morontia progression. This experience constitutes
the prespirit socialization training of the
ascenders. It is analogous to the prefinaliter
spiritual experience of Havona and to the
preabsonite training on Paradise.
Ascending mortals
on Edentia are chiefly occupied with the assignments
on the seventy progressive univitatia worlds. They
also serve in varied capacities on Edentia itself,
mainly in conjunction with the constellation program
concerned with group, racial, national, and
planetary welfare. The Most Highs are not so much
engaged in fostering individual advancement on the
inhabited worlds; they rule in the kingdoms of men
rather than in the hearts of individuals.
And on that day
when you are prepared to leave Edentia for the
Salvington career, you will pause and look back on
one of the most beautiful and most refreshing
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of all your
epochs of training this side of Paradise. But the
glory of it all augments as you ascend inward and
achieve increased capacity for enlarged appreciation
of divine meanings and spiritual values.
[Sponsored by
Malavatia Melchizedek.] |