Paper 35
1. Triune Paradise Deity functions for the creation of three orders of sonship: the Michaels, the Avonals, and the Daynals. Dual Deity in the local universe, the Son and the Spirit, also functions in the creation of three high orders of Sons: the Melchizedeks, the Vorondadeks, and the Lanonandeks.
2. In the universe of Nebadon the Father Melchizedek acts as the first executive associate of the Bright and Morning Star...The Melchizedeks of our universe were all created within one millennial period of standard time by the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit in liaison with the Father Melchizedek.
3. The Melchizedeks are the first order of divine Sons to approach sufficiently near the lower creature life to be able to function directly in the ministry of mortal uplift... These Sons are naturally at the mid‑point of the great personality descent, by origin being just about midway between the highest Divinity and the lowest creature life of will endowment.
4. The Melchizedeks are a self‑governing order. With this unique group we encounter the first attempt at self‑determination on the part of local universe beings and observe the highest type of true self‑government ...not once throughout all the superuniverse of Orvonton have these Melchizedek Sons ever betrayed their trust... they are the pattern and the teachers of self‑government to all the spheres of Nebadon.
5. The Melchizedek order of sonship occupies the position, and assumes the responsibility, of the eldest son in a large family...They maintain an autonomous organization devoted to universe intelligence, making periodical reports to the Creator Son...They are by nature unprejudiced observers; they have the full confidence of all classes of intelligent beings.
6. The Melchizedeks function as mobile and advisory review courts of the realms…thus helping to compose the major difficulties and settle the serious differences which arise from time to time in the affairs of the evolutionary domains.
These eldest Sons of a universe are the chief aids of the Bright and Morning Star in carrying out the mandates of the Creator Son.
7. When a Creator Son enters upon the bestowal career on an evolutionary world, he goes
alone; but when one of his Paradise brothers, an Avonal Son, enters upon a bestowal, he is accompanied by the Melchizedek supporters, twelve in number ...They also support the Paradise Avonals on magisterial missions to the inhabited worlds...There is no phase of planetary spiritual need to which they do not minister.
8. The Melchizedeks are well‑nigh perfect in wisdom, but they are not infallible in judgment. When detached and alone on planetary missions, they have sometimes erred in minor matters...But these minor misadaptations in Melchizedek function have rarely occurred in Nebadon.
9. The Melchizedeks occupy a world of their own near Salvington, the universe headquarters.
This sphere, by name Melchizedek, is the pilot world of the Salvington circuit of seventy primary spheres...and 420 tributaries are often spoken of as the Melchizedek University.
10. The pilot world, the sphere Melchizedek is the common meeting ground for all beings who are engaged in educating and spiritualizing the ascending mortals of time and space. To an ascender this world is probably the most interesting place In all Nebadon.
11. The highest course of training in universe administration is given by the Melchizedeks on their home world. This College of High Ethics is presided over by the original Father Melchizedek...our administrative troubles have so turned the whole universe into a vast clinic for other near‑by creations that the Melchizedek colleges are thronged with student visitors and observers from other realms. Besides the immense group of local registrants there are always upward of one hundred thousand foreign students in attendance upon the Melchizedek schools, for the order of Melchizedeks in Nebadon is renowned throughout all Splandon.
12. While the Melchizedek orders are chiefly devoted to the vast educational system and experiential training regime of the local universe, they also function in unique assignments and in unusual circumstances...Whenever and wherever special help is needed, there you will find one or more of the Melchizedek Sons ...The Melchizedeks are the first to act in all emergencies of whatever nature on all worlds where will creatures dwell...It is easily possible for such a Son to make himself visible to mortal beings...Seven times in Nebadon has a Melchizedek served on an evolutionary world in the similitude of mortal flesh.
13. Vorondadeks...do not equal their Melchizedek brethren in brilliant versatility...Neither are they quite the administrative peers of their subordinates, the Lanonandek System Sovereigns, but they excel all orders of universe sonship in stability of purpose and in divinity of judgment ...these Sons rarely fall into error, and they have never gone into rebellion.
14. On those worlds segregated in spiritual darkness, those spheres which have, through rebellion and default, suffered planetary isolation, an observer Vorondadek is usually present pending the restoration of normal status ...As a result of all these services, the Vorondadek Sons have become the historians of the local universes; they are personally familiar with all the political struggles and the social upheavals of the inhabited, worlds.
15. At least three Vorondadeks are assigned to the rulership of each of the one hundred
constellations of a local universe. These Sons are selected by the Creator Son and
are commissioned by Gabriel as the Most Highs of the constellations for service during
one dekamillennium—10,000 standard years, about 50,000 years of Urantia time. The
reigning Most High, the Constellation Father, has two associates, a senior and a junior.
…Norlatiadek, your own constellation, is at present administered by twelve Vorondadek Sons.
16. The second group of seven worlds in the circuit of seventy primary spheres surrounding Salvington comprise the Vorondadek planets. Each of these spheres, with its six encircling satellites, is devoted to a special phase of Vorondadek activities. On these forty‑nine realms the ascending mortals secure the acme of their education respecting universe legislation ...The instruction to be had in the Vorondadek schools is unexcelled even on Uversa...The ascending pilgrims will be introduced to numerous new activities on these worlds of study and practical work.
17. The Lanonandeks...are best known as System Sovereigns...and as Planetary Princes...Since Lanonandeks are a somewhat lower order of sonship than the Melchizedeks and the Vorondadeks, they are of greater service in the subordinate units of the universe, for they are capable of drawing nearer the lower creatures of the intelligent races. They also stand in greater danger of going astray, of departing from the acceptable technique of universe government. But these Lanonandeks, especially the primary order, are the most able and versatile of all local universe administrators. In executive ability they are excelled only by Gabriel and his unrevealed associates.
18. The System Sovereigns rule in commissions of two or three on the headquarters of each
system of inhabited worlds. The Constellation Father names one of these Lanonandeks as chief every dekamillennium...The System Sovereigns are true to their names; they are well‑nigh sovereign in the local affairs of the inhabited worlds ...they present the one place in all universe administration where personal disloyalty to the will of the Michael Son could most easily and. readily intrench itself and seek to assert itself.
19. Our local universe has been unfortunate in that over seven hundred Sons of the Lanonandek order have rebelled against the universe government, thus precipitating confusion in several systems and on numerous planets. Of this entire number of failures only three were System Sovereigns; practically all of these Sons belonged to the second and. third orders, Planetary Princes and tertiary Lanonandeks.
20. The large number of these Sons who have lapsed from integrity does not indicate any fault in creatorship ....It is the contention of our high rulers that, while such free.. choosing Sons make excessive trouble in the earlier ages of the universes, when things are fully sifted and finally settled, the gains of higher loyalty and. fuller volitional service on the part of these thoroughly tested Sons will far more than compensate for the confusion and tribulations of earlier times.
21. In the event of rebellion on a system headquarters, a new sovereign is usually installed within a comparatively short time, but not so on the individual planets... Rebellion by a Planetary Prince instantly isolates his planet...Only a bestowal Son can reestablish interplanetary lines of communication on such a spiritually isolated world.
22. While serving as training spheres for ascending mortals, the Lanonandek worlds are the centers for extensive undertakings having to do with the normal and routine administrative operations of the universe. All the way in to Paradise the ascending pilgrims pursue their studies in the practical schools of applied knowledge—actual training in really doing the things they are being taught. The universe educational system sponsored by the Melchizedeks is practical, progressive, meaningful, and experiential. It embraces training in things material, intellectual, morontial, and spiritual.
U.B. 35: 384‑395-Chief of Archangels
1. Why do you think Father Melchizedek was allowed to help create all of the other Melchizedeks?
2. What do you imagine we might be taught on the 490 worlds of the Melchizedek University?
3. Why is the review of all of our past experience so important?
4. If we should have a Avonal magisterial mission, do you think the accompanying Melchizedeks would be visible?
5. What can we learn from the vast amount of time the Constellation Fathers serve?
6. What might be the “undreamed-of pursuits” we will engage in at the Vorondadek schools?
7. Why do you think so many of the Lanonandeks in our universe have rebelled against the universe government?