Paper 35 Overview: The Local Universe Sons of God

This paper describes four different types of Sons who were created in the local universe by the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit. These Sons include the Melchizedeks, Vorondadeks, Lanonandeks, and Life Carrier Sons. Each of these Sons has special duties and helps with different parts of universe administration.

They are different from the Paradise Sons (like the Creator Son, Magisterial Sons, and Trinity Teacher Sons) because they are created in the local universe. The groups of Sons work at different levels of the universe structure, with some serving in constellations, some in systems, and some on individual planets. They are all important for helping with the running of the universe and supporting the growth of all beings.

The Creator Sons are the father figures and rulers of local universes, and in Nebadon there is only one—Michael. The Paradise Avonal or Magisterial Sons number 1,062 in Nebadon. The Trinity Teacher Sons don't register in local universes, but there are about 15,000 to 20,000 of them in Nebadon.

The Sons described in this paper are created in the local universe by the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit. These include four orders: Melchizedek Sons, Vorondadek Sons, Lanonandek Sons, and Life Carrier Sons. The Creator Father-Son and Creative Mother Spirit work together to create these different orders of Sons to help run the universe.

The Father Melchizedek is the first created being that results from the partnership between the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. This original Melchizedek then helps the Creator Son and Creative Spirit to bring the entire group of Melchizedeks into existence. The Father Melchizedek works closely with Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star.

Gabriel focuses on universe policies, while the Father Melchizedek handles practical procedures. They never leave the universe capital at the same time because when Gabriel is away, the Father Melchizedek becomes the chief executive of Nebadon. The Melchizedeks were all created during one thousand-year period, and they govern themselves but with the Father Melchizedek having special authority.

The Melchizedeks are the first order of divine Sons who can work directly with mortal beings without needing to take on physical form. They serve as intermediaries between higher divine beings and lower, material forms of life on evolving worlds. All kinds of intelligent beings enjoy working with them because they are understanding friends and wise counselors.

The Melchizedeks govern themselves, which is the first example of self-determination in the local universe. They have never betrayed their trust throughout the whole superuniverse. They act like the eldest child in a large family, taking on many responsibilities and helping to manage the universe through special assemblies, review courts, and as representatives of Gabriel when needed.

The Melchizedeks live on a world near Salvington, the universe headquarters. This sphere, called Melchizedek, is the main world in a circuit of seventy primary spheres, each surrounded by six tributary spheres for specialized activities. This is often called the Melchizedek University, and ascending mortals from all constellations pass through training on all 490 worlds.

The Melchizedek world is a meeting place for all beings who help with educating and spiritualizing ascending mortals. The six tributary worlds around the Melchizedek sphere are used for special phases of education, including reviews of planetary life, mansion world experiences, system activities, constellation experiences, and preparation for Melchizedek primary schools of universe training.

A specialized branch of Melchizedek activities involves supervising the training of ascending mortals. This training is conducted with help from seraphic ministers and mortals who have reached higher levels of achievement. The Melchizedeks oversee this educational work in association with the Trinity Teacher Sons.

The Melchizedeks also serve as emergency helpers whenever problems arise in the universe. They are known as "emergency Sons" and are ready to help with physical, intellectual, or spiritual challenges. They can act as temporary leaders on troubled planets and can even make themselves visible to mortal beings when necessary, as happened with Machiventa Melchizedek who lived on earth during Abraham's time.

After creating the Melchizedeks, the Creator Son and Creative Spirit brought into existence the Vorondadek Sons. These Sons are commonly known as Constellation Fathers because one of them always leads each constellation government. There are exactly one million Vorondadeks in Nebadon.

Like the Melchizedeks, the Vorondadeks cannot reproduce themselves. They are largely self-governing but don't have as wide a range of activities as the Melchizedeks. However, they are more reliable and efficient as rulers and administrators, and they have excellent judgment. Not one Vorondadek has ever rebelled against the universe government in Nebadon's history.

Three Vorondadeks are assigned to rule each of the one hundred constellations in a local universe. These Sons are selected by the Creator Son and commissioned by Gabriel as the Most Highs of the constellations. They serve for ten thousand standard years (about 50,000 Urantia years) per term.

The ruling team consists of a senior, junior, and chief Constellation Father. At each change of administration, the senior becomes the leader, the junior becomes the senior, and a new junior is selected from Vorondadeks living on Salvington. The one hundred Constellation Fathers make up the supreme advisory cabinet for the Creator Son and meet regularly at universe headquarters.

The second group of seven worlds in the circuit of seventy primary spheres around Salvington are the Vorondadek planets. Each of these spheres, with its six surrounding satellites, focuses on a special aspect of Vorondadek activities. Ascending mortals receive their highest education about universe legislation on these forty-nine worlds.

On these planets, ascending mortals not only observe legislative assemblies but actually participate in creating the general laws of the local universe under the guidance of senior Vorondadeks. This training is even better than what is available on the superuniverse capital, Uversa. The education progresses from the first sphere through all seven primary spheres and their satellite groups.

After creating the Vorondadeks, the Creator Son and Universe Mother Spirit brought into existence the third order of universe sonship, the Lanonandeks. These Sons are best known as System Sovereigns (rulers of local systems) and Planetary Princes (administrative heads of inhabited worlds). They perform many tasks connected with system administrations.

Being a later and lower order of sonship, these beings had to complete training courses on the Melchizedek worlds before beginning service. The universe of Nebadon started with exactly twelve million Lanonandeks. After their Melchizedek training, they were divided into three classes: Primary (System Sovereigns), Secondary (Planetary Princes), and Tertiary (assistants, messengers, and other workers).

The Lanonandeks serve as continuous rulers of planets and rotating sovereigns of systems. System Sovereigns usually rule in groups of two or three on the headquarters of each inhabited world system. The Constellation Father names one as chief every ten thousand years, though sometimes no change is made.

The System Sovereigns have almost complete control over the local affairs of inhabited worlds. Unfortunately, over seven hundred Lanonandek Sons have rebelled against the universe government in Nebadon, causing trouble in several systems and on many planets. Most of these rebels were Planetary Princes, not System Sovereigns. Despite these problems, these Sons were created with significant personal freedom to help them better understand and connect with evolving creatures.

The third group of seven worlds in the Salvington circuit, with their forty-two satellites, makes up the Lanonandek cluster of administrative spheres. On these worlds, experienced Lanonandeks who were former System Sovereigns teach ascending pilgrims and seraphic hosts about system administration. Evolutionary mortals not only observe system administrators at work but also participate in coordinating the administrative decisions of ten thousand local systems.

These administrative schools are supervised by Lanonandeks with long experience as System Sovereigns and constellation counselors. The educational system created by the Melchizedeks is practical, progressive, meaningful, and experiential, covering training in material, intellectual, morontial, and spiritual matters. Many Lanonandek Sons in older systems have established wonderful records of service, administration, and spiritual achievement, despite some having fallen into error.