Meredith Sprunger's Synopsis of The Urantia Book
Synopsis of Paper 23
THE SOLITARY MESSENGERS
1. Solitary Messengers are the personal and universal corps of the Conjoint Creator -- they are the first and senior order of the Higher Personalities of the Infinite spirit…They are conscious of time, being the first of the creation of the Infinite Spirit to possess such a time consciousness ... They are the only things in all creation who can and do enjoy a solitary existence, albeit they equally enjoy association with the very few orders of universe intelligence with whom they can fraternize.
2. Solitary Messengers are not isolated in their service; they are constantly in touch with the wealth of the intellect of all creation as they are capable of "listening in" on all the broadcasts of the realms of their sojourn ... There is no record that a Solitary Messenger ever stumbled into darkness ... These messengers of solitary assignment are a dependable, self‑reliant, versatile, thoroughly spiritual, and broadly sympathetic group of created beings.
3. There is a technical reason why these Solitary Messengers must travel and work alone...When in transit., or when operating in the circuits of space and the currents of time, if two or more of this order are in close proximity, both or all are thrown out of liaison with the higher circulating forces.
4. The confusion and turmoil of Urantia do not signify that the Paradise Rulers lack either interest or ability to manage affairs differently. The Creators are possessed of full power to make Urantia a veritable paradise, but such an Eden would not contribute to the development of those strong, noble, and experienced characters which the Gods are so surely forging out on your world between the anvils of necessity and the hammers of anguish. Your anxieties and sorrows, your trials and disappointments, are just as much a part of the divine plan on your sphere as are the exquisite perfection and infinite adaptation of all things to their supreme purpose on the worlds of the central and perfect universe.
5. Throughout the ascendant career you will be vaguely, but increasingly, able to detect the presence of the Solitary Messengers, but not until you reach Havona will you recognize them unmistakably ... Solitary Messengers enjoy special relations with the natives of the Havona worlds.
6. Solitary Messengers are the only available type of spirit intelligence—aside, possibly, from the Inspired Trinity Spirits—that can be dispatched from the headquarters of one superuniverse directly to the headquarters of another.
7. There is no limitation upon the service of Solitary Messengers in the superuniverses; they may function as executioners of the high tribunals or as intelligence gatherers for the good of the realm. Of all the supercreations they most delight to serve in Orvonton because here the need is greatest and the opportunities for heroic effort are greatly multiplied. In the more needy realms we all enjoy the satisfaction of a more replete function.
8. If the Solitary Messengers did not explore and chart these newly organizing energy centers, such phenomena would long remain unnoticed even by the intelligences of adjacent realms...These messenger‑explorers of undirected assignment patrol the master universe. They are constantly out on exploring expeditions to the uncharted regions of all outer space.
9. Local universes situated within the same superuniverse customarily exchange ambassadors selected from their native orders of sonship ... An enseraphimed being cannot possibly exceed the velocity of 558,840 Urantia miles in one second of your time...When it develops that it will require hundreds of years for a native ambassador to reach a far‑distant local universe, a Solitary Messenger is often asked to proceed there immediately to act as ambassador ad interim. Solitary Messengers can go in very short order, not independently of time and space as do the Gravity Messengers, but nearly so.
10. The Solitary Messengers regard the assignment to reveal truth as the highest trust of their order. And they function ever and anon in this capacity, from. the superuniverses to the individual planets of space.
11. The Solitary Messengers are the highest type of perfect and confidential personality available in all realms for the quick transmission of important and urgent messages when it is inexpedient to utilize either the broadcast service or the reflectivity mechanism.
12. The limit of velocity for most nonenseraphimed beings is 186,280 miles of your world per second of your time; the midway creatures and certain others can, often do, attain double velocity —372,560 miles per second—while the seraphim and others can traverse space at triple velocity, about 558,840 miles per second ... but the record shows that on the journey to fulfill this mission my associate messenger proceeded at the rate of 841,621,642,000 of your miles per second of your time ... Of the myriads of beings who co‑operate with us in the conduct of the affairs of the superuniverse, none are more important in practical helpfulness and time‑saving assistance.
13. I am at a loss to explain to Urantia mortals how the Solitary Messengers can be without form and yet possess real and definite personalities...The Solitary Messengers are the only class of beings who seem to be possessed of well‑nigh all the advantages of a formless spirit coupled with all the prerogatives of a fullfledged personality.
14. The Solitary Messengers seem to be personality co‑ordinators for all types of spirit beings. Their ministry helps to make all the personalities of the far‑flung spiritual world akin.
15. When a finaliter and a Paradise Citizen co‑operate in the trinitization of a "child of time and eternity" ... a Solitary Messenger ... is always assigned as guardian‑companion to such a creature‑trinitized son. This messenger accompanies the new son of destiny to the world of his assignment and nevermore leaves Vicegerington ... Since each trinitized son of destiny has assigned to him a Solitary Messenger, it appears to us that at some tire in the remote future the supply of messengers will become exhausted. Who will take up their work in the grand universe? Is the grand universe at some remote period going to be more nearly administered by Trinity‑origin beings while the single‑ and dual‑origin creatures move on into the realms of outer space?...These and many similar questions we ask ourselves, and ask numerous other orders of celestial beings, but we do not know the answers.
16. We incline to the belief that the eternal future will witness phenomena of universe evolution which will far transcend all that the eternal past has experienced. And we anticipate such tremendous adventures, even as you should, with keen relish and ever‑heightening expectation.
Discussion Questions
1. What might be the spiritual or practical reason that Solitary Messengers must work alone?
2. Is human problem solving and suffering made more understandable and bearable knowing this human condition is part of a larger plan of God?
3. What revelatory descriptive information in the Urantia Synopsis of Papers seems to cause the revelators to inject gems of encouragement to us mortals?
4. What Deity functions are enhanced by the relative isolation of each superuniverse?
5. Why is our superuniverse, Orvonton, in greater need of service than other superuniverses?
6. If the Paradise Deities know about the undiscovered energy systems of outer space, why do they not report this information instead of having exploring Solitary Messengers make these discoveries?
7. How can we conceptualize personality without form?
A Service of
The Urantia Book Fellowship