From the lying mirror to the movement of stars,
everybody’s looking for who they are;
Those who know don’t have the words to tell,
and the ones with the words don’t know too well. . .
—Burden Of The Angel/Beast, Bruce Cockburn Dart To The Heart
The original life designs for the human creatures of time and space were provided by the very same being who incarnated on our world 2,000 years ago as Jesus of Nazareth.
NOTE: The story of Adam and Eve is a subject that any thinking person will struggle with at some point in their life. And this purportedly revelatory version of the story—taken out of the context of a one-million word “revelation,” The Urantia Book—is provocative, mind blowing, and life changing, but it can read like a fish-out-of-water episode, because the story that has passed down through oral history and promulgated by religions is so completely FUBAR. Be amazed:
THE FIRST HUMAN BEINGS
From the year A.D. 2023 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,508 years. They were male-female twins; born to Primates parents.¹ They were born in the then salubrious climate of ancient Mesopotamia, (Greek for ‘between two rivers’) a region located in the eastern Mediterranean, bounded in the northeast by the Zagros Mountains, and the southeast by the Arabian (Persian) Plateau.
They were a very curious and adventurous pair; so much so, that they nearly lost their lives numerous times before their eighth birthday. By the age of ten they had worked out a sign and word language of almost fifty ideas; but they were unable to teach their parents and peers virtually any of their new signs and symbols.
The twins called each other Sonta-an and Sonta-en— Sonta-an meaning “loved by mother,” Sonta-en signifying “loved by father.” They gave themselves these names, names significant of their mutual regard and affection for one another. The Life Carriers ² who over-saw the original life implantations on our world referred to them as Andon, (male) and Fonta, (female).
When they were about nine years of age, they journeyed some distance down the river one day to hold a momentous conference. (Every celestial intelligence stationed on Urantia at that time was present as an observer of the transactions of this “tryst.”) The twins arrived at an understanding to live with and for each other; this was the first of a series of agreements which finally culminated in their decision to flee from their inferior animal associates, and to journey northward; little knowing that they were about to found the human race.
Their subsequent decision to run away from their home tribe and thereby segregate their offspring from their inferior ancestors, demonstrated human intelligence. Within three days of this decision, Urantia was recognized by the Life Carriers as having evolved creatures with the requisite human level of will dignity; “intelligent life” had evolved down here on earth.
Andon and Fonta’s parents were said to be average Primates, though among the tribe’s more intelligent members, e.g., the group which were first to learn to throw stones and to use clubs in fighting. Andon, while still living with his parents, had fastened a sharp piece of flint on the end of a club, using animal tendons for this purpose, and “. . .on no less than a dozen occasions he made good use of such a weapon in saving both his own life and that of his equally adventurous and inquisitive sister.”
The twins spent most of their time in each other’s company and thus had never been overly popular with the Primates tribe. They also had not improved their standing in the tribe by building a separate— and very superior— tree home.
Andon and Fonta had also constructed— some half-day’s journey to the north— a crude treetop retreat, a secret and safe hiding place in anticipation of their first day away from the home forests. Although the twins shared the Primates’ deathly fear of being on the ground at night, they safely made it to their prepared rendezvous shortly after midnight.
On this northward journey they discovered an exposed flint deposit and, finding many stones suitably shaped for various uses, gathered up a supply for the future. In attempting to chip these flints so that they would be better adapted for certain purposes, Andon discovered their sparking quality, and somewhat later conceived the idea of building fire.³
“Before they had been away from home ‘one moon,’ Andon signified to his mate that he thought he could make fire with the flint. They tried for two months to utilize the flint spark for kindling a fire, but only met with failure. Each day they would strike the flints trying to ignite the wood. Finally, one evening about sunset, the secret was unraveled when it occurred to Fonta to climb a near-by tree to secure an abandoned bird’s nest. The nest was dry and highly inflammable, and consequently flared into a full blaze the moment the spark fell upon it; they were so surprised and startled at their success that they almost lost the fire, but they saved it by the addition of suitable fuel, and then began the first search for firewood by the parents of all mankind.”
“This was one of the most joyous moments in their short but eventful lives. All night long they sat up watching their fire burn, vaguely realizing that they had made a discovery which would make it possible for them to defy climate and thus forever to be independent of their animal relatives of the southern lands. After three days’ rest and enjoyment of the fire they journeyed on.⁴
Nearly two years from the twins’ departure from home, their first child was born. They named him Sontad; he was the first creature to be born on Urantia who was wrapped in protective coverings at the time of birth. The human race had begun.
With this new chapter in evolution there appeared the instinct to properly care for the increasingly enfeebled infants which would characterize the progressive development of mind of the intellectual order as contrasted with the more purely animal type.
Andon and Fonta had nineteen children, and eventually almost fifty grandchildren and half a dozen great-grandchildren. This extended family lived in four adjoining rock shelters, or semicaves, three of which were interconnected by hallways which had been excavated in the soft limestone with flint tools devised by their children.
These early human beings evinced a very clannish spirit; they always hunted in groups and stayed close to their homesite. They appeared to realize that they were an isolated and unique group of living beings and should avoid becoming separated.⁵
These primitive human beings had black eyes and swarthy complexions. Melanin was the original skin pigment of these first humans. In general appearance and skin color, they more nearly resembled present-day Eskimos. They were also the first creatures to use the skins of animals as a protection against cold; they had little more hair on their bodies than present-day humans.
Andon and Fonta lived to the age of forty-two, when they were both killed during an earthquake by the falling of an overhanging rock. Five of their children and eleven grandchildren perished with them; nearly twenty of their descendants suffered serious injuries.
Upon their deaths, Sontad, despite a seriously injured foot, immediately assumed the leadership of the clan assisted by his wife, his eldest sister. Their first task was to roll up stones to entomb their dead parents, brothers, sisters, and children. However, “. . .undue significance should not attach to this act of burial. Their ideas of survival after death were very vague and indefinite, being largely derived from their fantastic and variegated dream life.” This extended family held together until the twentieth generation, when combined food competition and social friction brought about the beginning of their eventual dispersion.
The tribal life of the animal ancestors of these early men foreshadowed the beginnings of numerous social conventions, and with the expanding emotions and augmented brain power, there was an immediate development in social organization and a new division of clan labor.
They were exceedingly imitative, but their instinct to play was barely developed; and the sense of humor was almost entirely absent. Primitive men did smile occasionally, but never indulged in “hearty laughter.” (Humor was the legacy of the later appearing Adamic race.) It is also notable that these early human beings were not so sensitive to pain nor so reactive to unpleasant situations as were many later evolving humans. And childbirth was not a painful or distressing ordeal to Fonta and her immediate progeny.
The appearance of mortal beings of “will dignity” is never an accident, anywhere in the entire universe. The evolution of human beings is a fully-planned and highly organized undertaking, with the continuous watch-care of entire orders of beings of the spiritual realm. Mortal life is a completely designed and carefully executed project implemented on selected evolutionary worlds specifically designed for such a purpose.
THE LIFE CARRIERS
The actual outworking of all such plans is entrusted to a group of beings called the “Life Carriers.” When general life plans for a new world have been formulated, they are minutely scrutinized by the supreme council of the senior Life Carriers, in collaboration with a corps of consulting Melchizedeks.
There are over one million fundamental or “cosmic chemical formulas” which constitute the “parent patterns and the numerous basic functional variations of life manifestations.” Satellite number one of the life-planning sphere is the realm of the universe physicists and electrochemists who serve as technical assistants to the Life Carriers in the work of capturing, organizing, and manipulating the essential units of energy which are employed in building up the material vehicles of life transmission, the so-called “germ plasm.”
Planetary life-planning laboratories are situated on the second satellite of this world number two. In these laboratories the Life Carriers and all their associates collaborate with the Melchizedeks in the effort to modify, and possibly improve, the life designed for implantation on the decimal planets of Nebadon.
The life now evolving on Urantia was planned and partially worked out on this very world, for Urantia is a decimal planet, a life-experiment world. On one world in each ten, a greater variance in the standard life designs is permitted than on the other (nonexperimental) worlds.
The original life plasm of an evolutionary world must contain the full potential for all future developmental variations and for all subsequent evolutionary changes and modifications. The provision for such far-reaching projects of life metamorphosis may require the appearance of many apparently useless forms of animal and vegetable life. Such by-products of planetary evolution, foreseen or unforeseen, appear upon the stage of action only to disappear, but in and through all this long process there runs the thread of the wise and intelligent formulations of the original designers of the planetary life plan and species scheme. The manifold by-products of biologic evolution are all essential to the final and full function of the higher intelligent forms of life, notwithstanding that great outward disharmony may prevail from time to time in the long upward struggle of the higher creatures to effect the mastery of the lower forms of life, many of which are sometimes so antagonistic to the peace and comfort of the evolving will creatures.
Life Carriers are given a certain period in which life may be established on a new world, approximately one-half million years of the time of that planet. At the end of this period, indicated by certain developmental attainments of the planetary life, they cease their implantation efforts; they may not subsequently add anything new or supplemental to the life of that planet.
During the long ages (by our count) intervening between the establishment of life and the actual emergence of human creatures of moral status, the Life Carriers are allowed to manipulate the life environment and to “favorably directionize” the course of biologic evolution. And they do this for long periods of time, as they may deem necessary.
Once the Life Carriers have succeeded in producing a being with will, who demonstrate the power of moral decision and spiritual choice, then and there their work terminates— they may no longer manipulate the evolving life.
From this point forward, the evolution of living things “must proceed in accordance with the endowment of the inherent nature and tendencies which have already been imparted to, and established in, the planetary life formulas and patterns.”
THE SURVIVAL OF ANDON AND FONTA
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the story of Andon and Fonta is a briefly and eloquently stated recognition (in The U.B.) of their having founded the human race, and that they have since survived onto and beyond the mansion worlds to advance upon their eternal careers as sons of God. And they have long been fully cognizant of the entire history of the race they founded here.
Shortly after they had advanced to our local system capital of Jerusem, they were granted permission to return to the first mansion world, there to serve with the personalities who welcome the pilgrims of time from our world, Urantia, to the heavenly spheres. They have been assigned indefinitely to this service.
(This short section in The Urantia Book is, to me, one of those particular instances where one is able to draw a profound personal conclusion, based on the fact that the writer of this passage— a Life Carrier— are either deluded beyond all measure to even pen such a completely deceptive and fictitious account— not only of who they are— but of the entire origin story of the first two humans— or, it is the truth— and it should mightily stir awake both your intellectual and spiritual integrity to honestly assess the validity of the entire Urantia Book. Good luck in your explorations.)
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Note: This is a substantially abbreviated and paraphrased synopsis of the account regarding the origin of the first two human beings found in The Urantia Book; of necessity it omits numerous interesting events and important aspects of the entire account found in The Urantia Book.
In its own words, The Urantia Book constitutes “the most recent presentation of truth to the mortals of Urantia. It differs from all previous revelations, as it is not the work of a single universe personality, but a composite presentation by many beings.
“While such admissions as this may possibly detract from the immediate force and authority of all revelations, the time has arrived on Urantia when it is advisable to make such frank statements, even at the risk of weakening the future influence and authority of this, the most recent of the revelations of truth to the mortal races of Urantia.”
—The Urantia Book Paper 92: The Later Evolution of Religion Section 4: The Gift of Revelation • Written 1935; published 1955
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Footnotes
1. The origin of the first two human beings has long been confused with the much later arrival on our world of the material son and daughter, the planetary Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia (from the year A.D. 2019), 37,933 years ago. They were members of the senior corps of Material Sons on our system capital, Jerusem, where they had been employed for more than fifteen thousand years as directors of the division of experimental energy as applied to the modification of living forms.
Material Sons vary in height from eight to ten feet, and their bodies glow with the brilliance of radiant light of a violet hue. While material blood circulates through their material bodies, they are also surcharged with divine energy and saturated with celestial light. These Material Sons (the Adams) and Material Daughters (the Eves) are equal to each other, differing only in reproductive nature and in certain chemical endowments. They are equal but differential, male and female — hence complemental — and are designed to serve on almost all assignments in pairs.
They are not invisible to material creatures like us. They are semimaterial creatures and, as such, are not transportable by seraphim. They must undergo a “dematerialization” before they can be enseraphimed for transport to the world of assignment. The transport seraphim are able to effect such changes in the Material Sons as enable them to be “enseraphimed,” and thus to be transported through space from one world or system to another.
Upon arrival at their planetary destination, the Material Son and Daughter are rematerialized under the direction of the Life Carriers. This entire process takes ten to twenty-eight days of Urantia time. It was this rematerializing process that was woven into later, much edited and distorted stories of the origins of the human race.
Adam and Eve are “biologic uplifters” of the evolving races. Their amazing full story in The Urantia Book is essential reading.
2. Life Carriers are among the most interesting and versatile of the diverse family of universe Sons. They are entrusted with designing and carrying creature life to the planetary spheres. And after planting this life on such new worlds, they remain there for long periods, even ages, to foster its development.
3. The Primates ancestors of Andon had learned to replenished fire which had been kindled by lightning, but never before had any earth creatures possessed a method of starting fire at will. And it was a long time before the twins themselves learned that dry moss and other materials would kindle fire just as well as birds’ nests.
4. This feeling of intimate kinship was undoubtedly due to the enhanced mind ministry of the “adjutant spirits.” These are the initial circuit-like aspects of spirit which are able to make rudimentary contact with nearly all types of animal mind.
5. “They were a wonderful tribe. The males would fight heroically for the safety of their mates and their offspring; the females were affectionately devoted to their children. But their patriotism was wholly limited to the immediate clan. They were very loyal to their families; they would die without question in defense of their children, but they were not able to grasp the idea of trying to make the world a better place for their grandchildren. Altruism was as yet unborn in the human heart, notwithstanding that all of the emotions essential to the birth of religion were already present in these Urantia aborigines.”
