© 2024 Rex Merrett
© 2024 Urantia Association of Quebec
Rex Merrett
(Conference presented at the 2023 congress in Sydney)
(Editor’s note: in order to open our thoughts to the opinions of our brothers and sisters from other countries, we will offer you, on occasion, texts from conferences previously published in another language, but translated into French. Enjoy reading!)
Hello everyone,
The theme of our conference this year—“Speaking a Revelation”—is something that every reader of The Urantia Book realizes. While our own ascension should be our primary goal, it is difficult not to want to share with others the higher truths that enrich our lives. We should not be overwhelmed by the importance of this task, but rather be aware of the opportunities that present themselves to us.
Remember, Jesus was never in a hurry, and we should keep that in mind.
A story I really like is about a monk who makes an appointment with his master and says, “Master, when will I be enlightened?” The master replies, “When you stop trying to change others and start changing yourself.” The monk says, “Okay, I can do that. But how long will it take me to reach enlightenment?” The master says 20 years. The monk says, “But what if I work really hard, twice as hard as the other monks?” The master says 40 years.
In this presentation you will find some of my thoughts on the conference theme that I hope will stimulate yours. I am very pleased that my partner Christine is hosting the workshop after my presentation and I would like to begin by telling you briefly about my relationship with The Urantia Book and also with Christine (at age 46).
¶ Personal story
In my sixties I developed a health problem and retired. When I recovered I wanted to break free from the daily grind. So I sold my house and all my furniture and traveled for three years in my car and trailer. It was a special time for me consciously, but after three years I thought it would be nice to have a conscious, intelligent woman in my life. Apparently it was around this time that Christine had similar thoughts. We met at a dance class and eight years later we are in a loving, progressive relationship where we are working not only on improving our relationship but also on each other’s personal development. Four years ago I had no problem sharing my love of The Urantia Book with her. When I met Christine, she was a member of Toastmasters, so I joined too and we are laying the foundation to do what this conference is about, which I will explain at the end of my presentation.
Has it been your time?—to be more creative and courageous in presenting The Urantia Book to others? Only you can answer that question. Let’s look at how Jesus laid the foundation for his teaching.
In his late teens and early manhood, he traveled extensively with an Indian businessman and his son — Gonod and Ganid.
¶ The transition years (Booklet 134)
During the Mediterranean journey Jesus had carefully studied the people he met and the countries he passed through, and it was about this time that he made his final decision about the remainder of his life on earth. 134:0
He returned to Galilee to await the beginning of his life’s work as a public teacher of the truth. He was again working on boats in Zebedee’s workshop at Capernaum when one morning he laid down his tools, declaring, “My hour has come” (UB 134:9.8).
He then chose 12 apostles. Twelve very different personalities, from different backgrounds, to live with him while transmitting his teachings to them and explaining to them how to transmit these teachings after his departure.
I think the lesson we can learn from this is that we must first become friendly and familiar with those we choose to engage before introducing them to the higher truths of The Urantia Book.
¶ The ordination of the twelve (Paper 140)
The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is not the gospel of Jesus, but the charge of ordaining the 12 apostles. It is the personal order given by the Master to those who were to continue to preach the gospel and aspire to represent it in the world of men, just as he so eloquently and perfectly represented his Father.
If inherited drives cannot be fundamentally modified, the emotional reactions to these drives can be changed; the moral nature can therefore be modified, the character can be improved. In a strong character, the emotional responses are integrated and coordinated, which produces a unified personality. Deficient unification weakens the moral nature and breeds unhappiness. UB 140:4.8
Without a worthy purpose, life becomes aimless and unprofitable, and much unhappiness results. Jesus exhorted his disciples to exercise experimental faith. He warned them not to depend on mere intellectual assent, credulity, and established authority. UB 140:4.9
¶ Moana
On our trip to Tasmania we visited the Moana (Museum of Old and New Art). It reminded me of the Mansion Worlds. The art and exhibits there are so different that I had no reference to judge good or bad, right or wrong, likeable or unlikeable. However, the most important effect on my consciousness occurred when I entered a half-empty room. There were bookcases, floor to ceiling on every wall, filled with books of various sizes. A large table and chairs stood in the center of the room, with books open as if students were studying them. However, the covers and pages of each book were blank, with no written words. I immediately understood that although I read many books, the blank book I create with each experiential decision I make is the most important. Not only to me, but also to my Thought Adjuster. Document 140 continues:
Education should be a technique of learning (discovering) the best methods of satisfying our natural and hereditary needs, and happiness is the total result of these improved techniques of emotional satisfaction. UB 140:4.10.
¶ Different realities
One problem I had for many years in my relationships was that every time we had an emotional argument and gave our interpretation a few days later, it was different. This happened so often that I wished there was a third person who agreed with my interpretation. However, I now realize that this person might not have agreed with either of us.
When we look at the world and what is happening in it. We look with our eyes, our conscious mind, our personality and our life experience up to that point. So it is impossible for us to see things exactly the same way. Knowing this, maybe I should stop trying to get others to agree with my opinions and listen more in case I want to change mine. It also helps me understand better when my sister says that she “…just can’t read The Urantia Book”.
As science explains, you literally become what you think about the most; your life becomes what you imagine and believe in the most. The world is literally your mirror that allows you to experience in the physical plane what you consider to be your truth—until you change it! Perhaps this is why it is so important to present a higher truth to others.
¶ Finish my presentation
I’d like to tell you about Toastmasters. As I said, Christine was already an experienced Toastmaster. What I liked about Toastmaster was that I had a captive audience for my seven mini-speeches that were then evaluated. So I was getting my message across twice.
We meet every two weeks, have tea in the middle of the meeting and some of us have lunch afterwards, which allows us to get closer socially to these people and better understand their personalities and interests.
We both continue to take our talks to a higher level of consciousness, and members feel comfortable enough with us to ask us questions about our talks. This is a work in progress for Christine, me, and the members.
This Toastmasters format gave me the idea for a study group. Because we all exist in a slightly different reality, the information in The Urantia Book will affect each of us in a different way. So, interrupting the reading to discuss our different thoughts sometimes interferes with the message of the whole document. We study the papers to grow closer to God through experience, not just to become a student of The Urantia Book.
If we asked each person to read an excerpt from the chosen material for three minutes (with a timer) until the material was finished, and then each person had three minutes to describe how the text affected them and what steps they could take to bring this advanced knowledge into their life, it could make for an interesting study group.
We thank you.