Changes

S: I [[assume]] that there will be time left to [[worship]] after [[work]], and then we really may have time to enjoy eternal life a little bit. But I can't say that perplexed is the right [[word]].

S: I [[assume]] that there will be time left to [[worship]] after [[work]], and then we really may have time to enjoy eternal life a little bit. But I can't say that perplexed is the right [[word]].

R: Yes, well I was [[chided]] by my own instructors for having not [[clarified]] this matter, so I have [[composed]] the present lesson to do so. [[Understand]], my [[friends]], that at the time the [[Urantia Book]] [[information]] was handed down and [[transcribed]], there were many difficult [[decisions]] to be made regarding [[syntax]] and other linguistic details. For the [[animal]] mind outworking of [[intellect]] is [[fastidious]] in its highest [[development]] when [[linguistic]] considerations arise. That is to say, the masters who oversaw the [[project]] wished to have as little [[ambiguity]] as possible in the language used in the body of [[Urantia text|the papers]] themselves. And yet it was [[understood]] that these papers would stand for many [[generations]] as [[reference]] material, and language does indeed [[change]] through time.

R: Yes, well I was [[chided]] by my own instructors for having not [[clarified]] this matter, so I have [[composed]] the present lesson to do so. [[Understand]], my [[friends]], that at the time the [[Urantia Book]] [[information]] was handed down and [[transcribed]], there were many difficult [[decisions]] to be made regarding [[syntax]] and other linguistic details. For the [[animal]] mind outworking of [[intellect]] is [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fastidious fastidious] in its highest [[development]] when [[linguistic]] considerations arise. That is to say, the masters who oversaw the [[project]] wished to have as little [[ambiguity]] as possible in the language used in the body of [[Urantia text|the papers]] themselves. And yet it was [[understood]] that these papers would stand for many [[generations]] as [[reference]] material, and language does indeed [[change]] through time.

So the [[decision]] was taken to use the [[language]] that was the most [[formal]] for the very time period during which [[the book]] was indicted, because [[formal]] usage is less susceptible to [[change]], particularly frivolous [[idiomatic]] change, than is [[casual]] usage. And so when the matter of work was [[discussed]], the [[linguistic]] [[value]] assigned to the word "work" was that of the earlier period of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century this century] of your time. That is, labor of the [[body]], primarily [[physical]] with relatively little [[spiritual]] content, somewhat more [[intellectual]] content, what you presently would call toil. And it is indeed true that at the time of [[light and life]] relatively little time in the life of a given [[Urantia]] [[individual]] will be spent in toil, [[physical]] labor. Again, the word "[[leisure]]", at the time of the indictment of [[Urantia text|the papers]], included those activities in which [[energy]] is expended toward [[spiritual growth]]. And thus the [[leisure]] time of [[light and life]], using that [[linguistic]] [[value]] of the word [[leisure]] will be [[worship]].

So the [[decision]] was taken to use the [[language]] that was the most [[formal]] for the very time period during which [[the book]] was indicted, because [[formal]] usage is less susceptible to [[change]], particularly frivolous [[idiomatic]] change, than is [[casual]] usage. And so when the matter of work was [[discussed]], the [[linguistic]] [[value]] assigned to the word "work" was that of the earlier period of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century this century] of your time. That is, labor of the [[body]], primarily [[physical]] with relatively little [[spiritual]] content, somewhat more [[intellectual]] content, what you presently would call toil. And it is indeed true that at the time of [[light and life]] relatively little time in the life of a given [[Urantia]] [[individual]] will be spent in toil, [[physical]] labor. Again, the word "[[leisure]]", at the time of the indictment of [[Urantia text|the papers]], included those activities in which [[energy]] is expended toward [[spiritual growth]]. And thus the [[leisure]] time of [[light and life]], using that [[linguistic]] [[value]] of the word [[leisure]] will be [[worship]].

R: Yes, certainly. You may recall that the mindal components of [[animal]] [[brain]] [[function]] are [[dual]] on [[this planet]], the [[physical]] out-workings and the [[intellectual]] out-workings, and as this planet and its [[cultures]] evolve, work which is done and the definition of [[work]] will evolve also. The most rudimentary form of work which occurs in the most [[primitive]] of human [[cultures]] [[encompasses]] those [[efforts]] which are required to barely [[survive]], which, of course, is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_gatherer food gathering], [[protection]] of the [[young]], procreation and [[mating]], and [[shelter]] from elements and other threatening [[environmental]] factors. The next step involves the [[development]] of [[tools]] and other [[technological]] adjuncts through the first use of [[intellect]]. But at this [[stage]] still work is primarily [[physical]]. As the [[culture]] evolves there is more and more of [[intellectual]] work and less and less of [[physical]] work, and then in a [[normal planet]] of imperfect creation there will be that [[wonderful]] time at which the first of the [[spirit]] work begins to show on a [[cultural]] level. On [[this planet]] - because of [[interference]] with the [[plan]] - the period of time that has elapsed since that first bit of spirit work in the life of the [[average]] [[Urantia]] mortal showed and now has been so long. And the advancement has been so small by the accepted [[standards]] of [[the universes]]. Nonetheless that [[fragment]] of spirit [[work]] is there, but it is quite small now. During this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century last century] of your time, the [[proportion]] of [[intellectual]] work to [[physical]] work has widened greatly for many, many persons in your [[culture]] and, indeed, over [[the planet]] at large. And just recently we have been most [[gratified]] to see a definite increase in the [[proportion]] of [[spiritual]] work undertaken by [[Folk|the great mass]] of [[Urantia]] [[mortals]]. This may seem like a long-winded answer to your question, but the short answer is that yes, of course, [[intellectual]] [[effort]] is very much [[work]]. As time passes on [[your planet]], in [[future]] times, [[physical]] work will become more or less [[extinct]], and the notion of toil will be applied increasingly to [[intellectual]] effort, and the notion of [[leisure]] to pure [[spirit]] [[development]]. But there will come the day that there will be widespread [[realization]] that spiritual [[effort]] is indeed [[work]]. Does that answer?

R: Yes, certainly. You may recall that the mindal components of [[animal]] [[brain]] [[function]] are [[dual]] on [[this planet]], the [[physical]] out-workings and the [[intellectual]] out-workings, and as this planet and its [[cultures]] evolve, work which is done and the definition of [[work]] will evolve also. The most rudimentary form of work which occurs in the most [[primitive]] of human [[cultures]] [[encompasses]] those [[efforts]] which are required to barely [[survive]], which, of course, is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_gatherer food gathering], [[protection]] of the [[young]], procreation and [[mating]], and [[shelter]] from elements and other threatening [[environmental]] factors. The next step involves the [[development]] of [[tools]] and other [[technological]] adjuncts through the first use of [[intellect]]. But at this [[stage]] still work is primarily [[physical]]. As the [[culture]] evolves there is more and more of [[intellectual]] work and less and less of [[physical]] work, and then in a [[normal planet]] of imperfect creation there will be that [[wonderful]] time at which the first of the [[spirit]] work begins to show on a [[cultural]] level. On [[this planet]] - because of [[interference]] with the [[plan]] - the period of time that has elapsed since that first bit of spirit work in the life of the [[average]] [[Urantia]] mortal showed and now has been so long. And the advancement has been so small by the accepted [[standards]] of [[the universes]]. Nonetheless that [[fragment]] of spirit [[work]] is there, but it is quite small now. During this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century last century] of your time, the [[proportion]] of [[intellectual]] work to [[physical]] work has widened greatly for many, many persons in your [[culture]] and, indeed, over [[the planet]] at large. And just recently we have been most [[gratified]] to see a definite increase in the [[proportion]] of [[spiritual]] work undertaken by [[Folk|the great mass]] of [[Urantia]] [[mortals]]. This may seem like a long-winded answer to your question, but the short answer is that yes, of course, [[intellectual]] [[effort]] is very much [[work]]. As time passes on [[your planet]], in [[future]] times, [[physical]] work will become more or less [[extinct]], and the notion of toil will be applied increasingly to [[intellectual]] effort, and the notion of [[leisure]] to pure [[spirit]] [[development]]. But there will come the day that there will be widespread [[realization]] that spiritual [[effort]] is indeed [[work]]. Does that answer?

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S: Yes, I enjoyed every [[word]] of your long-winded answer. And I liked your [[summary]] with the short answer. [[The Master]], when He was here, had a group of [[apostles]] who did what we would call [[work]] and there were time - at least once a week, maybe twice a week - when, they said in the [[Urantia Book]], to have ceased [[work]] and enjoyed [[leisure]]. I would [[expect]] that even during their leisure they worked at least a little, but I would like a comment on the [[relationship]] between [[work]] and [[leisure]].

S: Yes, I enjoyed every [[word]] of your long-winded answer. And I liked your [[summary]] with the short answer. [[The Master]], when He was here, had a group of [[apostles]] who did what we would call [[work]] and there were time - at least once a week, maybe twice a week - when, they said in the [[Urantia Book]], to have ceased [[work]] and enjoyed [[leisure]]. I would [[expect]] that even during their leisure they worked at least a little, but I would like a comment on the [[relationship]] between [[work]] and [[leisure]].