Talk:Daynal Institute

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TeaM reference?

On May 1, 2013, at 8:16 PM, Robert Davis wrote Byron cc'ing Nordan Editorial Group:

Hello Byron-

In response to the request by you and others for a direct url pointing to the Teaching Mission Dialogues, the webmaster and I installed this site today. What we like best about this design is that it gives more space to the content while integrating more smoothly at various widths. After some testing and further examination, we may consider installing this design with some customization for the Institute and Press pages as well.

Thanks,

Rob

On May 2, 2013, at 1:03 AM, Byron replied cc'ing Nordan Editorial Group:

Thanks Rob, good to see this step. But, with respect, I must say that I find it to be a confusing interface for folks who are new--which I thought was the intention. This Ham quote is not very welcoming (in fact, it's rather cold), and it lacks context and any sort of introduction for the newcomer. I'm thinking this interface is not intended for the newcomer. In any case, glad to see a simpler URL to refer people to who already have an introduction. Byron

On May 2, 2013, at 8:47 AM, Rob replied cc'ing Nordan Editorial Group:

Hello Byron-

Evolution is slow but terribly effective, and this is an evolving prototype for further development. No doubt, wiki interfaces are challenging to many. As for the content pages, these are preliminary anticipating the need to incorporate personal preferences of those who would volunteer their proposals. Toward that end, would you write something to consider as an alternative to the current introduction by Ham? All such proposals will be entered into the discussion page for review by others' who may have suggestions as well as comments to identify best attributes of each.

Rob

On May 2, 2013, at 8:47 AM, Byron replied cc'ing Nordan Editorial Group:

Yes, I will offer something in the discussion page pronto. I may have been a bit harsh in my critique, but I have had so much difficulty presenting this material to newcomers (as I am sure we all do). This problem comes up all the time when we publish a new book and pitch it to reviewers, media, and radio hosts. I dislike sending these sorts of folks to TMarchives, so a viable alternative would be most helpful.

Shortly we will start pitching Healing a Broken World to media, which I hope most of you have seen. If not, I am attaching the PDF for your perusal.

The Amazon link is now up for HBW. It would be excellent if any of you could drop in a review here: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Broken-World-Grassroots-Sustainable/dp/1579830110

Navigation

May 4

On May 4, 2013, at 12:47 PM, Rob wrote Nordan Editorial Group:

My experience with the Urantia movement, Teaching Mission, and Magisterial Mission led me to distance their literature from sectarian rivalries by placing them in a larger historical context. However, I do not wish to 'hide' these. It will take some input from others to bring what is the 'heart' of the larger collection to the forefront. In the interim, let me offer some shortcuts.

1. In addition to the new url dialogues.daynal.org, you may use tmarchives.org, tmarchives.net, tmarchives.biz, tmarchives.us to bring you to the url devoted to the Teaching Mission called The Dialogues.

2. From any Nordan Symposia page, you may use the following search shortcuts to navigate

a. team - takes you to this page.
b. ub - takes you to this page.
c. paper # - takes you to the Urantia paper corresponding to the # entered.
d. paper/section - for example, entering paper/section number such as 23:4 takes you here

It goes without saying that entering a teacher, tr, or team name (Woods Cross TeaM) will take you to its page pointing to lessons associated with the teacher, tr, or team. Also, on the Institute page, please note that mouseing over (moving your cursor over) the middle of the white space displays some of the topics addressed by the UB and Teaching Mission material. You may click through to the components addressing the particular topic.

There are many more shortcuts, but these should suffice to address some basic needs. If any would like to propose a shortcut, I will be happy to accommodate.

p.s. If you do experiment with the mouseovers on the Institute page, note the topics Happiness, Healing, and Humanity are graphically centered amidst the alphabetic arrangement of topics representing a selection of the 906 at present.

May 5

On May 5, 2013, at 10:24 AM, Marty Greenhut wrote Nordan Editorial Group:

Rob, This is an outstanding resource, astonishing! Congratulations.

Regarding the "larger historical context" of the Urantia movements, I wonder if you might be willing to include the rationale for the destruction of the original printing plates. Whose idea was that?

Who were the U.S. intelligence officers in the Urantia Foundation?

Just wondering. Marty

On May 5, 2013, at 10:33 AM, Rob replied to Marty cc'ing Nordan Editorial Group:

Thank you Marty! Though ten years in the making, it is still is its larval stage of development.

Certainly, if a description of this act could be found or written, it could and should be incorporated. As to whose idea it was, I surmise the thought was attributed to the Revelatory Commission to forestall superstitious regard much like Jesus destroying his writings. I am sure however, there is a larger story.

As to who were 'intelligence officers' in the Urantia Foundation at that time, I don't know though more is known of later phases.

Gratefully,

Rob

On May 5, 2013, at 11:48 AM, Robert Davis wrote Nordan Editorial Group:

Dear Friends,

First of all, please join me in welcoming Daniel Raphael to the Nordan Editorial Advisory Group!

I have rewritten the "Main Page" of the Nordan Symposia to feature access to The Teaching Mission Dialogues, I suspect many of the difficulties persons have found locating the Dialogues will be mitigated. (see wiki stats) The result is likely to be many more persons, most of whom are new and curious, finding the wealth of the Dialogues.

To some extent, I feel like I have been hiding the prominence of the Dialogues in the collection waiting for the storm of sectarianism to blow over. With the passing of Ron Besser, not physically but in the sense of credibility, time is ripe. This corresponds with my sense of a need to re-define the Teaching Mission so as to accommodate any episode of disclosure/revelation, something the Teacher Corps exhibits with ease in contrast to most of the human participants.

Rob

wiki stats: these may refer to unique visitors. I will investigate.

View statistics

Views total 8,301,740 Views per edit 88.36 Most viewed pages Main Page 333,480 Category:The Teaching Mission: Dialogues 89,520


p.s. for Daniel's sake, I am enclosing information shared recently regarding response to the Facebook ad experiment.

I spent $20 promoting this 'sutra' on Facebook that has resulted in a large increase of traffic coming to the site. The figures just below are for this past month of April. Given this response, I will do likewise each month.

cpanel stats:

Cpanel stats.jpg

Byron wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 5:48 PM

Yes, it truly is an AMAZING resource. . .

Just want to alert everyone that, as promised, I posted something in the discussion area at dialogues.daynal.org--it's an alternative and IMO a more user friendly way to introduce the subject matter. The main intention is to provide background and context needed by visitors who are entirely new. If you like it Rob, you may edit or use this content as you see fit, with or without attribution.

In regard to intelligence agency or Luciferian penetration of the UF, that is a story that someday must be written by some courageous journalist. I know of more than a few untapped sources...

BB

Byron wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 6:11 PM

Ah, that explains the mystery of why the Dialogues have been so hard to access. But alas, my friend, I still find the Main Page to be difficult to navigate or understand, and so far I see no direct reference therein to the TM Dialogues as such. For example, none of these passages in this philosophic verbiage refers explicitly to the Dialogues or to the phenomenon, and none of the links provided go to the main page of the Dialogues. I sense and I understand your very strong effort to ensure that the phenomenon is not "reified" or branded with a sectarian name (even the name given it by the celestials themselves), but by virtue of your going so far in that direction, the result IMO is that the Dialogue material is still difficult to understand or access for all but the initiated. Of course, I am glad for the progress shown and ever so grateful for all that you do. (And very impressed with the hit rate on the site!)

Byron

p.s. Rob, the intent is just to inspire you to write this introduction in your own way, using any part or phrase from this lengthy piece. Or perhaps you can link to it for "background." Or whatever you like.

Certainly one can quote from the teachers, but again, new people won't have any idea who these teachers are, what they represent, where they are from, etc.

We are all so used to being totally ignored by our own community and the world at large, and so we are not well practiced at providing a suitable introduction. But interest is rising, as evidenced by the thousands of hits at the Daynal site, or from my cover story in Om Times Magazine, and now a feature article on the midwayers I wrote for 11:11 Magazine, coming out shortly for their large audience. I am now in dialogue with the famed evolutionary biologist Elisabeth Sahtouris, who noticed a statement of mine on the teachers in an obscure video.

I believe millions of people are now ready and hungry for our message--so let's make it easy for them to get in the door, using the same method that Jesus used when he introduced the gospel to the the common people.

BB

Rob wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 7:54 PM

Hello Byron-

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts! I have posted them on the discussion page for future reference.

Teaching Mission enthusiasts like Urantia Book readers or any 'revelatory work' have difficulty thinking of their material as a literary work occurring within a larger evolutionary framework. Perhaps even more difficult to grasp is the dialogue between humanity and divinity that has occurred since the beginning of humankind in one form or another and continues forever. As they are featured by Daynal Institute, we must bear in mind the aspiration of representing the perspective of the Trinity whose vision encompasses all things. As such, the Dialogues are valued more for what they represent than what they are in a literal sense. For this reason, the Dialogues are named in a generic sense on the Nordan Symposia page and could include any written communication that enhances communion with our Source. Indeed, while there are reports of difficulty accessing the Dialogues, stats show a number of successes. I would not be satisfied however, though I wish to operate with an aim to feature the Dialogues in a way that acknowledges their intrinsic value as a function of relationship to other literary works. However, the recent addition of a dedicated url for the Teaching Mission should mitigate any sense of indifference, and where specific terminology unique to TeaM culture is preferred, I would rather utilize such in that domain space.

Gratefully,

Rob

Marty wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 8:35 PM

Byron, if you have some leads into the dark's penetration of the Contact Commission, the Forum, the Foundation or the Brotherhood (I have just begun to look into this) please give me a clue. I have seen a very distorted picture of this on the web in a veiled put down of the FER. I would like to get all the facts that can be found.

Bryon wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 9:46 PM

I'll get back to you about that Marty--that will take some time and prayer and probing.

I wanted to add one more thing for Rob in re his last missive below. Perhaps there is a middle way between the "exceptionalism" of tmarchives or others (which tends toward sectarianism), and your ecumenical notion that the TM dialogues are simply continuous with other forms of human-divine communication. Yes, I tend toward being an exceptionalist (which is evident in my short essay sent earlier), but please know that you've drawn me toward your position over the years, Rob. I like your phrase "acknowledges their intrinsic value as a function of relationship to other literary works" and look forward to how you proceed from here. As all of you know, I do take a public stand that the TM/MM are unprecedented in the world's revelatory literature and salvation history, which goes along with the notion that the FER is itself an epochal event, now made all the more important because it is enhanced by the Adjudication and re-encircuitment since then that permits open dialogue. This would in turn would mean that the TM/MM are of world-historic importance far beyond other revelatory works such as, for the example, ACIM or the Seth or Kyron teachings.

But yes, from the viewpoint of the Trinity on Paradise, it's all just us infants reaching out to our divine parents for nurturance!

BB

Dave wrote: Sun, May 5, 2013 at 10:38 PM

Welcome Daniel! Glad to have you on board. I've begun looking over the PDF Byron sent out on the new book--looks good from what I've seen so far.

Rob, yes, the stats are amazing!

Catching up on emails... More to come later.

--DAve

May 6

Daniel wrote: Sun, May 6, 2013 at 8:26 AM

Hi Dave and All –

This feels right for me, now. Much progress has been made in the last 4-5 years. That which is not sustainable withers and eventually dies.

My “take” on the development of the Correcting Time on Urantia is that the time of seedbed tilling, seeding, and weeding has been completed in this first phase. This now is a time of closure, of weaving in the loose ends. (Much like a wicker basket that has many lengths of the woof still sticking out and are now being woven into the basket.) Now we can move forward, this phase seems almost complete.

Thank you again Rob for the invitation.

Many blessings to each of you, Daniel

June 13

Byron wrote: June 13, 2013 at 12:12 PT/AM

Thanks for the tremendous work, Rob. A few thoughts for the moment ... The Dialogues page is much better now. However, most folks will not be able to figure out that one must go to the ‘Main Page’ to access transcripts, teachers, etc. Is it possible to give them more navigation instructions on this home page (which I for a long time even I thought was the ‘Main Page’ itself)? In addition, when I look at the copy on the Dialogues page, it still seems to be geared to the “initiated” and not all that friendly to the new person ... Finally, it is so great to have this unbelievably comprehensive archive, but what would it take to make each transcript have a unique URL? Might I make a donation toward that effort? Love, Byron

PS Leaving Monday for Donna’s event, then off to Sarasota as a guest of Marty Risacher for a few days. Then to Cincinnati for a writing retreat for two weeks while I await siblings who will come in for July 4 holiday. Here’s our newest Shift book, the one that really wore me out!

Rob wrote: June 13, 2013 at 10:34 CT/AM

Hello Byron! Good to hear from you and thank you for sharing your thoughts re: this evolutionary adventure!!

1. folks will not be able to figure out that one must go to the ‘Main Page’ to access transcripts

reply: under the blue line below The Dialogues you will find links to points of access to transcripts. see below.

Dialogues menu.jpg

2. the (copy of) Dialogues page, still seems to be geared to the “initiated” and not all that friendly to the new person

reply: this was the next step from the one that preceded it. with yours and others thoughts, more steps will follow.

3. what would it take to make each transcript have a unique URL?

reply: at left of any Symposia page in the 'toolbox' there is an option for a 'permanent link'. Command click-copy- paste
p.s. if you want a 'clean copy' without hyperlinks, in same toolbox click on 'printable version'.

Please continue to share your thoughts and questions.

Gratefully,

Rob

June 15

Byron wrote: June 15, 2013 at 3:03 PM

Thanks Rob. Yes, we are evolving and revolving!

I did notice the links to points of access at the top of the page, but it too is not very helpful, being a series of items that seem rather confusing (TeaMs? Trs?). Sorry to sound harsh, but these items are basically meaningless at first glance, especially when given no context at all in your opening statement on this page. One is given no idea that an archive is being provided, none at all, or any idea what the content of the archive may happen to be even if they knew it was there. Instead, the verbiage here is a discussion of often rather difficult philosophic ideas largely unrelated to the archive itself. (And this material very much needs a third-party copyeditor.) You provide about 30 links in these introductory paragraphs, and none of them take the reader to anything in the archive or to any direct introduction to the archive.

So I still see a significant navigation problem.

Another obvious question is: Why not make this available at this page?

Search dialogues.jpg

Or, at a minimum, you could provide a paragraph at the top of this page that points to the existence of the vast archive that is now quite hidden to the reader. It could explicitly say that here is an archive searchable in seven ways containing material related to the UB, the Teaching Mission, etc, etc.

Instead of pointing such things out and giving a practical guide to navigation, you provide very general context that does not serve navigation of the archive—often rather hard to follow:


In using the permanent link function, it would be helpful if we are told somehow actually to how to create it, as this is not intuitive (at least for people over 50!) ...

Blessings, Byron

Rob wrote: Byron wrote: June 15, 2013 at 5:05 PM

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Byron! As they focus upon the value of a part of the collection relative the whole of the collection that itself at best but signifies the unseen goal of Daynal Institute, I think it is always an important point to examine.

TeaM and Tr are terms unique to the "Teaching Mission/Magisterial Mission" that are derived from common usage. The url is provided as a service to these communities who know what the terms signify. The copy looks beyond the fog of remediation when the mortal passion of a normal fourth epoch as described by the Urantia text (1) is more apparent. At such time, "difficult philosophic ideas" will be the shared occupation of conscious citizens. In such an open source environment, "copy editing" is and will be better understood as a continual labor conducted in a fluid environment rather than the engravings indigenous to print cultures built upon copyright conventions that are scaffolding to be discarded.

The links in the introductory paragraphs are related to "the archive" only inasmuch as the terms heart, cosmic, communion, source (1st Source), Trinity Teacher Sons, architects, spiritual, education, Master Universe, intelligence, focus, experience, art of living, wisdom, illumination, mind, fact, meaning, value, universe, ascension, and home are terms germane to inquiring minds interested in the core curriculum of the universe e.g. silent, worshipful contemplation. Such a classroom defines the focus of Daynal Institute, one that has not been taken seriously by cultures commonly associated with 'the' revelation.

Feedback from users suggests navigation and organization is one of the things most appreciated about the site, but then, generally these are not persons who are 'true believers' in a particular revelation. Quite the contrary, they are persons well aware of the multitude of revelatory gifts operating on the planet replete with their complement of competing sects creating more confusion than clarity. As such, Daynal Institute will be fostering study of all such literature in an evolutionary framework that welcomes critical and comparative study independent of the second hand religions about such literature.

As for using hyperlinks designated by the term "permanent link", this is a term of basic literacy in contemporary cyberculture. That said, I have no doubt that if persons (over 50?) could be given an overview of the site architecture and its tools, they would better understand how to use them. I will be endeavoring to do just that in the course of anticipated travels.

p.s. I have inserted these comments into the Daynal Institute discussion page and remind persons of the discussion "About the Teaching Mission" that preceded but it relates to this discussion. Be mindful that your comments are on public record. If persons feel the discussion should be moved to a "private" venue, the Daynal Scriptorium is available for just that purpose.

Byron wrote: Jun 15, 2013, at 9:15 PM:

This clarifies your point of view, Rob, many thanks. I’ve given all the input I can on this matter, and please know you always have my highest affection and admiration even if some of the protocols of Daynal continue to baffle me. Blessings and peace, Byron

Rob wrote: Jun 15, 2013, at 9:25 PM:

Thank you Byron! Time is required to do all things well, and I have no doubt that your thoughts recorded in the discussion page will be helpful when another version of the Dialogues page is necessary. I am just beginning to understand what this project is about, and I have been walking in faith with it now for ten years. Let's feast together on the gift of uncertainty.

June 16

Rob wrote: Jun 16, 2013, at 11:19 AM:

Dear Byron,

I gave some more thought to the points you made well and realize that the Teaching Mission we have known is growing out of its test phase and is beginning to encompass a greater teaching mission, the one that engages all sectors of the universe in every age that will lead us beyond the limits of time. Having witnessed in this epoch the wars of religion inspired by 'revelation', I focus now on the domain of God irreducible to religion alone though it is characterized throughout by divine love. The teachers we have known have been a source of feeling that love whose value far transcends their many words, and in the heart of silent communion with our Source, it has become apparent who are the teachers of this eternal lesson.

These Evening Stars are, as you say, capable of bridging those gaps. I remind you of the plethora of beings who are present, for Urantia has adjustments to be made in many fields, in many categories, that you might call mundane or... [you may not see the value now] ...but it is of great value in attaining Light and Life... ... may be likened to a movement in a great symphony. The Daynal order, they are the ones who conduct the entire score. So there is a time such as now when we will function perhaps as the violin section while the others are at rest. It is of great importance what we do now; we do it not for our own elevation, for we know that in the entire piece we are a small part. But without it the whole expression is disrupted. Many are going to come to this world and be engaged in assignments, some for quite a short duration and others, as your home room teacher Elyon said, will be here for the long haul. You have been educated to the presence of the Inspired (Trinity) Spirits, and I draw them to your attention now to illustrate the gradation of spirituality in beings throughout the universe and how important for intervening orders to bridge those gaps. Everyone of you today is also bridging a gap, assisting your world in growing familiar and comfortable with making contact beyond that which you can see. - Monjoronson

It will be a joyful adventure traveling throughout the country to discover who among the students of our beloved Urantia text would be willing to take up their roles, consciously or not, as human counterparts of these celestial teachers with whom we will be working well beyond the range of time teaching the truth of who we are, in time and eternity.

Gratefully,

Rob

Crossroads Discussion SLC

October 13

Rob wrote: Oct 13, 2015, at 7:01 PM:

Dear Friends,

At the upcoming meeting of the Parliament of World Religions, I wish to discuss prospects for making some dramatic changes to the daynal.org website. Among these is to use the 5 tmarchives domains to point to the Teaching Mission Dialogues (to be renamed Teaching Mission Dialogues) using the following text as its opening page. As for the use of the 5 daynal domains, we can discuss how to use these when we meet in SLC, but one possibility is to have them empty but for the following text

This Internet domain is reserved for a time when this world
is more advanced in intelligence, and after the spiritual isolation of this planet has been terminated.


Please review when you can and let me know your thoughts.

Gratefully,

Rob



It will be helpful to those examining these textual artifacts to know something about their origin. This requires at minimum, a brief overview of what is known as The Teaching Mission.

Judging from the record of dialogues, an Advance Corps of celestial teachers began contacts with individual human beings in the late 1960’s for the purpose of developing experience with humans otherwise deprived of celestial contact and communication apart from the context of mysticism. As such, there are a few records from the early 1970’s that bear witness to this effort.

It wasn’t until the 1980’s however that more systematic contact aiming to develop long term relationships with groups of persons began in New Zealand where the biblical personality known as Abraham acted as the group teacher. By the late 1980’s, other teachers were found contacting groups in the [[United States]] who, unlike the New Zealand group, were all Urantia Book readers.

The record suggests that the contact with a group in Utah by the teacher Ham was among the first, and afterwards grew into a network of small groups in the United States and eventually throughout the world. Typically, these were characterized by the study of The Urantia Book as a basic text though it appears not to have been a prerequisite for participation.

In early 1992, the teacher Ham made an announcement to the General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood, then the only organization sponsoring study of the Urantia text. In this meeting on February 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, California in advance of a general conference of the Urantia Brotherhood, Ham described the Teaching Mission as follows:

1) Initiation and expansion of the Teacher Corps as many of you will desire to receive personal instruction. At present we are preparing a group of teachers who are in the first phase of our Teaching Mission. The mortals brought under their teaching and guidance will become teachers themselves, as themselves, not in an intermediary position as is Rebecca (the ‘transmitter’) tonight. Spiritual enlightenment on individual, group, national, and planetary scale is anticipated.

2) Also, along with the spiritual uplifting, we anticipate and desire cooperation in other areas of human life endeavor as well, chiefly economic, political, social, environmental, and technical changes. Of course we are anticipating many years duration of this initial phase of our mission.

3) I am commissioned to announce also the third aspect of our Teaching Mission, and that is preparation for an even greater Teacher. Michael has prepared the way. We are expanding the way. A Teacher Son will complete the way toward Light and Life on Urantia. As for timing, I cannot adequately or accurately foresee.

The reception of this announcement was decidedly cool. Nevertheless, it was described by Teaching Mission participants who were present as a “great success”. No doubt, the Urantia Brotherhood had larger concerns at that time with contests over copyright control of the Urantia text that persisted through the 1990’s until the copyright was cancelled by a Superior Court decision in 2001 after nearly a decade of litigation.

With copyright no longer serving as a thorn in the body of organized readers of The Urantia Book, the Teaching Mission became increasingly perceived as a threat to the goal of presenting The Urantia Book to what was considered the mainstream of society. Regardless of any official chagrin, it was announcements among many Teaching Mission groups of an impending materialization of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that resulted in the decline of public participation due to the manner with which this prospect was represented by some.

Today, there are Teaching Mission lessons translated into many languages around the world, and no doubt, lessons are being received by those who care to listen to the Source of all spiritual guidance within every child of God endowed with his presence. How many of these oral lessons will be shared in public is yet to be seen. It is for this reason, the following collection is offered to the pubic simply as evidence, that at best, points to a greater body of teaching well beyond the reach of words but not to any who would make the time required to learn to recognize the still, small voice within.

October 25

Byron Belitsos wrote Oct 25, 2015, at 9:21 PM

Belated thanks for your reply Rob. It was quite a feat returning home after our complicated but delightful time in Utah.

I am encouraged by the changes you are planning for the Teaching Mission link. One of the reasons I have been reluctantly to refer people to this link (instead of to TMArchives.com) was the overview page you provided under the menus—to be honest. As you know, my view has been that it could be confusing to newcomers.

The new material below is much better. When the time is right, I have some suggestions for improving it.

Love BB

Rob wrote: Oct 25, 2015, at 3:57 PM:

Hello Byron-

Yes, travel is very demanding and moreso as we age ;-)

I am glad you are encouraged, and of course, the opening page as exists does not address the immediate needs of persons interested or even curious about the Teaching Mission as we know it.

Feel free to exercise your ability to write your suggestions directly into the discussion page where I will be posting suggestions and comments accordingly.

with love and gratitude,

Rob

October 28

Byron Belitsos wrote October 28, 2015 at 11:25pm

Rob, I hope you don’t mind that I posted my comments in this email—in green. We can paste it into the discussion page later…

COMMENTS BY BB It will be helpful to those examining these textual artifacts to know something about their origin. This requires at minimum, a brief overview of what is known as The Teaching Mission.

Please simplify and make more warm and inviting…A phrase like textual artifact sounds distant and academic IMO. What is the core teaching being delivered in the Teaching Mission? What is its purpose in a few words? What are some of the key facts? How many lessons? How many teachers? How many TeaM groups came into being? Here you might also link out to introductory accounts by others such Cleveland’s site, or to mine at evolving-souls.org.

Judging from the record of dialogues, an Advance Corps of celestial teachers began contacts with individual human beings in the late 1960’s for the purpose of developing experience with humans otherwise deprived of celestial contact and communication apart from the context of mysticism. As such, there are a few records from the early 1970’s that bear witness to this effort.

Until now, I have never heard the term “Advance Corps” — it is not in common parlance among us, and not well defined at your link, so suggest not using it.

Mention of the lessons before New Zealand is only of academic interest IMO.

Why have hyperlinks for generic terms like “1960s” and “communication” here? New people may think these links are essential to the discussion at hand, but they are quite tangential; such links add nothing to the immediate needs of the reader and could be distracting.

It wasn’t until the 1980’s

Suggest you simply put the actual date that first contact was made in New Zealand.

however that more systematic contact aiming to develop long term relationships with groups of persons began in New Zealand where the biblical personality known as Abraham acted as the group teacher. By the late 1980’s, other teachers were found contacting groups in the United States who, unlike the New Zealand group, were all Urantia Book readers.

The record suggests that the contact with a group in Utah by the teacher Ham

I believe this was not in Pocatello, but instead in Woods Cross.

was among the first, and afterwards grew into a network of small groups in the United States and eventually throughout the world. Typically, these were characterized by the study of The Urantia Book as a basic text though it appears not to have been a prerequisite for participation.

In early 1992, the teacher Ham made an announcement to the General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood through a “transmitter” named Rebecca, one of the first to bring through celestial teachings in the Woods Cross group …

then the only organization sponsoring study of the Urantia text. In this meeting on February 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, California in advance of a general conference of the Urantia Brotherhood, Ham described the Teaching Mission as follows:

1) Initiation and expansion of the Teacher Corps as many of you will desire to receive personal instruction. At present we are preparing a group of teachers who are in the first phase of our Teaching Mission. The mortals brought under their teaching and guidance will become teachers themselves, as themselves, not in an intermediary position as is Rebecca (the ‘transmitter’) tonight. Spiritual enlightenment on individual, group, national, and planetary scale is anticipated.

2) Also, along with the spiritual uplifting, we anticipate and desire cooperation in other areas of human life endeavor as well, chiefly economic, political, social, environmental, and technical changes. Of course we are anticipating many years duration of this initial phase of our mission.

3) I am commissioned to announce also the third aspect of our Teaching Mission, and that is preparation for an even greater Teacher. Michael has prepared the way. We are expanding the way. A Teacher Son will complete the way toward Light and Life on Urantia. As for timing, I cannot adequately or accurately foresee.

Suggest remove the generic hyperlinks here. It it is distracting as the reader has to pick and choose to find one that is immediately relevant.

The reception of this announcement was decidedly cool. Nevertheless, it was described by Teaching Mission participants who were present as a “great success”. No doubt, the Urantia Brotherhood had larger concerns at that time with contests over copyright control of the Urantia text that persisted through the 1990’s until the copyright was cancelled by a Superior Court decision in 2001 after nearly a decade of litigation.

Suggest delete most of this, or, if you decide to keep it, add more detail. Who gave it a cool reception? Why? And, if it was poorly received, why did others call it a success? Confusing unless this is filled in with journalistic detail. IMO, the copyright issue was not relevant at this time, so I don’t see how it fits in here.

With copyright no longer serving as a thorn in the body of organized readers of The Urantia Book, the Teaching Mission became increasingly perceived as a threat to the goal of presenting The Urantia Book to what was considered the mainstream of society. Regardless of any official chagrin, it was announcements among many Teaching Mission groups of an impending materialization of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that resulted in the decline of public participation due to the manner with which this prospect was represented by some.

I don’t think you can properly explain Naperville, etc. in a few sentences, and I don’t see it as important in an introduction to new people, so I would delete this.

Today, there are Teaching Mission lessons translated into many languages around the world,

I don’t think that translations are at all significant enough to mention here.

and no doubt, lessons are being received by those who care to listen to the Source of all spiritual guidance within every child of God endowed with his presence. How many of these oral lessons will be shared in public is yet to be seen.

I find this less than helpful, because if conflates two very different phenomena.

It is for this reason, the following collection is offered to the pubic simply as evidence, that at best, points to a greater body of teaching well beyond the reach of words but not to any who would make the time required to learn to recognize the still, small voice within.

Suggest flesh this out a bit more. Important point passed over quickly.

Byron Belitsos wrote October 28, 2015 at 11:25pm

Rob, I should add that, if any of my comments hit home, you might like to provide us with a new and improved version of this introductory page. Also, I want to acknowledge you for your years of deep devotion to this complex work in a time when interest in it is at low ebb—though not for long. Love Byron

October 29

Rob wrote: October 29, 2015 at 10:11pm

Dear Byron,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, all of which are gratefully taken home to Father within. The page associated with the url https://dialogues.daynal.org will be updated in transit to the redesign of the entire site. Your generous acknowledgement is appreciated.

with love and gratitude,

Rob

For brevity, your comments that are numbered citing only their first sentence with my replies beneath .

1. "Please simplify and make more warm and inviting…A phrase like textual artifact sounds distant and academic"

reply: Textuality is at best twice removed from its source, and at worst, used to negate its purpose. The use of the term ‘artifact’ simply makes this fact more explicit while stating such artifacts arise from "oral lessons given by Ascending and Descending teachers of various orders”. Your helpful points posed as questions are addressed by Ham’s description of the Teaching Mission found by following the supplied link.

2. "Until now, I have never heard the term Advance Corps"

reply: Following the supplied link through the brief description to the lesson describing this term finds -

"Wenslo: At the onset of the fifth epochal revelation, which began actually at the end of the (19th) last century, a small staff came to train initially then to do service in bringing about the book, also to begin establishing a core of contacts. I was fortunate enough to have arrived shortly after the initial group and have served on many levels before being assigned to Bill. My functions were not necessarily to work as a personal teacher as my current assignment is, but to work with the angelic corps in indirectly contacting mortals. There were others who were capable of making direct contact even without the circuits. There is also the knowledge of impending adjudication. It was apparent even at that point that it would be resolved soon in our terms. This is why we started preparing for the change, preparing for the reconnecting of the standard normal circuitry even at that point in the distant past from your point of view.”….

For archival purposes, any lessons received prior to Ham’s announcement to the Urantia Brotherhood are categorized as being among the Advance Corps though this category is not featured in the general chronology.

I appreciate encouragement to sharpen the focus of supplied hyperlinks and will implement wherever feasible.

3. "Suggest you simply put the actual date that first contact was made in New Zealand."

reply: While the first NZ record is Feb. 20, 1984 I seriously doubt it was the “first contact” given that formalities inherent in recording and transcribing generally follow personal and informal contacts.

4. "I believe this was not in Pocatello, but instead in Woods Cross."

reply: I am surprised your sharp eye did not detect the discrepancy between the words and their hyperlink ;-) I had written “a group in Utah” intending a link to Woods Cross. In error, I inserted the hyperlink pointing to Pocatello.

5. "through a “transmitter” named Rebecca, one of the first to bring through celestial teachings in...Woods Cross"

reply: The TR is identified in the following paragraph by Ham. Given Rebecca’s current desire to distance herself for professional reasons, I see no reason to lift her profile any further than Ham’s words do already.

6. "Suggest remove the generic hyperlinks here.”

reply: As per #2 above, I am glad to sharpen the focus of hyperlinks and will do so.

7. "Suggest delete most of this, or, if you decide to keep it, add more detail.”

reply: As I will be scrutinizing the page aiming to reduce its length, I will give attention to this section.

8. "I don’t think you can properly explain Naperville, “

reply: Please examine the Naperville page & its talk page. There you will find no reference to the Magisterial Mission that is referenced in the copy whose manner of representation coincided with decline in participation.

9. "I don’t think that translations are at all significant enough to mention here.”

reply: Numbers of languages in translation suggests strength of appeal. There are many more to be added.

10. "I find this less than helpful, because if conflates two very different phenomena.”

reply: Do you suggest a lack of integration in spirit?

11. "Suggest flesh this out a bit more. Important point passed over quickly.”

reply: I would like to hear you say more about this “important point passed over quickly.”

October 30

Mer Tenney wrote: October 30, 2015 at 8:23pm

I think your points are well taken, Byron, and I like your suggestions.

Mer

Rob wrote: October 30, 2015 at 10:03 pm

Hello Mer-

Thank you for chiming in! I would encourage you to say more and in greater detail.

Gratefully,

Rob

November 1

Byron wrote: November 1, 2015 at 4:42pm

A final few responses …

  • 1 I would argue that the transcribed lessons are themselves the immediate objective of the celestials, and not the live sessions—most sessions were ad hoc events with minor effect on most participants, and many transmissions have no audience at all (as in the 11:11 transmissions). So, these “texts" are more like living documents than they are like “leftover” artifacts of some past event.
  • 8 I still hold to the idea that Naperville is far too complex to cover here, and your special page on it does not add enough to change my mind. It should not be elevated to such central importance when many other key points need to be made in this introductory overview that have not been made.
  • 10 Spirit unifies all things. You can still conflate two distantly related items from within this "set of all things.” A transmission from a celestial being is a function occurring between personalities, one human and one (typically) an ascendant human; listening to one’s TA is not IMO in the same category.

I’ll leave it at that in the hope that we will see a new draft of this material.

Love, BB

Rick Voss wrote: November 1, 2015 at 7:20pm

Thanks Byron, you make some really good points here. I’m in full agreement of the first two. “Live living documents” better describes what these transcripts are to me. The teacher can comes alive in the heart of the recipient when these treasures are read by a seeker. “Personality recognizes personality” as we are told in the UB.

I fully agree on the second point as it is written. I’ll need to review the original text you are referring to comment on #10.

Thanks again

November 2

Rob wrote (in reply to Byron's last post): November 2, 2015 at 12:01pm

Most certainly, a new draft will be forthcoming. In the interim, I offer the following for reflection:

1) The objective of spirit is spiritualization. Material symbols can serve this purpose as a means to an end. 8) Naperville is not referenced in the copy supplied. ‘Materializations' associated with a Magisterial Mission are. 10) For archival processing of any document, the ‘teacher' is but an attribution tag for database purposes.

I appreciate the ‘feelings’ associated with this discussion and the willingness to share them.

Rob wrote (in reply to Rick's post): November 2, 2015 at 12:14pm

Hello Rick-

Yes, Byron makes important points revealing his personal experience with what we know as the Teaching Mission, and of course, I appreciate his articulating these thoughts. It may prove that I hold a minority opinion in the discussion, but finding an acceptable description of experience than so many find to be of unspeakable value is always a challenge.

On what you refer to as “the second point”, please review the text referenced I enclose here:

"Regardless of any official chagrin, it was announcements among many Teaching Mission groups of an impending materialization of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that resulted in the decline of public participation due to the manner with which this prospect was represented by some.”

and let me know where you find a reference to Naperville. Otherwise, I look forward to any further thoughts shared.

Gratefully,

Rob

Byron wrote: November 2, 2015 at 12:43pm

Rob, as a publisher of Teaching Mission texts going back 17 years, and having been on many radio shows discussing it with thousands of listeners who ask questions on the air, I speak for more than my purely personal experience—I’ve been working with the general public, not to mention booksellers and radio hosts, for that entire period of time. So, I speak as best as I can from the point of view of our audience and its true needs when being introduced to this phenomenon. That said, I’ll step out now and wait for you to generate a second draft. —B

Rob wrote: November 2, 2015 at 1:43pm

Dear Byron,

The public labor you describe that is so highly respected and having been given so freely on behalf of the Teaching Mission is an indication of the potency and depth of your personal experience in and with it. The former is the domain of words while the latter remains well beyond their reach.

With love and gratitude,

Rob

Rob wrote: November 2, 2015 at 1:43pm

  • 2nd draft

Dear Friends,

Here is the second draft. Remember, we are living in an age of hypertext not just text, and it will be helpful to follow the supplied links as they point to more information for any readers venturing beyond the surface. Also, bear in mind that approval of ‘live’ formatting (in the wiki) of any draft will have to await a final stage of review.

Gratefully,

Rob

Historical background to The Dialogues

In early 1984, formal contact with a group of persons began in New Zealand where the biblical personality known as Abraham began acting as their teacher. By the late 1980’s, other teachers were found contacting groups in the United States that, unlike the New Zealand group, were all Urantia Book readers.

The record suggests that the contact with a group in Utah by the teacher Ham was among the first, and afterwards grew into a network of small groups in the United States and eventually throughout the world. Typically, these were characterized by the study of The Urantia Book as a basic text.

In early 1992, the teacher Ham made an announcement to the Urantia Brotherhood, then the only organization sponsoring study of the Urantia text. In this meeting on February 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, California, Ham announced the Teaching Mission citing three phases:

— "An expansion of teachers as many would desire to receive personal instruction. Those brought under their guidance will become teachers themselves, as themselves, not in an intermediary position as is the ‘transmitter’ tonight. Spiritual enlightenment on individual, group, national, and planetary scale is anticipated."

— "Along with the spiritual uplifting, we anticipate and desire cooperation in other areas of human endeavor as well, chiefly economic, political, social, environmental, and technical changes."

— "The third aspect of our Teaching Mission is preparation for an even greater Teacher. Michael has prepared the way. We are expanding the way. A Teacher Son will complete the way toward Light and Life on Urantia."

While met with skepticism, the event was described by Teaching Mission participants who were present as a “great success”. Afterwards, nearly a decade of lessons were received before further announcements were made of an impending appearance of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that may correspond to the second phase cited in Ham’s announcement and alluded to in one of his early lessons.

The Dialogues are offered now to the pubic simply as evidence pointing to a greater body of teaching yet to be received and available to any making the time required to recognize the still, small voice within.

Note: For answers to frequently asked questions about the Teaching Mission, follow this link. Otherwise, follow links in the menu at the top of this page to examine contents of the main categories of the Dialogues.

November 3

Mer Tenney wrote: November 3, 2015 at 9:09pm

I like it, Rob. It's still exciting to see the facts related in a straight forward manner!

Mer

Rob wrote: November 3, 2015 at 9:15pm

Thanks Mer! Everyone’s comments are helping to shape it for the best.

Rob

Dave Tenney wrote: November 3, 2015 at 10:20pm

Hi Rob,

Glad you're providing this brief "frame" for the clarification of the picture of content within. (However, I would add one typo correction that "the Dialogues are now offered to the public" (vs. the pubic) --albeit the latter is a bit more humorous!

--Dave

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 5:46pm

Hello Dave -

Good to hear from you! I got a good laugh out of this and the fact that this typo was found by our very own resident psychologist. Be assured, it will not appear in the final draft ;-)

Gratefully,

Rob

November 4

Rob wrote: November 4, 2015 at 5:46pm

Hello Dave -

Good to hear from you! I got a good laugh out of this and the fact that this typo was found by our very own resident psychologist. Be assured, it will not appear in the final draft ;-)

Gratefully,

Rob

Byron wrote: November 4, 2015 at 1:17am

Rob, this is an improvement, thanks.

May I suggest that you begin at the top with a definition of the Teaching Mission. You might borrow language from your FAQ. Otherwise, this short history lacks sufficient context and background for a new person just landing here.

Second, I suggest adding something about the scope of the archive. How many transcripts? How many teachers are included? How many groups? Etc …

At a minimum, the word “contact" in the first line should at least use the phrase “celestial contact.” The word “teacher” should IMO be “celestial teacher”—otherwise, this could be confusing.

I can live with the Ham statement concerning the three phases, but it is my view that this material is out of date and a bit misleading.

You mention “second phase” near the bottom. Don’t you mean “third phase”? appearance of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that may correspond to the second phase cited in Ham’s announcement

Thanks, BB

Rob wrote: November 4, 2015 at 5:48pm

Hello Byron -

You’re welcome and thank you for your comments! They have been a great help in honing the description.

1. Yes, I agree that above the ‘historical background’ there needs to be a brief description of the Teaching Mission. I do like the idea of using existing expression wherever possible and will draw from the FAQ in the next draft.

2. I will see if I can fit this in though the information is found when exploring the menu items.

3. The teachers don’t describe themselves as celestials but as equals lifting us to know we too are ‘celestial'. [1]

4. As for the three phases, they correspond directly to the last three of the five phases of the kingdom of heaven as described by Midwayers representing Jesus’ thought. As such, I think you will see that any contacts with ‘celestials' is germane to the third phase regarding the supermortal dimension of brotherhood, something activated for more general access following the adjudication of rebellion. The next phase (2nd in Ham’s, 4th in the UB) refers to the inherently political reformation of our world as we move toward a new social order, one directed best by a Magisterial Son. The last phase in both Ham’s description and the UB’s, is the “kingdom in its fullness”, best directed by those who always preside over the inauguration of a genuinely spiritual age.

Gratefully,

Rob

1. celestial - a) relating to the sky or outer space, b) relating to heaven, c) supremely good. "heaven and earth” have passed away in whom these terms no longer function as separate categories of experience.


Marty wrote: November 4, 2015 at 1:36pm

Rob, Your intro is good imo. Here are some edits for your consideration: (Question: Didn't Abraham and/or Ham ask the New Zealanders to contact the UB readers in the USA?)

Historical background to The Dialogues

In early 1984, formal celestial contact with a group of persons began in New Zealand where the biblical personality known as Abraham began acting as their teacher. By the late 1980’s, other celestial teachers were found contacting groups of Urantia Book readers in the United States

The record suggests that contact with the Woods Cross Urantia Book study group in Utah by the teacher Ham was among the first, and afterwards grew into a network of small Urantia Book study groups in the United States, and eventually throughout the world.

In early 1992, the teacher Ham made an announcement to the Urantia Brotherhood, then the only organization sponsoring study of the Urantia text. In this meeting on February 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, California, Ham announced the Teaching Mission citing three phases:

— "An increase in the number of teachers to as many as would desire to receive personal instruction. Those brought under their guidance will become teachers themselves, as themselves, not in an intermediary position as is the ‘transmitter’ tonight. Spiritual enlightenment on individual, group, national, and planetary scale is anticipated."

— "Along with the spiritual uplifting, we anticipate and desire cooperation in other areas of human endeavor as well, chiefly economic, political, social, environmental, and technical changes."

— "The third aspect of our Teaching Mission is preparation for an even greater Teacher. Michael has prepared the way. We are expanding the way. A Magisterial Teacher Son will complete the way toward Light and Life on Urantia."

While met with skepticism, the event was described by Teaching Mission participants who were present as a “great success”. Afterwards, nearly a decade of lessons were received before further announcements were made of an impending appearance of celestial visitors in what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission that may correspond to the second phase cited in Ham’s announcement and alluded to in one of his early lessons.

The Dialogues are offered now to the pubic simply as evidence pointing to a greater body of teaching yet to be received and available to any taking the time required to recognize the still, small voice within.

Note: For answers to frequently asked questions about the Teaching Mission, follow this link. Otherwise, follow links in the menu at the top of this page to examine contents of the main categories of the Dialogues.

Rick Voss wrote: November 4, 2015 at 2:01pm

Greetings Rob, it looks like you are receiving plenty of input on a revised draft so I’ll keep it short. First, can you direct me to where this “Historical background to the Dialogues” is located on the Daynal sight and second, I have always referred to the “textual artifacts or Dialogs, as you refer to them, as the Teaching Mission Transcripts. The term transcript to describe these texts is well known throughout the Team Community. If we are trying to keep some sort of continuity in thought, wouldn’t it be more fitting to use the phrase Teaching Mission Transcripts to describe these gems of communication between the seen and the unseen?

Rob wrote: November 4, 2015 at 5:51pm Hello Marty -

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I believe your question is answered in the affirmative, but I say this only on the basis of oral legend.

You will have seen I am averse to using the term celestial for members of the Teacher Corps. However, I will consider it. It may be redundant in the copy for historical background once the short description of the Teaching Mission is included in the next draft. We’ll see.

Mention is made in the second paragraph that all persons contacted were Urantia Book readers. Mentioning the words Urantia Book three times in close proximity might be a bit wordy, but we’ll see.

Though I feel constrained to adhere closely to the original text of Ham’s words when in quotation marks, I do take your point about “to as many as would desire”. I’ll think about it and may elect to remove the quotation marks.

You may have noted in my last reply to Byron the meanings associated with the “phases”. Certainly, a supreme magistrate (Magisterial Son) will be essential to political and social reformation, but the kingdom in its fullness characterized as a spiritual age is inaugurated by Teacher Sons. However, we are witnessing all three orders of Paradise Sons operating simultaneously in this “Correcting Time”.

Gratefully,

Rob

Rob wrote: November 4, 2015 at 5:51pm

P.s. Though I am averse to the term celestial teachers, I have found a number of references by members of the Teacher Corps using this term. In my own experience, I have never heard it used by teachers addressing me. Instead, I have listened to them emphasizing our equality, if not in experience, in value to our Father.

FYI, for now the words “Celestial Teachers” redirects to the term Teacher Corps where they are described simply as “the group of teachers assigned to the work of the Teaching Mission.

I will soon be working on the next draft, and will see what I can do to accommodate the requests here while honoring my own experience that tends to find ‘terrestrials’ assuming the posture of the advanced apes approaching the monolith in the movie 2001: Space Odyssey when approaching those they deem to be ‘celestials’.

Byron wrote: November 4, 2015 at 12:48pm

Rob, I thank you for taking our input. The archive is a public trust. It’s not a "proprietary enterprise" as may be seen with TMarchives. To some extent, an archive should reflect the consensus of those who have been intimately involved in the process of accumulating the archive materials.

Along that line, it may be important for you to recognize that how you present this material is interpretive. It reflects your own experience and philosophy, and sometimes you alone. For example, I don’t think any of us in the community have a problem with the term “celestial”; this is a singular problem in your own interpretation of the phenomenon. So, perhaps you should “own” this choice, and simply add your name to this page. To me there is a huge cosmic distance between us and Melchizedeks or even ascendant humans,. How you could suggest that we have a "equality in experience” with them is beyond me, but to say so is arguably within your rights as the archivist. Certainly within your rights as a commentator. But it is a minority opinion—it’s your very unique interpretation that is being provided to the general public without offering them alternative interpretations.

My bigger concern is that it seems contrary to common sense exclude the use of the term “celestial"; without it, the public may think that we are talking about humans until they puzzle over it for a while. What would be the purpose of that? Surely, it is a good question to pose once they are more advanced students. But this page is not a page devoted only to advanced students. Perhaps you can footnote such items and provide a page in which you bring out these more advanced and interpretative notions, but under your own name.

Love Byron

Rick wrote: November 4, 2015 at 1:11pm

Thanks for your explanation. It gives me a better understanding of your thinking. This is important to me since presently I am being groomed as the only back-up individual to your work.

The reason I originally asked this question is that I refer to the collection of communications in the archives as transcripts when introducing someone to the Teaching Mission. If I where to refer to this collection as dialogs, it would most likely come across that I was referring to a collection of audio recordings as the term dialog would infer. To us more advanced students the term dialog would be more appropriate when we have a personal inner communication with any one of the myriad of celestial entities reading to commune with us at a moments notice.

Rob wrote: November 4, 2015 at 5:52pm

Hello Rick -

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

The “Historical background to the Dialogues” is not found on the Daynal site, not yet anyway. It is drawn from my introduction to the book Sutras for a New World.

The Teaching Mission Transcripts is not a proper name that I know of. However, Teaching Mission transcripts would refer to any written or printed copies of a teacher session where the oral record was made first by audio recording and later transcribed into a printed record. Such practice characterized the early stage even before the Internet, and I do have a large number of “transcripts” that have yet to be uploaded into digital files online.

The term “The Teaching Mission: Dialogues” was employed by me initially to distinguish from the name Teaching Mission Archives where preoccupation with material artifacts took on an obsessive nature much to the detriment of the Teaching Mission. Hence, I sought to utilize a term recognizing the inherently fluid nature of their origin.

Gratefully,

Rob

November 5

Marty wrote: November 5, 2015 at 8:34am

Our Teaching Mission Teachers are celestials. https://dictionary.reference.com/browse/celestial Marty

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 2:53pm

Thanks Marty! These are the same I supplied in my earlier reply to Byron.

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 3:30pm

You’re welcome Byron. As a point of fact, Daynal Institute is not a public trust, at least not yet, while “TMArchives” is a public trust, established by me and approved for that purpose by legal authorities. Of course, this only shows how legal terminology can operate as a contradiction, and, for those inclined to see through the fog, a source of humor. This ‘dialogue’ is an exercise in developing the capacity of persons touched so deeply by the teachers we love, to see if we might be able to differ in the face of our common experience and produce a statement together.

You may not have read my reply to Marty after replying to you. There you might have discerned an adjustment in my efforts to craft an acceptable document representative of our shared experience that I have yet to submit. Then again, as you say, reading is an exercise in interpretation since words are twice removed from their source. Because we see around us only what we hold within us, it may be that we ‘see’ things that aren’t ‘there' such as the word “Naperville” where it is not or quoting “equality of experience” when instead it is written is "equality of value".

I am not averse to using the terminology that I recognize is in general use even if I reserve the right to have my own opinion about it, something all here are entitled to hold, and hopefully, feel free to express, confident that others are able to listen to that which is deeper than the words will ever reach and respond accordingly.

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 3:49pm

You’re welcome Rick! Of course, you do well to refer to the collection as ‘transcripts’ since that is what they are. However, since the goal of material things is to deepen the experience of spiritual value, it is hoped that persons might move into deeper water than merely reading transcripts, and deeper than conversing with their teacher(s) even to the supreme pleasure of being in communion with the source of all things, meanings, and values.

I am preparing for meetings with the webmaster, but will supply the third draft as soon as I can. In it I hope to use the word ‘celestial’ in a way that will satisfy all even while knowing that the purpose of the Teaching Mission is to heal the acute sense of separation operating here between humanity and divinity e.g. terrestrial and celestial.

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 8:08pm

3rd Draft Dear Friends,

Enclosed is the 3rd draft that incorporates language from the FAQ as an introductory statement. It addresses the concerns about the use of ‘celestial’, and I have incorporated its use elsewhere in the “historical introduction”. I am happy to continue this exercise as long as it takes to obtain a satisfactory result before and after the page is 'finished'. As ever, your comments are an essential part of this exercise.

Gratefully,

Rob

ps. to see it formatted in the wiki environment, follow this link. (it fits into one wiki page, an important objective)

The Teaching Mission

While each participant will have a different description of this world-wide Teaching Mission, essentially, it is an avenue of personal spiritual experience. Individuals, in their private devotions may experience contact with supermortal guides, or "teachers” who are advanced enough in their own spiritual growth and cosmic evolution to be a lofty inspiration to us, and yet, they remain greatly empathetic and supportive of our personal struggles with soul growth.

We believe that there are a host of intelligent, loving, celestial agencies ministering to our world. One such group of celestial beings who work together for humanity's spiritual progress call themselves teachers of the Teaching Mission or the Correcting Time. The Correcting Time is said to encompass roughly the next millennium of human history, a time for correcting the consequences of calamities and deprivations of the past, and preparation for an era of heightened spiritual progress in the future--the era of Light and Life on Earth.

Historical Background

In 1984, formal contact with a group of persons began in New Zealand where the biblical personality known as Abraham began acting as a group teacher. By the late 1980’s, additional celestial teachers were found contacting groups in the United States who, unlike the New Zealand group, were all Urantia Book readers.

The record suggests that the contact with a group in Utah by the teacher Ham was among the first, and afterwards grew into a network of small groups in the United States and eventually throughout the world. Typically, these were characterized by the study of The Urantia Book as a basic text.

In early 1992, the teacher Ham made an announcement to the General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood, then the only organization sponsoring study of the Urantia text. In this meeting on February 1, 1992 in Los Angeles, California in advance of a general conference of the Urantia Brotherhood, Ham described the Teaching Mission as follows:

1) The initiation and expansion of the Teacher Corps to as many would desire to receive personal instruction. The mortals brought under their teaching and guidance will become teachers themselves, as themselves, not in an intermediary position as is the ‘transmitter’ tonight. Spiritual enlightenment on individual, group, national, and planetary scale is anticipated.

2) Along with the spiritual uplifting, we anticipate and desire cooperation in other areas of human life endeavor as well, chiefly economic, political, social, environmental, and technical changes.

3) The third aspect of our Teaching Mission is preparation for an even greater Teacher. Michael has prepared the way. We are expanding the way. A Teacher Son will complete the way toward Light and Life on Urantia.

While this announcement was met with skepticism it was described by Teaching Mission participants who were present as a “great success”. Nearly another decade of lessons were received before further announcements of the inauguration of what the Urantia text describes as a Magisterial Mission was to occur that may correspond to the second phase cited in Ham’s announcement and alluded to in one of his early lessons.

The following collection is offered to the public simply as evidence, that at best, points to a greater body of teaching yet to be received, but available to any who would make the time required to learn to recognize the still, small voice within.

See also

Rob wrote: November 5, 2015 at 8:33pm

I have emended the 3rd draft to take out the words “materialization of celestial visitors”…. in the next to last paragraph and replaced them with “the inauguration of”….

November 9

Rob wrote: November 9, 2015 at 11:44pm

Created page for insertion under https://dialogues.daynal.org url called Their Source and Background for the url's opening page.