“Piercing the Veil” wood engraving by an unknown artist, 1888
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MORONTIA
Throughout history, humans have believed that when we die we will be transported instantly to heaven. It would take quite a miracle, though, to be suddenly transformed from a level barely above the animals to a state of spiritual perfection.
The Urantia Book reveals that there are many steps from Earth to paradise. This journey takes place in a sort of a halfway state between matter and spirit—a transition realm called morontia.
Here’s an introduction to morontia life.
The Spiritual and Material Woven Together
The concept of morontia originates in The Urantia Book. Some people joke that the root of the word, moron, signifies our ignorance of this state of being.
One of the early leaders of the Christian church, the apostle Paul, did know a little bit about morontia forms when he wrote, “ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance” (Hebrews 10:34).
You can think of the morontia level as a weave. The vertical yarns—the warp—are spirit. The horizontal yarns—the woof—are physical.
Our souls are constructed in the same way: the warp is the spirit of God that lives within us; the woof is made up of our (physical) human experiences.
Thus we can say we have a morontia soul—that part of ourselves which survives the death of our bodies and carries us into the morontia realm of existence.
Our Goal Is to Grow Our Morontia Soul
Our most important mission, in this life and the next, is to grow our souls, so that we can become immortal.
We grow our souls by making good, selfless decisions. “In so far as man’s evolving morontia soul becomes permeated by truth, beauty, and goodness as the value-realization of God-consciousness, such a resultant being becomes indestructible” (The Urantia Book).
Understanding this concept can help us on our spiritual journey by giving meaning to our earthly struggles, which force us to grow. “The morontia soul is the child of the universe and may be really known only through cosmic insight and spiritual discovery” (The Urantia Book).
Jesus Died and Reappeared in a Morontia Body
The Urantia Book tells us that after Jesus was resurrected, he appeared many times to his apostles and followers. His body was not spiritual but was a look-alike body made of morontia material. This is the reason his body was at times visible and at other times invisible to humans. It explains how he was able to pass through material enclosures and walls and appear and disappear suddenly.
After we graduate from this planet (in other words, after we die), our souls are transported by a special angel to the next stop in our journey where we adopt bodies made of material similar to that of the resurrected Jesus.
The Urantia Book describes a vast universe school through which we travel between this life and our ultimate destiny in Paradise, as we learn, grow, and become more spiritual.
The Many Mansions of Morontia
The worlds we will live on during the first part of our journey to Paradise are called the Mansion Worlds. You may recall that Jesus said in the Bible, “In my Father’s house are many mansions” (John 14:2). He was referring to these worlds, a sort of elementary school in which we are enrolled after we graduate from this nursery school we call Earth.
Oh! The morontia life! Can you imagine? We’ll wake up in our new, young adult, morontia bodies, free from illness, injury, or pain. We will be able to meet our angels, long lost friends, and family before we begin our adventure as beings ascending toward Paradise.
We will live in a city “whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). And these worlds are so very beautiful!
The Urantia Book describes pearly gates and buildings made of crystal gems. There will be music and art far beyond what we can imagine. We will actually hear choirs of angels. We will study, and we will play. The book even suggests the presence of celestial comedians!
A Wonderful Life after Death
As we progress through the morontia levels toward Paradise, we will keep all of our spiritually valuable memories and character traits and leave behind those that no longer serve us. We will slowly build a character worthy of coming into the personal presence of God.
Doesn’t all this sound like a wonderful plan?
Now that we have a better understanding of life after death, we should become all the more enthusiastic about living a good, meaningful life here on Earth.
See you on the mansion worlds!
Learn More
Here are additional resources that will help you understand morontia and life after death.
What Will We Do in Heaven?—an introduction to life after death.
“Morontia Now, the Key to Eternity”—a seventy-minute video investigating the concept of morontia.
The Morontia Life by Dr. William S. Sadler—an extensive selection of quotes from The Urantia Book describing morontia life.
The Urantia Book Fellowship helps people with their spiritual growth and development. Explaining terms and concepts that are unique to The Urantia Book is part of our mission. Learn more about What Is The Urantia Book.