Page:The Urantia Book, 1st Edition.djvu/453

Rh These Sons are not an increasing order; their number is stationary, although varying in each local universe. The number of Melchizedeks of record on their headquarters planet in Nebadon is upward of ten million.

The Melchizedeks occupy a world of their own near Salvington, the universe headquarters. This sphere, by name Melchizedek, is the pilot world of the Salvington circuit of seventy primary spheres, each of which is encircled by six tributary spheres devoted to specialized activities. These marvelous spheres—seventy primaries and 420 tributaries—are often spoken of as the Melchizedek University. Ascending mortals from all the constellations of Nebadon pass through training on all 490 worlds in the acquirement of residential status on Salvington. But the education of ascenders is only one phase of the manifold activities taking place on the Salvington cluster of architectural spheres.

The 490 spheres of the Salvington circuit are divided into ten groups, each containing seven primary and forty-two tributary spheres. Each of these groups is under the general supervision of some one of the major orders of universe life. The first group, embracing the pilot world and the next six primary spheres in the encircling planetary procession, is under the supervision of the Melchizedeks. These Melchizedek worlds are:

The pilot world—the home world of the Melchizedek Sons. The world of the physical-life schools and the laboratories of living energies. The world of morontia life. The sphere of initial spirit life. The world of mid-spirit life. The sphere of advancing spirit life. The domain of co-ordinate and supreme self-realization.

The six tributary worlds of each of these Melchizedek spheres are devoted to activities germane to the work of the associated primary sphere.

The pilot world, the sphere Melchizedek, is the common meeting ground for all beings who are engaged in educating and spiritualizing the ascending mortals of time and space. To an ascender this world is probably the most interesting place in all Nebadon. All evolutionary mortals who graduate from their constellation training are destined to land on Melchizedek, where they are initiated into the regime of the disciplines and spirit progression of the Salvington educational system. And never will you forget your reactions to the first day of life on this unique world, not even after you have reached your Paradise destination.

Ascending mortals maintain residence on the Melchizedek world while pursuing their training on the six encircling planets of specialized education. And this same method is adhered to throughout their sojourn on the seventy cultural worlds, the primary spheres of the Salvington circuit.

Many diverse activities occupy the time of the numerous beings who reside on the six tributary worlds of the Melchizedek sphere, but as concerns the as-