to the constellation governments. As a result of all these services, the Vorondadek Sons have become the historians of the local universes; they are personally familiar with all the political struggles and the social upheavals of the inhabited worlds.
6. The Constellation Fathers
35:6.1 (390.5) At least three Vorondadeks are assigned to the rulership of each of the one hundred constellations of a local universe. These Sons are selected by the Creator Son and are commissioned by Gabriel as the Most Highs of the constellations for service during one dekamillennium—10,000 standard years, about 50,000 years of Urantia time. The reigning Most High, the Constellation Father, has two associates, a senior and a junior. At each change of administration the senior associate becomes the head of the government, the junior assumes the duties of the senior, while the unassigned Vorondadeks resident on the Salvington worlds nominate one of their number as candidate for selection to assume the responsibilities of junior associate. Thus each of the Most High rulers, in accordance with present policy, has a period of service on the headquarters of a constellation of three dekamillenniums, about 150,000 Urantia years.
35:6.2 (390.6) The one hundred Constellation Fathers, the actual presiding heads of the constellation governments, constitute the supreme advisory cabinet of the Creator Son. This council is in frequent session at universe headquarters and is unlimited in the scope and range of its deliberations but is chiefly concerned with the welfare of the constellations and with the unification of the administration of the entire local universe.
35:6.3 (391.1) When a Constellation Father is in attendance upon duties at the universe headquarters, as he frequently is, the senior associate becomes acting director of constellation affairs. The normal function of the senior associate is the oversight of spiritual affairs, while the junior associate is personally occupied with the physical welfare of the constellation. No major policy, however, is ever carried out in a constellation unless all three of the Most Highs are agreed upon all the details of its execution.
35:6.4 (391.2) The entire mechanism of spirit intelligence and communication channels is at the disposal of the constellation Most Highs. They are in perfect touch with their superiors on Salvington and with their direct subordinates, the sovereigns of the local systems. They frequently convene in council with these System Sovereigns to deliberate upon the state of the constellation.
35:6.5 (391.3) The Most Highs surround themselves with a corps of counselors, which varies in number and personnel from time to time in accordance with the presence of the various groups at constellation headquarters and also as the local requirements vary. During times of stress they may ask for, and will quickly receive, additional Sons of the Vorondadek order to assist with the administrative work. Norlatiadek, your own constellation, is at present administered by twelve Vorondadek Sons.
7. The Vorondadek Worlds
35:7.1 (391.4) The second group of seven worlds in the circuit of seventy primary spheres surrounding Salvington comprise the Vorondadek planets. Each of these spheres, with its six encircling satellites, is devoted to a special phase of Vorondadek activities. On these forty-nine realms the ascending mortals secure the acme of their education respecting universe legislation.
35:7.2 (391.5) The ascending mortals have observed the legislative assemblies as they functioned on the headquarters worlds of the constellations, but here on these Vorondadek worlds they participate in the enactment of the actual general legislation of the local universe under the tutelage of the senior Vorondadeks. Such enactments are designed to co-ordinate the varied pronouncements of the autonomous legislative assemblies of the one hundred constellations. The instruction to be had in the Vorondadek schools is unexcelled even on Uversa. This training is progressive, extending from the first sphere, with supplemental work on its six satellites, on up through the remaining six primary spheres and their associated satellite groups.
35:7.3 (391.6) The ascending pilgrims will be introduced to numerous new activities on these worlds of study and practical work. We are not forbidden to undertake the revelation of these new and undreamed-of pursuits, but we despair of being able to portray these undertakings to the material mind of mortal beings. We are without words to convey the meanings of these supernal activities, and there are no analogous human engagements which might be utilized as illustrations of these new occupations of the ascending mortals as they pursue their studies on these forty-nine worlds. And many other activities, not a part of the ascendant regime, are centered on these Vorondadek worlds of the Salvington circuit.
8. The Lanonandek Sons
35:8.1 (392.1) After the creation of the Vorondadeks, the Creator Son and the Universe Mother Spirit unite for the purpose of bringing into existence the third order of universe sonship, the Lanonandeks. Although occupied with varied tasks connected with the system administrations, they are best known as System Sovereigns, the rulers of the local systems, and as Planetary Princes, the administrative heads of the inhabited worlds.
35:8.2 (392.2) Being a later and lower—as concerns divinity levels—order of sonship creation, these beings were required to pass through certain courses of training on the Melchizedek worlds in preparation for subsequent service. They were the first students in the Melchizedek University and were classified and certified by their Melchizedek teachers and examiners according to ability, personality, and attainment.
35:8.3 (392.3) The universe of Nebadon began its existence with exactly twelve million Lanonandeks, and when they had passed through the Melchizedek sphere, they were divided in the final tests into three classes:
35:8.4 (392.4) 1. Primary Lanonandeks. Of the highest rank there were 709,841. These are the Sons designated as System Sovereigns and assistants to the supreme councils of the constellations and as counselors in the higher administrative work of the universe.
35:8.5 (392.5) 2. Secondary Lanonandeks. Of this order emerging from Melchizedek there were 10,234,601. They are assigned as Planetary Princes and to the reserves of that order.
35:8.6 (392.6) 3. Tertiary Lanonandeks. This group contained 1,055,558. These Sons function as subordinate assistants, messengers, custodians, commissioners, observers, and prosecute the miscellaneous duties of a system and its component worlds.
35:8.7 (392.7) It is not possible, as it is with evolutionary beings, for these Sons to progress from one group to another. When subjected to the Melchizedek training, when once tested and classified, they serve continuously in the rank assigned. Neither do these Sons engage in reproduction; their number in the universe is stationary.
35:8.8 (392.8) In round numbers the Lanonandek order of Sons is classified on Salvington as follows:
35:8.9 (392.9) Universe Co-ordinators and Constellation Counselors . 100,000
35:8.10 (392.10) System Sovereigns and Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . 600,000
35:8.11 (392.11) Planetary Princes and Reserves . . . . . . . . . . . 10,000,000
35:8.12 (392.12) Messenger Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400,000
35:8.13 (392.13) Custodians and Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100,000
35:8.14 (392.14) Reserve Corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800,000
35:8.15 (392.15) Since Lanonandeks are a somewhat lower order of sonship than the Melchizedeks and the Vorondadeks, they are of even greater service in the subordinate units of the universe, for they are capable of drawing nearer the lower creatures of the intelligent races. They also stand in greater danger of going astray, of
