Character

In the Urantia Book

Defined as

• Character is the capital accumulation of personal decisions illuminated by sincere worship and love, and consummated in brotherly service 117:5.13
• a righteous character is constituted by the co-ordination of idea-decisions, ideals, and divine truth 101:6.7
• What man himself takes with him as a personality possession are the character consequences of the experience of having used the mind and spirit circuits of the grand universe in his Paradise ascent. 117:5.13
• character is defined as the love of service 71:7.11
• a strong character consists in the correlation of a factual science, a moral philosophy, and a genuine religious experience. 16:6.10

Acquirement

• Some degree of recognition and a certain amount of appreciation are essential to the development of human character. 160:2.6
• Strong character, commanding personality, is only acquired by converting the natural urge of life into the social art of living, by transforming present desires into those higher longings 160:1.2
• this is the keynote of the whole educational system: character acquired by enlightened experience 37:6.3
• Creators forge out strong, noble, and experienced character by the anvils of necessity and the hammers of anguish 23:2.12
• Personality is basically changeless; that which changes—grows—is the moral character. Jesus never taught character building; he taught character growth 140:4.7 140:8.27
• A hopeful courage contribute mightily to the development of strong and noble characters. 127:3.14
• Jesus was the perfectly unified human personality. He unifies life, ennobles character, and simplifies experience. 100:7.18
• every man should ensure that the intellectual and moral foundations of character are such as will adequately support the superstructure of the enlarging and ennobling spiritual nature 156:5.2
• Marriage, with its manifold relations, is best designed to draw forth those precious impulses and those higher motives which are indispensable to the development of a strong character. 160:2.6
• character can be perfected in partnership with God 186:2.9
• Strong characters are not derived from not doing wrong but rather from actually doing right. 140:4.6
• A display of specialized skill does not signify possession of spiritual capacity. Cleverness is not a substitute for true character. 48:7.3
• heredity lies at bottom of all character; but an ideal inheritance is not all, the influence of an inferior environment virtually neutralized this magnificent inheritance 76:2.6
• The dead theory of even the highest religious doctrines is powerless to transform human character. What the world of today needs is the truth: “Not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit. ” 34:6.6
• passing through death does not bestow a noble character by itself. Real religion should not foster moral indolence and spiritual laziness by encouraging that vain hope 103:5.7

Effects

• After survival from death, the ascending personality is in great measure guided by the character patterns inherited from the human life (112:6.5,7)
• Trustworthiness is the true measure of self-mastery, character. 28:6.13
• It requires a great and noble character, having started out wrong, to turn about and go right. 184:2.12

Jesus character

• The unfailing kindness of Jesus touched the hearts of men, but his stalwart strength of character amazed his followers. 100:7.2

Character in the universe

• The number seven is basic to the central universe and the spiritual system of inherent transmissions of character 42:9.2
• secoraphic Discerners of Spirits and Solemnities of Trust unerringly reflect the actual moral and spiritual character of any individual concerned in a focal exposure. 28:5.19 28:6.14

Bible parallels

Passages that the paragraphs cited above parallel, quote or reinterpret, from Duane Faw’s Paramony cross-references. Hover a reference to read it.

• Not good for man to be alone 160:2.6 — Gn 2:18.
• By fruits you shall know them 140:4.7 — Mt 7:16-20; Lk 6:43-44. *Fruit of the spirit*: Ga 5:22-23; Eph 5:9.
• Barren tree hewn down 140:4.7 — Mt 7:19.
• Character growth 140:8.27 — Mt 13:31-32; Mk 4:31-32; Lk 13:18-19.
• If Jesus within, new creature 100:7.18 — 2 Co 5:17.
• Build on good foundation 156:5.2 — Mt 7:24-27; Lk 6:47-49.
• Fruits of the spirit 156:5.2 — Ga 5:22-23; Eph 5:9.
• Born of the spirit 156:5.2 — Jn 3:3-8.
• Taught by the spirit 156:5.2 — Is 2:3; Is 54:13; Mic 4:2; Jn 6:45; 1 Th 4:9; 1 Jn 2:27.
• Led by the spirit 156:5.2 — Ro 8:14; Ga 5:18.
• Not in word only, in power 34:6.6 — Zec 4:6; 1 Th 1:5.
• He was and is the truth 100:7.2 — Jn 1:17; Jn 14:6.

Where it appears

Character is linked in 183 paragraphs of the text; the first 40 are listed.

See also

• spiritual growth

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