B.B., Your question might best be answered by looking at a similar Doctrines and Covenants of the Mormon’s where “translation”, for the act of being “translated” is common place. If one looks at the following Wiki document it has an interesting similarity to what the Urantia Book is attempting to describe, where the Mormon book, “The Doctrine and Covenants” has reference almost the same transitions as described in the Urantia Book.
“In the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), translation refers to being physically changed by God from a mortal human being to an immortal human being. A person that has been translated is referred to as a translated being. According to LDS belief, Enoch, Moses, John the Apostle, the Three Nephites, and others were translated.
A translated being is akin to a resurrected person with the exception that a translated being has never died and a translated being has a body with less power than a resurrected being. Ordinary human beings are said to have a telestial body. People who are translated are said to have a terrestrial body. People who are resurrected are said to have a celestial body.”
“State of a terrestrial body”
“See also: Degrees of glory”
“Those who are translated beings are said to be “changed so that they do not experience pain or death until their resurrection to immortality.” Both translated and resurrected beings are eternally young and fit, not subject to illness or injury and spend their existences as ministering angels doing things that require physical bodies to perform; for example, where a disembodied spirit can record events as a witness and offer comfort or advice, a physical body is required to perform ordinances such as laying on of hands.
According to Parley P. Pratt, a translated being has a terrestrial body. This terrestrial body would be different from the terrestrial glory of heaven, just as the world in which we live is considered “telestial”, yet it is not the telestial glory of heaven. Translated beings with terrestrial bodies can appear or disappear the way the resurrected Jesus did in the 24th chapter of Luke. However, those who have resurrected “celestial” bodies have more power than those with terrestrial bodies. A person who has been translated still has to be resurrected after the Second Coming of Christ so he/she can attain a celestial body.”
1–4, The Lord is God; 5–10, The mysteries of the kingdom will be revealed to all the faithful; 11–17, All will come forth in the resurrection of the just or the unjust; 18–24, The inhabitants of many worlds are begotten sons and daughters unto God through the Atonement of Jesus Christ; 25–29, An angel of God fell and became the devil; 30–49, Sons of perdition suffer eternal damnation; all others gain some degree of salvation; 50–70, The glory and reward of exalted beings in the celestial kingdom is described; 71–80, Those who will inherit the terrestrial kingdom are described; 81–113, The status of those in the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial glories is explained; 114–19, The faithful may see and understand the mysteries of God’s kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit.
81 – And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.
82 – These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus.
83 – These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.
84 – These are they who are thrust down to hell.
85 – These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work.
86 – These are they who receive not of his fulness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial;
87 – And the terrestrial through the ministration of the celestial.
88 – And also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them; for they shall be heirs of salvation.
89 – And thus we saw, in the heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial, which surpasses all understanding;
90 – And no man knows it except him to whom God has revealed it.
91 – And thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial which excels in all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power, and in might, and in dominion.
92 – And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;
93 – Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.
94 – They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace;
95 – And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.
96 – And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one.
97 – And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one.
98 – And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one; for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;
99 – For these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and of Cephas.
100 – These are they who say they are some of one and some of another—some of Christ and some of John, and some of Moses, and some of Elias, and some of Esaias, and some of Isaiah, and some of Enoch;
101 – But received not the gospel, neither the testimony of Jesus, neither the prophets, neither the everlasting covenant.
102 – Last of all, these all are they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up unto the church of the Firstborn, and received into the cloud.
103 – These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
104 – These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth.
105 – These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire.
106 – These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work;
107 – When he shall deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father, spotless, saying: I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.
108 – Then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever.
109 – But behold, and lo, we saw the glory and the inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore;
110 – And heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sits upon the throne forever and ever;
111 – For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared;
112 – And they shall be servants of the Most High; but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end.
113 – This is the end of the vision which we saw, which we were commanded to write while we were yet in the Spirit.
