24:2.1 Notwithstanding that the cosmic mind of the Universal Intelligence is cognizant of the presence and whereabouts of all thinking creatures, there is operative in the universe of universes an independent method of keeping count of all will creatures.
24:2.2 The Census Directors are a special and completed creation of the Infinite Spirit, and they exist in numbers unknown to us. They are so created as to be able to maintain perfect synchrony with the reflectivity technique of the superuniverses, while at the same time they are personally sensitive and responsive to intelligent will. These directors, by a not-fully-understood technique, are made immediately aware of the birth of will in any part of the grand universe. They are, therefore, always competent to give us the number, nature, and whereabouts of all will creatures in any part of the central creation and the seven superuniverses. But they do not function on Paradise; there is no need for them there. On Paradise knowledge is inherent; the Deities know all things.
24:2.3 Seven Census Directors operate in Havona, one being stationed on the pilot world of each Havona circuit. Excepting these seven and the reserves of the order on the Paradise worlds of the Spirit, all Census Directors function under the jurisdiction of the Ancients of Days.
24:2.4 One Census Director presides at the headquarters of each superuniverse, while subject to such a chief director are thousands upon thousands, one on the capital of every local universe. All personalities of this order are equal excepting those on the Havona pilot worlds and the seven superuniverse chiefs.
24:2.5 In the seventh superuniverse there are one hundred thousand Census Directors. And this number consists entirely of those assignable to local universes; it does not include the personal staff of Usatia, the superuniverse chief of all Orvonton directors. Usatia, like the other superuniverse chiefs, is not directly attuned to the registration of intelligent will. He is solely attuned to his subordinates stationed in the Orvonton universes; thus he acts as a magnificent totaling personality for their reports coming in from the capitals of the local creations.
24:2.6 From time to time the official recorders of Uversa place on their records the status of the superuniverse as it is indicated by the registrations in and upon the personality of Usatia. Such census data is indigenous to the superuniverses; these reports are transmitted neither to Havona nor to Paradise.
24:2.7 The Census Directors are concerned with human beings—as with other will creatures—only to the extent of recording the fact of will function. They are not concerned with the records of your life and its doings; they are not in any sense recording personalities. The Census Director of Nebadon, number 81,412 of Orvonton, now stationed on Salvington, is at this very moment personally conscious and aware of your living presence here on Urantia; and he will afford the records confirmation of your death the moment you cease to function as a will creature.
24:2.8 Census Directors register the existence of a new will creature when the first act of will is performed; they indicate the death of a will creature when the last act of will takes place. The partial emergence of will observed in the reactions of certain of the higher animals does not belong to the domain of the Census Directors. They keep count of nothing but bona fide will creatures, and they are responsive to nothing but will function. Exactly how they register the function of will, we do not know.
24:2.9 These beings always have been, and always will be, Census Directors. They would be comparatively useless in any other division of universe labor. But they are infallible in function; they never default, neither do they falsify. And notwithstanding their marvelous powers and unbelievable prerogatives, they are persons; they have recognizable spirit presence and form.