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The Urantia Book The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

A History
of
The Urantia Movement


Submitted to the court
in the Maaherra case
by the Urantia Foundation


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Editor's note: The following document was submitted to the court by Urantia Foundation in the Maaherra case and was represented as having been written by Dr. Sadler.

The version reproduced below was digitized from a xerox copy of what is believed to be a typewritten original. The assumption of originality is based on the nature of hand-written notes which appear in the margins. There is no signature nor is there any indication anywhere on them that Dr. Sadler is indeed the author. Larry Mullins refers to this history as "History 2." Larry Mullins comments, "Although Urantia Foundation and others continue to refer to this document as "written by Dr. Sadler," it almost certainly was not. After careful examination, the 30 page original appears to be the long lost, unfinished "history" of Emma Louise Christensen. This history was known to exist, but could not be found after her death in 1982. "Christy," as she was known, apparently used "History 1" as a template, inserted a few pages authored by Dr. Sadler but never published, and added her own observations. The "History 2" document, as submitted to the Court, had no cover page, but began with what was "page 2" of "History 1."

"The pages were obviously renumbered, in some cases having two conflicting page numbers. "History 2" is a hybrid that is obviously the product of an inexperienced writer and editor. Dr. Sadler was an accomplished author. There are awkward shifts from second to third person, and long passages refer to Dr. Sadler in the third person. In one place (page 7 of the original) the writer inserted a comment, "The doctor continues his narrative:" -- Dr. Sadler never wrote about himself in this manner. The information in "History 2" is helpful, but must be regarded with some caution and weighed against other information." [End of comment by Larry Mullins.]

There are two additional versions of the history below which are dated 1960 and attributed to Marian Rowley. Marian's histories are apparently condensations of the more extensive history reproduced below and contain her comments in which she notes the items which she intends to omit from the original in her "official history". The condensation by Marian Rowley is the history which Larry Mullins refers to as "History 1." While Mullins holds that "History 2" was an expanded version of "History 1," Marian Rowley's notes indicate that "History 1" was actually a condensation of "History 2." In spite of the fact that Marian indicates her source document was an edited version of "Dr.'s" history, the critique of the authorship of "History 2" presented by Larry Mullins leads to other conclusions. To study this matter in greater detail, see:







Contact Activities Preceding The Urantia Papers


It would seem that, during these early years, our unseen friends were engaged in a thoroughgoing testing of the contact personality, rehearsing the technique of communication, selecting the Contact Commissioners -- in fact, in a general way -- setting the stage for the subsequent initiation of the presentation of the "Urantia Papers."

During these early years we were introduced to many new and, to us, somewhat strange concepts of the universe of universes and as concerned man and his life on earth.

Among these numerous new ideas of cosmology and philosophy, the following may be mentioned:

  • 1. New concept of a far-flung cosmos
  • 2. Millions of other inhabited planets
  • 3. Introduction to scores of different and varied echelons of celestial personalities.
  • 4. Confirmation of evolutionary origin of humankind -- even of an evolutionary cosmos.
  • 5. Intimation of multiple Creator Deities.
  • 6. Tentative testing of our theologic concepts. Patient determination of how far we might possibly go in the direction of modifying our theologic beliefs and philosophical opinions.
  • 7. Without realizing it, over a period of twenty years, our fundamental religious views and attitudes had been considerably changed.
  • 8. We had been familiarized with such terms as "The First Source and Center", "Havona", "superuniverses", and the "Supreme Being" -- but we had but meager ideas as to the real meaning of these names.
  • 9. We also heard such words as "Master Spirits", "outer space", and "Power Directors". But, again, we understood little as to their meaning. We also learned about numerous orders of angels.
  • 10. We heard about "Thought Adjusters", but our concept of the meaning of the term was vague and indefinite.
  • 11. We had acquired a fuzzy concept of the morontia level of existence -- but we never heard the word "morontia" used until the Papers started.
  • 12. The midwayers were very real to us -- we frequently talked with them during our varied "contacts." We quite fully understood that the secondary midwayers supervised the contacts.
  • 13. We heard some things about the Lucifer rebellion, but got little information about Adam and Eve.
  • 14. We gained the impression that there were special reasons for Jesus' bestowal on Urantia, but we had little or no idea as to the nature of these unrevealed reasons.
  • 15. We listened to occasional references to Jesus' life and teachings -- but they were very cautious about the introduction of any new concepts regarding Michael's Urantia bestowal. Of all the Urantia Revelation the Jesus Papers were the biggest surprise.
  • 16. While we did not hear the term "Corps of The Finality", we did pick up a hazy idea that Paradise might be the destination of surviving mortals.

Our superhuman friends thus spent upward of two decades in extending our cosmic horizons, enlarging our theologic concepts, and expanding our over-all philosophy.

We never realized how much our religious thinking had been expanded until the Papers began to arrive. As the Revelation progressed we came more fully to appreciate how we had been prepared for the vast alteration of our religious beliefs by these preliminary contacts extending over a period of twenty years of pre-education.

Our apprenticeship training for subsequent service in association with the presentation of the Urantia Papers was facilitated by the fact that, except for contacts with the midwayers, no two contacts were alike. Seldom did we meet the visiting personalities more than once. Every contact was entirely different from any and all that had gone before. And all of this experience was an extensive and liberal preparatory educational training in the expansion of our cosmology, theology and philosophy -- not to mention our introduction to new ideas and concepts concerning a vast array of more mundane objects.

The limited discussion of Jesus' life and teachings during these pre-revelatory contacts might be explained by the fact that the midwayers were a bit dubious as to how much authority they had in such matters -- as shown later on when a whole year was consumed in the clarification of their right to retell the story of the Michael bestowal.

Those of us who early attended upon these nocturnal vigils never suspected that we were in contact with anything supernatural.

During these early years, all of our observations and investigations utterly failed to reveal the technique of reducing messages to writing.




How The Urantia Papers Started


After about twenty years of contact experience, an alleged student visitor, speaking through this sleeping subject during one of these nocturnal vigils, in answer to one of our questions, said: "If you only knew what you are in contact with you would not ask such trivial questions. You would rather ask such questions as might elicit answers of supreme value to the human race."

This was something of a shock, as well as a mild rebuke, and caused all of us to look upon this unique experience in a new and different way. Later on that night, one of our number said: "Now they have asked for it -- let us give them questions that no human being can answer."

Now it is best to let matters rest here while we shift this narrative to a new and different setting.




How The Forum Started


Dr. William S. Sadler, a member of this early group of observers and investigators, tells the following story regarding the origin of that group of interested individuals which later on became known as the "Forum." He says: "On my way to the University of Kansas to deliver some lectures on Gestalt psychology, I wrote a letter to my son saying that I thought doctors should try to maintain some contact with their old patients. I suggested that he talk with his mother about the feasibility of inviting some of our old friends to meet with us on Sunday afternoons for an hour or two of informal discussion and social exchange.

When I returned to Chicago one Sunday morning I found that my wife had invited a group of our old patients to meet at our house that afternoon at three o'clock. It was the plan to conduct these Sunday afternoon gatherings somewhat as follows: First have a talk on some health topic -- such as the treatment of common colds, the cause and cure of worry, and then, after a cup of tea, engage in informal discussions -- asking and answering questions.

As time passed, this group became a cosmopolitan gathering consisting of professional men and women -- doctors, lawyers, dentists, ministers, teachers -- together with individuals from all walks of life. Farmers, housewives, secretaries, office workers, and common laborers.




Introduction Of The Forum To the "Contacts"


[Editor's note: At this point in the original, a handwritten note appears in the margin, "The doctor continues his narrative:" In addition, in the original, handwritten quotation marks have been added to the beginning of each paragraph from this point through the end of the next section titled, "The Forum Begins to Ask Questions." ]

Presently, I was asked to give a series of talks on "Mental Hygiene," or "Psychic Phenomena." At the beginning of my first talk, I said: "With only one or two exceptions, all of the psychic phenomena which I have investigated have turned out to be either conscious or unconscious frauds. Some were deliberate frauds -- others were those peculiar cases in which the performer was a victim of the deceptions of his own subconscious mind."

I had no more than said this when one of the group spoke up, saying, "Doctor, if you have contacted something which you have been unable to solve -- it would be interesting -- tell us more about it."

I asked Dr. Lena to get some notes she had taken at a recent "contact" and read them to the group. It should be understood that up to this time there was no secrecy connected with this case. The Urantia Papers had not begun to appear.

It was at about this time that this group meeting at our house on Sunday afternoons began to be called the "Forum."

The group manifested such a great interest in this case that I never did get around to giving any of the health talks such as had been planned.

It was while these informal discussions were going on from week to week that the challenge came to us suggesting that if we would ask more serious questions we might get information of value to all mankind.




The Forum Begins To Ask Questions


We told the Forum all about this and invited them to join us in the preparation of question. We decided to start out with questions pertaining to the origin of the cosmos, Deity, creation, and such other subjects as were far beyond the present-day knowledge of all humankind.

The following Sunday several hundred questions were brought in. We sorted out these questions, discarding duplicates, and in a general way, classifying them. Shortly thereafter, the first Urantia Paper appeared in answer to these questions. From first to last, when the Papers appeared, the questions disappeared.

This was the procedure followed throughout the many years of the reception of the Urantia Papers. No questions -- no Papers.




The Forum Becomes a Closed Group


About this time, the Forum, as it were, was taken away from us. We were instructed to form a "closed group" -- requiring each member to sign a pledge of secrecy and to discuss the Papers and all matters pertaining thereto with only those persons who were members of the Forum.

Membership tickets were issued and the Charter membership numbered Thirty. The date of this organization was September, 1925. Seventeen of these Charter Members are still living.

The individuals charged with the responsibility of gathering up the questions and comparing the typewritten text with the original handwritten manuscript, came to be know as the "Contact Commissioners." From that date forward only these Contact Commissioners attended "contacts" and received written communications through the contact personality.

From time to time new members were received into the Forum, after being interviewed by the officers and after signing the same pledge that was signed by the original Charter Members. This pledge read: "We acknowledge our pledge of secrecy, renewing our promise not to discuss the Urantia Revelations or their subject matter with any one save active Forum members, and to take no notes of such matter as is read or discussed at the public sessions, or make copies or notes of what we personally read."

The last meeting of the Forum as a genetic assembly was held on May 31st, 1942. During the 17 years of official existence the Forum attained a total membership of 486.

[Editor's note: A handwritten note appears in the margin of the original, "From this date in 1942 the Forum continued as a study group to the time of the organization of the First Urantia Society."]

During the period of the reception of the Urantia Papers, upward of 300 different persons participated in asking these genetic questions. With but few exceptions, all of the Urantia Papers were given in response to such questions.




The First Urantia Papers


The first group of Papers numbered 57. We then received a communication suggesting that since we could now ask many and much more intelligent questions, the supervising agencies and personalities responsible for transmitting the 57 Papers would engage to enlarge the revelation and to expand the Papers in accordance with our new questions.

This was the plan: We would read a Paper on a Sunday afternoon and the following Sunday the new questions would be presented. Again, these would be sorted, classified, etc. This program covered several years and ultimately resulted int he presentation of the 196 Papers as now found in the Urantia Book.




Receiving The Completed Papers


In a way, there was a third presentation. After receiving these 196 Papers, we were told that the "Revelatory Commission" would be pleased to have us go over the Papers once more and ask questions concerning the "Clarification of Concepts" and the "Removal of Ambiguities." This program again covered several years. During this period very little new information was imparted. Only minor changes were made in any of the Papers. Some matter was added -- some removed -- but there was little revision or amplification of the text.

What has just been recorded refers more particularly to Parts I, II, and III of the Urantia Book. Part IV -- The Jesus Papers -- had a little different origin. They were produced by a midwayer commission and were completed one year later than the other Papers. The first three parts were completed and certified to us in A.D. 1934. The Jesus Papers were not so delivered to us until 1935.




The Delay In Receiving The Jesus Papers


The delay of one year in the reception of the Jesus Papers -- Part IV of the Urantia Book -- may be explained as follows: The midwayers were a bit apprehensive about becoming involved in the suit pending in the Universe courts -- Gabriel vs. Lucifer -- and they hesitated to complete their project until they were assured that they had full authority to retell the story of Jesus' life on earth.

After some months waiting there came the mandate from Uversa directing the United Midwayers of Urantia to proceed with their project of revealing the story of the life and teaching of Michael when incarnated on Urantia, and not only assuring them that they were not in "contempt" of the Uversa courts, but instead granting them a mandate to do this service and admonishing any and all persons connected therewith to refrain from interfering with, or in any way hindering, the execution of such an undertaking.

And this is the explanation of why the Jesus Papers appear one year after the other Papers had been completed.




Reason For Silence
Respecting Details Of The Origin
Of The Urantia Book


Among the several reasons given us at the time we were requested not to discuss the details of our personal experiences associated with the origin of the Urantia Book, the two major reasons were the following:

  • 1. Unknown Features. There is much connected with the appearance of the Urantia Papers which no human being fully understands. None of us really knows just how this phenomenon was executed. There are numerous missing links in our understanding of how this revelation came to appear in written English.

    If any one of us should tell any one all he really knows about the technique and methods employed throughout the years of our getting this Revelation, such a narration would satisfy no one -- there are too many missing links.

  • 2. The main reason for not revealing the identity of the "Contact Personality" is that the Celestial Revelators do not want any human being -- any human name -- ever to be associated with the Urantia Book. They want this revelation to stand on its own declarations and teachings.

They are determined that future generations shall have the book wholly free from all mortal connections -- they do not want a Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Luther, Calvin or Wesley. The book does not even bear the imprint of the printer who brought the book into being.

Remember: You could appreciate a good poem -- even if you did not know the author. Likewise, you could enjoy a symphony even if you were ignorant of the composer.




How We Got The Urantia Papers


Just about all that is known or could be told about the origin of the Urantia Papers is to be found, here and there, in the Urantia Book. A list of such references is to be found on the back of the dust jacket of the Book.

Let us take a brief look at these citations.

  • 1. Page 1, par. 2. This passage refers to the difficulty of presenting expanded spiritual concepts when restricted to circumscribed human language, such as English.
  • 2. Page 1, par. 4. An Orvonton Commission participated in the revelation and prepared this Foreword.
  • 3. Page 17, par. 1. In presenting this revelation of augmented spiritual values and universe meanings, more than one thousand human concepts were drawn from the minds of human beings of the present and the past.
  • 4. Page 16, par.8 & Page 1343, par. 1. In all revelation of truth, preference is given to the highest existing human concepts of ideality and reality. Only in the absence of the human concept is superhuman knowledge revealed.
  • 5. Page 1109, par. 4. Revelators are seldom at liberty to anticipate scientific discoveries. Truth is timeless, but the teachings respecting the physical sciences and certain phases of cosmology will become partially obsolescent as a result of the new discoveries of advancing scientific investigations. The cosmology of the Urantia Revelation is not inspired. Human wisdom must evolve.
  • 6. Page 215, par. 2-9 Human pedagogy proceeds from the simple to the complex. The Urantia Revelation begins with the more complex and goes on to the consideration of the more simple. Instead of beginning with man reaching up for God, the Urantia Papers begin with God -- reaching down and finding man.
  • 7. Page 865. par. 6, 7 The narrative of the midwayers function in initiating and carrying forward to completion the Urantia Revelation.
  • 8. Page 865, par. 2, & Page 1208, par. 7. Midway creatures are always employed in the phenomenon of communication with material beings through the technique of "Contact Personalities." The "subject" through whom the Urantia Papers were bestowed had a highly experienced Thought Adjuster. The "subject's" relative indifference and unconcern regarding the work of his indwelling Adjuster was in every way favorable to the execution and completion of this revelatory project.
  • 9. Page 1256, par. 1. The contact personality was a member of the Urantia Reserve Corps of Destiny. This was just one of several conditions favoring the impartation of the Urantia Revelation.
  • 10. Page 1008, par. 3. The Urantia Revelation is unique in that it is presented by multiple authors. The Urantia Revelation, like its predecessors, is not inspired.
  • 11. Page 32, par.2. A Divine Counselor "portrays the reality and nature of the Father with unchallengeable authority."
  • 12. Page 17, par. 2. The Revelators depend upon the indwelling Adjusters and the Spirit of Truth to help us in the appropriation of the truth in the Urantia Revelation.
  • 13. page 1007, par. 1. Revelation keeps in touch with evolution. Revelation is adapted to the age of its bestowal. New revelation maintains contact with preceding revelations.



Functioning Of The Contact Commissioners


During these early years the Contact Commissioners received many communications and directives in writing. Almost all of these messages had annotation at the bottom of the last page which read: "To be destroyed by fire not later than the appearance of the Urantia Papers in print." It was the design of our unseen friends to prevent the appearance of an "Urantia Apocrypha" subsequent to the publication of the Urantia Book.

All of this was encouraging to us in that it assured us that the Urantia Papers would some time be published. It sustained our hopes through the long waiting years of delay.

The fact that no provision was ever made for replacing members of the Contact Commission who might be lost through disability or death, also led us to entertain the belief that the Book would be published during the lifetime of some of us.

The Commissioners were the custodians of the Urantia manuscript, keeping the carbon copy of the typewritten transcript in a fireproof vault. they were also charged with full responsibility for supervising all the details connected with the publication of the Book, securing the international copyrights, etc.

We were enjoined to refrain from discussing the identity of the Contact Personality and, after the publication of the Book, to make any statement at any time as to whether the "subject" was still living or was deceased.




The Seventy


In 1939, some of us thought the time had come when we should form a class to engage in the more serious and systematic study of the Urantia Papers. This project was presented to the Forum and when those who wished to join such a group were counted, it was found that just 70 persons desired to enter upon this study. So for several years this class was referred to as "The Seventy." Two or three years preceding the formation of The Seventy an informal group had been meeting on Wednesday evenings.

The Seventy carried on systematic study of the Urantia Papers from April 3, 1939 to the summer of 1956, and was the forerunner of the later "School of the Urantia Brotherhood."

During these years the Seventy enrolled 107 students.

The Seventy carried on its work of study, thesis writing, and practice of teaching for 17 years. During this period eight written communications were given to the Seventy by the Seraphim of Progress attached to the superhuman Planetary Government of Urantia.




The Publication Mandate


At long last, permission to publish the Urantia Papers was granted. The Introduction to this mandate reads:

"We regard the Urantia Book as a feature of the progressive evolution of human society. It is not germane to the spectacular episode of epochal revolution, even though it may apparently be timed to appear in the wake of one such revolution in human society. The Book belongs to the era immediately to follow the conclusion of the present ideological struggle. That will be the day when men will be willing to seek truth and righteousness. When the chaos of the present confusion has passed, it will be more readily possible to formulate the cosmos of a new and improved era of human relationships. And it is for this better order of affairs on earth that the book has been made ready.

"But the publication of the book has not been postponed to that (possibly) somewhat remote date. An early publication of the book has been provided so that it may be in hand for the training of leaders and teachers. Its presence is also required to engage the attention of persons of means who may be thus led to provide funds for translation into other languages."

Upon receipt of these instructions, the Contact Commissioners entered upon the task of publishing the Urantia Book and preparation of plans for its distribution.

The Papers were published just as we received them. The Contact Commissioners had no editorial authority. Our job was limited to "spelling, capitalization, and punctuation."

Before the demise of Dr. Lena K. Sadler in August, 1939 she had collected about twenty thousand dollars for the publication fund, and this was used to set type and prepare plates for the printing of the book.




The Urantia Foundation


It was these plates of the Urantia Book which constituted the basis for the formation of the Urantia Foundation. This Foundation, set up under the laws of Illinois, was completed on January 11, 1950. The first Board of Trustees were:

  • William M. Hales, President
  • William S. Sadler, Jr., Vice President
  • Emma L. Christensen, Secretary
  • Wilfred C. Kellogg, Treasurer
  • Edith Cook, Assistant Secretary.

It was learned that one of the wealthy members of the Forum desired to contribute fifty thousand dollars for the publication of the Book. By instruction, this was circumvented, because, they told us, it was best to give all parties concerned an opportunity to contribute to the publication fund.

Accordingly, an appeal was made for $50,000.00 to defray the expense of printing ten thousand copies. The response was immediate. The sum contributed was in excess of forty-nine thousand dollars. The first money to reach the Foundation office was one thousand dollars from the late Sir Hubert Wilkins, the arctic explorer.

The Book was published under international copyright October 12, 1955.




The Urantia Brotherhood


It was inevitable that some sort of fraternal organization would grow out of the teachings of the Urantia Book. All interested persons could see that the Urantia teachings were opposed to the sectarianism of Christian believers. It was clear that it was not the purpose of the Urantia Revelation to start a new church.

Accordingly, on January 2, 1955, a group of persons who believed the teachings of the Book and who were interested in their proclamation, assembled in Chicago and completed the organization of the Urantia Brotherhood, a voluntary and fraternal organization of Urantia believers. This group composed the charter membership of the Urantia Brotherhood, and were 36 in number.

A Constitution and By-laws were adopted, and since that date numerous Societies have been formed throughout the United States.

The over-all purpose of the Brotherhood is well expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution.

Preamble


"Inasmuch as it is our most solemn conviction that the comfort, happiness, and well-being of man will be enhanced by the creation of an organization devoted to the purposes hereinafter expressed may best be accomplished through the mutual assistance and association of a body of people working together for a common cause, we do hereby unite together as a voluntary association and fellowship under the name of Urantia Brotherhood, and we do hereby adopt and establish this constitution of Urantia Brotherhood."

The original 36 Founders became the General Council which was designed to govern the Brotherhood for its first nine years.

The First Urantia Society of Chicago was organized and granted Charter No. 1 on June 17, 1956. The Society had 34 charter Members. The present membership of the First Society is 142.




Distribution Of The Urantia Book


At the time of the publication of the Urantia Book we were given many suggestions respecting the methods we should employ in the work of its distribution. These instructions may be summarized as follows:

  • 1. Study the methods employed by Jesus in introducing his work on earth. Note how quietly he worked at first -- so often after even a miracle, he would admonish the recipient of his ministry, saying: "Tell no man what has happened to you."
  • 2. We were advised to avoid all efforts to achieve early and spectacular recognition.
  • 3. During the first five years, these methods have been adhered to. The distribution increases yearly. At present, more than fifty book stores, from coast to coast, carry the Book.

The vast majority of the Brotherhood have occurred in this sort of quiet and gradual presentation of the Book. Only a few individuals have exhibited some restlessness and craving for aggressive plans for increased distribution.

One thing should be made clear: Nothing is done to interfere with the energetic and enthusiastic efforts of any individuals to introduce the Urantia Book to his varied contacts and human associations.




The Urantia Brotherhood School


Among the early activities of the Brotherhood was the organization of the School of the Brotherhood which began its first session in September 1956. The degree granted after three years of training is that of "Ordained Teacher." A shorter course of study leads to the status of "Certified Leader."

The School is conducted by the Educational Committee. Many textbooks have been prepared for use in the School and for use by a future Correspondence School which will no doubt materialize as the Urantia Book continues to be distributed throughout the world.

  • The following textbooks have been prepared:
    • The Theology of the Urantia Book, Part I
    • The Theology of the Urantia Book, Part II
    • The Theology of the Urantia Book, Part III
    • The Theology of the Urantia Book, Part IV
    • The Teachings of Jesus
    • The Short Course in Doctrine
    • Worship and Wisdom
    • Science in the Urantia Book, Vol. I
    • Science in the Urantia Book, Vol. II
  • In Preparation
    • The Urantia Book and the New Testament
    • Analytic Studies in Part I
    • Analytic Studies in Part II
    • Diagrams and Maps

The course of study is planned to cover a three years' seminary education. At present, only part time work is provided at evening sessions.

The curriculum embraces courses int he following subjects:

  • Techniques of Public Speaking
  • Leadership and Teaching
  • Comparative Religion
  • Educational Psychology
  • Christian Sects and Denominations
  • Homiletics
  • Old and New Testament History
  • Presentation of the Urantia Book
  • Studies in the Urantia Book
    • Urantia Doctrine
    • Synthetic Studies
    • Topical Studies
    • Life of Christ
    • Worship and Wisdom
    • Short Course in Doctrine
    • Comparison with the Four Gospels
    • Science in the Urantia Book
    • Critical Analysis

As yet, no degrees of "Ordained Teacher" have been granted, but diplomas as "Certified Leader" have been given to 14 individuals.

The number of registered students taking credit courses has averaged about thirty. A like number of "auditors" attend the classes.




Appendix I


How We Did Not Get The Urantia Book


Recently, a group of ministers from northern Indiana, who were engaged in studying the Urantia Book, spent the day with us and, during the evening, Dr. Sadler led a discussion on "How We Did Not Get the Urantia Book."

The following is a gist of that presentation:

Several members of this group who participated in the preliminary "contacts" which led up to the appearance of the Urantia Papers had considerable experience in the investigation of psychic phenomena. This group early arrived at the conclusion that the phenomena connected with the personality who was later associated with the Urantia Papers, was in no way similar to any other well-known type of psychic performance -- such as hypnotism, automatic writing, clairvoyance, trances, spirit mediumship, telepathy, or double personality.

It should be made clear that the antecedents of the Urantia Papers were in no way associated with so-called spiritualism -- with its seances and supposed communication with the spirits of departed human beings.




Appendix II


Psychic Phenomena:
Unusual Activities Of The Marginal Consciousness
(The Subconscious Mind)

(From additional notes in the same collection dated 5/7/58)


  • 1. Automatic Writing
  • 2. Automatic Talking
    • a. Speaking in "Tongues"
    • b. Trance Mediums
    • c. Spirit Mediums
    • d. Catalepsy
  • 3. Automatic Hearing -- Clairaudience
    • a. Hearing "Voices"
  • 4. Automatic Seeing
    • a. Dream States -- Twilight Mentation
    • b. Visions -- Automatic Dramatization
    • c. Hallucinations (Shifty "Reality" Feelings)
  • 5. Automatic Thinking
    • a. Automatic Fearing -- Anxiety Neurosis
    • b. Automatic Ideation -- Mental Compulsions
    • c. Automatic Judgements -- Intuition, "Hunches"
    • d. Automatic Association of Ideas -- Premonitions
    • e. Automatic Guessing -- E.S.P. -- Extra-Sensory Perception
    • f. Automatic Deductions -- Delusions -- Dreams and Hypnosis
  • 6. Automatic Remembering
    • a. Clairvoyance -- Automatic Memory Associations
    • b. Telepathy -- Mind Reading (?) [question mark in original]
    • c. Fortune Telling (Largely Fraudulent)
    • d. Musical and Mathematical Marvels
  • 7. Automatic Acting
    • a. Automatic Behavior -- (Major Hysteria, Witchcraft.)
    • b. Automatic Motion -- Motor Compulsions
    • c. Automatic Overdrives -- Manic Episodes
    • d. Automatic Walking -- somnambulism
  • 8. Automatic Personalization
    • a. Automatic Forgetting -- Amnesia
    • b. Automatic Dissociation -- Double and Multiple Personality
    • c. Schizophrenia -- Split Personality
  • 9. Combined and Associated Psychic States

Note: The technique of the reception of the Urantia Book in English in no way parallels or impinges upon any of the above phenomena of the marginal consciousness.






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Disclaimer

Disclaimer:
Some material presented will contain links, quotes, ideologies, etc., the contents of which should be understood to first, in their whole, reflect the views or opinions of their editors, and second, are used in my personal research as "fair use" sources only, and not espousement one way or the other. Researching for 'truth' leads one all over the place...a piece here, a piece there. As a researcher, I hunt, gather and disassemble resources, trying to put all the pieces into a coherent and logical whole. I encourage you to do the same. And please remember, these pages are only my effort to collect all the pieces I can find and see if they properly fit into the 'reality aggregate'.

Personal Position

Personal Position:
I've come to realize that 'truth' boils down to what we 'believe' the facts we've gathered point to. We only 'know' what we've 'experienced' firsthand. Everything else - what we read, what we watch, what we hear - is what someone else's gathered facts point to and 'they' 'believe' is 'truth', so that 'truth' seems to change in direct proportion to newly gathered facts divided by applied plausibility. Though I believe there is 'truth', until someone representing the celestial realm visibly appears and presents the heavenly records of Facts And Lies In The Order They Happened, I can't know for sure exactly what "the whole truth' on any given subject is, and what applies to me applies to everyone. Until then I'll continue to ask, "what does The Urantia Book say on the subject?"
~Gail Bird Allen

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