The Birth Of A Divine Revelation

This letter was addressed to David Kantor, July 2, 1999

David:

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Item #1. We now know that William Sadler altered the text of the Urantia Papers under his own authority.

His hand was betrayed by changes made between the first and second printing. These changes were not reported by the Urantia Foundation. Not until Merritt Horn and Kristen Maaherra analyzed the differences in text did we know of these alterations.

Sadler's motive was simple: he corrected errors and contradictions which had crept into the text.

How did those errors and contradictions take place?

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Item #2. We now know that Christy channeled.

Analysis of the "Forum Instructions" received during the 1940's and early 1950's reveals a style and content which is typical of channeled messages. The "Notes on a Communication Received in 1945," widely circulated within the Urantia community, and excerpts from the other "instructions," published by Carolyn Kendall, demonstrate this fact. Carolyn confirmed that Christy continued to receive "messages" well into her old age.

This channeling produced the instructions on secular commercial control of the Revelation.

More importantly,

Christy's channeling created corruptions in the Revelation.

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Item #3. We now know that Sadler was aware of other errors and contradictions from a letter sent to him by Benjamin Adams in 1959.

This letter, while in the files of both the Foundation and Fellowship, was suppressed, and has never been published, as far as I am aware.

Sadler made other changes to the text on the basis of this letter, but these changes were not detected by Horn and Maaherra.

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Item #4. In a recent issue of the Foundation's International Urantia Association Journal Seppo Kanerva analyzed a major fault in the chronology of events between the resurrection of Jesus, his ascension, and the events of Pentecost. Ten days are missing from the account.

This fact was first noted by Adams in his 1959 letter. Seppo was motivated to his analysis from the Adams letter.

Unfortunately, Kanerva did not understand Jewish practices of time reckoning, and falsely concluded that the Papers might be  correct after all.

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Item #5. In my study of the sequence of events from the crucifixion to the ascension I discovered another contradiction on dates. The information on Page 2041, paragraph 2, and the chronology of events of his morontia appearances, do not agree.

The crucifixion of Jesus was on April 7, AD 30; his ascension on May 18. This is a period of forty days. According to the paragraph on page 2041, his return to Paradise was via Jerusem citizenship on Sunday, the 7th, and the embrace of the Most Highs of Edentia on Sunday, the 14th.

The last paragraph on page P.2057 - §7 explicitly states: "It was about seven forty-five this morning when the morontia Jesus disappeared from the observation of his eleven apostles to begin the ascent to the right hand of his Father."

He could not begin his ascent on May 18 if he returned to Jerusem on May 7th.

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Item #6. In further study of the Papers I discovered another contradiction of the statement on page P.799 - §1:

"While there is a divine and ideal form of government, such cannot be revealed but must be slowly and laboriously discovered by the men and women of each planet throughout the universes of time and space."

This is contradicted by many other statements, including:

P.517 - §5: "The entire universe is organized and administered on the representative plan. Representative government is the divine ideal of self-government among nonperfect beings."

P.798 - §1: ". . . the ideal government is the representative system wherein leadership is based on ability . . ." 

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Item #7. In his statements in the "History" document Sadler wrote:

"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." 

These statements show three important facts:

A.) The first three parts were "completed and certified" in 1934.

B.) The Jesus Papers were not "so" delivered until 1935.

C.) Changes were made to the Revelation after receiving the 196 Papers.

From the discussions in the "History" document we can safely conclude that the Jesus Papers were not part of the process of questions and answers with the Forum. According to Sadler they came as a "surprise."

Furthermore, Sadler's phrase "so delivered" strongly suggests that the Jesus Papers came in the same manner as the "completed and certified" first three parts.

Thus, changes were made to the Revelation after it was "completed and certified" in 1934 and 1935.

Why?

If the Papers were "completed and certified" they should not have been subject to subsequent change. If they were subject to subsequent change they would not have been "completed and certified."

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Item#8. From the "History" document, and from the remarks of Carolyn Kendall, we now know that there were three stages, or phases, to the Revelation:

a.) The first presentation was in direct response to questions from the Forum, prior to 1934.
b.) The second presentation was the "materialized" Papers in 1934 and 1935.
c.) The third presentation was the changes made to the Revelation after they were completed and certified in 1935.

Note that Sadler uses the expression, "In a way . . ." for the third presentation. The expression suggests that something unusual was attached to that "presentation."

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Item#9. The dates of the "Forum Instructions" published by Carolyn Kendall show that they did not begin until after the onset of World War II.

Four important elements must be considered:

a.) Did the Sleeping Subject cease activity after the Papers were completed and certified in 1935?
b.) Lena Sadler, a wise counselor and stabilizing influence at 533, died in 1939.
c.) The onset of World War II delayed the printing and publication of the Papers.
d.) Harold Sherman appeared in the spring of 1942 to precipitate a crisis at 533.

Did Sadler, Christy, and others desire to have "heavenly" guidance under these trying conditions? Did Christy seek help from the "midwayers?" Was this the origin of her channeling?

I believe so. My belief is based on the following facts.

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Item #10. A new "celestial" regime took over with the onset of these special "Forum Instructions."

Carolyn Kendall offered the following information:

(Although Carolyn is now always reliable in exact description of events, in dates, or in sequence, oftentimes imposing her speculations, this information is highly illuminating.)

A.) "Between 1939 and 1955 eight written communications were given to the Seventy by the Seraphim of Progress attached to the Superhuman Planetary Government of Urantia."

The date of the first is August, 1942.

Based on the facts I am here unfolding, identification with the "Seraphim of Progress" is now suspect.

B.) "The presence of the contact personality was not required for verbal contacts between the Revelatory Commission or the  successor Midwayer Commission and Contact Commissioners."

Note that it appears the Sleeping Subject was no longer being used.

Note further that a "successor Midwayer Commission" was now functioning. The former "Midwayer Commission" was replaced.

C.) "The following instructions were read to the Forum in November, 1951. They were directed 'to the Contact  Commissioners (the Custodians of the Urantia revelation) from the personal regent of the acting Planetary Prince of Urantia'."

This is a startling disclosure. The "personal regent of the acting Planetary Prince" is now giving instructions to Sadler and the Forum. No longer are the Papers under the control of the original Revelatory Commission.

The "Instruction" does not identify this "acting Planetary Prince."  Sadler and everyone else is left to assume who it might be.

On that assumption hung the fate of the Revelation.

The "acting Planetary Prince" is none other than Caligastia.

He clearly states that he is changing the administration of the Revelation.

D.) "I desire to inform you concerning certain decisions and rulings formulated by the planetary government which pertain to the affairs of The Urantia Book and the ensuing Urantia Brotherhood. Today, I am calling into being a supreme planetary conclave to signalize my creation of the Supreme Court of Urantia. I have recently had a meeting with all persons and groups concerned with the Urantia revelation. As a result of this conference, I have made certain decisions and am handing down the following rulings:"

He now takes full control of the Revelation.

E.) "The Urantia Book -- By mandate of the Supreme court of Urantia,...the full custody of The Urantia Book has been placed in my hands. I now make the following rulings:

a.) "I, and I alone, will direct the time of the publication of The Urantia Book."

 

CONCLUSIONS

Three major facts now confront us:

1. Corruptions occurred in the Revelation.

We have now identified a significant number. Some of those are crucial. Many more may exist.

2. Changes were made to the Revelation after it was "completed and certified."

Sadler did not specify those changes. His authority was from the "acting Planetary Prince of Urantia."

3. Christy channeled.

Her channeling produced bogus "instructions" to Sadler and the Forum from "the acting Planetary Prince of Urantia." This channeling produced two critically important results:

A.) The spirit "source" provided the instructions for secular commercial control of the Revelation through an oligarchic Foundation, and a Brotherhood emotionally and legally attached to the Foundation.

B.) The spirit "source" introduced corruptions into the Revelation.

ASSIGNMENT OF CAUSE

Why did Sadler accept these "spirit" communications?

He was thoroughly acquainted with spiritualist performances, and had adamantly opposed them throughout his life.

He assigned those performances to two origins:

a.) Frauds, who had conscious intent to defraud others, and

b.) Psychological phenomena attendant upon deluded minds.

Although he admitted to the possibility of "spirit" sources behind "spirit communications" he never clearly delineated the elements as a real phenomena in the human mind.

The behavior of the Sleeping Subject was invariably assigned by him as a "mental" phenomena. Thus he could not distinguish between "automatic writing" under spiritualist performances, and midwayer manipulations. Because the Sleeping Subject was always fully asleep, and not in a trance (or marginal conscious) state, Sadler did not know how to classify him. He struggled with this puzzle for nearly thirty years, until the final Revelation appeared.

He was lost in the maze of the performances of the Sleeping Subject, the sudden appearances of masses of pages of "communications" within the confines of the living quarters of the Sleeping Subject, including the Papers given in response to Forum questions, and the equally sudden appearance of the "authorized" Revelation.

He, and Christy, and the other family members were so intimately buried in these astounding phenomena they lost objectivity over "spirit" productions.

When Christy sought, and began to receive, "communications" through her mind, Sadler accepted them as merely another step in the series of astounding phenomena. He knew Christy was not a fraud. He knew she was not psychologically deluded. He had developed no other cause for such phenomena. Therefore, he was logically forced to accept her "communications" as valid.

Ernest

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