Am enclosing a card giving a brief biographical sketch of my professional life. The search for Reality has been the absorbing quest of my life. . . . All my life has been lived under the shadow of the impression that I was being prepared for something. Trying to eradicate this impression as the subtle delusions of egotism rather than the guiding of an inner Spirit of Truth has purged the inner self of much dross but the presence of Another has become all the more clear.

Possessing a mind more scientific than mystical, this pilgrimage has sometimes been difficult to understand.

At almost every step the Deep Self and the rational self have been at odds. The ministry, for instance, was about the last thing my rational mind wanted to accept. When I have been pliable to this inner spirit, step by step a book, a person, an idea has enlarged my understanding of reality. Had the Urantia Book fallen into my hands ten years ago, I am rather sure I would have browsed through it and said, “Impossible, fraudulent!” But through these years I have been led to practically every insight presented by the Urantia Book so that it merely affirmed that which I deeply felt was true. . . .

As I seriously tried to understand the meaning and purpose of this pilgrimage of ideas, I could only come to one conclusion—that I was to communicate these insights through the medium of writing and possibly teach small groups of people who were ready or could be made ready for such insights. Finally, this summer, with two books in outline form, I had to answer the question: should I seriously begin a writing career? After spending considerable time in meditation, the answer seemed to be quite clear (and to me a bit surprising after running away from the idea for so long and now rationally willing to accept it): “No, not now.” At this timely moment Mr. Hammerschmidt (whom I have known for years) handed me a copy of the Urantia Book. The essence of what I had felt moved to write was here in much better form and with infinitely more detail than I or—in my opinion—any mortal could have given it. Now I realized there was no need for me to write the books that cried for expression. An infinitely better book already existed!

This judgment, I realize, may be premature but for the first time in my life I have a sense of conviction: “For this I was prepared.” It gives meaning to decisions in recent years to turn down invitations to relatively large congregations with tremendous salary increases (which our family could well use) because I wanted to keep myself open for something that would have a creative challenge. The Urantia Book gives me this sense of fulfillment and challenge. And I have a rather deep feeling that my life and mission is tied up with the introducing of this Book and its insights to so-called “orthodox Christianity.” By coincidence or by plan, I happen to be acquainted with many of the men who are shaping the thought life of the Christian Church (am vice president of our synod, have been a professor in one of our colleges, have been called as a consultant by one of our seminary faculties, etc.). One of my specific problems is in approaching these men. Am enclosing a copy of a type of approach which I have used with some men I know quite well. Some of the facts may be in error. I should like to correct such errors and receive any other suggestions which you may have.

Another problem that bothers me is teaching laymen. The spiritual cosmology of the Urantia Book will throw most ministers—it’s like taking primitive man with his simple cosmology and throwing him into our modern astronomical cosmology. Am wondering about the advisability of working on an abridged, simplified approach to the Urantia Book which would enable laymen to later read the Urantia Book with understanding.

Also I am wondering about the foundations being laid for publicity. It would seem, generally speaking, the longer publicity could be delayed the better. But sooner or later publicity will come. In the meantime if quiet contact could be made with men like Eugene Exman, religious editor of Harper’s, and get such men to read the Book and have time to think about it, publicity would be much more accurate and constructive.

I have been quite open and candid in bearing my soul—something I very rarely do even with close friends—but I do so that our conference may go to the heart of these matters without the usual devious exploratory routine taking up all our time. I should also be happy to meet your father or other men connected with the Urantia Foundation who are interested in an effective presentation of the Urantia Book. We shall look forward to seeing you November 5.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH PRESENTATION of THE URANTIA BOOK

By the Rev. Meredith J. Sprunger, Grace Evangelical and Reformed Church

Culver, In., October, 1956

MAY I INTRODUCE YOU TO A MOST UNUSUAL BOOK

Every advance in knowledge is a disturbing and painful experience for man. This is true of both quantitative knowledge (science) and qualitative knowledge (religion). Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for contending the earth was not in the center of the universe. Louis Pasteur was denounced by the learned men of his day when he contended that diseases were caused by germs. When William Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood, most of the physicians of his day who were over thirty-five continued the rest of their lives to believe there was no such thing. Shortly before Wilbur and Orville Wright flew their first plane at Kitty Hawk, N.C., a distinguished scientist wrote a convincing article proving that it was scientifically impossible to fly a vehicle heavier than air. The list could go on and on.

Scientists, however, are not the only people afflicted with this type of myopic vision. Growth in religious insight has been plagued with even greater resistance and suffering. The prophets have been stoned; the saviours are crucified—by religious men and women who believe they are doing the will of God.

The basic error responsible for our historic resistance to truth, both scientific and religious, is mankind’s tendency to accept secondhand, once removed, sources of reality—usually authoritarianism and tradition. The Bible does not contain the word of God because our theological professors, our pastors or our parents say it does. It is not Eternal Truth because the prophets have seen visions or worked miracles. The ultimate authority of truth is its intrinsic, self-validating nature. There is in every man a spark of the Divine which bears witness to the truth. The only way one can know the Bible contains the word of God is through this inner testimony of the Holy Spirit. “When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . . . and will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

With this background I should like to introduce you to a book which, at first impulse, you will no doubt reject. After this first impulse passes, I urge you—with all the sincerity and urgency at my command—to read and study this book carefully and critically. Remember that you never need fear truth and that falsehood cannot stand careful scrutiny.

This book is entitled The Urantia Book. It was published by the Urantia Foundation, 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago 14, Illinois, in 1955 and contains 2097 pages. Examining its contents you will discover that it claims to be written by numerous celestial beings as a special revelation to man living on this world, Urantia. It asserts that it contains the first major Divine Revelation since the coming of Christ to our planet:

“These papers differ from all previous revelations, for they are not the work of a single universe personality (such as Melchizedek of Salem or Jesus of Nazareth), but a composite presentation of many beings. But no revelation short of the attainment of the Universal Father can ever be complete. All other celestial ministrations are no more than partial, transient, and practically adapted to local conditions of time and space. While such admissions may possibly detract from the immediate force and authority of all revelations, the time has arrived on Urantia when it is advisable to make such frank statements, even at the risk of weakening the future influence and authority of this, the most recent of the revelations of truth to the mortal races of Urantia.” Page 1008.

One would expect that any authentic revelation would be continuous with and not contrary to previous authentic revelations. Although the New Testament presents a loftier view than the Old Testament, it is continuous with it. You will discover this same parallel between the New Testament and the Urantia Book. Many of the things Bible students have wondered about and yearned to know are clarified in the Urantia Book.

For this reason I strongly suggest that you begin reading the Urantia Book at Part IV, page 1323—The Life and Teachings of Jesus—and that you read this entire section before turning to other sections of the Urantia Book. Most laymen and some ministers will need help and time to grasp and follow much of the rest of the Book. But by this time you will have understood its immense significance and will be willing to undergo this rigorous study—or you will have thrown the Book aside as impossible and preposterous.

Although the worth of the Book does not stand or fall with the human personalities connected with it, you have a right to know these facts. Around 1934 Dr. William S. Sadler, one of the most reputable psychiatrists in the country, received a call from a woman near his home in Chicago who was alarmed by her husband who mumbled in his sleep. In this condition she was unable to wake him. Dr. Sadler investigated and discovered the man was saying some rather unusual things. As this man was a practical businessman having no interest in spiritual or psychical matters (when he awoke in the morning he knew of nothing that he had said), Dr. Sadler started a critical study of the case. Having just written a book entitled The Mind at Mischief, in which he exposed mediums and psychic communication as quackery, he determined to find the explanation of this man’s behavior. A stenographer accompanied him to take down this man’s unconscious mumblings. Eventually word came that papers would appear the next day in a certain bureau drawer. These were found—yellow sheets handwritten in pencil. Periodically more papers were promised and they always came. During this period Dr. Sadler, being a critical and exacting scientist, made every conceivable investigation which might lead to an explanation of the appearance or origin of the papers. Finally he was forced to the conclusion that there was no scientific explanation. The contents of the papers were of a quality absolutely impossible for this prosaic businessman to produce. Slowly he began to realize the immense significance of these papers. Quietly Dr. Sadler introduced them to business and professional friends. Eventually they organized the Urantia Foundation as a nonprofit organization.

They were instructed to make a permanent record of these papers. After the papers had been copied by a typist they were placed in a desk drawer and although the building was locked, the next morning the papers would be gone. Once, as a test, Dr. Sadler concealed a $5.00 bill among one batch of papers. The next morning the papers were gone and the $5.00 bill lay in the bottom of the drawer. Eventually the papers were finished. But they were instructed not to publish the Book while the war was in progress. Finally when the Korean War was over they were instructed to go ahead with the printing.

As you read the Urantia Book, try to do so with an open mind and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It stands or falls on its own inner validity or lack of it. If you only browse through the book, you will almost certainly reject it. Read Part IV through before even attempting to make a judgment. You will discover that it does not advocate a new religion. It cautions repeatedly concerning the dangers of fanaticism. If your religious convictions are mature and if you have grown in reasonable spiritual insight, inspired by the teachings of Christ, you will find that reading and accepting the teachings of the Urantia Book will not change any of your fundamental religious convictions—and it will confirm many things which, through the guidance of the Spirit, you have surmised to be true. Although the Urantia Book may not change your fundamental convictions, it will add tremendously to your knowledge of God.

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UBH WILLIAM F. HARRAH⁵ to BILL SADLER

Niles, Mich., October 26, 1956

Dear William,

I am indeed surprised to note that this minister has gone to such an extent in writing you and in suggesting a form of letter to be given out with books to a few especially selected individuals that he spoke of as being specially qualified to study deeply a subject of this kind.

I certainly thought I had made clear to Judge Hammerschmidt that the information that I passed on to him, when it was given so freely to me by your mother back in 1927 or 1928 or thereabouts (not 1934 as Rev. Sprunger indicates) was not to be broadcast, but now that I had already told [the Judge] of our experience years ago, there was no way of taking the information away from him. Of course in later years we discontinued entirely making any notes or giving out details.

It never had been clear to me as to why we should be quite so reticent, as I know it is your desire to be in connection with the matter, but since that is the policy, I have at once written the minister not to distribute any of these proposed statements of his until he has had an opportunity to have the policy clearly explained to him by you, and to Judge Hammerschmidt, too, when you meet them for lunch on Monday, November 5.

All this information he has is, of course, as I think you will recognize, just what your mother told me in those early years, and which I passed on to two or three of my friends who were then much interested, but two of them have since died, thus Hammerschmidt is the only one left who has in mind the reports that I gave him, and which were given to me without any restrictions by your mother.

Sincerely yours,
W. F. Harrah

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UBH WILLIAM F. HARRAH to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Niles, Mich., October 26, 1956

Dear Mr. Sprunger,

Thank you for yours of the 24th, and the report of your own experience and progress of your thought is indeed most impressive.

There is a point, however, that I am sorry was not made more clear at any time, and that is with reference to the last page of your introduction statement. I know that it is very definitely not the policy or the purpose of those who have given so much of their time and attention to the production of this Book to give out in a general way personal or detailed information. Your second and third paragraphs of this last page give too much detail, not in my opinion, but I think it would be so, in Mr. Sadler’s. However, that can be determined when you talk with him, and I earnestly suggest that you do not distribute more of these information sheets until after you have talked with Mr. Sadler.

In short, the point is that they have strictly avoided personal connection with the production of the Book, as you would know the names of individuals do not appear anywhere. . . .

Sincerely yours,
W. F. Harrah

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to BILL SADLER

Culver, In., November 5, 1956

Dear Mr. Sadler,

Our conference this noon was for me most rewarding. Am rather anxious to get an introduction to the Urantia Book worked out, so am enclosing a revised copy for your comment and suggestions. Also would you or someone else be able to furnish me with history of the Urantia Foundation from its beginning to the present time. Or if this is not advisable, then a description of the Foundation.

Thank you again for your time, help and kindness.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH MARIAN ROWLEY to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, November 7, 1956

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Mr. Sadler told us of his meeting with you last Monday and asked me to send you certain material.

The two Books for which you gave him a check are being mailed today parcel post. Also, in accordance with your request for 24 copies of the Urantia Book on loan, the Executive Committee has authorized me to send them to you, and they will go out within the next few days by express.

We have put your name on the list to receive the Quarterly News Letter and I am enclosing a copy of the one which went out in October.

Mr. Sadler also asked me to send you a copy of the Urantia Brotherhood Constitution and By-laws, and a copy of the sample Constitution proposed for a local Urantia Society. . . .

Cordially,
Marian Rowley

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to DR. GERALD HEARD⁶

Culver, In., November 8, 1956

Dear Dr. Heard,

Because I have been much stimulated by your books and believe that you have unusual spiritual insight, I feel led to introduce you to a most unusual book (see enclosure). After much thought, investigation and evaluation, I am thoroughly convinced of its authenticity. It may be some time before people in general are prepared to accept it. But there is no doubt in my mind concerning its eventual acceptance by humanity.

I shall look forward to hearing from you after you have read the suggested 700 pages. I venture to guess you will look back and regard this as the beginning of the most important reading of your life.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH REV. RICHARD RETTIG⁷ to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Pittsburgh, Pa., November 13, 1956

Dear Meredith,

Your very interesting letter came today and surprised me no end. Only four or five years ago you were hesitant about endorsing spiritual healing until you had investigated it more fully. I have been waiting for that endorsement. If you made it at some time, I never heard of it.

Now here you are venturing out far beyond anything that spiritual healing would require of you, and in a realm where it will be still less possible to verify facts beyond those which you yourself may personally experience.

However, I am not criticizing. Rather I am commending you on your adventurous spirit. I shall join you in the adventure and have already sent in my order for the Urantia Book. I am open to anything God may want to reveal to me which the Holy Spirit will approve. If we believe in Jesus’ word that he still had many things to reveal to his disciples which they could not bear, and if we believe in the gift of the Holy Spirit, “the word of knowledge,” then we dare never close our minds to anything that may seem new and different from that to which we have held in the past.

Sincerely yours,
Dick

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UBF MARIAN ROWLEY to JACQUES WEISS

Chicago, November 13, 1956

Dear Mr. Weiss,

Miss Brown sent me your letter of October 22, knowing we would be interested in your comments on the Urantia Book, and indeed we are. We are delighted that you like it so much.

We are not sending another book until we find out exactly what you want. You mention a new edition with an index. There will not be another edition for quite a few years, I believe. The Index, which is in preparation now, is taking much longer than we anticipated. But when it is completed (probably within the next year) it will be published as a separate volume, and will be quite complete, something in the nature of a concordance. We will let you know when it is ready.

Under the circumstances, we weren’t sure whether you wanted one book or two books. The price of the book is $10.00. We are a small organization and are not set up to have credit accounts, so we would appreciate your sending your check when you order the book. . . .

Cordially,
Marian Rowley

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UBF JACQUES WEISS to URANTIA BROTHERHOOD

Paris, France, mid-November, 1956

Dear Sirs,

I thank you for your letter of November 13, and regret having not known of your existence in 1954 when I spent several days in Chicago as a guest of your government about an economic mission. It would have been a pleasure to make direct contact.

As things are, please send me two copies of the Urantia Book. I enclose a check of $20, as you ask.

As to the Index, which will have a great value for the earnest readers, and still more for the voluntary teachers of these momentous lessons, please let me know when it is ready. I feel that you plan to compose it with the same extraordinary care as the Book itself. It is therefore obvious that you need much time. I wait eagerly upon the result.

In the meantime, I want to check the reaction of other readers than myself. What is your feeling about a translation in French or in other languages? Having myself made some translation in French, I know that it would require several years of work by a group of three to five translators, and tens of thousands of dollars. But when the wind of the spirit blows, you never know what will happen.

Sincerely yours,
J. Weiss

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to MARIAN ROWLEY

Culver, In., November 15, 1956

Dear Miss Rowley,

Thank you for your letter and materials. I have received 24 loan books from Urantia Brotherhood.

Receiving these loan books is a great help in getting study groups started here. In time we will pay you for them and build up a supply of our own. Would you please send a copy of “Urantia Doctrine” prepared by Dr. Sadler.

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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HMSA URANTIA BROTHERHOOD MEMO

From Marian Rowley, Secretary-General, to all who are interested in Urantia Brotherhood

Chicago, November 20, 1956

Greetings!

Again we come to you at this time of year with a letter on the subject of finances. To all those who have continued their contributions throughout the year, our sincere thanks. You have made it possible to distribute a large number of Urantia Books to meet our operating expenses, such as rent, phone, bulletins, office supplies, etc. We have no salaries—this is still all volunteer work.

The several Brotherhood committees have now submitted budgets for 1957 and the total money required is slightly more than our budget for this year. This, I am sure you will agree, is quite natural since activity is increasing in all phases of our work. As we have in the past, we again suggest that if each of you will contribute $5.00 monthly, we will have sufficient income to carry on our work.

May we please have on the enclosed card an indication of your plans to assist. . . .

Cordially,
Marian Rowley
Secretary-General

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UBF MARIAN ROWLEY to JACQUES WEISS

Chicago, November 30, 1956

Dear Mr. Weiss,

Thank you for your check for $20 for the two Books. They were mailed to you several days ago. I will put your name on the list to be notified when the Index is ready.

I was interested in your comment on translation. It is our hope that the Book will be translated into many languages, and it is hard to guess which one will be the first. Certainly French would be one of the first. We have no money for translations at the present time, but as the Book becomes better known, we hope the money will be available. Another important point is that translators must have a very good understanding of the Book in order to transfer the true spirit of the Book.

Please let us know if there is any way we can help you.

Cordially,
Marian Rowley
Secretary-General

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UBH [Excerpt] MINUTES of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of URANTIA BROTHERHOOD

Chicago, December 3, 1956

. . . Informal discussion is summarized as follows:

Mrs. Burton reported that the Charter Committee had reached a decision on the material to be sent to prospective study groups in their transition into Urantia Societies.

None of the other committee chairmen had any business to report.

The Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer had nothing to report.

The Secretary-General read a letter from Mr. Fred Squires⁸ of California asking if they would be permitted to make up stickers of three concentric circles on a white background to use on stationery. It was the consensus of the meeting that it would not be advisable to make up stickers, since there was a possibility of misuse. Miss Rowley was instructed to write Mr. Squires that we had not as yet received formal approval from the Foundation for the use of the circles and for the time being we would prefer that they did not use the circles in the form of stickers.

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UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, December 3, 1956

Dear Pastor Sprunger,

I want to congratulate you on your introduction of people to the Urantia Book which I heard read yesterday at the meeting of the First Urantia Society. I think it is about the best effort of that kind I have met up with.

I am very anxious to meet you, and I trust that the next time you are in Chicago you will give me a ring and see if we can’t have a visit.

With all best wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
William S. Sadler

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to WILLIAM S. SADLER

Culver, In., December 5, 1956

Dear Dr. Sadler,

Thank you for your kind letter. It came as a most pleasant surprise. No other person could have written such a letter that would be more meaningful to me. As you know I am deeply interested in the Urantia Book. At present I am preaching a series of ten sermons, in which I shall introduce the Urantia Book to our congregation.

I am quite anxious to meet you. Christmas activities make it difficult to get away but soon I shall write you suggesting a possible meeting time. If you should get near Culver we would be glad to have you visit us.

Best wishes to you and greetings to your son, William.

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, December 7, 1956

Dear Pastor Sprunger,

I have your letter of the 5th and will be looking forward to seeing you sometime after the holidays. Thank you for sending me a copy of the chart on cosmology.

I hope sometime in the near future you can find time to come to Chicago and talk to our folks. They would all be glad to meet you and hear about your experience with the Urantia Book.

The First Urantia Society of Chicago meets at 3:00 o’clock on Sunday afternoons, but if you could not get away on Sunday maybe you could be with us some Wednesday evening when you would meet with us at the time of our Topical and Doctrinal study of the Book.

Is it possible that we could get a syllabus or something of an outline of these ten sermons you are giving in exposition of the Urantia Book? You will be interested to know that our folks are making 500 multigraph copies of your Introduction of the Book to send out to a special list of Urantians throughout the country.

When you can come to Chicago I hope that you will have time for a good long visit. There are a lot of things I will enjoy talking over with you. You can select a time to suit your own convenience, and if I can know about it a week ahead I will arrange my schedule so as to be free to spend the time with you.

With all best wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
William S. Sadler

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to WILLIAM S. SADLER

Culver, In., December 8, 1956

Dear Dr. Sadler,

Thank you for your letter. Unless you have a conflict, I should like to suggest meeting with you Wednesday, January 2, at 12:00 noon. We might eat together and thus not take so much time from your work. My wife may or may not accompany me. We shall plan nothing for that evening so will not have to return at any particular time.

It would be a pleasure to meet with the First Urantia Society. We could make the 3:00 o’clock meeting in good weather. . . . As a “babe” in your midst, there is so much that I could receive by this association.

Will write up the gist of the sermon series in which I am introducing the Urantia Book. Following this I shall organize study groups. Am hoping that our congregation will see the immense importance of the Urantia Book. If so, we will be able to channel part of our benevolence money into promotion work—traveling expenses to make a presentation to certain significant groups (seminary faculties, research groups, etc.) and complimentary copies to such key people could thus be financed. . . .

Am naturally pleased that the Foundation thought the Introduction useful enough to pass on. But already I would change the selective parts to read first; I want to think this through very carefully before making recommendations to others.

Enclosed is a copy of the letter which I sent William Jr., before we met in October. Am enclosing it because it gives something of my own personal background and some of the problems which give me some concern. Am wondering also if some sort of history of the Urantia Society ought not to be worked out.

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH MARIAN ROWLEY to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, December 9, 1956

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

I thought you might be interested to know that we have mimeographed the presentation of the Urantia Book which you prepared, and a copy is attached. This was copied from the one which you gave Mr. Sadler, omitting the two paragraphs which discussed the origin of the Book.

Yesterday I saw the copy which you had had reproduced and sent to Dr. Sadler, and of course I noticed that you had included two paragraphs on origin, which replaced the original two.

Our copies had been reproduced before receiving your revised copy, but I think you will agree that it reads very smoothly without any reference to origin. It is our feeling that the less the origin is discussed the fewer problems we will have.

We all feel that you have done an excellent job on the presentation and so many of our people asked for copies that we decided to reproduce it in quantity. Thank you very much.

Cordially,
Marian Rowley

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UBH REPLACEMENT PARAGRAPHS for SPRUNGER'S "INTRODUCTION"

These revelations were completed around 1934 and placed in the custody of a select group of people known as the Urantia Forum. You’ll find these people of highest caliber and unquestioned integrity. The first group was composed of seventy people under the leadership of Dr. William S. Sadler and his wife, Dr. Lena Kellogg Sadler. They were a nationally prominent medical team until Dr. Lena’s death in 1939. As you may know, Dr. Sadler was a pioneer in the development of American psychiatry. He has written over 25 books some of which have been standard textbooks in medical schools for many years. He was professor in the post graduate medical school of Chicago University and a lecturer in psychiatry at McCormick Theological Seminary for almost thirty years.

Other men of international reputation who studied the Urantia papers before publication and fully accepted them were the famous magician, Howard Thurston, and the noted explorer, Sir Hubert Wilkins. Thurston, who took delight in exposing all sorts of fraud, became so absorbed with the Urantia papers that he dropped his work for a full year to make an intensive study of the papers. Wilkins likewise took three months out of his busy career to study the papers.

Finally permission was given to publish the Urantia papers, and the Urantia Book was released to the public in October 1955. At this time the Urantia Forum was organized into the Urantia Brotherhood with a Constitution and By-laws. This was done largely as a defensive measure against fanatics who might get hold of the Book and attempt to start a new cult.

William S. Sadler Jr. is the current president of the Urantia Brotherhood. Mr. Sadler is an outstanding businessman heading an agency which evaluates business executives and general plant efficiency of industrial institutions throughout North America.

I was personally introduced to the Urantia Book by Louis M. Hammerschmidt, a prominent lawyer, churchman and public-minded citizen of South Bend, and W. F. Harrah, president emeritus of the National Standard Company (a large industrial firm of the United States, Canada and England), a man of exceptional ability, character and integrity. All of these men and many others have approached the Urantia papers with considerable skepticism but after careful study have become thoroughly convinced of their authenticity.

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UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, December 12, 1956

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Replying to your letter of the 8th let me say that it will be very convenient to have a meeting with you, and I trust also your wife, on Wednesday, January 2.

We will be looking for you around noon, and will lunch here at our house, say around 12:30. We will then talk over some plan, a little later on when we are sure the roads will be good, for your coming over some Sunday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock. I will arrange my work in the office so, as far as possible, to get my appointments through with on Wednesday morning so that I will have the afternoon to talk with you about the Urantia Book and all the many things that pertain thereto.

In the meantime we send to you and yours our best wishes for a happy Christmastime, even if the date doesn’t happen to be factual.

Sincerely,
William S. Sadler

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to MARIAN ROWLEY

Culver, In., December 12, 1956

Dear Miss Rowley,

Thank you for your letter. I appreciated receiving a copy of the letter which you have mimeographed. I have only one regret: its immaturity. Although a copy of the Urantia Book was given to me this summer, I didn’t get around to reading it until September. Being rather thoroughly prepared for it, I almost immediately recognized its significance. Early in October we had a Pastor’s Retreat. I wanted to introduce several of my close friends to the Urantia Book at that time, so I wrote up the Introduction to clear my own mind and help get them to understand. This was sort of an emergency measure.

Being one who likes to check facts from firsthand sources, I immediately sought an interview with William Sadler Jr., and sent him a copy of the Introduction to get facts corrected. Here I discovered that while the facts which I had gotten from Mr. Harrah were relatively correct, Mr. Sadler suggested the wisdom of mentioning only that which the Book itself revealed. Accordingly I revised the Introduction.

Since that time I have read the first and second sections of the Book—and still have a large part of the third section to read—and my advice concerning the sections to read first has changed. I have some rather definite ideas here but am not going to pass them on to others until I have finished the Book and study it as a whole. So, you see that section of the Introduction I would change.

You folks who have been studying the Urantia papers for years may not appreciate the huge amount of material to be covered. Had it not been for rather thorough preparation which I have had, it would take much longer. In a couple of months I will “crystallize” what seems to me a minimum approach for the average Christian. The main weakness of my suggestion in the Introduction is that some orthodox people would be so disturbed by the unfamiliar section of the first part of Part IV that they will not read the latter part.

I was simply carried away by my own enthusiasm and wanted to give what I had “found” to these close friends and could only recommend what I had read. As a matter of fact, some of the first section which I had scanned looked a bit “obtuse.” In fact, I started reading the Urantia Book by carefully going over the Foreword. It left me a little groggy and probably for relief I turned to The Life and Teachings of Jesus and became so interested and finally so impressed that I did scarcely anything but read until it was finished.

We are looking forward to meeting you people of the Urantia Foundation.

Sincerely,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH DONALD DUNN to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, December 24, 1956

Dear Rev. Sprunger,

I recently read your two-page presentation of the Urantia Book, and I wish to commend you for your splendid wisdom, personal courage and profound conviction in the worthwhileness of the Urantia movement.

I have no official connection with the Urantia movement, nor am I enrolled formally in any of their classes, but nevertheless it is a singular pleasure to hear of your sincerity, forthrightness and most of all your admirable actions. I waited curiously for seven years for the publication of the Book (members were bound more or less by common secrecy not to divulge the nature of the Book to non-Chicagoans before release of the book) and when I finally got a copy about fourteen months ago I was prepared for a great message by a member friend. But the Book is more spiritually fabulous than I had dared guess. So it is with unspeakable intellectual and spiritual consonance that I commend your laudable actions.

Sometime I should like the privilege of meeting you. Meanwhile as a layman with nothing but a simple desire to assist such as you in any small way if possible, please let me know if I can ever be of assistance to you in any non-official way. . . .

I wish you and yours a happy new epoch ahead.

Sincerely,
Donald Dunn

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UBF JACQUES WEISS to URANTIA BROTHERHOOD

Paris, France, December 26, 1956

Dear Sirs,

Upon receipt of Miss Rowley’s letter of November 30, 1956, I gave more thought to the possibility of translating your book into French. Although such an undertaking must be meditated for years, and then needs other years for actualizing, the following considerations may not appear premature.

I have personally made several translations, such as the books of Baird T. Spalding: The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, published in French in 1946; and more recently, Esoteric Healing, by Alice A. Bailey (Lucis Press, New York), which is being printed and will appear on the market early in 1957. Esoteric Healing represents approximately one-sixth of the Urantia Book. It is already a serious effort for one man who is professionally occupied otherwise. It has an Index of 7,000 items, which had to be put in another alphabetical order after translation. Its references were also to pages numbered differently in French and in English.

You told me that you were preparing an Index. I therefore suggest that the references of this Index be related not to the pages of the Book, but only to the number of the paper and the number of the section or paragraph inside each paper. This will make your Index translatable in any language. Of course, the number of the American page can be added in the American Index, but it is not indispensable.

As a second suggestion, I would say that in addition to the Index, you should establish a Glossary of the names taken from the cosmic tongue, such as Norlatiadek, Havona, Uversa, Salvington, Divinington, Melchizedek, Vorondadek, Morning Star, Brilliant Evening Star, etc.
In the same Glossary, several combined words should also be explained, for example:

local universe
universe
superuniverse
universe of universes
central universe
grand universe, etc.

As to the publishing of the Book in French, I think that it would be possible to find the money and the translators, an homogenous group properly spiritually minded and competent. But the prospective buyers would be lacking. At the present time, you would probably find no more than two hundred buyers for a book of that kind selling for about thirty dollars. The cost of an edition of 3,000 copies would represent about $45,000, including three or four copies of a good manuscript in French, and the sales tax. That means no profit if the Book sells through the general circuit of bookshops.

But the work is so important that a group may pass over this consideration. Yet the prospective buyers would still be lacking. Perhaps this major obstacle could be overcome if the Book was divided into three volumes, each of which may find a different public, beginning by the end.
First Volume:

• Part IV with its own Index
• Second Volume: Part III with its own Index
• Third Volume: Parts I and II with their own Index and the Glossary

Each of these volumes should be sold at approximately ten dollars. I cannot understand how you manage to sell the whole for ten dollars. There must be an occult support behind. How many copies did you print in this first edition?

I leave the whole matter to your meditation, and to the advice of the Thought Adjusters of your group. But the present letter will evidence that your message has found at least one deep echo in my country. May it be a good omen for your work in 1957.

Very sincerely yours,
J. Weiss

P.S. Your two Books have been well received, one on December 20, the other on December 24. One of them is already in good hands.

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UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to DONALD DUNN

Culver, In., December 31, 1956

Dear Mr. Dunn,

Thank you for your kind letter. I am always most happy to meet anyone who understands the significance of the Urantia Book. Your offer to help in some way is much appreciated. At present I am limited in my ability to give copies of the Urantia Book to key people with whom I have personal connections. If you would find it possible occasionally to send me a copy of the Urantia Book, I would be happy to give you the name of the person to whom it was presented and relay his later response to you.

If you get close to Culver, stop and see us. . . . There are many things just beginning to happen; it will be interesting to follow.

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

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UBH 1956 ANNUAL REPORT of the SECRETARY-GENERAL to the GENERAL COUNCIL of URANTIA BROTHERHOOD

From Marian Rowley

Presented January 13, 1957

My job, as you know, is to keep in touch with all the committees and their activities and to manage the central office and handle all general correspondence. The committee chairmen have already reported on their activities.

As far as the general work is concerned, there has been nothing this year as exciting or spectacular as the publication of the Book.

But the most interesting thing has been the gradual awakening of interest in the Book among people outside of the Forum. We are getting an increasing number of letters from strangers who have seen or heard of the Book and want to know more about it. In some cases, they identify their source of information, but in other cases we have no way of knowing how they heard of the Book. Answers to these letters are the kind I most like to write. Sometimes I hear nothing more and sometimes I get more correspondence and an order for the Book. There has also been quite a bit of more-or-less routine correspondence with out-of-town Forum members.

During the past year two Urantia Societies have been chartered—the First Urantia Society here in Chicago and the West Coast Urantia Society in Los Angeles. In addition, there are several study groups here in Chicago and suburbs, one of which is almost ready to apply for a charter.

There are two other spots where there is keen interest in the Book. In Oklahoma City there are 75 to 100 Books and the material is being used in the church services of the New Age Christian Church. There is also a study group in Oklahoma City which is working with the purpose of becoming a Urantia Society. In Culver, Indiana, there is another spurt of interest. Over 25 Books have been sent to the minister of the Grace Evangelical and Reformed Church for his use in forming a study group. This development is too recent to be able to report any details, but it looks encouraging.

At the present time we have no material to help these study groups, but within the next year we hope to have something available for new groups.