WE HAVE BEEN TOLD by the mainstream media that if science were to discover that intelligent life exists somewhere else in the universe, it would radically change our way of thinking, from top to bottom. Imagine, then, if it were proven that, circa 1906 to 1955, invisible super-intelligent beings collaborated with a small group of humans for the purpose of bringing a revelation of epochal significance to our planet! However, the miraculous materialization of the Urantia Papers can never be proven. And perhaps the superhuman revelators who were involved wanted it just that way. They knew that one of the least desirable reasons to believe anything is because of some supposed supernormal origin. The Urantia Papers were always intended to stand upon their own merits. Their origin was to remain a spiritual mystery, and belief in their authenticity a matter of faith. Somehow, due to indiscretions by a few members of the human contact commission, it didn’t work out that way ...
Those of us who measure our readership in decades rather than in years recall a time when it was virtually forbidden to discuss the origin of The Urantia Book. All we knew were conflicting rumors, fragmented stories and mysterious “mandates†about what took place from early in the twentieth century until late in 1955. We wanted to know the truth about what really happened during the fifty-year period of the Revelation. We all hoped that one day an old-timer would write a history of the Papers that was carefully researched and documented. Time passed, and then one day a group of us realized that while we waited we had become old-timers ourselves. If an objective, reliable history was to be written, we would have to be the ones to write it.
None of us had any idea of what we would uncover in our search for truth. We were often made uncomfortable and even shocked by what we discovered. But at each juncture we all agreed to follow the truth wherever it led. In the words of the Master: “There cannot be peace between light and darkness, between life and death, between truth and error.†It took us over two years to complete our history. When we were done, I wrote this passage in the Preface:
“Histories are inescapably adversarial and painful processes. The Urantians who undertook this task of developing a good, sound history are aware that the final product is a compelling argument that could help shape the destiny of the Urantia Papers. The stakes are high, because what is ultimately at issue are the various philosophies and agendas of those organizations and individuals who seek to control the Urantia Revelation. It will come as no surprise then, that the interpretations of the events relating to the Urantia Papers are destined to be fiercely contested. Sometimes the facts about the Urantia Papers are at issue, but more often the meaning of the facts will be the center of historical controversy.â€
We have presented and carefully documented our findings. Readers can decide for themselves how effectively we presented the myriad of issues surrounding the insertion of the Revelation into the evolutionary mainstream.
The original printing of 3,000 copies of A History of the Urantia Papers sold out rather quickly. Many Urantians were disappointed. In the meantime, some young Urantians have expressed interest in the origin and history of the Revelation. Fortunately, advanced publishing technology now makes it possible to produce an enlarged edition of the original history in a quality paperback version and this kindle version at a reasonable price.