© 2013 Kathy Hatter
© 2013 Urantia Foundation
| The Urantia Book Study Group Directory | Volume 7, Issue 3, Sept. 2013 — Index | A Tale of Two Conferences |
By Kathy Hatter, Old Town, Florida, United States
The Urantia Book was an answer to my prayers.
In 1972 I was searching for truth that would inspire me more than my traditional religious upbringing. A magazine ad about The Urantia Book caught my attention, and I felt compelled to buy the book, which I did. As I started reading it, I knew it was special and would satisfy the thirst I had for truth. Unfortunately, my understanding was limited. So I put the book in a drawer and waited until I thought I was ready to read and understand it, which was twenty years later
Technology now makes it easier for information to be at our fingertips. How helpful it is to have numerous Urantia websites. Thanks to Truthbook.com, I was able to obtain answers to a lot of my questions, and I discovered that Urantia Foundation offered free courses through the Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS).
Each trimester UBIS offers courses designed for beginning readers as well as advanced readers. I did not exactly know how an internet school worked, but I found the course description to be quite enticing, and I liked the questions-and-answers Socratic approach. Once I had enrolled in a course, I did not feel overwhelmed with too much reading or with the questions; we were given six questions and asked to answer three of our choice. I liked that the course commenced with each student introducing him- or herself. And after a few weeks we were starting to become kindred spirits and were growing in respect and affection for one another.
When choosing the three questions out of the six, I would consider what answers I could give that would best express how I comprehended those particular subjects. Then I would engage in prayer and ask for help to answer the question. It always worked for me, and the three questions I did not answer were always answered by other students. The teacherfacilitators always gave their input, and that was helpful.
After reading each student’s answers to their three questions, each student had the opportunity to respond to the answers of his or her fellow students. Sometimes the response was another question. We all learned from one another. My wisdom definitely grew from this interaction.
With free will we choose to accept his plan in whole or in part.
At the tenth week meeting of the class, each student asked and answered a question of his or her choice, after which each student responded to the questions and the answers. By this time, I think that we all felt as though we had much to contribute.
My first course, “A Revelation of the Divine Father and His Divine Plans,” was the perfect first choice for me as I learned that the Universal Father has a perfect plan for each of us individually and collectively, and that there can be no short cuts for his children. With free will we choose to accept his plan in whole or in part. Adversity is part of the learning process on Urantia, but through positive and negative experiences, we grow in many ways as God’s plan unfolds and we trust that God’s plan is perfect for us and our world.
My next course, “The Lucifer Rebellion-Tragedy and Triumph,” gave me a whole new perspective on devil myths. I never thought much about this because I focused on good, not evil, but evil is all around us. It saddens me to think that some people choose that path. Lucifer and his associates chose to go against God’s plan and to have their own plan, a plan which dragged many vulnerable beings into their “web of deceit.” The saying, “the devil made me do it” has no truth! These devils, since Michael’s bestowal, have had absolutely no power over us, and even though our planet is isolated, we have a fragment of God within us. We have Jesus’ Spirit of Truth to lead us, and we have unseen friends to help us along the way.
In conclusion, one does not have to feel overwhelmed by The Urantia Book. The isolation that we may have felt is no longer necessary because we can now study together and increase our understanding of the teachings via UBIS. If one is willing to enroll and to participate in a UBIS course, the benefits will produce much fruit.
I look forward to taking many more courses. I am thankful that The Urantia Book and UBIS are in my life!
“God is my All, I know No Fear, Since God and Love and Truth are here.”
¶ References
| The Urantia Book Study Group Directory | Volume 7, Issue 3, Sept. 2013 — Index | A Tale of Two Conferences |