© 1974 Urantia Foundation
The Urantia Book is abroad in every State of the Union and most countries of the world. While the effect of its teachings may yet be small, it is, nonetheless, worldwide. The ever-increasing rate of growth of the Urantia movement is a recurrent theme in the various mailings. This time we wish to portray this growth a little more graphically by some new figures. More copies of The Urantia Book were sold last year than in the first twelve years of its printing (1955-1966). Concomitantly, the Urantia Foundation received more correspondence last year than in the years 1955-1968.
Recently, based on the trend for the past eight years, we made a projection of book sales for the next 10 years. Should the current trend continue, between 10 and 20 times as many Urantia Books will have been sold by 1984 as have been sold to date—without any promotional measures having been taken. These figures certainly testify to the potency of the Urantia teachings and to the effectiveness of the person-to-person dissemination of these teachings.
As the number of visitors we receive continues to mount, we note that a majority of them are coming from distant parts of the country, a good many from a far away as New York, New England, Florida, New Mexico, and California, as well as many parts of Canada.
The rapid spread of the good news implies the need for the Foundation to keep pace by recruiting more personnel, enlarging space, and gathering more funds. Some steps have already been taken in these matters and further ways and means are being explored on a continuing basis.
Since 1955, there have been well over 2,000 foreign sales of the English language Urantia Book. About half of these have been Canadian sales and the other 1,000 copies are scattered in over 40 countries and territories throughout the world.
The total Urantia Book sales for 1974 (estimating December sales) rose approximately 20 percent over 1973 sales. In November, a record 1,254 books were sold. The future is indeed looking bright.
This is the second issue of URANTIAN News which was initiated in December, 1973. The Urantia Foundation has planned that URANTIAN News be a semi-annual periodical concerning developments in the Urantia movement, more especially with the increasingly numerous and important activities of Urantia Foundation. We hope you enjoy this brief narrative of these developments.
We are now nearing the final stage of preparation for printing “Study Aids for Part IV of The URANTIA Book - The Life and Teachings of Jesus” which was compiled by Ruth Renn. We wish to express our warm gratitude for Ruth’s dedication and hard work in completing what we feel to be a very valuable study aid.
The Finnish translation continues to progress well. The Foundation already has a large portion of the translation in its possession, and Mr. Thomas Kendall is scheduled to visit Helsinki this Fall to confer with the translators.
The Foundation is in the process of preparing, with the help of a dedicated Urantian and serious student of The Urantia Book, a series of maps dealing with Part IV of The Urantia Book. This new set will include over 30 individual maps. Those which are completed are masterpieces of detail and beauty.
This publication comes to you at the time of the Urantia Brotherhood’s 1974 Summer Study Session. The Trustees and Staff of the Foundation have long looked forward to renewing old friendships and making new ones at his gathering of nearly 300 people. Once again is our excitement rekindled as we witness the spiritual fruit of the truths of the Fifth Epochal Revelation.
This Fall, as most of you know, it became the obligation of the Urantia Foundation to initiate a lawsuit against a California corporation known as Urantian Research and three individuals representing that entity. While this is an unfortunate situation, we have been moved by the letters of encouragement and the contributions to this cause which have been steadily flowing in since the news was made public. This support has been very important to us at such a trying time, and we thank you all for these expressions of loyalty. At the present time, we have nothing further to report regarding this legal action, but you will eventually be notified of the outcome.
Despite our limited staff and resources and the heavy demands placed upon all at headquarters, every effort is being made properly to lay the foundations for the slow, sure evolutionary spread of the Urantia message throughout the world into the hearts of all mankind, and the eventual realization of that long sought after goal of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man.
This is a task of immense proportions along side of which our seemingly meager efforts may appear to pale into insignificance Nevertheless, the Word has now been made Book and we are convinced that through unity of ideals and purpose eventually the teachings of Jesus shall obtain in the lives of all mankind. We have begun; the teachings of Jesus will some day prevail.