Greetings fellow truth seekers and students of the URANTIA Book!!
I am starting this topic to explore the history, current status, and potential future of the dissemination of the UB and its teachings and I invite all who will to join in. There is no particular focus for the thread but some ideas for sharing might include:
How I found the UB (or did it find me?)
Forms of dissemination you have attempted and found either success or failure in those different forms of effort.
Current dissemination efforts you are supporting.
Forms of dissemination you would like to support or know about.
The history of UB dissemination efforts.
Dissemination began back in the 1950’s by the Foundation and the Brotherhood (formed originally by members of the Forum). The Foundation has, for the last 60 years, been the publisher of the UB and its distributor. Distribution was originally an exclusive work for the Brotherhood which developed many grass roots systems and networks for hand to hand, study group, library, used and new book stores, book fairs, Jesus Birthday celebrations, local conferences, and other forms for getting the printed book into circulation. That success allowed the Foundation to focus on two priorities: commercial book distribution systems and translations. The Foundation has also been very supportive in supplying free or discounted books to many disseminators over the decades.
Today, the Foundation and the Urantia Association work together to get cases of books into the hands of study group hosts and Association members (and others) overseas where there is no commercial distribution system – demand must come before the supply side will respond. So while the West can buy UB’s from multiple commercial book distributors, books are being shipped into India, Africa, S. America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Philippines, and other countries where there are students and study groups needing books (often such places require free or deeply discounted books due to national/local poverty). Some disseminators do truly take great personal risk in this act of dissemination in service to the growing student body.
While there are over 1000 study groups that meet in person, the fastest growing form of study groups are Skype and on-line, usually organized by language rather than geographical proximity. The Foundation and Association do not need to create readers or promote readership….as the growth in readership is now an exponential explosion of demand making it more important to “respond” to rather than “create” demand. Many from sponsoring organizations are also on the ground in every continent and many countries, organizing group events and supporting study group hosts and establishing book distribution networks, either private or commercial.
The number of schools with published curriculum and experienced instructors is increasing and so is their student body. My wife and I have taken 3 classes with UBIS where each class of 20 often had students from 3-4 continents and 6-8 different countries!!! From my first touch of a UB to today, the planet is being blessed by the efforts of so many to disseminate the book and its teachings.
As to dissemination of the “teachings” of the Revelation, there is much variety. The Association’s efforts are to promote the living of the truth by those who disseminate and the sharing of knowledge, truth, experience, and wisdom by students with each other – there are no creeds, dogmas, beliefs, or other forms of leadership or group expression of the teachings….the book contains the teachings and students both learn from and teach one another in their learning and sharing and caring. The readership determines the form and content of disseminating the teachings and not the service organization or any form of hierchy (no damn priests allowed!!)
There is access here at this website for information and updates as to current dissemination projects which the Association is supporting now and a great historical archive about prior efforts and links to various groups and individuals who also work to disseminate the UB.
A big thank you to I don’t know who….but to you and them who got a used UB into a small used book store in a little dusty western town in 1976 just in time for me to find it after looking for my own book for over 2 years after another hippie loaned me his for a summer read in 1974. And to those gentle folk in Northern California who were the first readers I ever met and not until 1984 who placed a book, a Concordex, and a Paramony in the public library which I found roaming the religion/philosophy aisles as I always do – I was struck by lightening and wept in joy that day. Thankfully those days are long gone and the book is everywhere….but it did not happen easily, quickly, or without the work of thousands of students. But there are still places where the book requires the passing of the book from one reader’s hand to another’s hand carried by boat or burro to reach those who wish their own copy in their own language.
What a privilege to serve with a valiant corps of disseminators inspired to share that which has meant so much to each of us who so endeavor together in this service to our world and to those who made this gift to us. Peace.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
