A History of the Urantia Papers

Very well researched

The value of Larry Mullins’ book, "A History of The Urantia Papers" lies in preserving the traditional origin story of "The Urantia Book" for future generations. However its flaws lie in numerous factual inaccuracies and a lack of professional historical methodology. This book fits within M.I. Finley's description of 19th century historical writing styles when “both writers and readers of history expected it to prove something, or at least to reinforce beliefs, prejudices and prophecies.” Then in the late 19th century the writing of history became scholarship, “value-free,” an attempt at objective research for how things really were, for the facts and nothing else. Based upon this definition, Mullins' history reflects the earlier era when history was story-based not fact-based. Mullins relied on oral history that he did not verify. Historical books are only as good as the sources they depend upon. The preferred historical methodology uses primary source documents—those created at the time of the event, such as government and institutional records, and unpublished manuscripts such as personal diaries and letters—rather than secondary sources that are written after an event has occurred, which provide secondhand accounts of that event, person or topic. Secondary sources relate to or discuss information originally presented elsewhere.For his book Mullins depended on a few primary documents but overwhelmingly on what Meredith Sprunger and others told him. Sprunger got his information from Dr. William Sadler, who was the steward of the Urantia papers project. Dr. Sprunger arrived on the Urantia scene in the late 1950s, over a decade after the Forum days ended (the Forum was the group who was involved with the papers appearance). Here is one paragraph from Mullins’ book to serve as an example of his inadequate research. This sample is from an endnote on page 38 about Sadler’s life. I am quoting from the middle of the paragraph. [brackets indicate primary sourced-fact checked information]1. “At twenty, as director of a Chicago Medical Mission, Sadler engaged in teaching, speaking and working with skid row people. He initiated and edited a magazine which reached a circulation of 150,000 copies.” [In 1895, at twenty, Sadler was not the director of the Chicago Medical Mission. He was appointed secretary].2. “His theological training took place at Moody’s Bible Institute.” [Sadler attended Moody’s for one year at the suggestion of John Harvey Kellogg. He did not graduate.]3. “He met Lena Kellogg in 1893, when she was a student nurse. They married in 1897. The Sadler’s lost their first son a few years later, who died at the age of 11 months.” [Willis Sadler was born on July 5, 1899. He died on April 26, 1900, at nine months of age, not 11 months. He is buried in Battle Creek Cemetery]4. “Soon after that both Sadlers decided to become doctors, and attended different medical schools.” [Dr. Lena and Dr. Sadler did not attend separate schools. They both attended the American Medical Missionary College in Chicago. They graduated together in 1906].5. “This was virtually William Sadler, Sr.’s first formal education.” [WSS had prior formal education. He attended Battle Creek College in 1890, at 16 years of age. In 1901, he attended Cooper Medical College, now Leland Stanford University, San Francisco, CA]6. “After a few years as a successful surgeon, he decided to become a psychiatrist. After passing the required examination, he went to Europe (circa 1911) and studied with Freud in Vienna for almost a year.” [Mullins is also wrong about saying that after a few years Sadler decided to become a psychiatrist. Sadler didn’t call himself a psychiatrist until the year his psychology textbook was published (1936). Even in the “Mind at Mischief” (1929) he doesn’t call himself a psychiatrist. In addition Mullins is incorrect about Sadler passing a “required examination.” There was no certification required in medicine until 1933. http://www.abms.org/about-abms/history/ Sadler never took the required exam after 1933].7. “He told Dr. Sprunger that he was a member of Freud’s ‘fair-haired boys club’ along with Jung and Adler, meeting weekly with Freud for informal debates.” [There is no evidence to support Dr. Sadler meeting and studying with Freud. Marc Demarest found that the Sadlers went to Europe from September 16, 1911, until December 15, 1911, and found:a. Sadler was issued a passport to leave the US on September 18, 1911, and that the passport was to be delivered to Sadler c/o the Donaldson Steamer Line of Montreal, as Sadler was due to depart Montreal (for Glasgow, Scotland) on September 23, 1911, on the S. S. Cassandra.b. The issued passport expired in 1913.c. Sadler re-entered the United States on the Lusitania, arriving New York from Liverpool, on December 9, 1911. Sadler himself wrote to the JAMA almost immediately to say he had returned.d. There is no record of Sadler leaving or entering the United States, after December 9, 1911, until Sadler is issued another passport, on April 1, 1919, to travel to "France and Britain" in order "to lecture and give instruction in health and hygiene to the Am. Exped. Forces."e. e. At the end of September of 1911, Sigmund Freud was in Berlin (we know this from his correspondence), having just left the 1911 yearly psychoanalytic conference, which was held on September 20 and 21—too early for Sadler to have attended, based on the data.] (Marc Demarest first found this information)f. Both Freud archives have no records of Sadler writing, speaking, studying, or meeting with Dr. Freud.]Other issues with Mullins’ history have to do with failing to check dates, etc. through census records, phone books, or letters. On page 43, in his book he writes that the Sadlers lived in La Grange, Illinois in the summer of 1908. This is untrue. The Sadlers were living at 100 State Street in Chicago, Illinois, that summer. The primary source document is a letter that William S. Sadler wrote to W.C. White from that address on October 16, 1907. Their letters demonstrate that they remained at this address through 1909.Mullins took liberties in his writing that a scholarly historian would not, such as placing words in his subjects’ mouths. Mullins stated on page 57, “I developed the dialogue between the various individuals in the seminal contact with some artistic license. It was based upon a composite of the sources above and is a plausible dramatization that fits the known facts.” A historical scholar wouldn’t feel comfortable creating conversations from their sources because that falls within historical fiction. Professional historians don’t put words in quotes that they can't cite.Another source that Mullins used was G. Vonne Meussling’s 1970 dissertation, “William S. Sadler: Chautauqua’s Medic Orator.” Meuessling's paper has the same source problems—she relied on interviews and papers that were not fact checked. This writer spoke with Meussling on April 9, 2009. She said all the information about Sadler in her book came from interviews with Anna Rawson and Christy Christensen and what she cites as “Sadler’s papers” given to her by Christy. Meussling never met Sadler. Her sources also should have been be verified. If Mullins’ desires that his book stand under the rigors of scholarly examination and gain its ultimate value than he should correct his numerous historical errors.

While generally a good compilation of the history of the Urantia papers, Mr Mullins leaves out any of the dark side of most people, even if they are of good intention, as it appears that Dr William Sadler was. Mr. Mullins gives short shrift to the issue of the beginnings of the Urantia Foundation legal origins in the minds of the contact commissioners. Virtually nothing is stated of what the motivation of Dr. Sadler was for excluding his select group of seventy, or the Forum from deliberating the purpose of the Urantia Foundation and its legal underpinnings, after all they were supporting it with their money. While Mr Sherman and his wife had many ideas about psychic phonemenon that were contrary to Dr. Sadlers, that still does not mean that the petition that was presented to Dr. Sadler about the Urantia Foundation was not valid. When the petition was presented to Dr. Sadler, why was he "wounded" by it, and why did he insist that the petition signers remove their names from it? It seems that Dr. Sadler did not trust those in the Forum, and therefore could not allow this challenge to his authority to remain unchecked. What did he or his fellow associates (contact commissioners) have invested in the control of the origins of the Urantia Foundation? I believe Mr. Sherman and his wife's presence may have been necessary to hold back certain individuals from "owning" the Urantia Foundation and therefore the Urantia Book even before they existed. If Dr. Sadler had not been so possessive of this process and included the larger group, the Urantia Foundation may have been a much better organization right from the start. Perhaps people like Martin Myers would not have so easily ingratiated themselves with Christy and managed to control the Urantia Foundation for over 25 years. It does us all a disservice to think of those individuals connected with the origin of The Urantia Book as being all positive and good, when I am sure they had ambitions of their own that may have conflicted with the fifth epochal revelation and our responsibility for sharing it with our fellow human beings. The Urantia Book

I am and believe we Urantia Book readers in general should be very greatful for this book. Heartfelt truth and love of God as well as the great revelation, the Urantia Book shines through and while dealing with challenging issues in Urantia Book history, we are, in the end, inspired to takes its message to heart and show the world, through our love and actions, the Fatherhood and God and the brotherhood of man.

Mr. Mullins took a challenging (some would say Phd-level) source book - The URANTIA Book - and really offered a human and gentle touch in relaying his everyman's style and approach to its history. He also respectfully clarified many half-truths which have lingered in urban myths for decades concerning the actual "materialization" of those URANTIA Papers. An elegant and righteous offering indeed , and easily readable for us non-doctrinate self-learners. Thank you, Larry Mullins !