| Title: | Past and Present Tests |
| Document: | Past and Present Tests – Our Baptism of Joys and Sorrows |
| Author: | Certain members of the General Council [compiled by William S. Sadler, Jr. (note 1)] |
| Date: | May 2, 1955 |
| Revelators: | Revelatory Commission. (note 2) |
| Revelator Messages: |
Memorandum contains: “Certain wise comments and advices which have been gathered over a period of time and which pertain to the future problems of the Urantia Book and Urantia Brotherhood “ (note 2) (note 3) (note 4) “In the past, we and our associates underwent the testing of delay. Not all stood the test well.” (note 5) |
| Provided By: | Carolyn Kendall on 12/24/2007 |
| Copy Status: | A Conformed Copy of the original Memorandum, which is too faint to scan, was exactly reproduced. This is attached as a PDF file. |
| Provenance: | This memorandum was produced for the files of the Executive Committee of Urantia Brotherhood. A copy of this paper was placed in the secretary’s notebooks of each Brotherhood standing committee of the. Copies were also given to committee chairmen, officers, and Trustees of Urantia Foundation. |
| Authentication: | Evidentiary This memorandum was entered into a deposition in a Federal District court case in 1994. Personal Note 1: "The May 2, 1955, Past and Present Tests. I don't know the dates of the original messages, but the May 2nd date is the date he [William Sadler, Jr.] read this to the Forum and on which he placed it in each committee secretary's notebook. This one deals with the testing of delay, unity, trust and trustworthiness. It has the warning about many strange isms and queer groups that will attempt to attach themselves to the legitimate Brotherhood, etc. The original messages were read to the Forum in the 1950s, and again to certain individuals in 1977." Carolyn Kendall 12/24/2007 Note 2: “The phrasing ‘certain wise comments and advices’ was understood by everyone to mean that all of the material being presented consisted of advices and admonitions from the Revelatory Commission.” Carolyn Kendall 12/28/2007 Note 3: “the contact commissioners … quoted the revelator communications word for word …. Clyde Bedell confirmed that for me in 1983.” Barbara Newsom, 12/31/2007 Note 4: “’: See “Julia K. Fenderson, March 31, 1982” letter for additional confirmation of the reading of revelator communications to the Forum. Textual Note 5: This is a clear reference to a sentence in the Regent’s November 21, 1951 message: [Revelator Instructions] “It must be that many otherwise well-meaning human beings just cannot stand the test of time.” (The underlining is present in both texts.) |