The Thrilling Adventure

Calling all thrill-seekers: Here’s a new thrill you just have to try!

People regular ask each other, “What’s up?” and “How’s it going?” Consider developing the habit of responding with something similar in spirit to this: “Actually, things are moving along in rather miraculous ways. I’m working on corroborating the scientific and historic information in a book that was published over fifty years ago. New discoveries and scientific advances are continually catching up to it.”

Making this type of statement will elicit a spectrum of responses. Be gracious about having just surprised someone with unusual information. Maybe they have grown accustomed to asking, “How’s it going?” just to be polite. Maybe they are projecting, secretly wishing you would ask them, “How’s it going?” because they have something to say. Maybe, consciously or unconsciously, they were hoping this is exactly the kind of information they would one day learn about.

Take the time to be discerning. This is about providing people with a positive and powerful first impression of The Urantia Book. If someone is not intrigued by your response, there is probably a reason for this. If someone is not intrigued by such a bold assertion that implies objective verifiability of something extraordinary, have a heart. Instead of trying to “force” The Urantia Book into their psyches, determine what is going on in their life that would leave them so disinterested. Minister to them on this level first.

If, on the other hand, they do seem intrigued, then inspire that interest further by expressing the following:

The Urantia Book was published over fifty years ago.
It is richly detailed with a wide variety of scientific and historic information.
Much of this information contradicted or was not yet given consideration by the scientific and scholarly community when it was published.
Science and scholarship has increasingly and dramatically been catching up to the information provided in The Urantia Book.
Verification of this information is freely available at UBtheNEWS.com and is written for people who are unfamiliar with The Urantia Book and who do not have a background in science. Check out the Topic Summaries to get a five-minute overview of the corroborations.

This is how easy and natural it can be to share the gospel (which means “good news”) of the fifth epochal revelation with people who have never heard about it before or do not know about this developing aspect its superhuman quality of credibility. In 60 seconds you can whet the appetite another human being to learn more about something that can have a profoundly positive impact on the rest of their life. To help put the person at ease, look for opportunities to interject a few more choice comments like: ike:

“You don’t need to buy a copy. You can read or even listen to the entire book online for free.”

“I’m not trying to get you to join something. The joke among people who read The Urantia Book is that organizing them is like trying to herd cats.”

“Most people haven’t heard about it because, before there was substantial documentation of this emerging and unique quality of credibility, most people found it a bit awkward to say, “I’m reading a book written by angels. Do you want to check it out?” No one claims to have written the book. Answering the question of authorship in the past tended to turn most people off. Now, the answer has some consistency with the documentation of how science has been catching up to. This development has made it more comfortable to bring up the subject. That’s why I mentioned it.”

If we take a few minutes to share this information with people as we pass by, wonderful things will start to occur. We will increasingly find ourselves in the presence of hungry souls who want more food.

Welcome to the thrilling adventure!

Every charlatan salesperson who can afford an infomercial knows to spend time focusing on how science and “independent studies” back up their claims. They do this because it works. “Be as wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves.”

The Urantia Book has not attracted widespread interest because it lacked objective verifiable credibility and claims to be something extraordinary. Unlike those of us who have been able to appreciate The Urantia Book in advance of this type of credibility, most people are not cut out for “dancing at the end of the bell curve.” We need to respect that cultural stability depends on a level of scrutiny that demands an objective and verifiable quality of credibility.

The good news is, now that we have entered this phase, appreciation for The Urantia Book will develop much more quickly.

Considering whether this approach to introducing The Urantia Book is, in general, more effective than other approaches is not an intellectual exercise. The intent of this article is to outline a new approach and encourage giving it a fair try. This requires 1) numerous attempts, 2) patient application of the principles involved, and 3) reasonable expectations.

It takes a little while to get smooth with a new conversation. Consider the importance of not even trying to formulate an opinion about this approach until you have worked it twenty times. “Working it” twenty times does not mean simply opening up the conversation. Remember, we must be discerning to see whether people are actually in the mood to talk about this. They may not be for reasons that have nothing at all to do with how you opened the conversation. And regarding expectations, the issue is how it compares to other approaches. The assertion is that this is a better approach, not a perfect one that “gets ‘em every time.”

Providing a positive and powerful first impression of The Urantia Book through starting a conversation about its unique quality of credibility does not mean trying to keep the conversation focused on this subject. The point is to bring the conversation up in this way and then listen for what is important to the other person. Maybe they would like some examples, maybe not. You can always ask to make sure.

The most important thing to do after bringing up the conversation is to turn the directional leadership of the conversation over to them. Naturally, people who have never heard about The Urantia Book before may not know how to ask a “good” question. Sometimes we need to be discerning to determine what is underneath a question, what is motivating the direction in which they would like to take the conversation. Respecting the other persons interests and values is a crucial part of being of service to them.

We must not have an agenda about how long the conversation should last. As soon as we sense they are finished with the conversation, it is time to close down the conversation gracefully.

Making a good first impression, planting a seed well, requires bring up the conversation in an intriguing way, respecting the other persons individuality, and then ending the conversation when we sense that energy for it has dissipated. This is about planting seeds, not harvesting. Of course there is going to be a spectrum of response and sometimes seeds grow immediately. In general, I’m delighted to report that people who are unfamiliar with The Urantia Book seem to appreciate being introduced to the book in this way.

You have every right to say, “I am working on corroborating the scientific and historic information in a book published over fifty years ago.” Corroborating information in The Urantia Book is not just a matter of writing reports and publishing them. The process of corroboration is also a collective process of mutual appreciation for the validity of the corroborations. When you bring up the subject with someone, you are part of the process in that very moment; you are working on it.

It’s like telling someone about an ongoing miraculous event that they can go see for themselves. Enjoy yourself. One of the most thrilling adventures in life is just a short conversation away!