“Dr. William S. Sadler professed that a group of celestial beings began to communicate to him through a sleeping man in Chicago from 1911 until 1923. He and his wife, Lena Sadler, both well-known and highly respected local physicians, claimed there were “probably 250 night sessions,” during which these celestials spoke through their patient. The identity of the patient was never revealed.
From 1924-1934, the Sadlers held a Forum in their home to study the voluminous notes and to compose questions for the celestial beings about human origins and destiny. The result was The Urantia Book, which claims to be the fifth epochal revelation to humankind. Published in 1955, it has sold over 750,000 copies by word of mouth.
Although translated into 17 languages, relatively few people know about it or the amazing story of its creation. The History Of The Urantia Book explores the professional lives and spiritual pursuits of the Sadlers and the extraordinary role that Dr. Sadler played in bringing this 2,097-page tome to the world.
It compares the “origin story” with the scholarly discovery of relevant facts and circumstances that led to its publication. It also sheds new light on the fiercely protected identity of the “patient” and likely scribe for these revelations.”
I am of the opinion, based on my own experience with a similar situation, that the author of The URANTIA Book was Dr. Sadler himself.
“… The Sherman’s reported that Sadler told the Forum that the Contact Commissioners (Sadler, his wife, son and URANTIA Book committee to whom the celestials would speak) no longer had to pick up the papers at the contact’s home (the ‘sleeping subject’ through whom the celestials were channeling the divine book) because the midway creatures were now materializing them in the Sadler residence at 533 Diversey Parkway.” Dr. Sadler and The URANTIA Book, pg. 85.
I find it hard to believe that after dictating the entire URANTIA Book by channeling it through an anonymous ‘sleeping subject,’ the Celestial Revelators would suddenly make it more convenient for Sadler by laying new papers on his desk at his own house.
According to both Oliva’s and Sherman’s books, Sherman’s questioning of Dr. Sadler’s veracity led to an uprising and a petition written by Clyde Bedell (author of The URANTIA Book Concordex – Glossary) and signed by (according to Sherman) every Forum Member (Sadler’ Cult Followers).
In response, according to Sherman, Sadler convinced The Forum Members they’d been led astray by a new Lucifer Rebellion, and that Sherman had been possessed by the devil.
Oliva writes simply, “Not surprisingly, Sadler was furious at this challenge to his leadership after eighteen years on the project.”
With the threat that they would all be classified by the Revelators as “rebels,” Oliva recounts, “This was too intimidating to ignore.” Per Sadler’s instructions, the Forum Members were called “individually into his office for a private conversation, and one by one they each withdrew their names from the petition.”
According to Sherman’s recounting, each Forum Member apologized to Sadler, the women did so with a kiss, and subsequently shunned Sherman and his wife, per Sadler’s orders.
Additionally,
While Oliva admits, “Even though many forum members agreed with the petition, none of them could maintain that attitude when Sadler questioned them.”
To reprimand each individually is straight-forward Cult-Like, divide and conquer behavior.
I question that Oliva did not include more of these Cult-Like or Sadler’s Cult-Leader prone behaviors, in her recounting, while one of her her sources, Harold Sherman’s chapter, “A Pipeline to God,” tells the rest of the story:
When the Shermans attended the next Forum Meeting at 533 Diversey Parkway, Sherman challenged Sadler’s accusations that Sherman had been led astray by Lucifer in a new Lucifer Rebellion.
Sadler, highly agitated, yelled repeatedly, “Sit down — you can’t speak — you are a guest in my house. Sit down!”
Whereupon Sherman was seized bodily by two brutes and threatened to be thrown into the street….
There is so much more to this story.
According to Oliva’s book biography, ” Her first project was managing a non-profit website to introduce the teachings of The Urantia Book to a wider audience sponsored by Lyn and Norman Lear.”
This leads me to wonder if Dr. Oliva may believe in The URANTIA Book teachings enough to have tainted her own research and recounting.
Similar to Sherman’s question for Sadler, “Have you, by your attitude, altered or excluded any material or truths which should be in this URANTIA Revelation Book?” I wonder the same of Dr. Oliva about her Dr. Sadler book.