Changes

Q It has to do with the integrity of the [[Urantia book]]. I've recently published a three volume set of part four and I've made some minor changes that I feel would help modernize it and make it easier to read and understand as an introductory tool, hopefully to introduce people to the whole Urantia book. Now in discussions I am having with some people, they feel I haven't done a good [[thing]], they disagree with it. I was wondering if I could get some advice on that.

Q It has to do with the integrity of the [[Urantia book]]. I've recently published a three volume set of part four and I've made some minor changes that I feel would help modernize it and make it easier to read and understand as an introductory tool, hopefully to introduce people to the whole Urantia book. Now in discussions I am having with some people, they feel I haven't done a good [[thing]], they disagree with it. I was wondering if I could get some advice on that.

Machiventa There was issued, quite a serious mandate to the [http://urantiabook.org/archive/mjs_archive/mjs_origin_of_ub.htm contact commission] to make every [[human]] effort to keep the [[structure]], integrity, and [[content]] of the [[Urantia papers]] pure. Having this mandate in place, the human individuals involved in the contact commission did their best to compile, to edit, to include the papers in the Urantia book with the very best of [[intention]]s and to the best of their abilities, and they fulfilled their mandate to fulfill their requirements. These requirements were not issued to an institution, but rather to a set of individuals present, and therefore does the discussion arise about the [[purpose]] of changing the [[text]].

Machiventa There was issued, quite a serious mandate to the [https://urantiabook.org/archive/mjs_archive/mjs_origin_of_ub.htm contact commission] to make every [[human]] effort to keep the [[structure]], integrity, and [[content]] of the [[Urantia papers]] pure. Having this mandate in place, the human individuals involved in the contact commission did their best to compile, to edit, to include the papers in the Urantia book with the very best of [[intention]]s and to the best of their abilities, and they fulfilled their mandate to fulfill their requirements. These requirements were not issued to an institution, but rather to a set of individuals present, and therefore does the discussion arise about the [[purpose]] of changing the [[text]].

Each generation will have to take up this discussion on down through the ages. Do we keep unchanged [[word]] for word the [[scripture]]s? Do we include [[language]] that is common and normal at the time to make the message more palatable? Do we remove sections which have become [[political]]ly incorrect? These are ongoing issues that are good cause for discussion and debate. The motivation that you have to be about the bettering of what you have to work with is the premeire issue at hand and one can argue over the details of how a motivated individual goes about doing better, but the spirit [[reality]] of your action is one of an attempt to be helpful, be fruitful, be beneficial to the [[process]]. This motivation is well noted in the [[spiritual]] realm, but nevertheless you have to answer to your brothers and sisters in the [[material]] realm who may take issue with you rearranging or editing any part of the text without giving complete credit to having done so.

Each generation will have to take up this discussion on down through the ages. Do we keep unchanged [[word]] for word the [[scripture]]s? Do we include [[language]] that is common and normal at the time to make the message more palatable? Do we remove sections which have become [[political]]ly incorrect? These are ongoing issues that are good cause for discussion and debate. The motivation that you have to be about the bettering of what you have to work with is the premeire issue at hand and one can argue over the details of how a motivated individual goes about doing better, but the spirit [[reality]] of your action is one of an attempt to be helpful, be fruitful, be beneficial to the [[process]]. This motivation is well noted in the [[spiritual]] realm, but nevertheless you have to answer to your brothers and sisters in the [[material]] realm who may take issue with you rearranging or editing any part of the text without giving complete credit to having done so.