Attached is roster of the General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood and committees, including the newly elected members. Also enclosed is Statement of Income and Expense for the year ended December 31, 1971.

The Urantia Brotherhood spring seminar will begin April 12. These sessions are conducted every Wednesday night at 7:30 for nine weeks by Deal Alvin L. Kulieke. He will continue with Paper 14, Central and Divine Universe, and Paper 15, The Seven Superuniverses. No academic credit is given but it is hoped that those of you who can attend will do so. Everybody is welcome.

On January 3, 1972, the Executive Committee of the Urantia Brotherhood appointed two additional field representatives to work in the east. They are John W. Hales, 102 Prospect Park, West, Brooklyn, New York 11215, and Paul Snider, 11 Woodford Lane, Englishtown, New Jersey 07726.

Sales of the Urantia Book continue to grow. During 1969 2,822 books were shipped; in 1970 - 4,444; in 1971 - 5,916. Approximately 4,600 have been shipped from the third printing. Rounding out the figures, more than 25,000 have been disseminated since publication in 1955.

For those of you who do not know about the Concordex to the Urantia Book which has been compiled recently by Clyde Bedell, a long-time student of the Urantia Book, you may obtain it from headquarters for $8.50 plus .28 postage. This Concordex is quite comprehensive and contains over 50,000 page references. Readers are finding it extremely helpful.

Also you may obtain from headquarters the Urantia Foundation's folder entitled "An Artist's Conception of the Master Universe" which contains four colored maps of the universe plus descriptive texts, and other quotations from the Urantia Book. The price is $1.00.

Mr. Joel Rehnstrom from Helsinki, Finland, visited headquarters during the Christmas holidays. He spent four days with us and the trustees of the Urantia Foundation held a reception for him on January 2. Mr. Rehnstrom, with other members of his group, is translating the Urantia Book into the Finnish language, and advises us that he is making excellent progress. It was very pleasant to have him come and see us. Mr. Rehnstrom has interested many people in Finland in the Urantia Book and holds classes regularly.

OUR PRESIDENT COMMENTS:

It is now 1972 and as the years pass we see many changes taking place, perhaps at a more rapid rate during the last two decades than during any before. Even in this period of distress, discouragement, and disruption we can see indications of a lessening of the unrest and turbulence that have prevailed for some years. Perhaps we are seeing the prelude to the epoch of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment that will eventually sweep the planet. Man must be moved to an attitude of acceptance of the religion of Jesus. "Modern, civilized men dread the thought of falling under the dominance of strong religious convictions. Thinking man has always feared to be held by a religion. When a strong and moving religion threatens to dominate him, he invariably tries to rationalize, traditionalize, and institutionalize it, thereby hoping to gain control of it. By such procedure, even a revealed religion becomes man-made and man-dominated. Modern men and women of intelligence evade the religion of Jesus because of their fears of what it will do to them -- and with them. And all such fears are well founded. The religion of Jesus does, indeed, dominate and transform its believers, demanding that men dedicate their lives to seeking for a knowledge of the will of the Father in heaven and requiring that the energies of living be consecrated to the unselfish service of the brotherhood of man." (P. 2083, par.3)

The more each of us can do to introduce men and women to the story of the life and teachings of Jesus, the more quickly will this dedication to seeking to know the will of the Father and this consecration to service take place. We cannot expect all mankind suddenly to be "won to the kingdom," but if each one of us can frequently bring one more person to a knowledge of Jesus' revelation a chain reaction will begin to accelerate.

It is gratifying to see the many letters from those who have discovered the Urantia Book, to hear encouraging reports from Urantia Societies, field representatives, and study groups, and to note the many calls and visitors who are seeking enlightenment. All these are indications of a growing acceptance of Jesus' message.

"The Gods are my caretakers; I shall not stray; Side by side they lead me in the beautiful paths and glorious refreshing of life everlasting I shall not, in this Divine Presence, want for food nor thirst for water. Though I go down into the valley of uncertainty or ascend up into the worlds of doubt, Though I move in loneliness or with the fellows of my kind, Though I triumph in the choirs of light or falter in the solitary places of the spheres, Your good spirit shall minister to me, and your glorious angel will comfort me. Though I descend into the depths of darkness and death itself, I shall not doubt you nor fear you, For I know that in the fullness of time and the glory of your name You will raise me up to sit with you on the battlements on high." (p. 552)

That is the story whispered in the night season to the shepherd boy.

LMS