THE YEAR WAS 1968 and I was 37 years old. My life was the picture of tranquility. I was married with two children ages 12 and 10, lived in a nice home surrounded by camellias, and had lots of family and good friends nearby. But the serene nature of my life was about to change. All of a sudden I was faced with material instability, concern for my children, anxiety, sadness, and an overpowering sense of uncertainty. I had big problems to solve and I was filled with fear.

At about this same time, my mother started telling me about a wonderful book that she had received from a friend. She said that it was written by the angels and told the whole story about Jesus. (I should mention that I was raised in a Protestant home with a mother who had her own liberal interpretation of the Bible.) She said that this book answered all her questions about God and the universe, and urged me to get a copy.

But that was the last thing I wanted to do. I feared that if I saw this “revelatory” book, I would know for sure that my mother had lost her grip, and that would mean that the last stable reality in my life was gone. For months she persisted, and for months I politely resisted. I made it very clear that I did not wish to see that book!

Then one day Mother appeared at my door holding the Urantia Book. She thrust it in my hands and told me to sit down and open it. Trapped, I plopped down on the couch, stuck my thumb in the book and opened to “The Young Man Who Was Afraid.” I didn’t know it then, but that was the defining moment of my life.

I read that section over and over. The phrase, “Arise, young man!” (p. 1438), was like a wake-up call to my soul. Then I turned to another page and my eyes fell on these words: “. . . graciousness is the aroma of friendliness which emanates from a love-saturated soul” (p. 1874). I closed my eyes and just let the beauty of those words wash over me. A sense of peace entered my mind, and once again I turned to another page. For the first time I read the words that would inspire me for the rest of my life: “Uncertainty with security is the essence of the Paradise adventure . . . (p. 1223).

I read for an hour without saying a word. Finally, I quietly asked if I could borrow the book. Mother said yes, and left. After three days and nights of reading, I called Mother and said, “Yes! Yes! This book is written by angels!”

And that is the story of how the Urantia Book found me. From that point on my life was changed. I was invigorated and uplifted for the challenges of those earlier days, and its inspiration has continued to light up my life on each new day.

My son and daughter began reading the book when I did, and they continue to do so today. We hosted a study group and joined a local Urantia Society. I went to my first Urantia conference in 1969 in Chicago and remember what a thrill it was to be in a room full of people from around the country who were all long-time readers.

I have now retired after many years as a teacher and love having the time to devote to study of the book. My mother’s own love, joy and study of the Urantia Book never diminished. I smile up to her now, on the mansion worlds, and utter a prayer of thanksgiving for that day she knocked on my door.

[Dorothy is Director of Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS).]