Q: I have the 1955 copy of the original Urantia Book. I noticed some words are different and the contents page is placed in a different area. My question is: Which is better to read? The first edition 1955 or the editions after that…which is better?

A: I think you can rest assured that the version you have—the original printing—is perfectly fine. It’s true that there are some things that are different in later printings, but as to which edition is better…I think that is a matter of personal preference.

HERE is a page on our site where all the text changes are documented. If you look through it, you’ll easily see that for the most part, the changes have to do with either spelling or punctuation. I can’t think of any instance in which a correction has fundamentally changed the meaning of any passage. Some of the alternative printings in later years are even more different, some with two-column text format and also with Paper:section.paragraph notations for ease of navigation. It is probably inevitable that over time, we may expect even more versions, but the text itself now seems set. I have not heard of any further changes in recent years.

Nothing that passes through human hands is flawless. I think it is pretty amazing that in 1955, when The Urantia Book was published, the collators and editors were able to produce as clean a version as they did—all without computers or spellcheck!

Again, I think that you’ll be fine with your first edition, as long as you are happy with it. Of course, it always helps to know what’s been changed, and why—so looking into the link I’ve provided you will help you to do that.