Is there a definite way to always know Who is speaking in authoritative works?

Clex19 · 02-26-2011, 06:43 PM

I am reading Summons of the Lord of Hosts, and I often get confused when I try to figure whether God, Bahá'u'lláh, or the Maiden of Heaven is speaking/narrating. On occasion I can form an opinion based on what pronouns and capitalization are used.

However, there are places where either "We" or "Us" or "Our" is used with either "Me" or "My" or "Myself" in the same sentence, like here:

Quote:

"This nature prideth itself in its relation to Our transcendent Truth, whilst We, for Our part, glory neither in it nor in aught else, for all beside Myself hath been created through the potency of My word, could ye but understand."

Summons of the Lord of Hosts, paragraph 50

It seems to me that in the above quote, the One Whose potency of His word created all besides Himself is God. But who is "We"? Similar places in the text seem ambiguous to me. Does anyone have some tips for knowing Who is speaking (not just in the quote I gave, but in general)?

Also, since there are no quotation marks to indicate all of what the Maiden of Heaven told Bahá'u'lláh, does anyone know when She stops speaking and Bahá'u'lláh starts speaking again?

Pollwr · 02-26-2011, 07:31 PM

Maybe I am being simplistic but, as I very much doubt that they would in any way contradict one another, I did not worry about the distinction between them.

"Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: "I am God," He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His attributes, are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: "Those shafts were God's, not Thine." And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted fealty unto Thee, really plighted that fealty unto God." And were any of them to voice the utterance, "I am the Messenger of God," He, also, speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth."

(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 53)

arthra · 02-26-2011, 10:54 PM

"We" and "Our" is usually in the sense of royalty... and "This Youth" and "This Wronged One" is Baha'u'llah..

"all beside Myself hath been created" - God speaking..

02-26-2011, 10:54 PM	#3
arthra Senior Member Joined: Jun 2006 From: California Posts: 3,062	"We" and "Our" is usually in the sense of royalty... and "This Youth" and "This Wronged One" is Baha'u'llah.. "all beside Myself hath been created" - God speaking.. Last edited by arthra; 02-27-2011 at 08:43 AM.

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02-26-2011, 07:31 PM	#2
Pollwr Senior Member Joined: Jun 2009 From: earth Posts: 311	Maybe I am being simplistic but, as I very much doubt that they would in any way contradict one another, I did not worry about the distinction between them. "Were any of the all-embracing Manifestations of God to declare: "I am God," He, verily, speaketh the truth, and no doubt attacheth thereto. For it hath been repeatedly demonstrated that through their Revelation, their attributes and names, the Revelation of God, His names and His attributes, are made manifest in the world. Thus, He hath revealed: "Those shafts were God's, not Thine." And also He saith: "In truth, they who plighted fealty unto Thee, really plighted that fealty unto God." And were any of them to voice the utterance, "I am the Messenger of God," He, also, speaketh the truth, the indubitable truth." (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 53)