President John Quincy Adams on the Bible
President John Quincy Adams was, in 1809, ...
... appointed Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to the court of St. Petersburg. During his residence there he addressed to his eldest son, who was then ten years old, a series of letters on the study of the Bible....
Continuing, we read:
... Extracts from these letters are here given embodying the views of this statesman on the Bible and its influence. The letters were written during the years 1811 and 1813. The extracts are given without reference to their dates.
"So great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief that, when duly read and meditated upon, it is of all books in the world that which contributes to make men good, wise, and happy, that the earlier my children begin to read it, and the more steadily they pursue the practice of reading it throughout their lives, the more lively and confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country, respectable members of society, and a real blessing to their parents...."1
- 1. p. 182