Abraham Lincoln in his Times Chapter 2 Child of the Frontier Part 3

Abraham Lincoln in his Times Chapter 2 Child of the Frontier Part 3

exposures and dangers” and “a pious heroine” whose heart was filled “with thoughts of Him who watched over them by night and day.” 51 Because no American president used religion to unify the nation as effectively as Lincoln, it’s important to recognize his mother’s role in establishing his religious frame of mind. Although Lincoln never joined a church and rejected creeds, he was clearly influenced by the nondogmatic faith of his parents. His mother in particular served as his main instructor in what became one of his early texts, the Bible, which he once called “the best gift God has given to man.” 52  Abe in his youth was not a constant Bible reader. Dennis Hanks said, “Lincoln didn’t read the Bible half as much as [is] said”—testimony confirmed by Abe’s stepmother, who remarked, “Abe read the Bible some, though not as much as is said.” 53  But he read it enough to learn a technique he regularly used in his own expression: adding resonance and suggestiveness to his stories and speeches. He …