A mother’s Bible can become a family treasure, not because of its cover, but because of the faith and love that filled its pages.
Updated December 13, 2025, by Catherine Pulsifer
In My Mother’s Bible by George Pope Morris, we feel the deep emotion of someone holding onto the one thing that still connects them to home. This Bible is more than a book. It is tied to family names, evening prayers, and memories that still feel alive in the reader’s heart. It reminds us how a mother’s steady example can shape what her children believe and how they live.
This poem also shows the Bible as a trusted guide through every season. When life disappoints and people fail us, God’s Word stays true. The speaker remembers how his mother loved to hear Scripture, and how that love carried her through. It is a gentle reminder that what we pass on to our children is not only what we say, but what we live out each day.
This book is all that's left me now, -
Tears will unbidden start, -
With faltering lip and throbbing brow
I press it to my heart.
For many generations past
Here is our family tree;
My mother's hands this Bible clasped,
She, dying, gave it me.
Ah! well do I remember those
Whose names these records bear;
Who round the hearthstone used to close,
After the evening prayer,
And speak of what these pages said
In tones my heart would thrill!
Though they are with the silent dead,
Here are they living still!
My father read this holy book
To brothers, sisters, dear;
How calm was my poor mother's look,
Who loved God's word to hear!
Her angel face,- I see it yet!
What thronging memories come!
Again that little group is met
Within the halls of home!
Thou truest friend man ever knew,
Thy constancy I've tried;
When all were false, I found thee true,
My counsellor and guide.
The mines of earth no treasures give
That could this volume buy;
In teaching me the way to live,
It taught me how to die!
I have it yet, the dear old book
That lay upon the stand,
In which she often used to look,
And always at her hand;
The corners rounded are with age,
The leaves are worn and thin,
And dim the lines on many a page
She so delighted in.
A half-hours rest in household toil
For needed strength she caught,
And in the light of fragrant oil
She found the place she sought;
And heavy labor turned to love,
And duty led away
To visions of the land above,
A Sabbath-hour each day.
The book remains more sacred still
Because of her dear eyes,
That saw therein Gods wondrous will
And saw not otherwise;
For thus she found a way to Him
Who down to evening late,
And through the valley, lone and dim,
Brought her to His dear gate.
I have worshipped in churches and chapels;
I have prayed in the busy streets;
I have sought my God and have found Him
Where the waves of the ocean beat.
I have knelt in the silent forest,
In the shade of some ancient tree.
But the dearest of all my altars.
Was raised at my mother's knee.
I have listened to God in His temples;
I have caught His voice in crowd;
I have heard Him speak when the breakers
Were roaring long and loud.
Where the winds play soft in the tree tops,
His voice has talked to me;
But I never have heard Him clearer
Than I did at my mother's knee.
Each poem shows how a mother’s love for God and His Word quietly shapes her children. Through daily reading, prayer, and example, her faith becomes a guide that continues long after her voice is gone.
The Bible is presented not just as a book, but as a trusted friend. It offers comfort in sorrow, wisdom for daily living, and hope at the end of life. These poems remind us that Scripture walks with us through every season.
From evening prayers to lessons learned at a mother’s knee, these poems show that the earliest and clearest understanding of God often comes through gentle teaching at home. A mother’s quiet devotion can be the strongest sermon her children ever hear.
The poems on this page remind us that a mother’s faith is one of the greatest gifts she can give. Through her love for God’s Word, she teaches her children where to turn for comfort, guidance, and hope. Long after her voice has grown quiet, the lessons she lived out continue to speak.
Whether through a well worn Bible, gentle prayers at home, or faith learned at a mother’s knee, these poems show how belief is often passed down in simple yet powerful ways. May they encourage you to reflect on the faith you have received and inspire you to keep God’s Word close to your own heart.
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