With the triad of Bible, Family and Thanksgiving being the focus of the week of November 22-28 in the United States, much will be said of things pertaining to the word of God, society's basic unit and the importance of expressing gratitude. So profound is every one of these that each, in its own right, might be regarded as a national cornerstone.

Three events that harmonize with LDS teachings and principles are observed during this brief time span: Thanksgiving Day, National Family Week and National Bible Week.

The concept of a national "day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father," as Abraham Lincoln put it, has long been part of history. The tradition of a day of thanksgiving reaches back to the year 1621 when the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., set aside a day for praising God for His blessings. Thanksgiving was observed only sporadically for the next century and a half, however. In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed a day for giving thanks. In 1795, he repeated the proclamation. It was not until Abraham Lincoln was in office that an official day for giving thanks was set aside in 1863. President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the day for Thanksgiving's observance on two occasions. Finally, in 1941, a joint Congressional resolution set the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. (Deseret News, Nov. 15, 1996, C6.)

National Family Week and National Bible week are relatively new to U.S. calendars. In 1970, by congressional resolution and presidential proclamation, the fourth week in November became National Family Week. Sponsored by Family Service America, which has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wis., the purpose is "to recognize the role of families as the building blocks of society and to encourage the support of healthy family life and family values."

Nowhere are there found stronger support and endorsement of such values than in the scriptures. Therefore, it is fitting that National Bible Week, also designated by congressional resolution and presidential proclamation, falls on the same week as these two other significant observances.

While designating a particular day and certain week for giving thanks, focusing on the family and studying the scriptures is well and good, it is even better when these are part of our daily routine, every day of every week.

Paul preached to the Romans:

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (Rom. 15:4.)

A husband and father, in reference to this verse, said: "The scriptures are case studies of individuals, families and nations having challenges, problems or trials, and trying to solve them by themselves and realizing, eventually, that they can't do it by themselves and then turning to God." The above verse from Romans indicates that the scriptures were written for our learning. It actually invites us to exercise patience as part of the process and indicates that there will be comfort in, or through, the scriptures. By joining our patience with the comfort of the scriptures we might have hope.

The Savior said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 33:16.)

The husband and father quoted above said, "We are now entering a season of 'peace on earth, good will to men.' The key to peace on this planet is not freedom from trials and challenges. It is in turning to the Savior as we go through them. Sometimes the most difficult time to be thankful is in midst of trial or tribulation, whether it is as a family or an individual."

So important were the words of the Lord in ancient times that He caused a record of them to be taken by Lehi to the New World. In emphasizing the importance of these scriptures, Alma said to Helaman: "And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to a knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls." (Alma 37:8.)

Writings of the Old Testament were among the scriptures that the Lord caused Lehi and his descendants to preserve. Reading the scriptures with our families enlarges the memory of our blessings, not only the immediate blessings that come to us here and now but also those blessings that come to us throughout all time.

As we study the scriptures with those closest and most important to us — our families — we learn the requirements of eternal life. We learn what the Lord expects of us. And we learn what the Lord has done for us. In gratitude we offer our songs of thanksgiving.