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Tomorrow, of course, is Thanksgiving Day.
The holiday came to be celebrated annually on the last Thursday of November following a presidential proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the Civil War.
Despite being engaged in a divisive war, Lincoln reminded the American people of their bounteous blessings provided under "the ever watchful providence of Almighty God."
After outlining many of the nation's greatest blessings and the need to thank God for them, Lincoln's proclamation offered this:
" . . .I recommend to (the American people) that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union."
KSL believes Lincoln's words bear repeating during this time of national turmoil and strife. With him, we urge prayers of thanks as well as for peace this Thanksgiving season.
