A Museum of the Bible exhibition in Washington, D.C., is using military Bibles to explore how American service members and their families relied on faith during wartime. The artefacts, spanning the Civil War to the 20th century and including one taken to Antarctica, highlight the personal hopes and prayers behind military service, rather than focusing only on famous commanders.

Among the exhibits are Second World War and Korean War “Heart Shield Bibles”, whose metal covers were intended to symbolise protection but were unlikely to stop bullets. Handwritten messages such as “To my dear boy, may God keep you safe” reveal relatives’ fears and hopes, while an older Bible belonging to Union soldier John Weissenheimer helps trace parts of his Civil War service, including time at Lincoln Hospital.