Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin wants kids to bring the Holy Scriptures to class Thursday, as part of "Bring Your Bible to School Day," an annual event that encourages students of all ages to take the religious text into the classroom.

"I would encourage you, please, don’t just bring your Bible to school, but read your Bible. Bring it, share it with others. If you have an extra Bible, bring it and share it with somebody who doesn’t have one, who maybe has never read this book," Bevin said Tuesday in a video posted on social media.

"Bring Your Bible to School Day" is sponsored by Focus on the Family, a national Christian organization.

Bevin did not mention Focus on the Family in his video but touted the impact the Bible has had on him.

"This is an extraordinary book," the governor said. "You don’t even have to be a person of faith to recognize that this is the most well-read, most published book in the history of the world for a reason. ... I would encourage you, please let this be a document that is an important part of your life."

News from Kentucky:Man who kissed reporter on live TV charged with harassment

Gov. Matt Bevin:Bevin purposely exposed his 9 kids to chickenpox instead of getting vaccine

"Bring Your Bible to School Day" is a national event. Focus on the Family said in a promotion video that more than 650,000 students participated in the event last year, when Bevin also promoted it.

During Bevin's time in office, state lawmakers approved "Bible literacy" courses to be taught in public high schools, despite concerns from the American Civil Liberties Union, and in the most recent legislative session passed a law requiring all public schools to display "In God We Trust" in prominent on-campus locations.

Follow Lucas Aulbach on Twitter @LucasAulbach