but it miraculously returns safely to earth amid the prayers of people around the world. >> apollo 13 was a good example of why the apollo prayer leagueble to contribute their prayer to assist people in getting back. >> the microfiche bibles also make it home. three hundred are repackaged for astronaut edgar mitchell on apollo 14... ...which touches down on the moon february 5, 1971. what was your dad's reaction when he saw the astronauts walk out on the moon with his bibles? >> well, he was ecstatic because the fact that he got to have one of his dreams come true -- it just thrilled him to no end. >> mitchell returns all the lunar bibles to stout, who in turn gives some to apollo prayer league members and vips like then congressman george h.w. bush, vice president spiro agnew and bob hope. >> i do know that the family of the apollo 1 astronauts, the ones that perished on the pad, my dad made sure that their families each received a bible. >> at the close of the apollo missions in 1972, reverend stout moves on from nasa and later retires, his holy mission largely a forgotten tale. >> and even today, i don't think the public at large i