Find stories like these:

• The courageous little boy carrying his brother through the snow using every ounce of his strength, but at what cost?
  
• The Mormon lady from Provo on the Titanic   
  
• The family with the Donner-Reed party and their fate  
  
•  A group of men, trying to stay true to their callings, offered their very lives  
  
• A little girl's head run over by a wagon wheel and how someone tried to reshape it so she could survive 
  
• The whole story of Bodil Mortensen!

 Bless Yer Souls, It's the Truth is a compilation of little known short stories taken from the history of the U.S., the West, the Mormons and LDS history. The author’s intent is to entertain and stimulate the reader’s emotions in each story. Consequently, each tale, historically accurate with accompanying footnotes, is written in a folksy, easy to read narrative.  "Reed’s tales, sometimes controversial, speak of the human side of history. Some stories are in print here for the very first time. This is a book that any reader will enjoy  reading."

Letters from readers explain how much they loved the reading the book.  Some have sent it on to their family and friends, or use it weekly in their family home evening lessons.

An Educator’s Review

 I would like to express how much our family has enjoyed reading this book, Bless Yer Souls!  Mr. Reed is a master story-teller!  His writing style is entertaining and enjoyable.  Reed has a gift for recognizing the human interest side of history and relating it in such a way that the reader becomes spellbound!  Even my 17-year-old son reads the book and shares interesting stories with the rest of the family.  I wish to thank the author for researching, compiling, and writing the stories found in this wonderful book!

WLP, University of Phoenix Faculty

WOW, What a book!

"People like me, who don’t have a lot of time, can pick up this book and read one or two quick stories and be uplifted and even entertained while reading history.”

Ray L. Russell DVM, MAM, CPBA Executive Coach, Author of two published works and Professional Speaker

A real estate investor, upon receiving his copy, said, “It's like taking little delicious bites.  With this book you don't have to sit down to the entire banquet dinner."

Thanks for coming to look. When you read these stories your life will be brighter with Bless Yer Souls, It's the Truth! in your home. It will warm your heart and give you insight into Church History. The title of the book comes from a quote from Porter Rockwell.

Thanks for the Purchase!

 

He'll Never Do That Again!

The Saints in Winter Quarters tried their best to be peaceful, law-abiding citizens, but, of course human nature made it necessary that rules and laws had to be enforced within their settlements. That task was left to Chief of Police, Hosea Stout, Marshal H. S. Eldridge, and other good men in the community.

        In one instance, Brother Wilford Woodruff reported that three young men in the camp had committed a grave violation - they had entertained some young ladies until 2:00 a.m.  And if that weren’t bad enough, these boys had kept up their late-night trysts for fifteen nights straight. These three unfortunate, or fortunate boys, however you view it, were accused of having “carnal communications” with the girls and it was determined that the situation needed immediate action.

        The lawmen knew their task and were prepared to enforce the law. After all, the law was the law and those boys had certainly broken it.  It is interesting to note, however, that nothing was mentioned in relation to the girls’ collusion in all of this. 

        The Marshall, Stout and his posse approached each one of the boys, their transgressions were pointed out to them and choices of punishments were discussed. The first young man was in the forest chopping wood when the posse arrived. He seemed “uncommonly excited” and began to plead to see Brigham or Brother Woodruff for an appeal. His fears and distress reached a peak when he saw that two of the lawmen were wearing guns and one was carrying a long rope. He begged not to be tied, crying that he would submit to the punishment if only they did not tie him up. He commenced weeping and begging, when he finally blurted out that he did not want to be “taken off and killed this way.”

He had supposed that he was to be tied to a tree and “shot forthwith,” but it was explained that they would do no such thing. He then expected that they were going to give him “the next worst punishment.” Well...the record it silent on what the "next worst" punishment was, but the imagination is all we need to fill in that blank.  It doesn't take much to figure out that the boy was very relieved when told that he would only get a whippin’.

However, the boy still loudly proclaimed his innocence, but the punishment was administered inspite of the protests! The record in Hosea Stout's journal tells us that the boy was whipped and “acted manly” throughout the ordeal. Good for him, brave soul. 

        The next young man refused to go with them. When he finally did, his mother followed the party railing on them as they went through the settlement, which caused “no small disturbance among the people.” Again, to the relief of the young man and his mother, the punishment was again less than expected. A whipping was given and afterwards the boy received a stern lecture, too and then was sent home. Apparently, in this case a lecture was good thing. 

        The third and last young lad also protested, I am told, as the committee was trying to decide exactly what to do with him. He apparently had such an aversion to any form of punishment that his objections were long and loud. Finally, the difficult decision was made and his punishment began. He knew that his other pleadings hadn’t spared him, so he thought quickly and resorted to one last serious appeal in order to save himself.

        He drew in whatever breath he had left and at the top of his voice frantically cried out, “If you will only stop, I’ll never touch another girl again while hell’s afloat!”

Well, ya know...they didn’t, and surely he did!

From: Bless Yer Souls, It's the Truth!, pp. 133-134 Footnoted reference:  On the Mormon Frontier, Diary of Hosea Stout pp. 190-191, September, 1846.