“The sweetest experience in mortality is to know that our Heavenly Father has worked through us,” says President Thomas S. Monson, sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But he does more than say it — he lives it. Throughout his life, he has been an instrument in the Lord's hands, one through whom the work of the kingdom of God is lovingly carried out.President Monson cares about people by the millions; he has traveled the earth to bless countless lives in unnumbered lands. He may be known best, though, for caring about people one by one. He takes time for those who may have been mostly forgotten by others. He recognizes the person in the crowd who might need the extra bit of attention he can provide. He goes where the Spirit leads him — even if it means traversing continents to offer a priesthood blessing to a suffering friend.To the Rescue chronicles the life and ministry of this extraordinary leader. It is filled with the heartwarming personal accounts so typical of President Monson — some that have become favorites over time and many others that have not been told before. Readers will be transported to his childhood, where he learned his first lessons about reaching out to others. They will glimpse his school experiences, his hobbies (especially his prize Birmingham roller pigeons), his military service in the navy, and his courtship with Frances Johnson, who would become his eternal companion and greatest support.Most important, readers will observe Thomas S. Monson going “to the rescue” in his more than six decades of devoted Church service. Called as a bishop at age twenty-two, as a counselor in a stake presidency at age twenty-seven, as a mission president at age thirty-one, and as a member of a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at age thirty-six, he became early on a skilled administrator and a tireless servant of the Lord. He oversaw the work of the Church in East Germany for more than twenty years, beginning with hushed meetings held in automobiles to avoid listening devices and culminating in the dedication of a temple behind the Iron Curtain. He played key roles in landmark programs in the Church, from correlation to welfare to the publication of the LDS editions of the scriptures. And through it all, he recognized people as individuals and ministered to their need in personal ways.“I testify that each one of us can feel the Lord's inspiration as we live worthily and strive to serve Him,” President Monson has taught. To the Rescue demonstrates the truth of that teaching, illustrating its power in the life of one remarkable man. Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: To the Rescue1. A Heritage of Faithful Souls2. Between the Railroad Tracks3. "I Want To Be a Cowboy!"4. Like Huck Finn on the River5. Becoming a Gentleman6. School Days7. The Greatest Lessons8. Starting a Family9. "Decisions Determine Destiny"10. Always a Bishop11. "He Went About Doing Good12. "Have Courage, My Boy"13. "O Canada"14. Called to General Church Committees15. A Special Witness16. Serving in the Twelve17. "He Was Everywhere18. Near and Far19. "Weary Not"20. Faith of the People21. The Wall Comes Down22. The Work Goes Forward23. Poised for Growth24. Opening Doors25. Neighbor Helping Neighbor26. There Are No Coincidences27. Ordained in Heaven28. "Loyal, Helpful, Friendly ..."29. An Indomitable Spirit30. The Consummate Counselor31. Reaching Out to the One32. Joy in the JourneyTimelineNotes