A masterpiece painted in 1831 by Joseph Lord Mallord William Turner was the imagery used by President Thomas S. Monson in his priesthood session address about rescuing lost souls.

The painting, which hangs in the famed Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, depicts in the background a stranded vessel in a storm and in the foreground some men in a lifeboat going to rescue the ship's passengers.

"In my mind, I abbreviated the name of the painting," said President Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency. "To me it became 'To the Rescue.'

"Amidst the storms of life, danger lurks; and men, like boats, find themselves stranded and facing destruction. Who will man the lifeboats, leaving the comforts of home and family, and go to the rescue?"

Referring to a song title, "Wishing Will Make It So," President Monson declared: "It's not true. Wishing will not make it so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion. Unfortunately, there are those who have departed from the track of priesthood activity. Let us help them back to that path that leads to eternal life. Let us build that strong Melchizedek Priesthood base which will be the foundation of Church activity and growth. It will be the underpinning to strengthen every family, every home, every quorum in every land."

President Monson said two fundamental reasons largely account for an upsurge of gospel activity in men long dormant:

"First, men have been shown their eternal possibilities and have made the decision to achieve them. Men cannot really long rest content with mediocrity once they see excellence is within their reach.

"Second, other men have followed the admonition of the Savior and have loved their neighbors as themselves and helped to bring their neighbors' dreams to fulfillment and their ambitions to realization."

He added that the catalyst in this process has been and will continue to be the principle of love.

Quoting Abraham Lincoln, he said if you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.

"A friend makes more than a dutiful visit each month," he said. "A friend is more concerned about helping people than getting credit. A friend cares. A friend loves. A friend listens. And a friend reaches out."

"I truly believe that those who have the ability to reach out and to lift up have found the formula descriptive of Brother Walter Stover — a man who spent his life in the service to others. At Brother Stover's funeral, his son-in-law paid tribute to him in these words: 'Walter Stover had the ability to see Christ in every face he encountered, and he treated each person accordingly.'

President Monson admonished priesthood bearers to "acquire the language of the Spirit. It is not learned from textbooks, written by men of letters, nor is it acquired through reading and memorization. The language of the Spirit comes to him who seeks with all his heart to know God and keep His divine commandments. Proficiency in this 'language' permits one to breach barriers, overcome obstacles and touch the human heart."

"In a day of danger or a time of trial, such knowledge, such hope, such understanding bring comfort to a troubled soul and a grieving heart. Shadows of despair are dispelled by rays of hope; sorrow yields to joy; and the feeling of being lost in the crowd of life vanishes with the certain knowledge that our Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us. "In closing, I return to the painting by Turner. In a very real sense, those persons stranded on the vessel which had run aground in the storm-tossed sea are like many young men — and older men as well — who await rescue by those of us who have the priesthood responsibility to man the lifeboats. Their hearts yearn for help. Mothers and fathers pray for their sons. Wives and children plead to heaven that Daddy and others may be reached."