George Snell was at home in Kaysville, Utah, on his day off when he received a call. His neighbor pleaded for help — a young baby was struggling to breathe.

Snell, a licensed physician, grabbed his medical bag and jumped the fence to his neighbor’s house. Inside, he found the baby, who was only a month or two old, dusky and gasping for air.

He used his finger to sweep the child’s mouth in search of an object to dislodge — but found nothing.

Suddenly, a message spoke to his mind: “Use the tube.”

Snell knew exactly what that meant. He swiftly disassembled his stethoscope and pulled out a tube. With a practiced hand, he used it to aspirate mucus from the baby’s throat.

Relief settled over the room as the baby responded — her breathing steadied, and her color returned.

This experience from 1964 was one of many moments in Snell’s medical career where he received guidance from the Spirit. “I had been definitely prompted to use the tube and pull apart my stethoscope,” he recalled.

Now — Elder Snell, at 92 years old, continues to offer his expertise and wisdom as a senior service missionary for Missionary Health Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dr. Snell, left, and a nurse administer an oral polio vaccine to two children in a 1963 Deseret News photo. | Provided by George Snell

A calling to medicine — and to missionary work

Elder Snell always had a clear pull toward medicine. “I never wanted to be anything else. I always wanted to be a doctor, even as a kid in grammar school in Connecticut.”

After three years of studying chemistry at John Hopkins University, he met the requirements to apply for medical school and was accepted into George Washington University.

Following graduation, Elder Snell applied for a Navy internship in 1958 to fulfill a two-year military draft obligation, where he served as a doctor in the Philippines.

Looking back, Elder Snell said, “That was a part of God’s plan.”

Dr. Snell stands next to his daughter in Oakland, California, in 1959. | Provided by George Snell

At the time of his arrival, there was no official organization of the Church in the Philippines; during his time in the Navy, Elder Snell also served as service member group leader. He recalled teaching a young Filipina woman the gospel but being unable to baptize her since the Church wasn’t legally recognized.

That changed in 1961. The Church was registered in the Philippines and missionaries were permitted to enter the country.

Elder Snell witnessed the expansion of missionary work during the last month of his Navy duty, when he met the first full-time missionaries that would serve in the Philippines.

A lasting impact

Elder Snell did an additional year of training after returning from the Philippines at Latter-day Saint Hospital in Salt Lake City to gain more hospital experience. He and his family made their home in Kaysville, Utah, in 1962, where he continued in private practice for the next nine years.

In 1971, seeking to become more involved in training people for family practice, Elder Snell started family practice residency at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah — dividing his duties between practicing as a doctor and teaching students.

His kindness and respect extended to everyone — from thoracic surgeon to cleaning staff, noted Dr. Jeffery Chappell, a former student of Elder Snell’s.

“He always made you feel important,” said Chappell.

For many residents, Elder Snell was not just a mentor but a fatherly figure, said Chappell. His testimony was well known, and people knew his faith in Christ was central in his life.

“You knew that, you sensed that, and you wanted to live up to his expectations,” said Chappell.

A lifetime of service

Elder Snell retired in 1994, but his dedication to service continued. That same year, he and his wife, Clara Snell, returned to the Philippines, this time as mission leaders for the Philippines Bacolod Mission.

“I think my experience as a Navy doctor led to our call as mission leaders,” said Elder Snell.

Even as a mission president, he remained attentive to the health of his missionaries, always carrying “two briefcases” — one for medical care and one for his responsibilities as missionary president.

President George Snell and his wife, Sister Clara Snell, smile for a picture with a new sister missionary in 1995. | Provided by George Snell

The Snells had a conversation after being released as mission leaders and received a prompting that they were “needed more in other places.” In 1999, the couple served in Central America where Elder Snell evaluated medical facilities and provided care to missionaries as an area medical advisor.

Sister Snell was also heavily involved in missionary work. In Guatemala, where english was a second language for many, she helped individuals improve their english skills. She also shared her knowledge of music by teaching members of the community how to play the piano.

“Being busy is always important to me, and we were very busy.” she said.

After his time as an area medical advisor, Elder Snell became involved with the Missionary Department in 2000.

He continues to improve the health of missionaries worldwide through Missionary Health Services. One of his responsibilities involves addressing and preventing infectious diseases affecting missionaries. Since immunization is one of the most effective forms of prevention, Elder Snell establishes immunization requirements for missionaries.

Elder Snell and his wife, Clara Snell, center, pose for a family picture on Jul. 25, 2025. | Provided by George Snell

Elder Michael B. Strong, a General Authority Seventy and assistant executive director in the Missionary Department, emphasized the significant role that health missionaries like Elder Snell have in gathering Israel.

With years of the Lord’s guidance throughout their professional years, Elder Strong said senior members with medical experience are uniquely qualified to contribute to the missionary effort.

“If they will make themselves available, they will see how, for 30 or 40 years, the Lord’s been preparing them to do something that not everyone can do,” Elder Strong said.

With a long and respected career in medicine behind him, Elder Snell reflected on the most fulfilling aspect of his work.

“I think the most rewarding part was being able to help people enjoy better health and help them fix themselves.” he said.