August 31, 2025, 2pm MDT
George Snell was at his home in Kaesville, Utah, where he took a break when he received a call. His neighbor pleaded for help – the young baby was struggling to breathe.
A licensed doctor, Snell grabbed a medical bag and jumped over the fence over his neighbor’s home. Inside, he found a baby. He was dim and breathless for just a month or two.
He used his fingers to clean the child’s mouth and searched for something, but found nothing.
Suddenly, a message was spoken to his mind: “Use the tube.”
Snell knew exactly what it meant. He quickly disassembled the stethoscope and pulled out the tube. With a practiced hand, he used it to suck the mucus from the baby’s throat.
As the baby reacted, the relief settled over the room. Her breathing was stable and her colour was back.
This experience from 1964 was one of many moments in Snell’s medical career, where he received guidance from the spirit. “I was definitely being encouraged to use the tube to pull the stethoscope away,” he recalled.
Currently – Elder Snell continues to provide his expertise and wisdom as a senior service missionary of the Missionary Health Services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Calling for Medicine – and missionary work
Elder Snell always had a clear pull towards the medicine. “I didn’t want to be anything else. Even as a kid at Connecticut grammar school, I always wanted to be a doctor.”
After three years of chemistry research at John Hopkins University, he met the requirements for applying to medical school and was accepted by George Washington University.
After graduating, Elder Snell applied for a naval internship in 1958, completing two years of military drafting and serving as a physician in the Philippines.
Looking back, Elder Snell said, “It was part of God’s plan.”
At the time of his arrival there was no official church organization in the Philippines. While in the Navy, Elder Snell served as the leader of the Service Members group. He recalled that he taught the gospel to a young Filipino woman, but was unable to baptize her because the church was not legally recognized.
That changed in 1961. The church was registered in the Philippines and missionaries were allowed to enter the country.
Elder Snell witnessed an expansion of missionary work in the last month of his naval mission when he met his first full-time missionary to serve in the Philippines.
Lasting impact
Elder Snell returned from the Philippines at Latter-Day St. Hospital in Salt Lake City to train for another year to gain more hospital experience. He and his family built a house in Caysville, Utah in 1962, where they continued their private practice for the next nine years.
In 1971, seeking to try and get more involved in training people for family practice, Elder Snell began a family practice residency at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.
His kindness and respect expanded to everyone, from the chest surgeon to the cleaning staff, said Dr. Jeffrey Chapel, a former student of Elder Snell.
“He’s always made you feel important,” Chapel said.
For many residents, Elder Snell was not just a leader, but a father figure, Chapel said. His testimony was well known, and people knew that his faith in Christ was at the heart of his life.
“You knew it, you felt it, and you wanted to live up to his expectations,” Chapel said.
Useful life
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 I will be as mission leader for the Bacolod Mission in the Philippines.
“I think my experience as a navy doctor has led to our appeal as mission leaders,” Elder Snell said.
Even as mission president, he pays attention to the health of missionaries and always carries “two briefcases.” One is for medical care and the other is the responsibility as a missionary.
After being released as mission leader, Snells had a conversation and urged him, “We need more elsewhere.” In 1999, the couple served in Central America, with Elder Snell assessing medical facilities and providing care to missionaries as a local medical advisor.
Sister Snell was also deeply 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 music knowledge by teaching members of the community how to play the piano.
“Being busy has always been important to me and we were very busy,” she said.
After spending time as a local medical advisor, Elder Snell became involved in the Mission Bureau in 2000.
He continues to improve the health of missionaries around the world through missionary health services. One of his responsibilities is to involve addressing and preventing infectious diseases that affect missionaries. Because vaccination is one of the most effective forms of prevention, Elder Snell has established immunization requirements for missionaries.
Elder Michael B. Strong, the deputy director of the missionary division, 70 people and vice-director, highlighted the important role health missionaries like Elder Snell are bringing together Israel.
Over the years of Lord’s guidance, the elder Strong said that senior members with medical experience are uniquely qualified to contribute to missionary work.
“If they make themselves available, they will see that for 30 or 40 years the Lord is preparing to do something no one can do,” said the strong elder.
In the long and respected medical career behind him, Elder Snell reflected on the most fulfilling aspects of his work.
“I think the most rewarding part is being able to help people enjoy better health and correct themselves,” he said.
