Bishop Corrin G. Nielson of the La Verkin 1st Ward, La Verkin Utah Stake, believes strongly in the law of obedience and in the importance of every young man - and many sisters and couples - participating in missionary work. As a result, the ward places great emphasis on missionary preparation and has had an unusually high percentage of its young men serve missions through the years.

"Simply put, the Lord has commanded every young man to serve a mission, and every member to be actively involved in missionary work," reflected Bishop Nielson. "This instruction and preparation must begin during youth, with the seeds of faith and obedience being planted and carefully nurtured by caring parents and teachers."In the ward we are providing the opportunity for every member to receive gospel instruction, including those with special needs, such as the hearing and speech impaired. There is no reason why anyone should be left out."

To help prepare young members of the ward for missionary service, Bishop Nielson and his counselors conduct interviews with their youths twice annually, beginning at baptism.

"We encourage that interviews begin in the home at an early age," explained the bishop. "By the time they come to our office, children should already feel comfortable with gospel principles and with Church leadership. Fathers and mothers have the duty to learn how to interview in a way that will strengthen, teach and edify. This will instill in children a desire to improve and feel deeply a commitment to keep the Lord's commandments."

The bishop acknowledged that sometimes informal interviews can be as effective as those conducted in a more formal setting, particularly in the home. Kraig Kosanke, second counselor to Bishop Nielson, said that holding informal interviews with his four young sons has worked better than sitting down formally.

"If I try to do it in a formal way, I've lost them," he explained. "But if I can get them all down on the living room floor in a good wrestling match, then stop and talk with them, they really open up. They are being interviewed without even knowing it."

In the relaxed home setting or in the bishop's office, personal worthiness and early preparation to serve the Lord are encouraged.

Bishop Nielson pointed out the example of ward member Scott Stratton, recently called to the England Bristol Mission, to illustrate the importance of getting young people on the road to missionary service at an early age.

As a young child, Scott lived in Salt Lake City, and every winter his father plowed the driveway of Church President Spencer W. Kimball.

"I remember how President Kimball was always dressed and waiting for us at 5:30 in the morning," said Scott. "He would lift me down from the cab of the truck and take me into the house, where Sister Kimball would give me all the cookies and milk I could eat. They both made sure my pockets were full of candy. They made me feel like family. I loved them. But before I would go, President Kimball would always ask me, `Scott, are you going on a mission?'

"I always said, `Yes, yes I am!' I learned at an early age that if I didn't go I would be cheating myself and the Lord."

The emphasis on missionary service continued through Scott's youth and move to La Verkin, and culminated in his recent mission call.

In addition to regular interviews encouraging missionary preparation and worthiness to serve, the La Verkin 1st Ward for 17 years has encouraged families to open mission savings accounts for prospective missionaries to help them begin to prepare financially for their missions.

Aaron Gubler, newly ordained deacon, related in an interview with Bishop Nielson that he had secured a job taking care of a woman's yard. "She pays me $100 a year," he said. He further related that he had saved for his mission most of what he earned the past two years. "She likes what I do, and I now have the money in my mission account," he told the bishop.

"Aaron already has a great work ethic and a healthy start - financially and spiritually - toward his mission," Bishop Nielson said.

Scripture memorization is another avenue of preparation worked on in the ward. Each month, a new scripture is introduced to the ward membership for memorization. It is then rehearsed through the month in Young Men, Young Women, Relief Society, Priesthood and Primary. Articles of Faith are also memorized by ward members. The priest-age young men are challenged to learn an additional "missionary scripture," and parents are encouraged to work on the verses during family scripture study and family home evening.

The Primary is constantly on the lookout for ways to bring missionary work to the consciousness of the children, Bishop Nielson added. One of the more successful efforts was an activity day where each child was sent on a make-believe mission complete with official-looking papers and name tags.

The children were transported via "Mission Airlines" to the La Verkin 1st Ward "Missionary Training Center," where they received instruction from Primary leaders. They were then transported to the "country" of their calling. There they were given a hands-on learning experience for a few hours as full-time missionaries, listening to the country's language, learning of the customs and eating native food.

Bishop Nielson said the children in the ward still speak excitedly of the experience.

Two full-time sister missionaries in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission - Sister Flora Lissy Reyes from Puerto Rico, and Sister Iracy Pereira from south Texas - reside within ward boundaries. They give member missionary presentations, where members are taught effective fellowshipping techniques and ways to share the gospel with their non-member friends and family members.

"Children here are good examples and invite non-members to come with them to activities," noted Sister Pereira. "This is very effective."

The ward recently conducted a Book of Mormon fair, which involved more than 20 families donating books for missionaries to distribute.

One beneficiary of these types of efforts was Sister Christine Nielson, who just returned from the Japan Fukuoka Mission, where she placed 50 copies of the Book of Mormon donated by members in the ward.

"These ward programs are very beneficial, but it all comes back to the home," Bishop Nielson emphasized. "Our homes must be successful. There is a great spirit that accompanies regular family home evenings, family prayers and scripture study, frequent interviews in the home and loving, working and playing together.

"All of these things, combined with the other programs, will increase the young person's love of righteousness. A young man will be a successful missionary if, from a young age, he `knows' he is going on a mission and feels deeply that commitment."