Photo by Holly Gtein of Getty Images

Two-time national champion B.J. Flores, right, enjoys his title with former Olympic and professional boxer Mark Breland.

B.J. Flores spent his two years in Mexico asking the same questions all full-time missionaries ask: Can we teach you the gospel? Will you read the Book of Mormon? Will you be baptized?

But whenever Elder Flores and his companion would spend a few preparation-day hours pounding the heavy bags or shadow boxing at a local boxing gym, the muscular missionary would often find himself on the business end of questions.

The fighters and trainers — recognizing Elder Flores' obvious ring savvy — would ask why he wasn't in the United States boxing instead of devoting countless hours to missionary work. Their queries inevitably segued into talk of missions, the restored gospel and invitations to listen to the discussions. Most of the elders' gymmates accepted.

"We actually taught 75 percent of those people," said B.J. Flores, who served in the Mexico Culiacan Mission from 1997-1999.

It wasn't the first time he had been questioned about his decision to step away from boxing's "sweet science" and don the missionary's white shirt and tie full-time. In 1997, B.J. won the title in his weight division in the national Golden Gloves tournament, one of amateur boxing's most storied, prestigious events. A short time later, B.J. sent in his mission papers and accepted an assignment to Mexico. His associates in the boxing community thought he was crazy.

Photo by Holly Gtein of Getty Images

Brother Flores willingly interrupted his success in the ring to fulfill a full-time mission in Mexico.

"But when I thought about it, it wasn't a hard decision," said the returned missionary, who was raised in the Church.

Despite the two-year mission hiatus, B.J. Flores, now 23, has again risen to the top of U.S. amateur boxing. He won the Everlast U.S. heavyweight championship in 2001 and successfully defended his crown at the same competition earlier this year. He was also the lone American to claim the top spot on the victor's podium at the recent Four Nations Tournament in Paris that included the top amateur fighters from France, Australia and Germany.

He's enjoying his ring success, but adds "it doesn't compare with the experiences from my mission."

The son of Frank and Valli Flores, he grew up playing several sports and made all-state teams at his Missouri high school in both football and track. Even after his mission he stepped away from boxing long enough to play wide receiver for Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Now his athletic dreams are focused tightly on boxing. He wants to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, but says he'd likely turn professional if the situation was right.

Regardless of his boxing future, he works hard to stay well-rounded. He's pursuing a college degree at Arizona State University and would enjoy a career in communications, maybe as a boxing commentator. The gospel remains a top priority.

"When you start to lose focus on that, everything else comes apart," he said.

E-mail: jswensen@desnews.com