Gerrit W Gong; Education. Im also the white half of an interracial marriage. Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. It is heartbreaking when we are asked questions about religion, but cannot respond. In the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2022 general conference, Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk titled "We Each Have a Story" in which he encouraged his listeners to work on their family history. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. If I were to see him on the street, I would definitely think, (sorry for the non-PC stereotype) white-guy. I never thought of myself as nonwhite but as ethnically ambiguous, Gong says in an interview. That is something the Gongs also learned from the children involved in their mural projects, undertaken during the Christmas season. The fact that they are an interracial couple didnt even occur to em; I was just thrilled that there is finally some more international representation in the upper-most echelon. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Score: Cynthia you make a great couple. Having crushes on boys in elementary school. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. There is joy and warmth as my boyfriend pulls me close for a hug, and I marvel at the easy laughs and unqualified smiles that we share as we sit on the couch watching TV., There is celebration, he says, in my families of both queer and of birth., Though Gong still claims aspects of Mormonism in his spirituality, he has added theistic Taoism, Zen Buddhism and any parts of a religion that seem resonant civility, care, forgiveness, treating humans with dignity and compassion., He learned those principles from growing up Mormon, he says, but they are not unique to the church., The churchs patterns and behaviors of abuse, he says, dont have to be there; they are not inherent in the doctrine.. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. All rights reserved. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emigrated from China in the late 19th century, Center for Strategic and International Studies, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Mormon church names new seventies, Primary presidency", "Elder Gerrit W. Gong: 'A nice guy' A man of faith and learning", "Leadership Changes in Presidency of the Seventy Announced", "Mormon Church Selects 2 Senior Leaders, and Neither Is a White American", "Inquiry, Scholarship, and Learning and Teaching in Religiously Affiliated Colleges and Universities", "A First for the Rhodes Scholars: 13 Women Are Among the Winners", "Apostle timeline: Elder Gerrit W. Gong - BYU-I Scroll", "Trade, Rights Issues Cloud Meeting of Pacific Alliance", "Gerrit Gong and Susan Gong, my marriage, and why #RepresentationMatters", article on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thailand, "Changes announced for Area Presidencies", "2016 Events LDS Church News Reports on the visit of Elders Stevenson and Gong to Thailand, Viet Nam and Macao", "Latter-day Saints Sustain New First Presidency in Solemn Assembly: Two new leaders named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles", article on meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, article on Gong and others meeting with the King of Tonga, KSL article on the Pacific Ministry Tour with much emphasis on Gong, Idaho State Journal article on announcement of new youth program, KSL article mentioning Gong's role in the announcement, Postponed: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Open House and Dedication Dates Announced, Groundbreakings Announced for Two Utah Temples, Elder Gong, quarantining due to COVID-19 exposure, prerecorded his general conference message, Elder and Sister Gong diagnosed with COVID-19, "General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Gerrit W. Gong", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerrit_W._Gong&oldid=1131500756, Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy (LDS Church), American general authorities (LDS Church), Latter Day Saint biography Infobox with missing parameters, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles needing additional references from July 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Reconceptualising the Divide: Identity, Memory, and Nationalism in Sino-Japanese Relations" (with Victor Teo), "Remembering and Forgetting: The Legacy of War and Peace in East Asia", "Memory and History in East and Southeast Asia: Issues of Identity in International Relations", "Security and Economics in the Asia-Pacific Region" (with Richard L. Grant), "Taiwan Strait Dilemmas: China-Taiwan-U.S. Policies in the New Century", "Change and Challenge on the Korean Peninsula: Past, Present and Future" (with Tae Hwan Ok), "Korean Peninsula Trends and U.S.-Japan-South Korea Relations" (with Seizaburo Sato), "Sino-American Relations at a Time of Change" (with Bih-Jaw Lin), "Areas of Challenge for Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s", "The Standard of 'Civilization' in International Society", This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 12:10. This has been a great day in my long life! Gong had the same dreams as other young Latter-day Saints, serving in callings with a wife and children, and spending eternity in heaven with his family. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. Lasting Discipleship. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. [37] A few days later, the church announced that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19, with Gong being the first high-ranking LDS Church leader with a positive test. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. One Latter-day Saint seminary teacher kept trying to tell him he was Korean, because the instructor knew a Korean kid with a similar last name. )[16] Gong and his wife are the parents of four sons. Today we both celebrate andlook forward. Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay. Im sorry to hear this, but grateful that I was raised in the 50s to 70s by open minded, faithful Mormon parents, for which I am grateful for every day. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gong's family and the army of street children they enlisted to help them paint the scene stood back and examined the work. Thanks all for the kind answers to my post. That delighted Elder Gong, his wife, Susan, and their four sons so much that they repeated the service project in four other countries during the next four years, while Elder and Sister Gong were assigned in that Church area. It takes strength to keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but they dont come. [27][28][29][30], In November 2019, Gong presided over a worldwide broadcast that announced the LDS Church's new youth program. This is because, in the white supremacist schema that subconsciously permeates our thinking, the latter is seen as marrying down in a way that the former is not, even though both are examples of interracial marriages. The following is a summary of what he said. The Q15 are smart men, and they have an intellectual understanding of the churchs diversity, but culturally they are almost all the same: old white men from the Mormon Belt. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. Below are three statements Elder Gong made about stories and some ideas about how you can rediscover your own. . Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan, participate in a Christmas mural project in Vietnam. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . As I said at the last time new apostles were chosenI would have preferred to have seen three Caucasian apostles from outside North America than three apostles of color who were born and raised in Utah. [1] [Updated x2] There were early, polygamous members of church leadership who had Native or indigenous wives. Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. Sister Gong is a compulsive gardener who loves to cook and bring people together. She has authored Chinese language childrens readers and was the first coordinator for Utahs Chinese language dual-immersion program. and one of those categories is occupation. That was a message about God that he wanted to share and prompted him to serve a two-year mission for the church, he says in the interview. In October 2015, Gong was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy, filling a vacancy created by Ronald A. Rasband's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Such ties can bring help from the other side of the veil." Gerrit W. Gong We Each Have a Story "If you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. These appointments in terms of age and church experience were right In the sweet spot consistent with recent apostle picks. By Emily Ashcraft, KSL.com | Posted - Feb. 27, 2023 at 5:46 p.m. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Sister Susan Gong will be the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day at RootsTech on Saturday. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. Five Frameworks on Iraq. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! Elder Gong, a newly called member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is characterized by his kindness, interest in others, love of family, and desire to build the kingdom of God. -Gerrit W. Gong. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. Latter-day Saints across the globe sustained Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares as Apostles during the Saturday morning session of general conference on March 31. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. LDS Church wants to light up a temple in a place that prides itself on dark skies, For husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant is the culmination of a decadeslong dream, Gong took his place for a lifetime appointment in the faiths Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, asked in 2018 if having a gay son had affected his views on LGBTQ. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. [23] Among his assignments while in the Presidency of the Seventy, Gong served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, where he also served as a member of its executive committee. [26], In May 2019, Gong and his wife accompanied Russell M. Nelson and his wife on a ministry tour to the Pacific region. That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. [5] Gerrit was named after Gerrit de Jong because his mother had lived with de Jong and his family while she was a student at BYU. Gong was born in 1953 in Redwood City, California, to Walter Gong and his wife, the former Jean Char, and raised in Palo Alto, California. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. That delighted Elder Gong, his wife, Susan, and their four sons so much that they repeated the service project in four other countries during the next four years, while Elder and Sister Gong were assigned in that Church area. At the risk of being a downer: there are still at least two places on lds.org with instructional materials containing a quote that members are encouraged to marry within their race. In your own life story, you are the main character! Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. Elder Gongs parents, both professional teachers, collectively spent more than 70 years in the classroom. One is Jacob Hamblin, often nicknamed Buckskin Apostle, though he was not actually part of the Twelve. Although the character of the racism people of Asian descent experience in the US is very different from what Latinx and black people face, and the significance of that should not be minimized, it is still racism. 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