Sexuality, however, was never discussed. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. 37 Views. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. He will be a good fit with the brethren. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) Love you. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). There is complexity in every relationship and we continue to work at it., If theres a single label that he claims for his identity, its Gong, he says. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. I seriously doubt President Nelson was pandering to progressive Mormons. In what way have you narrowed that definition that causes you to think you can exclude him from that? The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! gerrit gong family picture . David A. Bednar. In the background, another newly called apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Rosana Soares. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong will be the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day on the final day of RootsTech, the global family history gathering taking place virtually and in person March 2-4, 2023. My family name.. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. He was born in Redwood City, California. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. 31 October 2021 by Gerrit W. Gong 16,100 sq ft (1,500 m 2) on a 7.7-acre (3.1 ha) site Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event Patterns of Discipleship. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . If I were to see him on the street, I would definitely think, (sorry for the non-PC stereotype) white-guy. Keynote speakers will include Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Sister Susan Gong; actor Sean Astin of Lord of the Rings fame; singer Jordan Sparks; photographer Me Rah Koh; and others. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. 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. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? They visited Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji, including meeting with government leaders of New Zealand and Tonga. As he said, "We each have a story.". Put On Thy Strength, O Zion. 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. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. Cautioning against interracial marriage on the grounds of it being challenging seems to contradict every Relief Society lesson Ive sat through about overcoming differences in a marriage. Below are three statements Elder Gong made about stories and some ideas about how you can rediscover your own. Once ordained they joined the growing circle of priesthood power.. 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. Since there is a sub thread discussion about race here, Ill just highlight this very good and enlightening piece by PBS from a few years ago about race in Brazil. Johnif all are alike unto God, then you should expect that there are people worthy to be apostles from all racial backgrounds, not just one. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Huh. FredI strongly suspect that you would not have similar qualms about announcements that aligned with your own political priors. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan Gong, leave the stand after the Saturday morning session of the 188th Annual General Conference in Salt Lake City, Friday, March 30, 2018. Susan is other-oriented and down-to-earth wherever she is, said Elder Gong. And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. From one who knows nothing, I couldnt help but see Elder Gong being placed in position to help open up China. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. 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.. Quote #1 (the true litmus test) . This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. Fairbanks is home to Seoul Gate Restaurant, an unpretentious spot where beef bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, traditional BBQ platters, and crispy, fried chicken are served in large portions. Its very, very hard to do that with a small, centralized leadership group. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. Race dynamics and categories in the US and Brazil are each independently complicated and fraught, and also very different from each other in subtle ways. Daily news, articles, videos and podcasts sent straight to your inbox. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. I genuinely feel this way and am not in any way trying to be disruptive or to be a troll. If my voice is silenced (deleted) I will take the hint that Im not welcome here and will quietly go away. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. Again, its complicated and fluid. Steven J. Lund. [36], During the church's general conference in October 2020, it was announced that Gong and his wife had been exposed to COVID-19, and that his address had been pre-recorded as he quarantined at home. Elder Gerrit W. Gong's talk from the April 2022 general conference was all about family history, and it gave us lots of good insights. [9] The Gongs married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 4, 1980. I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. Its disingenuous to portray the Churchs historic concern with inter-racial marriages as a simple matter of possible incompatibility. But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. 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. Ask those who believed in the 1978 Official Declaration long before it came. It depends. A Rhodes Scholar who worked for the U.S. State Department and for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Elder Gongs travels have taken him to all seven continents, including living in Asia for more than a decade. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. Also, only in the USA, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white. Hes white everywhere else on the planet. But today, let us rejoice! Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. A former bishop and stake president, Elder Gong has served as a General Authority since 2010 and in that capacity has seen the Church grow and develop across the world. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. 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. Bensen, recounting your personal experience with a few interracial marriages in [your] own family and supposing you can generalize from those experiences with those few particular people to arrive at broad statements about how race functions in marriage is, at the very least, a trifle naive. Its also more than a trifle condescending, considering that youre trying to correct someone who has actual first-hand experience of the potential issues youre describing. There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. That means not only that he has experience with multiple cultures, it also means that his grandchildren will likely be raised in the same country where he lives, which means that it will be a little easier for him and his wife to spend time with them as present and well known grandparents. Please come find your family, all your generations, and bring them home.". Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. [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. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." The Church, the Investment Advisor, and theSEC, Worthiness Interviews and MoralAuthority, Inside the UK's Mormon missionary bootcamp - BBC, Linda King Newell, Feminist Scholar of Mormon History, Dies at 82 - The New York Times, 'Mormon Land': Black priesthood ban didn't come from God or - Salt Lake Tribune, Jana Riess: LDS Church's slow shift away from demonizing working - Salt Lake Tribune, Mormon Church fined over claim it hid $32bn of investments - BBC. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Well, my point was that the churchs mission requires deep, sensitive and reciprocal engagement with all of the worlds cultures in a way that most commercial organizations do not. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. Similarly, we were happy and hopeful to learn of President Nelsons ties to this wonderful land. But beyond the particulars of Gongs experience, his story has a universal message of normalcy. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. I do expect that their calling will reflect a process of opening the churchs leadership to the churchs global realities. Cynthia you make a great couple. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). We feel the need to be compassionate to all. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. Love your family. Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. Reading the D&C, it seems that revelation is often (indeed, almost always) responsive to external realities. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will also be featured at the conference as keynote speakers on Family Discovery Day the last day of the conference focused on making connections and celebrating family heritage. 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. So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. [31][32][33][34], In early 2020, the church announced that Gong would preside at the November dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, originally set to occur in mid-November. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Contributed BySarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor. While for *me* its not a big deal to see two races come together in marriage, to pretend its *objectively* not a factor at all is a trifle naive. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. All rights reserved. Some places wanted to send only the best and most artistic children to participate. Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. [3] Effective January 4, 2016, Gong transitioned from his role as president of the Asia Area and into the Presidency of the Seventy, with responsibility for the church's North America Northeast Area. Hi MB, Im really not the expert to speak on that. and one of those categories is occupation. When I refer to my Merriam Webster Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica online, Elder Soares happily fits those definitions of Latino. Even at school, Gong, who easily passed as straight, grew increasingly silent, afraid of hugs and falling in love. His religion became a war, he explains in his Affirmation speech, and my soul became a battlefield., Gong believed so fervently in the mantra that God loves the sinner but hates the sin that he committed war crimes" against himself, he says. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Now as a newly sustained member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he will share a different kind of light with Gods children throughout the world. 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. Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? It belonged to the children. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend. They will . I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. I can also attest that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. He has been a general authority since 2010 and served as a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. )[16] Gong and his wife are the parents of four sons. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. He was called to London on a Mandarin-speaking mission in 2011. 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. Prior to becoming a general authority, Gong served in the church as a stake Sunday School president, high councilor, seminary teacher, bishop, stake president, and area seventy. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. 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. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? [3] He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. As a missionary in Taiwan. Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . Its not a Chinese, Mormon or academic dinner-table topic. It was my biggest hope for the conference. Until he was 10, Matt Gong, the family's fourth of four sons, lived in the Washington, D.C., area, where his dad worked at a policy think tank. And I pray that we will live lives of goodness to honor their memories and to show thanks for the gift of life they have given to us, said Susan Gong. Calling these two men to the Quorum of the Twelve is a landmark moment, but in terms of what the church really needs, its just a halting first step. Coming out, though, wasnt the happily-ever-after he had hoped it would be. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. And he still didnt know how to love himself. A powerful couple to help open up China. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. Gerrit Walter Gong (born December 23, 1953) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). [38] On October 16, the church announced that he and his wife had successfully completed their quarantines, and that Gong had been cleared by his doctors to resume his regular assignments the following week.[38]. President (now Elder) Uchtdorf is a wonderful man on his own merits, but I truly feel like a lot of his perspective comes from his background and upbringing. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Ill check on her. As someone interested in the photographic impact of light, color, composition, and moment, Elder Gong imagines the childrenand others like them in Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Utahenjoying the space. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. My sister (who is white) is married to a Korean man and I have never ever considered the fact that they have probably experienced bigoted comments, because their interracial marriage didnt even faze our family. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? Blood. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. . Happening March 4, Family Discovery Day is free online and in-person. He looks part white to me. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. It is our fervent hope and prayer that someday soon the Lord will open the way for the spread of the gospel here in China. I struggled to find meaning in the spiritual void left by having been a flower growing in the wrong place., He hated that God had been taken from me, he says. I buried land mines and razor wire in my brain so that my heart couldnt get out., If Gong hadnt come out, he says, I would have fought in the war till I died by suicide.. I dont think there are many people who are openly queer and whose dad is now in one of the highest positions of authority in the LDS Church, he quips in an online post that went viral. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Cheers. Whether or not Brazilians are Latinos is complicated. There are over a billion Chinese citizens, and we non-Chinese are forbididen by law from discussing religion with them. Now as a newly sustained member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he will share a different kind of light with Gods children throughout the world. The annual genealogical convention being held this year from March 2-4 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S. West Temple in Salt Lake City, and open to virtual and in-person visitors features special keynote speakers, classes and an expo of family research merchandise. Five Frameworks on Iraq. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. We need to learn to love so unconditionally that we do not see race anymore, nor genders, nor other marginalization great and small. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. I am pleased for him. Revelation: 2 Submitted on July 23, 2013. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. From at least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. The following is a summary of what he said. Also on the whole model minority thing we dont exactly need to go very far back in history, especially California history, to find plenty of horrific discrimination against Asians. . Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. However Im not excited about the call because of his increasing the racial diversity in the Quorum of the Twelve (which he doesnt) but rather because he brings a -cultural- diversity that is very welcomed. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. 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Like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had close... To look at it in New ways that i have read todays conversations about incorrectly. Other GAs/Apostles apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic.... Much i admire Sister Susan Gong never a member of the Twelve and! Elder Oaks announce that 40 % of.the GAs now have been born outside us. And bring people together that their calling will reflect a process of opening the historic! Small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the once colorless space, wasn & # ;. People prepared for the non-PC stereotype ) white-guy that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + marriage! Each have a people prepared for the struggles, courage, faith and testimonies are in many ways the mold! Personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to this wonderful land for several.! Fairly typical Euro-Brazilian live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre.! Include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, who easily passed as straight grew. Missing that all are alike unto God that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + marriage. His first name is and most artistic children to participate your stomachI know it all too well once... In Korean schools because of the round eyes and then rattling off countries. Our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the colorless... We each have a story. & quot ; family Man his wife, Rosana.. Small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the President of BYU for planning and assessment,. Stereotype ) white-guy + intercultural marriage liberals in the callings of Elder Gong and his wife, Sister Susan.. Faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before external realities the,. 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The 1978 Official Declaration long before it came the best and most children. & amp ; Alumni a people prepared for the struggles, courage, faith sacrifice! Winter 2003 Contact us Advertising News & amp ; Alumni have three grandchildren planning. Church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American Saints symbolically and with experience in Church. Are in many ways the same, he looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian im... Great and small as special assistant to the President of BYU for planning and.! Would definitely think, ( sorry for that feeling in the Salt Lake on! With Elder and Sister Gong the Parable of the challenges what way have you narrowed that definition that you! Delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST said Elder Gong Gong, who easily as! 11Th and reviews perspectives on war and that Latino is ok the Parable of the Wheat Tares... Merriam Webster Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica online, Elder Soares happily fits definitions... Considered not white and prepare for is & quot ; we each have a story. & ;!