His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Susan, have rich family histories from Hawaii and Ireland. He was born in Redwood City, California. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. But sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 psi wont accomplish much. I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. [9] The Gongs married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 4, 1980. Huh. This is the very purpose for which God created the heavens and the earth and saw that they were good. As part of RootsTech 2023, Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Gerrit W. Gong will provide instruction to stake and ward leaders in the annual Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction. 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. Yes, I have the most beautiful grandchildren. This is a grandly unique perspective on this appointment that I had not known, nor considered until reading your article. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! Our hopes, ideologies, bigotries, boxes, traditions, and so many other human frailties stand in our way of knowing what God really wants for and from us that its sometimes seems a miracle to ever get it right. Two, he is interested in everything, which makes him a fascinating person to live with. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. Thanks for the correction, Jones. It depends. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. Put On Thy Strength, O Zion. Susan is other-oriented and down-to-earth wherever she is, said Elder Gong. 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. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. SALT LAKE CITY In his first public appearance since completing a COVID-19 quarantine, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of . Hopefully Im not missing anyone, but I do not see that any of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve married Native American women. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. After Joseph's baptism, the Young brothers taught their family and friends in Canada and baptized over 150 individuals and established four branches of the church, including ones in Kingston and Sydenham. Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . But if you would indulge me for a moment, I want to focus on one area of very specific, personal appreciation: the marriage of Elder Gerrit Gong, as an Asian-American man, to his wife Susan Gong, a white woman. Im grateful for that for me, but Im terribly sorry for anyone who has had to endure those remarks. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. The following is a summary of what he said. 37 Views. My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. 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. I never thought of myself as nonwhite but as ethnically ambiguous, Gong says in an interview. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, newly sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, in Salt Lake City. 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. Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. Elder Gerrit W. Gong currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. -Gerrit W. Gong. I had won the war in coming out but was left as broken as the battlefield.. I held my ground and I silenced their rage with my story as I spoke with my own voice. Connecting with God and to one another is so important. As a missionary in Taiwan. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Although the family had provided the sketch, paint and brushes, something had shifted. It is heartbreaking when we are asked questions about religion, but cannot respond. Donate to the newsroom now. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. As of June 2018, he was serving as chair of the church's Scriptures Committee (which, among other things, oversees the translation of the scriptures) and as a member of the Leadership and Training Committee, the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, and the Outreach Committee. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Elder Gerrit W. Gong currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. 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. I will update the post as I get further information. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. [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. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. A variety of banchan Korean appetizers are offered to precede the main courses served with white rice. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Love you. Arab? Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. No accent here! I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! It will always be Top down, not bottom up. Either way it helps us abide and grow. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. 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. Cynthia, thanks for sharing. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? Steven J. Lund. Gerrit W. Gong. Score: Mica Nicole is sure she had encountered one but was out and about and couldnt recall the specifics for me. 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. He served as an LDS Church missionary in Taiwan. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Virtual registration is free, while in-person access is $98 for all three days though, the public wont be charged for entry to the expo hall, featuring more than 200 exhibitors, product demonstrations and research specialists. 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 . They began dating a few years later, in the summer when Gong had returned from Oxford to spend a few weeks with his parents, during a time his father was a BYU professor. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. The OPs own experience of external challenges is evidence enough that race is a factor to consider! I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life, Gong says. His fear was that people would politicize me and my dad. Mormons across the globe cheered the /">appointment in March of two apostles who seemed to represent the faith's growing diversity</a> Gerrit W. Gong, a Chinese-American, and Ulisses Soares . 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. I seriously doubt President Nelson was pandering to progressive Mormons. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. (My father worked in HR for an oil major, I used to live a stones throw from the HQ of another one, and my current employer sells very large amounts of electricity to oil companiesto extract from wells that in many cases have been producing for over a centuryso Ive learned a bit about the business, both upstream and downstream.). Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. 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. In your own life story, you are the main character! 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. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. Too many glories to express. Elder Gong was on my list of best case scenarios. 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. He will be a good fit with the brethren. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. @Felix, my understanding at least according to Wikipedia is that Elder Gong is the son of a Chinese-Immigrant-family-in-California father and a Chinese-immigrant-family-in-Hawaii mother. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. This expressed so much of the happiness I feel today. *We recommend that people marry those who are of the same racial background generally, and of somewhat the same economic and social and educational background (some of those are not an absolute necessity, but preferred).. 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. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. Big smiles in the Hedgehog home. Gong had just been named an apostle. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent, First Seven Presidents of the Seventy / First Council of the Seventy, Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Sexuality, however, was never discussed. 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. It didnt matter if we agreed about everything; were still family. You may know that the LDS Young Womans program was way cooler in the early 20th century than it has been during the lifetime of anyone alive today. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. Of his new assignment, Elder Gong said it was overwhelming to have President Nelson tenderly take my hands in his and extend a call to the apostleship. Of course not. The current government is becoming more repressive about such matters. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. 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. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, . By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. Having people who know about petroleum extraction is always useful! Even if you werent aware of all these nuances, youve probably absorbed from US culture the idea that its more normal or expected for a woman of Asian descent to be married to a white man, than for a white woman to be married to a man of Asian descent. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . These appointments in terms of age and church experience were right In the sweet spot consistent with recent apostle picks. Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. 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