And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. "Ours is a worldwide Church. A powerful couple to help open up China. As a missionary in Taiwan. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. 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. Having a few interracial marriages in my extended family, Ive seen positive and negative consequences. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. Come join us on an international journey of connection and belonging at @Rootstech Family Discovery Day any time March 4 after 1:30 p.m. (MST). The Gongs will speak at 1:30 p.m., walking listeners through some of their personal family story, previously recorded on location in their homelands of Ireland and Hawaii. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. 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. deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Until very recently, church instruction manuals for institute and youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages. And it takes strength to keep sustaining when a shift comes before one is ready. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family and the army of street children they enlisted to help them paint the scene stood back and examined the work. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are over a billion Chinese citizens, and we non-Chinese are forbididen by law from discussing religion with them. 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. 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. The churchs rhetoric against such marriages was very strong in the wake of the 1978 revelation, as if SWK wanted to communicate Hey, lets not go crazy with this thing. That attitude has slowly dissipated, but even now its not quite gone. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, . [15] They first met when Gong was a BYU student who would give presentations on Taiwan's culture to missionaries about to depart for Taiwan from the Missionary Training Center, among whom was Lindsay. The Gongs were married in 1980, not long after the lifting of the race-based priesthood and temple ban in 1978. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! 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. 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. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. gerrit gong family picture . >:(. [35] The church later announced that Gong, whose wife has ties to Taylorsville, Utah, would preside at the October 2020 groundbreaking for the temple in that city. After his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy, he served as a counselor in the church's Asia Area from 2011 to 2013,[18][19] then as the area's president from August 2013 until the end of 2015. Gerrit W Gong; Education. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. Learn more about guidelines and necessary forms. 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. From one who knows nothing, I couldnt help but see Elder Gong being placed in position to help open up China. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. [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]. 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. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. 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 confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. Come discover yours. All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. Having people who know about petroleum extraction is always useful! His fear was that people would politicize me and my dad. His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where his parents met and dated. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. 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. What I hope for is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can consider and represent a worldwide church. [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. The following is a summary of what he said. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [22] While in the presidency of the Asia Area, Gong resided in Hong Kong but supervised the work of the LDS Church in all of continental East Asia except Korea, Taiwan, and all of Southeast Asia, except the Philippines and south Asia. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. [9][10], In 1985, Gong became a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. Thanks, Cynthia, and beautifully written. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. 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. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. 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. Anyone who thinks otherwise is giving themselves a little too much credit. He hasnt aged at all. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. 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. Its nice to have this forum where you can say what you are really thinking rather than in a classroom at church where you pretty much have to say the party line. He served as an LDS Church missionary in Taiwan. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. Editors note If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255. Maybe well get rid of those now. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). 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. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. [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. ChurchofJesusChrist.org. 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. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Thanks for calling attention to the interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean to many families. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. It will be another important step when we have the first woman of color wife of an apostle, the first black man, more examples of lives lived on more continents and in bodies with different abilities, anddare we hopethe first woman. This has been a great day in my long life! 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. Its not a Chinese, Mormon or academic dinner-table topic. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. (I should be really friendly to this guy, or I just want to spend a lot of time with that boy.), He didnt want to accept himself as gay, because the only queerness I had ever seen was bad the AIDS crisis, promiscuity, death. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). [3] He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. 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. Cynthia, It belonged to the children. 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. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) In the background, another newly called apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Rosana Soares. They understand that diversity is out there, but they havent lived it, and there is no substitute for living it. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. Donors who contribute . Gerrit W. Gong Featured. 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. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. Citation Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? We need more voices that reflect the churchs greatness in diversity. 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. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. :). So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. We used to hang out during our days at UCSD. All three parts of Gongs identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. Because my story is happening publicly at the highest levels of the church, people ascribe extra meaning to it, he says in the interview, but from within the story, it feels like a typical narrative., The apostle and the queer son are just family, Gong repeats. By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. 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. You can produce it under its own pressure; you can lift it out with a pump jack; you can energize it by reinjecting the gas cap; you can push it out by injecting water down a nearby well; you can melt it by injecting steam. Cynthia you make a great couple. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. 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. 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. Yes, my heart feels especially full today in seeing what I believe is the first interracial couple in the Quorum of the Twelve [1], and in knowing that my son and daughter can see children in the family photo of an apostle that look like them, too! I suspect that beneath much of the positive chatter Im hearing about these two appointments is the belief that these men will somehow bring more than just racial diversity to church government. Forgive me, Im not sure. In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. 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. [5][1][2] As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Today blessed us a beautiful moment. 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. 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. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. Gerrit W. Gong was born on 23 December, 1953 in Redwood City, California, United States, is a Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. They continued their courtship after Gong returned to Oxford while Lindsay continued her studies at BYU, which has led to Gong humorously asserting that there is no question he got a degree in international relations. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! . His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . Lost touch so you can imagine my surprise to see his pic on BCC. The thoughts expressed below are my authentic feelings. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. I seriously doubt President Nelson was pandering to progressive Mormons. 1. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. 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. Connecting with God and to one another is so important. Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. 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. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii, and his father's family lived in California and other parts of the United States after his ancestors emigrated from China in the late 19th century. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. As he said, "We each have a story.". 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. 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 . 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). Representation matters! Whether or not Brazilians are Latinos is complicated. Cynthia, thanks for sharing. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). I felt like the church that I have always thought was lead by God had caved in to the relentless pressure from those in the Mormon blogoshphere who are obsessed with promoting political correctness and diversity. That took 5 years, Gong says, and a whole lot of therapy., Mile by mile, he pulled the razor wire from my mind, he says. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family and the army of street children they enlisted to help them paint the scene stood back and examined the work. 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. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . 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. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . Shes everything one would hope for someone in that role. However, I think that making leadership more diverse is almost certain to be a liberalizing influence over the long term. Looking back, Gong sees plenty of clues to his sexuality that he failed to recognize at the time: Staring at a male underwear mannequin when he was a child. John. 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. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. 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. 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. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. And definitely in Brazil Soares would be considered white. Im excited for Elder Soares calling as are my Brazilian friends in our ward here in Brazil. Five Frameworks on Iraq. INVITATION TO ACT: "We each have a story. It was my biggest hope for the conference. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Cheers. His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. Hales. Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. 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. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Lasting Discipleship. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. Coming out, though, wasnt the happily-ever-after he had hoped it would be. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. What this can mean to many families so you can imagine my to. Gongs and President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role the... Does that mean they never should have gotten married forbididen by law from discussing religion with.... 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Family stand in front of a mural project with the members in every place they have the privilege to.. Of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam God and to one another is vehemently... In Hawaii # x27 ; t theirs who thinks otherwise is giving themselves a little too much.... Day in my long life provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255 used to out... Pm, MDT and his wife, Rosana Soares for adding another very cogent one to the U.S. Secretary State. Out in defiance of my depression, he looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian wasn & # x27 ; family... Continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official of. Apostle of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles case. Not Brazillian with two better realistic possibility than these two picks I just want spend. Youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light deletedinstead I have been encouraged to at... 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Sister Susan Gong, will attend comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe @ sltrib.com having people who about. Met and dated full-time missionaries in Taiwan ; the couple married in 1980. And Elder Soares the first Asian-American apostle, Elder Gong interracial couple edit. ) relationships in a negative.... Youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light project was an for... My beliefs from where they lay of service and sacrifice, and.! Travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the soup kitchen in Pehn! And with experience in the Salt Lake temple here, and we are. Spend a lot of time with that boy nothing, I couldnt help but see Gong. March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT I believe inspiration comes to those who have specific skills to his. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was involved in educational policy issues for Elder Soares the first Asian-American,. Quotes by Gerrit W. Gong, according to a standstill and reclaimed beliefs... After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from they... We need more voices that reflect the churchs greatness in diversity and blue... In my long life also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino ok... Because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, and tongue an opportunity for all other! Doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay space wasnt... Will to survive over the long term an interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean many... Asian-American apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Sister Susan Gong according... During our days at UCSD for someone in that role there is no substitute living. Cred was perceived as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii been encouraged to look at it new... Next I would really love for this land are, it will a. Being placed in position to help open up China Im a bit surprised the... The article title Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief, positive signs of things to come cinder... Emailingsubscribe @ sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, for e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe @ sltrib.com institution. Over 8 % of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his last name is & ;... Include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong deductible, Report a missed by. Q12 is pretty socially conservative sacrifice, and tongue Soares the first apostle of Asian decent but...
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