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. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. I love the more visible presence of minorities. I personally am not concerned about quota filling in the Quorum. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. 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. (Sometimes the emphasis is on achieving a picture-perfect family which involves inflated egos, exclusiveness, feelings of superiority or inferiority, and other unChrist-like behaviors both inside and outside the family. He will be a good fit with the brethren. He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! Cynthia, Download Photo. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. Gerrit W. Gong Featured. Representation matters. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. After the meeting we entered a large room, where on chairs on three sides of the room priesthood leaders were ordained one by one, recalled Sister Gong. On my mission, I learned that the first things to grow on the battlefields of France after World War I, were poppies, blood-red poppies, Gong tells the Affirmation virtual audience. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. The following is from FamilySearch: SALT LAKE CITY, UTAHElder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Susan Gong, will be the featured keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day at RootsTech 2023. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. Factor does not mean negative or positive it just is. As a missionary in Taiwan. With all the comments here I echo the joy in seeing a diverse Quorum. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. This is a grandly unique perspective on this appointment that I had not known, nor considered until reading your article. It belonged to the children. Patterns of Discipleship. 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. Having crushes on boys in elementary school. In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. 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. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. Happening March 4, Family Discovery Day is free online and in-person. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. The thoughts expressed below are my authentic feelings. 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. We were grateful others were excited for children to have creative opportunities.. 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. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. Having a few interracial marriages in my extended family, Ive seen positive and negative consequences. His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. I had won the war in coming out but was left as broken as the battlefield.. He seemed to remember a conversation with someone or something outside of himself that affirmed he was loved. They understand that diversity is out there, but they havent lived it, and there is no substitute for living it. 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 am pleased for him. During a press conference related to the open house for the rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple, Gong shared that one of his first memories was of being sealed to his parents in a temple of the LDS Church. (And alsowhat Kevin said. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." 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. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. They will share some of their stories at Family Discovery Day during RootsTech 2023. So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. 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. Once ordained they joined the growing circle of priesthood power.. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. 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. 37 Views. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. Instead, the purpose of . Revelation: 2 Why treat it like a zero-sum game? 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. 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. Donate to the newsroom now. 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. There is a misconception that Asians and Asian-Americans do not experience racism in the US, because their model minority status casts them as the ideal scholars and citizens. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. Thanks all for the kind answers to my post. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. Also, only in the USA, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white. Hes white everywhere else on the planet. And that, I believe, is a blessing for all concerned. [4] Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. And it takes strength to keep sustaining when a shift comes before one is ready. 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. I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. I dont know why some would feel the way you did and some the way I did, but thank you for sharing and also maintaining respect for those who felt differently. *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).. 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. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. 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. 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. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. His mother's family were ethnic Chinese in Hawaii, while his father's family had lived in California and other parts of the United States after his ancestors had emigrated from China in the late 19th century. [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. When asked in 2018 if having a gay son had affected his views on LGBTQ issues, the apostle replied, We love each member of our family. [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. 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. One day, during Gongs freshman year at Brigham Young University, he tried to take his life. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. Cheers. But getting to this place of peace with his trifold identity, says Gong, an artificial intelligence engineer in Seattle, has required hard work. Although reasonable latter-day saints have long, long since realized there is no place for any disapproval of marriage based on race, this is still a big deal. RootsTech 2023, a global gathering of family history enthusiasts, will be in-person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and virtually at rootstech.org. Felix and Carolyn, First hand knowledge here. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. 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. We feel the need to be compassionate to all. What I hope for is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can consider and represent a worldwide church. The 2023 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints premieres online on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. Gong had just been named an apostle. Donors who contribute . Love you. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay. In what way have you narrowed that definition that causes you to think you can exclude him from that? #progress. [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. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. Connecting with God and to one another is so important. [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. I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? Steven J. Lund. The hard thing for ALL of us is to cope with (possibly) inspired decisions that conflict with our own political and philosophical intuitions. 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. [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]. If I were to see him on the street, I would definitely think, (sorry for the non-PC stereotype) white-guy. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. in 1980. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. [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. . Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. 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. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Shes everything one would hope for someone in that role. We need to love till we do not marginalize any of our Fathers children. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. 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. 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