We were grateful others were excited for children to have creative opportunities. Love your family. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Not sure that the fact his Asian roots would mean that much to the Chinese government in order to open it for missionary work, but I believe that he fits the mold for Apostleship with age, church experience/loyalty, and worldly accolades. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. His memory is foggy, but he says he woke up four hours later, lying on the floor. Cynthia you make a great couple. Until he was 10, Matt Gong, the familys fourth of four sons, lived in the Washington, D.C., area, where his dad worked at a policy think tank. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. 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. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. [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. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/black-in-latin-america-full-episode-brazil-a-racial-paradise/224/. Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. (The . The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. His first namesake is Gerrit de Jong, the patriarch of the family that Elder Gong's mother, Jean, lived with when she came to Brigham Young University as a recent convert to the Church. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. His family relationships clarified, my friend said, "I feel free, at peace. Either way it helps us abide and grow. Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. 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. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. Love you. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). We used to hang out during our days at UCSD. Again, its complicated and fluid. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. they wondered. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . [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. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. 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. Felix was referring to genetics. Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). 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. Three, he loves the Lord. Thanks, New Iconoclast. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. But beyond the particulars of Gongs experience, his story has a universal message of normalcy. Happening March 4, Family Discovery Day is free online and in-person. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. 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. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. I personally am not concerned about quota filling in the Quorum. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. 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. 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. Maybe well get rid of those now. Mica Nicole is sure she had encountered one but was out and about and couldnt recall the specifics for me. 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. He will be a good fit with the brethren. 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. Submitted on July 23, 2013. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. 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 . Elder Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Gary E. Stevenson in Vietnam when the Church received official recognition. He was called to London on a Mandarin-speaking mission in 2011. Thank you Jason K. You make an excellent point. 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. 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.. 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. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. 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. ChurchofJesusChrist.org. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. 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. Elder and Sister Gong said it was wonderful to join members from across the world for general conference, to sustain President Russell M. Nelson and the First Presidency, and to witness continuing revelation bless the members of the Church in all their many circumstances. 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. 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. Loursat wrote: I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers.. He later served as a special assistant in the United States State Department, as well as special assistant to the ambassador at the United States Embassy in Beijing, China. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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. Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. 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. Latter-day Saint apostle Gerrit W. Gong speaks to members of the media in Salt Lake City in June 2018. Hi Benson, we should definitely all come to the same interpretation of calling the view that a white woman marrying an Asian man is marrying down a white supremacist view. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. I held my ground and I silenced their rage with my story as I spoke with my own voice. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . 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. Today we both celebrate andlook forward. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. More than anything he is American. Some of the activities include a throw-back photo challenge, family history Twister, family selfie station and a giant family tree. 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. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. [5] Gerrit was named after Gerrit de Jong because his mother had lived with de Jong and his family while she was a student at BYU. 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. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. A photo of my husband and me should immediately clarify why this is a point of particular personal significance to me: Jusok and Cynthia Lee engagement photo (La Jolla, CA, 2000). Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, . Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. He previously served as a member of the Asia Area Presidency and member of the Presidency of the Seventy.During his 20 years in Washington, D.C., he served as special assistant to the undersecretary of state at the U.S. State Department, as special . 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. Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. 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. Beyond the symbolic impact (which is important) no one should expect there will be much short or medium term impacts, but in 20 years when they become senior apostles there might be some hope of more open minds outside of the US conservative/Utah experience. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. >:(. No registration is required. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. One is Jacob Hamblin, often nicknamed Buckskin Apostle, though he was not actually part of the Twelve. 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. 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.. People. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. Reading the D&C, it seems that revelation is often (indeed, almost always) responsive to external realities. They will speak at Family . Similarly, we were happy and hopeful to learn of President Nelsons ties to this wonderful land. Its very, very hard to do that with a small, centralized leadership group. Though Gongs relationship with his parents got off to a rocky start after he came out not for lack of love or rejection but for miscommunication they are now as close as ever and talk almost every week. There are both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? 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. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. 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. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. 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. 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