Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. Fairbanks. But beyond the particulars of Gongs experience, his story has a universal message of normalcy. He will be a good fit with the brethren. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. 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. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . Love you. 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. (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.). He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, . This has been a great day in my long life! Coming out, though, wasnt the happily-ever-after he had hoped it would be. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. I will try to express my feelings in a more heartfelt way in this post in hopes that it will not suffer the same fate. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. 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. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) 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. 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. 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. He seemed to remember a conversation with someone or something outside of himself that affirmed he was loved. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. They will . Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend. In your own life story, you are the main character! 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. Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? For, say, a company whose mission is to suck oil out of the earth wherever possible, super-centralized leadership is not much of a problem; an organization like that just has to know how to focus its financial and political power like a laser, and acting at times like a steamroller is part of the game. Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. 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. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. . Revelation: 2 Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. [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. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. church instruction manuals for institute and youth. 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). In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. I love the more visible presence of minorities. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. 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. July 10, 2022. I do expect that their calling will reflect a process of opening the churchs leadership to the churchs global realities. [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. Three, he loves the Lord. I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. I forgive you, he says. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. Having crushes on boys in elementary school. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. I will update the post as I get further information. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. 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. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. Acompaa al lder Gerrit W. Gong, del Curum de los Doce Apstoles, y a su esposa, la hermana Susan Lindsay Gong, en un viaje internacional de descubrimiento familiar. Thanks for the correction, Jones. Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. The thoughts expressed below are my authentic feelings. 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. Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Five Frameworks on Iraq. One day, during Gongs freshman year at Brigham Young University, he tried to take his life. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. Parents and children can work through the awkwardness and conflict over deep disagreements to arrive at a place where they are simply family. 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. Big smiles in the Hedgehog home. 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. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. Gerrit W Gong; Education. Our churchs very highly centralized authority creates a great challenge. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. From at least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Sister Susan Lindsay Gong. Thanks for calling attention to the interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean to many families. Download Photo. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. At that moment you feel very humble, but you are certain in your confidence and love for President Nelson as the Lords prophet and Church President. Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. 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. 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. Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. (Haight had helped to overcome some of the misgivings some family members had about the interracial marriage. Although the character of the racism people of Asian descent experience in the US is very different from what Latinx and black people face, and the significance of that should not be minimized, it is still racism. Even at school, Gong, who easily passed as straight, grew increasingly silent, afraid of hugs and falling in love. I have five other children that have married Caucasians as well. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. 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. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. 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. Huh. 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. Gerrit W. Gong Featured. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. We need more voices that reflect the churchs greatness in diversity. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. For women of Asian descent, this results in a hypersexualized stereotype, an extreme but superficial sexual desirability captured in the ugly term yellow fever. For men of Asian descent, this same underlying stereotype results in media representations and prejudice against them as emasculated and lacking in sexual desirability or prowess. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. Lasting Discipleship. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/black-in-latin-america-full-episode-brazil-a-racial-paradise/224/. The following is a summary of what he said. 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. Once ordained they joined the growing circle of priesthood power.. On his 21st birthday, at the start of the final year on his mission, Gong wrote separate emails to each of his brothers and his parents to tell them he was gay. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. Hales. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. I seriously doubt President Nelson was pandering to progressive Mormons. 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. I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong are the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day on the final day of RootsTech, the global family history gathering . 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. 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. In the April 2022 General Conference, Elder Gerrit W. Gong said, " [W]e each have a story. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. [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. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. 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 . There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. He said they have had an opportunity to weep together and pray together. 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. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. There are both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed. 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. I also know that its possible to find joy and peace in the church even when we find ourselves with a minority opinion. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. I am just grateful to know that this comes one day at a time and that when you are on the Lords errand, you receive the Lords help. Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. 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. Happening March 4, Family Discovery Day is free online and in-person. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Its nice to see that a worldwide church now boasts 17% non-US born apostles. Every member of the Gong family had a special role in the project, from creating the sketch to mixing the paint to organizing the children. It belonged to the children. 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. There is, in fact, a slightly higher divorce rate for interracial marriages. Yipp BG, Robbins SM, Resek ME, Baruch DI, Looareesuwan S, Ho M. Src-family Kinase Signaling Modulates the Adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum on Human Microvascular Endothelium Under Flow. Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Soares, a Brazillian, brings long-overdue representation from the southern hemisphere. Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii relationships in negative! 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