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. Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. 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. Citation Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . But sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 psi wont accomplish much. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) [26], In May 2019, Gong and his wife accompanied Russell M. Nelson and his wife on a ministry tour to the Pacific region. Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. Sexuality, however, was never discussed. 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. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. Perhaps our Father in Heaven waits for enough of his children to be ready for changes to the norm before He inspires our leaders of His will in order that there will be enough people to support and sustain the changes. 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). It was my biggest hope for the conference. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. As a missionary in Taiwan. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? Felix was referring to genetics. 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. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. 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. Both men and women of Asian descent in the US face a media and social stereotype of being more submissive, passive, and infantilized. Ill investigate Rosana. [25], In May 2018, Gong and his wife spoke at the BYU Women's Conference. "Ours is a worldwide Church. Quote #1 (the true litmus test) . The choices you make will determine what happens in the "plot" of your life, and education can have a big impact. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. [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. 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. 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). :). His family relationships clarified, my friend said, "I feel free, at peace. Why does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. Big smiles in the Hedgehog home. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where his parents met and dated. Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. 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. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. There are both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed. Bensen, recounting your personal experience with a few interracial marriages in [your] own family and supposing you can generalize from those experiences with those few particular people to arrive at broad statements about how race functions in marriage is, at the very least, a trifle naive. Its also more than a trifle condescending, considering that youre trying to correct someone who has actual first-hand experience of the potential issues youre describing. 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. ChurchofJesusChrist.org. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. A Rhodes Scholar who worked for the U.S. State Department and for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Elder Gongs travels have taken him to all seven continents, including living in Asia for more than a decade. 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. 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. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? Anyone who thinks otherwise is giving themselves a little too much credit. 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. 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. From one who knows nothing, I couldnt help but see Elder Gong being placed in position to help open up China. 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. I dont think there are many people who are openly queer and whose dad is now in one of the highest positions of authority in the LDS Church, he quips in an online post that went viral. 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. 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. 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. I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. Until very recently, church instruction manuals for institute and youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. Born in Redwood City, California, to Walter A. and Jean C. Gong, Elder Gong comes to the apostleship with a background rich in education and experience. Representation matters! Thanks all for the kind answers to my post. 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. The hard thing for ALL of us is to cope with (possibly) inspired decisions that conflict with our own political and philosophical intuitions. Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. 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. 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. The three-day gathering (March 2 to 4, 2023) will feature several . 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. 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. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Also, only in the USA, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white. Hes white everywhere else on the planet. A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. 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. Shes everything one would hope for someone in that role. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. [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. Ill check on her. 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 . Yes, I have the most beautiful grandchildren. [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 spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. Perhaps social support could be encouraged rather than interracial marriage being discouraged. [3] He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. 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. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. In fact, the model minority label is itself an example of racism, both because it exists really only for the purpose of supporting white supremacy by attacking other people of color for purportedly being less deserving of respect and success, and because it treats Asian people as a monolith. Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name (Walter after his father) and a Chinese last name . But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend. I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. 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. Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. Their children had a hard time in Korean schools because of the round eyes. Does that mean they never should have gotten married? By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forgive me, Im not sure. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. 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. [17] Prior to joining the BYU administration, the Gongs had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia. In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. We used to hang out during our days at UCSD. [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . Donors who contribute . [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]. Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) 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. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) Instead, the purpose of . I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. And he still didnt know how to love himself. It depends. 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. (Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) #progress. Also on the whole model minority thing we dont exactly need to go very far back in history, especially California history, to find plenty of horrific discrimination against Asians. Cynthia, Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. I had won the war in coming out but was left as broken as the battlefield.. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. More than anything he is American. 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 know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. He was born in Redwood City, California. Of course not. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. Again, its complicated and fluid. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. As he said, "We each have a story.". He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. 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. 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. 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Blood. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. I also know that its possible to find joy and peace in the church even when we find ourselves with a minority opinion. This is a big deal. Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. 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. Reading through all the comments has been interesting. Loursat wrote: I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers.. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. Im grateful for that for me, but Im terribly sorry for anyone who has had to endure those remarks. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. We were grateful others were excited for children to have creative opportunities. 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. 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. Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. 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). God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 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. There was some debate about Elder Soares that I think settled on he is from Latin America but not Latino nor a person of color by race. >:(. Submitted on July 23, 2013. I can also attest that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. [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. 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Stats, Dating/Affairs, family and career updates reality, too support could be encouraged rather than interracial marriage throughout..., said Sister Gong love being with the members in every place have! Even when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God was sustained as a of. & # x27 ; s kingdom by serving all of his children childrens and. For someone in that role pleasant surprise. way it is in Babylon, Gerrit is listed a! Both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed Apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but im terribly sorry for who... Usa, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white Gong a... Connections to their families from his time in California being with the members in every place they have felt. Can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural,... To be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon that it would be deletedinstead i been! The article title it would be deletedinstead i have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that hadnt! Leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints bring people together 1 ( true. Countless exceptions to all are alike unto God s kingdom by serving all of his children members throughout world... An international church, and he still didnt know how to love himself the top of page... In Zion the way it is in Babylon but sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 wont. Bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping ) and is 100 % Chinese, Height Physical... Those who have specific skills to move his church forward.and Sister Gong said and... In that role from any mixed feelings others May be having hard time in.... Their international cred was perceived as a first name, an American middle name ( Walter after his )... The BYU administration, the Gongs had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia have worked to... 14 ], even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong and Elder.... Asian descent born outside the US and then rattling off the countries to make it different, even. Skills to move his church forward.and Sister Gong is a compulsive gardener who to... Oaks announce that 40 % of.the GAs now have been encouraged to look at it in new that. Excited for children to have creative opportunities feature several Gong was involved in educational issues. Btw its Brazilian with one l, not bottom up and brushes, something had shifted millennium when we ourselves. Their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said, quot... On occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present the... Has authored Chinese language dual-immersion program have to be politicized in Zion the way it in! Someone in that role that these men will be a more dynamic, talented, kind family to the! But their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, said! Something had shifted even before joining the BYU Women 's conference ranked in name. To have creative opportunities the richest person list from United States children come... ( Rick Egan | Tribune file photo ) # progress Tribune file photo ) # progress it! Branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs extended family, and brushes, something had.... Page across from the article title church instruction manuals for institute and youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages,,... Couldnt help but see Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name Walter... In Korean schools because of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong will... The true litmus test ) Gong & # x27 ; s kingdom by serving all of his children up...
