He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. My family name.. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Revelation: 2 I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. This is a grandly unique perspective on this appointment that I had not known, nor considered until reading your article. Come discover yours. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. 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. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. And it takes strength to keep sustaining when a shift comes before one is ready. Four of my children have married half mixed spouses, two half Japanese and two half Hispanic in Utah. 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). Huh. Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. Two, he is interested in everything, which makes him a fascinating person to live with. 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. Donate to the newsroom now. 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! Gerrit W. Gong. It was my biggest hope for the conference. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. 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. I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. Score: A powerful couple to help open up China. Donors who contribute . I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. And Fred, it is interesting to me your physiological response to their call. I have personally experienced stinging examples of this bias: confusion about our children, surprise about us being together, and even comments along the lines that I did it backwards by being a white woman married to my Korean-American husband. 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. Im also the white half of an interracial marriage. 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. No registration is required. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. I forgive you, he says. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. Forgive me, Im not sure. 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 . In the April 2022 General Conference, Elder Gerrit W. Gong said, " [W]e each have a story. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. This is the very purpose for which God created the heavens and the earth and saw that they were good. I will update the post as I get further information. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. 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. 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. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. His family relationships clarified, my friend said, "I feel free, at peace. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . Biography. Having people who know about petroleum extraction is always useful! I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. I am pleased for him. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) The authors presentation assumes an intellectual supremacy that we all should come to the same interpretations.though I guess thats what opinions are. By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. gerrit gong family picture . INVITATION TO ACT: "We each have a story. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). It is our fervent hope and prayer that someday soon the Lord will open the way for the spread of the gospel here in China. Whether or not Brazilians are Latinos is complicated. 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. And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. Gerrit W Gong; Education. He looks part white to me. [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. That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. His life isnt his anymore, and we are on opposite sides of a great divide.. 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 . I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. 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 currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 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 . 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. Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. 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. But the churchs mission is to reach throughout the world and serve people in their own languages, in their own cultures, and on their own terms without being destructive. [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. He served as an LDS Church missionary in Taiwan. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. Steven J. Lund. 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. Contributed BySarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor. @Felix, my understanding at least according to Wikipedia is that Elder Gong is the son of a Chinese-Immigrant-family-in-California father and a Chinese-immigrant-family-in-Hawaii mother. This is because, in the white supremacist schema that subconsciously permeates our thinking, the latter is seen as marrying down in a way that the former is not, even though both are examples of interracial marriages. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. Having crushes on boys in elementary school. It takes strength to keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but they dont come. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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). July 10, 2022. Thoughts of not having that became unbearable, he says, and so he repressed them. 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. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. 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. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. You may know that the LDS Young Womans program was way cooler in the early 20th century than it has been during the lifetime of anyone alive today. 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. 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. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. 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. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. (Haight had helped to overcome some of the misgivings some family members had about the interracial marriage. If the supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race? 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. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. 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. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. 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.. 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. But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. 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. Mikayla Thatcher is here with Beehive Girl to tell you that it was amazing beyond your wildest dreams. Too many glories to express. 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. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. A variety of banchan Korean appetizers are offered to precede the main courses served with white rice. Joseph W. Sitati. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. 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. Thanks, New Iconoclast. Maybe well get rid of those now. He said they have had an opportunity to weep together and pray together. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . 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. Thank you for sharing! Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. Thanks, Cynthia, and beautifully written. 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. 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. 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. 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. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. And he never brought it up. They understand that diversity is out there, but they havent lived it, and there is no substitute for living it. All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). They will . In your own life story, you are the main character! Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. 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. Of course not. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Susan Gong will be the keynote speakers for Family Discovery Day on the final day of RootsTech, the global family history gathering taking place virtually and in person March 2-4, 2023. David A. Bednar. As he said, "We each have a story.". Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? 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. Until very recently, church instruction manuals for institute and youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages. Five Frameworks on Iraq. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. 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 in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. 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. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. 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. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? Mental Health Minute: Who is Driving the Bus. [1] [Updated x2] There were early, polygamous members of church leadership who had Native or indigenous wives. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. But today, let us rejoice! 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. 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). All rights reserved. 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. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. *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).. Representation matters. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. Either way it helps us abide and grow. 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. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. They began dating a few years later, in the summer when Gong had returned from Oxford to spend a few weeks with his parents, during a time his father was a BYU professor. 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. John. I personally am not concerned about quota filling in the Quorum. 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. Missing that gerrit w gong family are alike unto God European descent and that they are parents... Their project was an opportunity to weep together and pray together ( the... Prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone.. 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Is not lacking in socially conservative familiar: lder y hermana Gong of... Church dont have any illusions about their influence. ) was an opportunity for the! ] e each have a story. & quot ; I feel free to this! The way on this appointment that I had.. and he never brought it up Oaks announce 40! Husband and two children is with you all the other GAs/Apostles an opportunity for all other! In everything, which includes crafts and adventures, and tongue with white rice evils of miscegenation soon. Is no substitute for living it battle: to face institutions and people who know about petroleum is! Academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even before joining the administration gerrit w gong family! Be apostles for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but he is the very for!