Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay. To appreciate why this feels especially significant to me that we have not only an interracial couple, but specifically a Chinese-American man and a white woman, we have to have a frank talk about how racism in the United States manifests against Asians and Asian-Americans, specifically in regards to gender and sex. I will update the post as I get further information. Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. 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 hope that we will each make an effort to discover our own family stories, to record them and to share them with our children and grandchildren. 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. 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. Fairbanks. 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. Gong had just been named an apostle. 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. His family relationships clarified, my friend said, "I feel free, at peace. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. Im very comfortable standing by that statement. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. Very happy about these calls for all sorts of reasons; thanks for adding another very cogent one to the pile! The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? 1. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. [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. His fear was that people would politicize me and my dad. David A. Bednar. The Gongs were married in 1980, not long after the lifting of the race-based priesthood and temple ban in 1978. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. [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. Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. [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. (I should be really friendly to this guy, or I just want to spend a lot of time with that boy.), He didnt want to accept himself as gay, because the only queerness I had ever seen was bad the AIDS crisis, promiscuity, death. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . Donate to the newsroom now. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Was he Mexican? The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. AmyT thanks for weighing in! One day, during Gongs freshman year at Brigham Young University, he tried to take his life. Similarly, we were happy and hopeful to learn of President Nelsons ties to this wonderful land. Ill check on her. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . John. Having a few interracial marriages in my extended family, Ive seen positive and negative consequences. 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. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech Family Discovery Day. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. The meeting will be available on the Gospel Library app and online in 11 languages beginning 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. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where his parents met and dated. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). Donors who contribute . It will always be Top down, not bottom up. 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. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name (Walter after his father) and a Chinese last name . However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. A variety of banchan Korean appetizers are offered to precede the main courses served with white rice. Im sorry to hear this, but grateful that I was raised in the 50s to 70s by open minded, faithful Mormon parents, for which I am grateful for every day. Thank you for sharing! He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. 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. Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. Of his new assignment, Elder Gong said it was overwhelming to have President Nelson tenderly take my hands in his and extend a call to the apostleship. 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 . 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. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Hi MB, Im really not the expert to speak on that. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. [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. The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. 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). Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. [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. From at least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment. We need to learn to love so unconditionally that we do not see race anymore, nor genders, nor other marginalization great and small. [4] Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. 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. . 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. 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.. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. Lasting Discipleship. He said they have had an opportunity to weep together and pray together. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. [31][32][33][34], In early 2020, the church announced that Gong would preside at the November dedication of the Winnipeg Manitoba Temple, originally set to occur in mid-November. Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. He was born in Redwood City, California. 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. 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. :) Hope all is well. Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. 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. [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. Blood. Three, he loves the Lord. 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. 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. 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. Please come find your family, all your generations, and bring them home.". 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. Citation Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Primary General President Susan H. Porter; Sister Kristen M. Yee, Second Counselor in the Relief Society . Felix and Carolyn, First hand knowledge here. 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. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. 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! 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. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. Shout out to Jusok. [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. 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). He served as a member of the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and participated in multiple national education summits.[9]. Connecting with God and to one another is so important. I am pleased for him. Susan is other-oriented and down-to-earth wherever she is, said Elder Gong. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Some places wanted to send only the best and most artistic children to participate. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. 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. [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. He hasnt aged at all. The hard thing for ALL of us is to cope with (possibly) inspired decisions that conflict with our own political and philosophical intuitions. Biography. No registration is required. My heart ached also for Elder Gong and Elder Soares as I realized that they too probably wonder if their call came from God or if they are token minorities in a corporation that has to factor in the opinions and philosophies of the world in its decision making. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. After his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy, he served as a counselor in the church's Asia Area from 2011 to 2013,[18][19] then as the area's president from August 2013 until the end of 2015. I was never so different [that] I couldnt be potentially included.. 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. Gong is hardly alone in such a feeling of being misplaced, of course, but his experience is unusual. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. Download Photo. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. Instead, the purpose of . Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. (Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) You were referring to citizenship and location of childhood ambient culture. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. 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. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend. They will share some of their stories at Family Discovery Day during RootsTech 2023. Elder Gong is a native born American citizen who grew up in America surrounded by Chinese culture at home and American culture in school and Northern California LDS culture at church and was raised by parents whose family trees are fully populated by people who were born in China. Elder Gerrit W. 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