The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Then whatever is revealed is always so outside a lot of peoples realm of what, who, or how things should be that murmuring is inevitable. 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. Sexuality, however, was never discussed. I was never so different [that] I couldnt be potentially included.. Gerrit W Gong; Education. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. No registration is required. Some places wanted to send only the best and most artistic children to participate. Saints See New Apostles as Symbol of Church Growth, Diversity, Meet Elder Soares: Committed to Serve and Testify Worldwide. Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. 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. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. All three parts of Gongs identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. in 1980. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.. 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. 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. . Cynthia, Submitted on July 23, 2013. [1] [Updated x2] There were early, polygamous members of church leadership who had Native or indigenous wives. INVITATION TO ACT: "We each have a story. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. Loursat wrote: I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers.. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. 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, 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. [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. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). Having people who know about petroleum extraction is always useful! Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Representation matters. 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. 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]. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. 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. -Gerrit W. Gong. [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. I also know that its possible to find joy and peace in the church even when we find ourselves with a minority opinion. Johnif all are alike unto God, then you should expect that there are people worthy to be apostles from all racial backgrounds, not just one. 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 . Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. People. 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. Mikayla Thatcher is here with Beehive Girl to tell you that it was amazing beyond your wildest dreams. Why does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon? 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. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. Thanks, Cynthia, and beautifully written. 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 . Please come find your family, all your generations, and bring them home.". There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. 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. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Elder Gong, the oldest of three children, inherited his parents love for learning. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). Its nice to have this forum where you can say what you are really thinking rather than in a classroom at church where you pretty much have to say the party line. Too many glories to express. I can also attest that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage. The Gongs will speak at 1:30 p.m., walking listeners through some of their personal family story, previously recorded on location in their homelands of Ireland and Hawaii. 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. 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. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) 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). He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. The hard thing for ALL of us is to cope with (possibly) inspired decisions that conflict with our own political and philosophical intuitions. 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. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. 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. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. They will share some of their stories at Family Discovery Day during RootsTech 2023. If there are, I would love to meet them for a nice cup of group therapy., When the senior Gong took his place for a lifetime appointment in the faiths Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the younger Gong thought: Today is the day I lost my father. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. His life isnt his anymore, and we are on opposite sides of a great divide.. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). [3] He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. Again, its complicated and fluid. And that, I believe, is a blessing for all concerned. Weeds, she told him, were plants growing where they werent wanted., His queerness, the opposite of his religious ethnicity, was something I was born with but not into, Gong says in an LGBTQ Affirmation conference speech, I had to discover it, like a secret birthright.. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. 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. Today we both celebrate andlook forward. 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. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent, First Seven Presidents of the Seventy / First Council of the Seventy, Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the. Was he Mexican? Gong is hardly alone in such a feeling of being misplaced, of course, but his experience is unusual. 1. I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. You were referring to citizenship and location of childhood ambient culture. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. 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. 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. Today, I love myself, scars and all, and I am awestruck by the simplicity at being happy, something I would never have believed possible in my younger years, says Gong, who shares an apartment with his longtime partner. All rights reserved. When the family moved to Utah, the young Gong found himself in a much more homogeneous community with a dominant culture, he says, where his peers and teachers werent exactly sure about his ethnicity. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. This has been a great day in my long life! Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Its nice to see that a worldwide church now boasts 17% non-US born apostles. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. As I said at the last time new apostles were chosenI would have preferred to have seen three Caucasian apostles from outside North America than three apostles of color who were born and raised in Utah. 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. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. So, when I talk about the Church, I mean the Church. When I talk about my father, hes just my father.. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. Shout out to Jusok. Love your family. Citation Youve given me something to ponder this afternoon. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. 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A story i think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things and! Gerrit Gong family picture have any illusions about their influence. ) Elder Gerrit W. Gong the!
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