He looks part white to me. 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. (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. 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. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. 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 was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. 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. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. I genuinely feel this way and am not in any way trying to be disruptive or to be a troll. If my voice is silenced (deleted) I will take the hint that Im not welcome here and will quietly go away. This expressed so much of the happiness I feel today. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. Learn more about guidelines and necessary forms. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. 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. However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life, Gong says. Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. 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. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. Lasting Discipleship. [4] Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. 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. 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. Gong is hardly alone in such a feeling of being misplaced, of course, but his experience is unusual. 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. Good going church! The following is a summary of what he said. Donors who contribute . And it takes strength to keep sustaining when a shift comes before one is ready. So, when I talk about the Church, I mean the Church. When I talk about my father, hes just my father.. 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. 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. He hasnt aged at all. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. [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. 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 . Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. 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. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). He seemed to remember a conversation with someone or something outside of himself that affirmed he was loved. Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). )[16] Gong and his wife are the parents of four sons. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint and brushes, something had shifted. Again, its complicated and fluid. Keynote speakers will include Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife, Sister Susan Gong; actor Sean Astin of Lord of the Rings fame; singer Jordan Sparks; photographer Me Rah Koh; and others. Elder Gong said everywhere they go, people relate to Sister Gong. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. We used to hang out during our days at UCSD. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. Saints See New Apostles as Symbol of Church Growth, Diversity, Meet Elder Soares: Committed to Serve and Testify Worldwide. [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. Huh. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. 31 October 2021 by Gerrit W. Gong 16,100 sq ft (1,500 m 2) on a 7.7-acre (3.1 ha) site 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. Ask Peter. Ours is a worldwide Church. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. 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. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. In your own life story, you are the main character! 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. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Sister Gong said there are three characteristics that are quintessential Gerrit Gong. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. Yes, I have the most beautiful grandchildren. But so is rejoicing for many other peoples realms of thought. I am pleased for him. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. 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. The meeting will be available on the Gospel Library app and online in 11 languages beginning And definitely in Brazil Soares would be considered white. Im excited for Elder Soares calling as are my Brazilian friends in our ward here in Brazil. This is a big deal. 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. 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. But today, let us rejoice! 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. 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. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . 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 the Quorum of the Twelve in March 2018. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. You were referring to citizenship and location of childhood ambient culture. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. Quote #1 (the true litmus test) . I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Today blessed us a beautiful moment. This is the very purpose for which God created the heavens and the earth and saw that they were good. 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. Of course not. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) #progress. 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. [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. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. Gong had just been named an apostle. No accent here! Anyone who thinks otherwise is giving themselves a little too much credit. @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. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. [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. Elder Gong, the oldest of three children, inherited his parents love for learning. 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. :). Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. 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. 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.. Reading the D&C, it seems that revelation is often (indeed, almost always) responsive to external realities. Its very, very hard to do that with a small, centralized leadership group. 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]. 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. The OPs own experience of external challenges is evidence enough that race is a factor to consider! deductible, Report a missed paper by [email protected] calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or [email protected]. 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. 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. Four of my children have married half mixed spouses, two half Japanese and two half Hispanic in Utah. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. Read I felt sick in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in such a feeling of gerrit w gong family... 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