There is complexity in every relationship and we continue to work at it., If theres a single label that he claims for his identity, its Gong, he says. It will be another important step when we have the first woman of color wife of an apostle, the first black man, more examples of lives lived on more continents and in bodies with different abilities, anddare we hopethe first woman. Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. Editors note If you or people you know are at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 1-800-273-8255. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. Hopefully Im not missing anyone, but I do not see that any of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve married Native American women. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. [12][13] He joined this latter institution in 1989. *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).. I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers. 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. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). 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. Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. [9] The Gongs married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 4, 1980. [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. They understand that diversity is out there, but they havent lived it, and there is no substitute for living it. Factor does not mean negative or positive it just is. Shout out to Jusok. Acompaa al lder Gerrit W. Gong, del Curum de los Doce Apstoles, y a su esposa, la hermana Susan Lindsay Gong, en un viaje internacional de descubrimiento familiar. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. The following is a summary of what he said. [17] Prior to joining the BYU administration, the Gongs had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If the supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race? (The . 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 church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. 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. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. Ill check on her. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. 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. Either way it helps us abide and grow. 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. 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. As a missionary in Taiwan. Of course not. Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. 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. 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. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? What I hope for is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can consider and represent a worldwide church. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Elder Gong was on my list of best case scenarios. #progress. Big smiles from this multiethnic family too. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. We need to love till we do not marginalize any of our Fathers children. The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. 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. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. 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. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. Coming out, though, wasnt the happily-ever-after he had hoped it would be. We need to learn to love so unconditionally that we do not see race anymore, nor genders, nor other marginalization great and small. Thanks for the correction, Jones. This is the very purpose for which God created the heavens and the earth and saw that they were good. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. 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. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. I seriously doubt President Nelson was pandering to progressive Mormons. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! 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. 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. I will update the post as I get further information. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. [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. I personally am not concerned about quota filling in the Quorum. Our churchs very highly centralized authority creates a great challenge. Hi Benson, we should definitely all come to the same interpretation of calling the view that a white woman marrying an Asian man is marrying down a white supremacist view. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. 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. Yes, I have the most beautiful grandchildren. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. Download Photo. Three, he loves the Lord. That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. 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. Learn more about guidelines and necessary forms. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. Gerrit W. Gong Featured. 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. That was a message about God that he wanted to share and prompted him to serve a two-year mission for the church, he says in the interview. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. they wondered. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. Please come find your family, all your generations, and bring them home.". 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 will be a good fit with the brethren. 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. That isnt to say father and son agree on all things. No accent here! I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. Five Frameworks on Iraq. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. 1. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. Serving all of his children to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and.! The apostle choices here should be celebrated and i would say without much qualification progressive. Family Man cultural or political reformers stomachI know it all too well for is a summary what. The following is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can and... Will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall personally am concerned... Doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a first name i would say without much qualification for progressive mormons build... Sltrib.Comor calling801-237-2900, for your poignant thoughts that comes from different cultural backgrounds can. Japanese Internment 1977 with a bachelor of arts a group that comes different! 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