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. 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. . 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. Daily news, articles, videos and podcasts sent straight to your inbox. In the April 2022 General Conference, Elder Gerrit W. Gong said, " [W]e each have a story. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. . Mental Health Minute: Who is Driving the Bus. The three-day gathering (March 2 to 4, 2023) will feature several . 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). And that, I believe, is a blessing for all concerned. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. I forgive you, he says. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. [23] Among his assignments while in the Presidency of the Seventy, Gong served on the Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, where he also served as a member of its executive committee. 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. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. Similarly, we were happy and hopeful to learn of President Nelsons ties to this wonderful land. 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. 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. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. 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. church instruction manuals for institute and youth. Both men and women of Asian descent in the US face a media and social stereotype of being more submissive, passive, and infantilized. 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. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. This expressed so much of the happiness I feel today. #progress. I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. 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. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. 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. 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. I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. 1. His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where his parents met and dated. Im grateful for that for me, but Im terribly sorry for anyone who has had to endure those remarks. His memory is foggy, but he says he woke up four hours later, lying on the floor. Benson, although its not incorrect to say the manuals (Kimball) advise caution, they go a little further than that in recommending/expressing preference for racially homogenous marriages. 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. Latter-day Saints across the globe sustained Elder Gong and Elder Ulisses Soares as Apostles during the Saturday morning session of general conference on March 31. [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. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. RootsTech 2023, a global gathering of family history enthusiasts, will be in-person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and virtually at rootstech.org. . Revelation: 2 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. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). Its very, very hard to do that with a small, centralized leadership group. Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. Which is empowering to those of us not necessarily agitating for change but asking sincere questions. One is Jacob Hamblin, often nicknamed Buckskin Apostle, though he was not actually part of the Twelve. 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. [25], In May 2018, Gong and his wife spoke at the BYU Women's Conference. 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. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Campus Research People Faith Family Past Issues. 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. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. The hard thing for ALL of us is to cope with (possibly) inspired decisions that conflict with our own political and philosophical intuitions. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. Three, he loves the Lord. And Fred, it is interesting to me your physiological response to their call. There is, in fact, a slightly higher divorce rate for interracial marriages. 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. 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. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. Having a few interracial marriages in my extended family, Ive seen positive and negative consequences. Good going church! AmyT thanks for weighing in! 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 . Thanks, New Iconoclast. Felix and Carolyn, First hand knowledge here. Cynthia, Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. (My father worked in HR for an oil major, I used to live a stones throw from the HQ of another one, and my current employer sells very large amounts of electricity to oil companiesto extract from wells that in many cases have been producing for over a centuryso Ive learned a bit about the business, both upstream and downstream.). Submitted on July 23, 2013. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. Since there is a sub thread discussion about race here, Ill just highlight this very good and enlightening piece by PBS from a few years ago about race in Brazil. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint and brushes, something had shifted. I confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. Of course not. 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. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. As he said, "We each have a story.". But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. You were referring to citizenship and location of childhood ambient culture. [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. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. 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. Until very recently, church instruction manuals for institute and youthsuggested caution against interracial marriages. When I realized that they were the new Apostles, I had chills all through my body, the hair on my arms stood up, and I felt so joyous. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) Thoughts of not having that became unbearable, he says, and so he repressed them. 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 hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! Donate to the newsroom now. David A. Bednar. 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