Parents and children can work through the awkwardness and conflict over deep disagreements to arrive at a place where they are simply family. 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. The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. 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. . Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. Come discover yours. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii . Though Gongs relationship with his parents got off to a rocky start after he came out not for lack of love or rejection but for miscommunication they are now as close as ever and talk almost every week. 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. The OPs own experience of external challenges is evidence enough that race is a factor to consider! [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. It is heartbreaking when we are asked questions about religion, but cannot respond. I forgive you, he says. Love you. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. [25], In May 2018, Gong and his wife spoke at the BYU Women's Conference. 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. Whether or not Brazilians are Latinos is complicated. Today blessed us a beautiful moment. 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). God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Sister Gong said there are three characteristics that are quintessential Gerrit Gong. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). Click Here To 'Like' Meridian Magazine on Facebook, The Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement of Christ: The Basic Teaching Outline of Ancient and Modern Temples, The Atlantic Article Referenced by President Oaks in Conference, Latter-day Saint Fiction: To Die, To Sleep, See the works of the 6 Visitors Choice Award winners from the 12th International Art Competition, Making Peace With Mother Nature: Five Easy Natural Remedies For Seasonal Allergies, Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families: Activities and Lesson Helps for John 7-10, Inviting the Baby Jesus into Our Home at Christmas, Grit and circumstance: Bestselling author Angela Duckworth brings her wisdom to BYU, Latter-day Saints and missionaries joined by hundreds of friends in Mozambique to hear an Apostle of Jesus Christ, Singing Master in the Tempest is Raging in a New Light, First Presidency announces site location for Vitria Brazil Temple. Hi MB, Im really not the expert to speak on that. gerrit gong family picture . Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. In the background, another newly called apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Rosana Soares. Born in Redwood City, California, to Walter A. and Jean C. Gong, Elder Gong comes to the apostleship with a background rich in education and experience. A former bishop and stake president, Elder Gong has served as a General Authority since 2010 and in that capacity has seen the Church grow and develop across the world. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. [17] Prior to joining the BYU administration, the Gongs had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia. 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. 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. 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 . 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 . I struggled to find meaning in the spiritual void left by having been a flower growing in the wrong place., He hated that God had been taken from me, he says. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . Gerrit W Gong; Education. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. And he never brought it up. On Buzzlearn.com, Gerrit is listed as a successful leader who was born in the year of 1953. His life isnt his anymore, and we are on opposite sides of a great divide.. However, I think that making leadership more diverse is almost certain to be a liberalizing influence over the long term. Representation matters! But today, let us rejoice! Loursat wrote: I dont expect that these men will be cultural or political reformers.. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) 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. In what way have you narrowed that definition that causes you to think you can exclude him from that? My family name.. He hasnt aged at all. 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. I have personally experienced stinging examples of this bias: confusion about our children, surprise about us being together, and even comments along the lines that I did it backwards by being a white woman married to my Korean-American husband. Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. David A. Bednar. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. 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. Revelation: 2 In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. This has been a great day in my long life! Elder Gong isnt part-anything. Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. Huh. People. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan, participate in a Christmas mural project in Vietnam. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. There is, in fact, a slightly higher divorce rate for interracial marriages. Elder Gong was on my list of best case scenarios. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Its disingenuous to portray the Churchs historic concern with inter-racial marriages as a simple matter of possible incompatibility. For women of Asian descent, this results in a hypersexualized stereotype, an extreme but superficial sexual desirability captured in the ugly term yellow fever. For men of Asian descent, this same underlying stereotype results in media representations and prejudice against them as emasculated and lacking in sexual desirability or prowess. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. Christ Church, Oxford; Edit. Elder Gong as a baby with his parents. As we discover our story, we connect, we belong, we become." 1. 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. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. 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. 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. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. 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. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. 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. 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. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. I suspect that beneath much of the positive chatter Im hearing about these two appointments is the belief that these men will somehow bring more than just racial diversity to church government. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. (Haight had helped to overcome some of the misgivings some family members had about the interracial marriage. Why does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon? Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. It depends. 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. [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. The fact that they are an interracial couple didnt even occur to em; I was just thrilled that there is finally some more international representation in the upper-most echelon. 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. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). People dont know their own blind spots until theyre pointed out to them. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. Blood. We were grateful others were excited for children to have creative opportunities.. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. Although reasonable latter-day saints have long, long since realized there is no place for any disapproval of marriage based on race, this is still a big deal. Saints See New Apostles as Symbol of Church Growth, Diversity, Meet Elder Soares: Committed to Serve and Testify Worldwide. 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. 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. Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. But perhaps she was thinking of a 70 or something. July 10, 2022. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Elder Soares, a Brazillian, brings long-overdue representation from the southern hemisphere. Score: Fred: and that is the value of diversity, across every possible category. Elder Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Gary E. Stevenson in Vietnam when the Church received official recognition. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. (And alsowhat Kevin said. 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. Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. Thank you for sharing! Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . Hales. Once ordained they joined the growing circle of priesthood power.. But if you would indulge me for a moment, I want to focus on one area of very specific, personal appreciation: the marriage of Elder Gerrit Gong, as an Asian-American man, to his wife Susan Gong, a white woman. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech Family Discovery Day. [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. Susan is other-oriented and down-to-earth wherever she is, said Elder Gong. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The thoughts expressed below are my authentic feelings. He will be a good fit with the brethren. I hope this new leader does indeed provide an example that normalizes your family to our fellow Saints! However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. A powerful couple to help open up China. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. Happening March 4, Family Discovery Day is free online and in-person. The Gongs were married in 1980, not long after the lifting of the race-based priesthood and temple ban in 1978. #progress. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). Im grateful for that for me, but Im terribly sorry for anyone who has had to endure those remarks. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. "Ours is a worldwide Church. 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. Love the Gongs. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. church instruction manuals for institute and youth. SALT LAKE CITY In his first public appearance since completing a COVID-19 quarantine, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of . I am pleased for him. 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. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, . 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. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. 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. The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. Thanks for calling attention to the interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean to many families. It takes strength to keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but they dont come. Cannot load blog information at this time. . What I hope for is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can consider and represent a worldwide church. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. 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 . He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Forgive me, Im not sure. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. 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. 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. LDS Church wants to light up a temple in a place that prides itself on dark skies, For husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant is the culmination of a decadeslong dream, Gong took his place for a lifetime appointment in the faiths Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, asked in 2018 if having a gay son had affected his views on LGBTQ. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? [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. Put On Thy Strength, O Zion. As a missionary in Taiwan. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. [26], In May 2019, Gong and his wife accompanied Russell M. Nelson and his wife on a ministry tour to the Pacific region. And that, I believe, is a blessing for all concerned. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. Felix was referring to genetics. Latter-day Saint apostle Gerrit W. Gong speaks to members of the media in Salt Lake City in June 2018. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. (Sometimes the emphasis is on achieving a picture-perfect family which involves inflated egos, exclusiveness, feelings of superiority or inferiority, and other unChrist-like behaviors both inside and outside the family. More than anything he is American. But getting to this place of peace with his trifold identity, says Gong, an artificial intelligence engineer in Seattle, has required hard work. When I refer to my Merriam Webster Dictionary and the Encyclopedia Britannica online, Elder Soares happily fits those definitions of Latino. Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! Even at school, Gong, who easily passed as straight, grew increasingly silent, afraid of hugs and falling in love. Ask those who believed in the 1978 Official Declaration long before it came. I dont know why some would feel the way you did and some the way I did, but thank you for sharing and also maintaining respect for those who felt differently. 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. But the churchs mission is to reach throughout the world and serve people in their own languages, in their own cultures, and on their own terms without being destructive. 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. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. Has had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple! s will! 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Had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia Susan is other-oriented and wherever! Over 8 % of the Twelve for the official recognition I hadnt considered the &! Speaks to members of the misgivings some family members had about the interracial marriage being mindful of the of!
