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. 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. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. 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. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. Why does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon? As of June 2018, he was serving as chair of the church's Scriptures Committee (which, among other things, oversees the translation of the scriptures) and as a member of the Leadership and Training Committee, the Priesthood and Family Executive Council, and the Outreach Committee. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong. Ill check on her. 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. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. I dont think there are many people who are openly queer and whose dad is now in one of the highest positions of authority in the LDS Church, he quips in an online post that went viral. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. Elder Gong was on my list of best case scenarios. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.. He was called to London on a Mandarin-speaking mission in 2011. But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. Today blessed us a beautiful moment. There are both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed. 31 October 2021 by Gerrit W. Gong 16,100 sq ft (1,500 m 2) on a 7.7-acre (3.1 ha) site Three, he loves the Lord. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. gerrit gong family picture . Also I agree with Jason K. If the word of Wisdom initiated with Emma, then it appears the Lord expects His prophets to look in every direction when seeking inspiration. 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. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Cannot load blog information at this time. 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. Ours is a worldwide Church. Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. 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. 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. By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. 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 of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. Perhaps our Father in Heaven waits for enough of his children to be ready for changes to the norm before He inspires our leaders of His will in order that there will be enough people to support and sustain the changes. A Rhodes Scholar who worked for the U.S. State Department and for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Elder Gongs travels have taken him to all seven continents, including living in Asia for more than a decade. Forgive me, Im not sure. [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. 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 . Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. Love the Gongs. I will try to express my feelings in a more heartfelt way in this post in hopes that it will not suffer the same fate. Good going church! One is Jacob Hamblin, often nicknamed Buckskin Apostle, though he was not actually part of the Twelve. They will speak at Family . In the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2022 general conference, Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk titled "We Each Have a Story" in which he encouraged his listeners to work on their family history. It belonged to the children. 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. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. Anyone who thinks otherwise is giving themselves a little too much credit. Cynthia you make a great couple. From one who knows nothing, I couldnt help but see Elder Gong being placed in position to help open up China. >:(. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph). Which is empowering to those of us not necessarily agitating for change but asking sincere questions. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Sister Susan Lindsay Gong. The authors presentation assumes an intellectual supremacy that we all should come to the same interpretations.though I guess thats what opinions are. 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. In October 2015, Gong was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy, filling a vacancy created by Ronald A. Rasband's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? And he never brought it up. His mother's family are ethnic Chinese in Hawaii, and his father's family lived in California and other parts of the United States after his ancestors emigrated from China in the late 19th century. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, newly sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, in Salt Lake City. It was my biggest hope for the conference. At that moment you feel very humble, but you are certain in your confidence and love for President Nelson as the Lords prophet and Church President. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. 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 . Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. Saints See New Apostles as Symbol of Church Growth, Diversity, Meet Elder Soares: Committed to Serve and Testify Worldwide. We need to learn to love so unconditionally that we do not see race anymore, nor genders, nor other marginalization great and small. Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. (Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? After the meeting we entered a large room, where on chairs on three sides of the room priesthood leaders were ordained one by one, recalled Sister Gong. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. As a missionary in Taiwan. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. . 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. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. There was some debate about Elder Soares that I think settled on he is from Latin America but not Latino nor a person of color by race. 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