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. 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. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. Too many glories to express. On my mission, I learned that the first things to grow on the battlefields of France after World War I, were poppies, blood-red poppies, Gong tells the Affirmation virtual audience. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. 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. 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. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. "Ours is a worldwide Church. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. This expressed so much of the happiness I feel today. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. Ask Peter. 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. 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. That means not only that he has experience with multiple cultures, it also means that his grandchildren will likely be raised in the same country where he lives, which means that it will be a little easier for him and his wife to spend time with them as present and well known grandparents. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. 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. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. Both men and women of Asian descent in the US face a media and social stereotype of being more submissive, passive, and infantilized. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Thanks, Cynthia, and beautifully written. Matthew Gong, Matthew Gong is a minority three times over in his own words Chinese American, Mormon and queer.. Gerrit W. Gong. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. No registration is required. 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 am pleased for him. 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. In your own life story, you are the main character! His life isnt his anymore, and we are on opposite sides of a great divide.. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. Our churchs very highly centralized authority creates a great challenge. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. I will update the post as I get further information. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. Two, he is interested in everything, which makes him a fascinating person to live with. Again, its complicated and fluid. 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. 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. Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. Mental Health Minute: Who is Driving the Bus. 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. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. . 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. 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. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. We need more voices that reflect the churchs greatness in diversity. I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life, Gong says. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.. . 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. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. 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. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. Patterns of Discipleship. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . You may know that the LDS Young Womans program was way cooler in the early 20th century than it has been during the lifetime of anyone alive today. Gong had just been named an apostle. Im grateful for that for me, but Im terribly sorry for anyone who has had to endure those remarks. Ill check on her. We need to love till we do not marginalize any of our Fathers children. 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. 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. In what way have you narrowed that definition that causes you to think you can exclude him from that? Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Of course not. Cannot load blog information at this time. Just start with the Chinese Exclusion Act and Japanese Internment. There is joy and warmth as my boyfriend pulls me close for a hug, and I marvel at the easy laughs and unqualified smiles that we share as we sit on the couch watching TV., There is celebration, he says, in my families of both queer and of birth., Though Gong still claims aspects of Mormonism in his spirituality, he has added theistic Taoism, Zen Buddhism and any parts of a religion that seem resonant civility, care, forgiveness, treating humans with dignity and compassion., He learned those principles from growing up Mormon, he says, but they are not unique to the church., The churchs patterns and behaviors of abuse, he says, dont have to be there; they are not inherent in the doctrine.. His first name is "Gerrit" and his last name is . 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. Yes, my heart feels especially full today in seeing what I believe is the first interracial couple in the Quorum of the Twelve [1], and in knowing that my son and daughter can see children in the family photo of an apostle that look like them, too! Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. 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. Biography. 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). Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/black-in-latin-america-full-episode-brazil-a-racial-paradise/224/. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. 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.. And he still didnt know how to love himself. Having crushes on boys in elementary school. Hales. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. 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. He looks part white to me. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? 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. 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. Enter your email address to follow BCC and receive new posts by email. Johnif all are alike unto God, then you should expect that there are people worthy to be apostles from all racial backgrounds, not just one. 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