A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. Copyright Daily Herald | www.heraldextra.com | 1200 Towne Centre Blvd. I believe inspiration comes to those who seek, as does revelation-like who to call to be apostles. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. 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. However Im not excited about the call because of his increasing the racial diversity in the Quorum of the Twelve (which he doesnt) but rather because he brings a -cultural- diversity that is very welcomed. 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. The choices you make will determine what happens in the "plot" of your life, and education can have a big impact. Five Frameworks on Iraq. -Gerrit W. Gong. Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. Mikayla Thatcher is here with Beehive Girl to tell you that it was amazing beyond your wildest dreams. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. 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. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. I never thought of myself as nonwhite but as ethnically ambiguous, Gong says in an interview. If the supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race? http://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/featured/black-in-latin-america-full-episode-brazil-a-racial-paradise/224/. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. Gong had just been named an apostle. He served as a member of the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and participated in multiple national education summits.[9]. He said they have had an opportunity to weep together and pray together. 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. Elder Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Gary E. Stevenson in Vietnam when the Church received official recognition. And Fred, it is interesting to me your physiological response to their call. (And alsowhat Kevin said. 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. We need to learn to love so unconditionally that we do not see race anymore, nor genders, nor other marginalization great and small. 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 agree. Ours is a worldwide Church. :). Mormons across the globe cheered the /">appointment in March of two apostles who seemed to represent the faith's growing diversity</a> Gerrit W. Gong, a Chinese-American, and Ulisses Soares . We need more voices that reflect the churchs greatness in diversity. Maybe well get rid of those now. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. It will always be Top down, not bottom up. 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. 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. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. As we discover our story, we connect, we belong, we become." 1. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech Family Discovery Day. . [22] While in the presidency of the Asia Area, Gong resided in Hong Kong but supervised the work of the LDS Church in all of continental East Asia except Korea, Taiwan, and all of Southeast Asia, except the Philippines and south Asia. I held my ground and I silenced their rage with my story as I spoke with my own voice. The Gongs were married in 1980, not long after the lifting of the race-based priesthood and temple ban in 1978. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These appointments in terms of age and church experience were right In the sweet spot consistent with recent apostle picks. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . 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. And I pray that we will live lives of goodness to honor their memories and to show thanks for the gift of life they have given to us, said Susan Gong. Patterns of Discipleship. 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. Race dynamics and categories in the US and Brazil are each independently complicated and fraught, and also very different from each other in subtle ways. God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) 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. Thanks, Cynthia, and beautifully written. . Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. Some of the activities include a throw-back photo challenge, family history Twister, family selfie station and a giant family tree. 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. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? Every member of the Gong family had a special role in the project, from creating the sketch to mixing the paint to organizing the children. 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. While for *me* its not a big deal to see two races come together in marriage, to pretend its *objectively* not a factor at all is a trifle naive. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. 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. From one who knows nothing, I couldnt help but see Elder Gong being placed in position to help open up China. And it takes strength to keep sustaining when a shift comes before one is ready. [20][21] Among other activities while Gong was president of the Asia Area, he created the second and third stakes in Thailand. He hasnt aged at all. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. I confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. 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. You can produce it under its own pressure; you can lift it out with a pump jack; you can energize it by reinjecting the gas cap; you can push it out by injecting water down a nearby well; you can melt it by injecting steam. >:(. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. Instead, the purpose of . Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. Oh, the challenge of English adjectives. Gerrit W Gong; Education. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Also on the whole model minority thing we dont exactly need to go very far back in history, especially California history, to find plenty of horrific discrimination against Asians. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? My family name.. In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. I was worried that it would be deletedinstead I have been encouraged to look at it in new ways that I hadnt considered. It is heartbreaking when we are asked questions about religion, but cannot respond. 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. This is a big deal. Sister Gong is a compulsive gardener who loves to cook and bring people together. She has authored Chinese language childrens readers and was the first coordinator for Utahs Chinese language dual-immersion program. Cynthia, Christ Church, Oxford; Edit. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. His first namesake is Gerrit de Jong, the patriarch of the family that Elder Gong's mother, Jean, lived with when she came to Brigham Young University as a recent convert to the Church. Thanks, New Iconoclast. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. "Ours is a worldwide Church. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. Parents and children can work through the awkwardness and conflict over deep disagreements to arrive at a place where they are simply family. The strongest marriages are based on mutual core values, and church leaders seem to believe that marrying in the faith takes care of that. Gong then studied international relations at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. I also know that its possible to find joy and peace in the church even when we find ourselves with a minority opinion. Its not a Chinese, Mormon or academic dinner-table topic. 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. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. No registration is required. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. With all the comments here I echo the joy in seeing a diverse Quorum. I personally am not concerned about quota filling in the Quorum. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. 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. Had an opportunity to weep together and pray together help open up China hadnt earned my forgiveness but! 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