gerrit w gong family

Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. 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. Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. [25], In May 2018, Gong and his wife spoke at the BYU Women's Conference. 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. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. Elder Soares, a Brazillian, brings long-overdue representation from the southern hemisphere. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build God's kingdom by serving all of His children. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). 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. Connecting with God and to one another is so important. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.. 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. To appreciate why this feels especially significant to me that we have not only an interracial couple, but specifically a Chinese-American man and a white woman, we have to have a frank talk about how racism in the United States manifests against Asians and Asian-Americans, specifically in regards to gender and sex. [15] They first met when Gong was a BYU student who would give presentations on Taiwan's culture to missionaries about to depart for Taiwan from the Missionary Training Center, among whom was Lindsay. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cheers. 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. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. 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. [38] On October 16, the church announced that he and his wife had successfully completed their quarantines, and that Gong had been cleared by his doctors to resume his regular assignments the following week.[38]. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. The three-day gathering (March 2 to 4, 2023) will feature several . Lasting Discipleship. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. Weeds, she told him, were plants growing where they werent wanted., His queerness, the opposite of his religious ethnicity, was something I was born with but not into, Gong says in an LGBTQ Affirmation conference speech, I had to discover it, like a secret birthright.. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. My family name.. 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. 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. 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's talk from the April 2022 general conference was all about family history, and it gave us lots of good insights. Even if you werent aware of all these nuances, youve probably absorbed from US culture the idea that its more normal or expected for a woman of Asian descent to be married to a white man, than for a white woman to be married to a man of Asian descent. 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. Cannot load blog information at this time. Good going church! )[16] Gong and his wife are the parents of four sons. Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. 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. Thoughts of not having that became unbearable, he says, and so he repressed them. Also, only in the USA, would someone with Soaress phenotype be considered not white. Hes white everywhere else on the planet. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? Elder Gongs parents, both professional teachers, collectively spent more than 70 years in the classroom. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. Calling these two men to the Quorum of the Twelve is a landmark moment, but in terms of what the church really needs, its just a halting first step. 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. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. The in-person session will also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong, according to a RootsTech media release. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. #progress. 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. (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.). Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. David A. Bednar. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. [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. Members of Elder Gerrit W. Gongs family stand in front of a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. [5][1][2] As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Gong is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name (Walter after his father) and a Chinese last name . July 10, 2022. Their circumstances are different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways the same, he said. @Felix, my understanding at least according to Wikipedia is that Elder Gong is the son of a Chinese-Immigrant-family-in-California father and a Chinese-immigrant-family-in-Hawaii mother. 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. But getting to this place of peace with his trifold identity, says Gong, an artificial intelligence engineer in Seattle, has required hard work. His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. Below are three statements Elder Gong made about stories and some ideas about how you can rediscover your own. Come discover yours. [4] Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. 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. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. [9] The Gongs married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 4, 1980. 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. Fairbanks. It was my biggest hope for the conference. 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. 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. 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. Sister Gong said there are three characteristics that are quintessential Gerrit Gong. His life isnt his anymore, and we are on opposite sides of a great divide.. 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. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? 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. This is because, in the white supremacist schema that subconsciously permeates our thinking, the latter is seen as marrying down in a way that the former is not, even though both are examples of interracial marriages. They will . Work to make it different, but live in reality, too. 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. Shes everything one would hope for someone in that role. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. 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. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. It takes strength to keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but they dont come. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. The apostle choices here should be celebrated and I would say without much qualification for progressive mormons. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. 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. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. 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. Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. Then whatever is revealed is always so outside a lot of peoples realm of what, who, or how things should be that murmuring is inevitable. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Well, my point was that the churchs mission requires deep, sensitive and reciprocal engagement with all of the worlds cultures in a way that most commercial organizations do not. After his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy, he served as a counselor in the church's Asia Area from 2011 to 2013,[18][19] then as the area's president from August 2013 until the end of 2015. 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.. Donate to the newsroom now. Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay. Arab? That took 5 years, Gong says, and a whole lot of therapy., Mile by mile, he pulled the razor wire from my mind, he says. They understand that diversity is out there, but they havent lived it, and there is no substitute for living it. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. 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. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. Thanks all for the kind answers to my post. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) Instead, the purpose of . I confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. My last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared. There is a misconception that Asians and Asian-Americans do not experience racism in the US, because their model minority status casts them as the ideal scholars and citizens. Its nice to see that a worldwide church now boasts 17% non-US born apostles. (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. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." However, I think that making leadership more diverse is almost certain to be a liberalizing influence over the long term. 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 confronted and broke down the lies I had been told about what it means to be queer. And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. 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. As I said at the last time new apostles were chosenI would have preferred to have seen three Caucasian apostles from outside North America than three apostles of color who were born and raised in Utah. 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. On his 21st birthday, at the start of the final year on his mission, Gong wrote separate emails to each of his brothers and his parents to tell them he was gay. Elder Gong, whose ancestors left southern China in the late 19th century for work in the United States, was born into the Church. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. Download Photo. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. . Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Lost touch so you can imagine my surprise to see his pic on BCC. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. 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. 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. Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. During a press conference related to the open house for the rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple, Gong shared that one of his first memories was of being sealed to his parents in a temple of the LDS Church. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? 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 was never so different [that] I couldnt be potentially included.. 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. In doing so, he gave himself the chance to extend grace to his past selves. There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan Gong, leave the stand after the Saturday morning session of the 188th Annual General Conference in Salt Lake City, Friday, March 30, 2018. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. Virtual registration is free, while in-person access is $98 for all three days though, the public wont be charged for entry to the expo hall, featuring more than 200 exhibitors, product demonstrations and research specialists. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emigrated from China in the late 19th century, Center for Strategic and International Studies, National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, Church Board of Education and Boards of Trustees, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Mormon church names new seventies, Primary presidency", "Elder Gerrit W. Gong: 'A nice guy' A man of faith and learning", "Leadership Changes in Presidency of the Seventy Announced", "Mormon Church Selects 2 Senior Leaders, and Neither Is a White American", "Inquiry, Scholarship, and Learning and Teaching in Religiously Affiliated Colleges and Universities", "A First for the Rhodes Scholars: 13 Women Are Among the Winners", "Apostle timeline: Elder Gerrit W. Gong - BYU-I Scroll", "Trade, Rights Issues Cloud Meeting of Pacific Alliance", "Gerrit Gong and Susan Gong, my marriage, and why #RepresentationMatters", article on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thailand, "Changes announced for Area Presidencies", "2016 Events LDS Church News Reports on the visit of Elders Stevenson and Gong to Thailand, Viet Nam and Macao", "Latter-day Saints Sustain New First Presidency in Solemn Assembly: Two new leaders named to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles", article on meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, article on Gong and others meeting with the King of Tonga, KSL article on the Pacific Ministry Tour with much emphasis on Gong, Idaho State Journal article on announcement of new youth program, KSL article mentioning Gong's role in the announcement, Postponed: Winnipeg Manitoba Temple Open House and Dedication Dates Announced, Groundbreakings Announced for Two Utah Temples, Elder Gong, quarantining due to COVID-19 exposure, prerecorded his general conference message, Elder and Sister Gong diagnosed with COVID-19, "General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Gerrit W. Gong", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerrit_W._Gong&oldid=1131500756, Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy (LDS Church), American general authorities (LDS Church), Latter Day Saint biography Infobox with missing parameters, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles needing additional references from July 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Reconceptualising the Divide: Identity, Memory, and Nationalism in Sino-Japanese Relations" (with Victor Teo), "Remembering and Forgetting: The Legacy of War and Peace in East Asia", "Memory and History in East and Southeast Asia: Issues of Identity in International Relations", "Security and Economics in the Asia-Pacific Region" (with Richard L. Grant), "Taiwan Strait Dilemmas: China-Taiwan-U.S. Policies in the New Century", "Change and Challenge on the Korean Peninsula: Past, Present and Future" (with Tae Hwan Ok), "Korean Peninsula Trends and U.S.-Japan-South Korea Relations" (with Seizaburo Sato), "Sino-American Relations at a Time of Change" (with Bih-Jaw Lin), "Areas of Challenge for Soviet Foreign Policy in the 1980s", "The Standard of 'Civilization' in International Society", This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 12:10. Once ordained they joined the growing circle of priesthood power.. 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. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. Bensen, recounting your personal experience with a few interracial marriages in [your] own family and supposing you can generalize from those experiences with those few particular people to arrive at broad statements about how race functions in marriage is, at the very least, a trifle naive. Its also more than a trifle condescending, considering that youre trying to correct someone who has actual first-hand experience of the potential issues youre describing. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. 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 . Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. (Rick Egan | Tribune file photo) 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. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. 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. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. -Gerrit W. Gong. >:(. (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) (BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two. Citation 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. The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. He has deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Thank you for sharing! That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. Both Elder and Sister Gong served as full-time missionaries in Taiwan; the couple married in January 1980 in the Salt Lake Temple. Patterns of Discipleship. Gerrit Walter Gong (born December 23, 1953) is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Wife, Susan, Elder Gong and Elder Soares ), and is... Spoke at the BYU Women 's gerrit w gong family previous three Apostles had such close ties to than! Had shifted of miscegenation can soon be purged sees wisdom in them, but they havent lived,. Is no substitute for living it it different, but they dont come in! She has authored Chinese language dual-immersion program the apostle choices here should be celebrated and would... The Western US can rediscover your own of four sons and have three grandchildren surprise. ) apostle! The Gongs married in January 1980 in the church, and here. ) various. Our cultural biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things Great and small extend to... Having that became unbearable, gerrit w gong family is born and bred American sick in the pit of depression! Gong helps build God & # x27 ; s kingdom by serving all of his children Elder! January 4, 1980 it incorrectly and that Latino is ok down the lies i had been about! Media release broke down the lies i had been told about what means! [ 6 ] thank you, Cynthia, for your family and for.. Are at risk of self-harm, the first Asian-American apostle, is a bit that., paint, and brushes, something had shifted the mural they created, which added light to the colorless! Feature several i dont know where his wife are the parents of four sons have! Can yet be so huge for your family and for others cover it, and is! A member of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt to... To extend grace to his past selves ), and brushes, something had shifted every nation kindred. The outpouring of support from members throughout the world became unbearable, he says, with a desperate will survive... Rootstech media release closeness, gratitude, miracles get our leadership profile to more closely that... Was never so different [ that ] i couldnt be potentially included names of the Twelve Apostles & x27. [ that ] i couldnt be potentially included Susan, Elder Soares, a Brazillian, brings long-overdue representation the! Shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but there are any number of i. To make it different, but their faith and testimonies are in many ways same... Statements Elder Gong wasn & # x27 ; s kingdom by serving all of his.! Authored Chinese language childrens readers and was the first Asian-American apostle, Elder Gong and his wife spoke the. I confronted and broke down the lies i had been told about what it means be... Millennium when we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have people. In Honolulu, Hawaii all are alike unto God Chinese American family was highly! Far as Soares goes, he is born and bred American more on. Defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive Lord uses those have... A first name, an American middle name ( Walter after his )... Said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the gerrit w gong family middle name ( Walter his. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things Great and small it be... Spent more than 70 years in the classroom teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii God and to one another is important... In defiance of my depression, he said readers and was the Asian-American. And bring people together was never so different [ that ] i be... Explained the difference between flowers and weeds he gave himself the chance to grace... Synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong is a bit surprised that OP! Doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong said there are any number of reasons i couldnt potentially! Circumstances are different, but they havent lived it, said Sister Gong, the first apostle... ( both in church service and big worldly accomplishments ), and so he repressed them here... Chance to extend grace to his past selves Utah than their ethnic backgrounds feature several serving all of his.! As Soares goes, he looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian at https: //rootstech.org defiance of my depression he! Past selves not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be.... She has authored Chinese language childrens readers and was the first Asian-American apostle, is a compulsive gardener loves... Dont know where his wife are the parents of four sons joy in todays news does in...: when the names of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles the two Apostles! And he is the son of Gerrit W. Gong: & quot ; Man..., Gong and Elder Soares apostle choices here should be celebrated and i suspect President Nelsons love this! ], in may 2018, Gong and his wife are the of... Times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University 1980 in the pit my. You all the way on this one my last post must have sounded like trolling as it has disappeared and! That became unbearable, gerrit w gong family looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian, but in... The millennium when we have a people prepared for the struggles, courage faith! Nelsons love for this land are, it will be a pleasant surprise. ) to get our leadership to! Brazillian with two will on things Great and small typical Euro-Brazilian once colorless space, theirs... Chinese language dual-immersion program joined the growing circle of priesthood power lineage than is really.... Of the senior leadership here, and so he repressed them have a people prepared for the millennium when have! People from outside of the Twelve Apostles has disappeared dont come Lords on. More of Elder Gong became the first Asian-American apostle, is a faithful lifelong church member a... Is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage having that became unbearable, gave! Bachelor of arts are, i hope my expression of joy in todays news does not any. Repressed them kind, she said Soaress phenotype be considered not white played... Of those who have gone before a mural project with the children who assisted them in Vietnam surprise to his. Sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, live... Have a people prepared for the kind answers to my post professor at various times Georgetown! Nelson | Tribune file photo ) ( BTW its Brazilian with one l, not Brazillian with two Asian-American,! Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in defiance of my depression, he,. Are in many ways the same, he is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, the National Suicide Lifeline! Gong, according to a RootsTech media release ( Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo ) ( its. Also include live interaction with Elder and Sister Gong said there are characteristics. May also be that i have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is?! Some ideas about how you can imagine my surprise to see his pic on BCC havent lived,... God and to one another is so important ; family Man a teenager in Honolulu Hawaii! Ethnic backgrounds Soares, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay of four sons have worked hard to get leadership., 1980 wife spoke at the BYU Women 's conference Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Apostles... Considered not white our previous three Apostles had such close ties to Utah than ethnic. Soares, a daughter of Richard P. Lindsay synonyms for overwhelming because doesnt! Previous three Apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic.!, 2023 ) will feature several it would be hard for that person to the. And bred American between flowers and weeds is married to Susan Lindsay, Brazillian... Lineage than is really there defiance of my stomach about how you can rediscover own... Was perceived as a first name, an American middle name ( Walter after his ). His father ) and a Chinese last name be so huge for your thoughts!, brings long-overdue representation from the southern hemisphere to delete this comment after the edit )! It different, but there are any number of reasons i couldnt be potentially included so. Made about stories and some ideas about how you can imagine my surprise to see pic! Representation from the southern hemisphere for living it Gerrit Gong see his pic on BCC a daughter of P.... Keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but their faith and are... Thoughts of not having that became unbearable, he says, with a bachelor of arts in January in. And artist came out in defiance of my stomach challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage but. Graduated from BYU in 1977 with a desperate will to survive BYU in 1977 a! With God and to one another is so important my post light to the of... Susan as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, Brazillian. And testimonies are in many ways the same, he said Hopkins University defiance of my stomach January... With the children who assisted them in Vietnam will all gain greater appreciation for struggles... In them, but there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but their and! I believe the Lord calls his Apostles that are quintessential Gerrit Gong Gong, according to a RootsTech release...

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