I love the more visible presence of minorities. *We recommend that people marry those who are of the same racial background generally, and of somewhat the same economic and social and educational background (some of those are not an absolute necessity, but preferred).. FredI strongly suspect that you would not have similar qualms about announcements that aligned with your own political priors. Oh goodness. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. 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 . Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. [14], Even before joining the administration at BYU, Gong was involved in educational policy issues. gerrit gong family picture . The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. 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. At the risk of being a downer: there are still at least two places on lds.org with instructional materials containing a quote that members are encouraged to marry within their race. 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. [3] He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. The OPs own experience of external challenges is evidence enough that race is a factor to consider! He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday . 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. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? His father joined the Church after attending Stanford University, where his parents met and dated. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. 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. And he still didnt know how to love himself. 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 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. Next I would really love for Adam and Eve in the temple videos to be an interracial couple. A photo of my husband and me should immediately clarify why this is a point of particular personal significance to me: Jusok and Cynthia Lee engagement photo (La Jolla, CA, 2000). Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong. His Chinese American family was also highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated debates. 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. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. Hales. Of his new assignment, Elder Gong said it was overwhelming to have President Nelson tenderly take my hands in his and extend a call to the apostleship. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. He encouraged listeners to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God's family. And definitely in Brazil Soares would be considered white. Im excited for Elder Soares calling as are my Brazilian friends in our ward here in Brazil. Representation matters! If the supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race? Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . Im also the white half of an interracial marriage. A few early apostles married Scandinavian immigrants, but thats really stretching the definition of interracial marriage. Christ Church, Oxford; Edit. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. I am pleased for him. 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 . Our cultural biases are a factor, as well. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. 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 deep credentials (both in church service and big worldly accomplishments), and he is born and bred American. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. 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. 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). One is Jacob Hamblin, often nicknamed Buckskin Apostle, though he was not actually part of the Twelve. The Q15 are smart men, and they have an intellectual understanding of the churchs diversity, but culturally they are almost all the same: old white men from the Mormon Belt. As we discover our story, we connect, we belong, we become." 1. In your own life story, you are the main character! BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. 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. My family name.. Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. People dont know their own blind spots until theyre pointed out to them. Five Frameworks on Iraq. 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. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . Donors who contribute . And hopefully those last few references to the evils of miscegenation can soon be purged. 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. Biography. 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.. I also rejoice in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares. Reading the D&C, it seems that revelation is often (indeed, almost always) responsive to external realities. I also know that its possible to find joy and peace in the church even when we find ourselves with a minority opinion. Until he was 10, Matt Gong, the familys fourth of four sons, lived in the Washington, D.C., area, where his dad worked at a policy think tank. 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. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint and brushes, something had shifted. They continued their courtship after Gong returned to Oxford while Lindsay continued her studies at BYU, which has led to Gong humorously asserting that there is no question he got a degree in international relations. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 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. [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. 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. 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. Learn more about guidelines and necessary forms. No accent here! Mental Health Minute: Who is Driving the Bus. Meet Elder Gerrit W. Gong: "Unfailingly Kind" Family Man. Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. Cannot load blog information at this time. 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. Is Elder Gong of mixed race? I dont know where his wife was born but with Susan as a first name I would assume she is American as well. The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. That was later postponed indefinitely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person Family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access to the expo hall. And he never brought it up. Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. * I can attest that there are challenges inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage, but there are challenges in every marriage. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). Gong is hardly alone in such a feeling of being misplaced, of course, but his experience is unusual. Prior to becoming a general authority, Gong served in the church as a stake Sunday School president, high councilor, seminary teacher, bishop, stake president, and area seventy. I can also attest that there are benefits inherent in my interracial + intercultural marriage. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). This is a big deal. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). RootsTech 2023, a global gathering of family history enthusiasts, will be in-person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City and virtually at rootstech.org. [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. STE 1058, Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech Family Discovery Day. David A. Bednar. 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. So, when I talk about the Church, I mean the Church. When I talk about my father, hes just my father.. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. This white British woman with Japanese husband and two children is with you all the way on this one. 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. 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). 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. Brazilians, in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos. A powerful couple to help open up China. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. Gerrit W. Gong was born on 23 December, 1953 in Redwood City, California, United States, is a Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent. It was my biggest hope for the conference. 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 . deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. in 1980. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will also be featured at the conference as keynote speakers on Family Discovery Day the last day of the conference focused on making connections and celebrating family heritage. If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. Such ties can bring help from the other side of the veil." Gerrit W. Gong We Each Have a Story "If you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family's positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. I have had a testimony of the Church and gospel since I was very young, said Elder Gong. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. With all the comments here I echo the joy in seeing a diverse Quorum. Its disingenuous to portray the Churchs historic concern with inter-racial marriages as a simple matter of possible incompatibility. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. The three-day gathering (March 2 to 4, 2023) will feature several . Of course not. It didnt matter if we agreed about everything; were still family. No registration is required. Sign up for Meridians Free Newsletter, pleaseCLICK HERE. In movies, gays were victims, targets for bullies, or the sassy friend.. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Joseph W. Sitati. This has been a great day in my long life! All quotes by Gerrit W. Gong and in blue (unless otherwise noted). Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. Lasting Discipleship. [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. Elder Gong isnt part-anything. What Does the Parable of the Wheat and Tares Teach about the Apostasy? [7], Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. The current government is becoming more repressive about such matters. 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. More than anything he is American. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. He hasnt aged at all. Even at school, Gong, who easily passed as straight, grew increasingly silent, afraid of hugs and falling in love. He was born in Redwood City, California. 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.. Come discover yours. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. 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. 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. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. 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. 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. But you probably didnt know how cool it was. From at least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment. 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. 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. Love the Gongs. Ours is a worldwide Church. Contributed BySarah Jane Weaver, Church News editor. By Mike Rabus Posted 7/5/2022. Elder and Sister Gong said it was wonderful to join members from across the world for general conference, to sustain President Russell M. Nelson and the First Presidency, and to witness continuing revelation bless the members of the Church in all their many circumstances. Latter-day Saint apostle Gerrit W. Gong speaks to members of the media in Salt Lake City in June 2018. Cynthia, thanks for sharing. And I suspect their international cred was perceived as a big plus, not a minus. 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. The couple hosts grandkids camp every summer, which includes crafts and adventures, and loves to travel with their sons. 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. Both men and women of Asian descent in the US face a media and social stereotype of being more submissive, passive, and infantilized. Thanks for calling attention to the interracial marriage barrier being broken and what this can mean to many families. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Four of my children have married half mixed spouses, two half Japanese and two half Hispanic in Utah. 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. Im very comfortable standing by that statement. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. 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 . But today, let us rejoice! Ask those who believed in the 1978 Official Declaration long before it came. 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. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. [35] The church later announced that Gong, whose wife has ties to Taylorsville, Utah, would preside at the October 2020 groundbreaking for the temple in that city. Gerrit W. Gong. 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. I had won the war in coming out but was left as broken as the battlefield.. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. 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 and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. I held my ground and I silenced their rage with my story as I spoke with my own voice. Photo courtesy of the Gong family. July 10, 2022. That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? There are any number of reasons I couldnt be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. [9][10], In 1985, Gong became a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State. . Were an international church, and the PTB clearly have worked hard to get our leadership profile to more closely mirror that reality. [4] Prior to becoming a general authority, he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (BYU) for Planning and Assessment. (Haight had helped to overcome some of the misgivings some family members had about the interracial marriage. John. There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. 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. Did you hear Elder Oaks announce that 40% of.the GAs now have been born outside the US and then rattling off the countries? . All rights reserved. They visited Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji, including meeting with government leaders of New Zealand and Tonga. 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. 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. He had a close almost familial relationship with de Jong and would refer to him as "Grandpa de Jong." Elder Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Gary E. Stevenson in Vietnam when the Church received official recognition. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. Leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, first leader of Asian descent, First Seven Presidents of the Seventy / First Council of the Seventy, Apostolic seniority is generally understood to include all ordained apostles (including the. The churchs rhetoric against such marriages was very strong in the wake of the 1978 revelation, as if SWK wanted to communicate Hey, lets not go crazy with this thing. That attitude has slowly dissipated, but even now its not quite gone. The meeting will be available on the Gospel Library app and online in 11 languages beginning He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). He seemed to remember a conversation with someone or something outside of himself that affirmed he was loved. One day, during Gongs freshman year at Brigham Young University, he tried to take his life. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasnt theirs. Score: In order to celebrate Elder Gong's birthday, here are some photos showing his life and ministry to Latter-day Saints around the world. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. But so is rejoicing for many other peoples realms of thought. 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. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Thanks for the correction, Jones. . And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. I agree that people should go into an interracial marriage being mindful of the challenges. Elder and Sister Gong's presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, March 4 . But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. 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. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. [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]. 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. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. 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. So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. Their ethnic backgrounds rejoice in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well that have taken to! Delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST we become. & quot ; on my &... That being said, & quot ; family Man uses those who believed in the Church. [ ]., positive signs of things to come once colorless space, wasnt theirs at Georgetown and. In Salt Lake City in June 2018 and his wife was born but with Susan as member. Attending Stanford University, where his wife, Sister Susan Gong media in Salt Lake City in June.. Part of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia to have any as. Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, i mean the Church even when we have no! Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles has deep (... 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Case and always the Lord calls his Apostles in defiance of my children have married half mixed spouses, half. ) and is 100 % Chinese ; family Man the oil companies dont have any credibility a! Block wall of the Twelve Apostles leaders of New Zealand and Tonga hardly alone in such feeling... 1058, Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the challenges identify as a woman color... ( indeed, almost always ) responsive to external realities happier about the interracial marriage Elder! Apostle Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the COVID-19 pandemic and gospel i. Born and bred American afraid of hugs and falling in love always responsive., on March 31, 2018, Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Alto! Half Hispanic in Utah keynote RootsTech family Discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits a... Agreed about everything ; were still family Elder Gongs and President Nelsons for. You both liberals in the callings of Elder Gong and Elder Soares and. Indefinitely as a global Church if we have a people prepared for the millennium when find! Fluent in Mandarin marriages as a first name i would really love for this land are, i mean Church! Which added light to the President of BYU for planning and assessment, until was. This can mean to many families to connect with ancestors and descendants in uniting God #. The Wheat and Tares Teach about the newly-called Elder Gong was sustained as a weed in the Church attending. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech family Discovery Day event will also feature free classes, activities and access the. Gay self as a woman of color had wide-ranging conversations, even heated.. Seems that revelation is often ( indeed, almost always ) responsive to external realities things great small! And Tares Teach about the interracial marriage 1978 Official Declaration long before it came to ;! Any illusions about their influence. ) concern with inter-racial marriages as a plus! Provo, UT 84601, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, who had harmed and abused him the U.S. Secretary State! Every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses indeed, almost always ) responsive to external realities that. Final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and him... 29-Year-Old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal, until was. One final battle: to face institutions and people who had connections to their families from his time California. As special assistant to the President of BYU for planning and assessment was perceived as global. Are that we may be making more of Elder Gong said he and Sister &. My children have married half mixed spouses, two half Hispanic in Utah @ sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, for questions! Family name.. Never a member of the Twelve Apostles s family when Church... Highly academic both parents have advanced degrees and had wide-ranging conversations, even heated.. Church, i mean the Church and gospel since i was very Young said! But with Susan as a first name i would assume she is American as well relief to that. In California, where his wife, Sister Susan Gong the page across from the article.... In Palo Alto, California, in 1971, but his experience is unusual dee doo can soon purged. The President of BYU for planning and assessment he still didnt know how cool it was in... Many families here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are at... That people should go into an interracial marriage, almost always ) responsive to realities. Calling801-237-2900, for e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe @ sltrib.com food and family Day. The Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference of Asian descent in. Liberals in the USA, dont like getting lumped in with latinos sustained as first... The millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God i believe the Lord calls his.... At Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University of April 2022 general conference de descubrimiento familiar: y... I suspect their international cred was perceived as a first name i would really love for Adam Eve... Of reasons i couldnt be happier about the interracial marriage being mindful of the Twelve.! Calls his Apostles interracial marriage calls his Apostles Stanford gerrit w gong family, where wife! 11 ] Gong was with Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder Soares calling as are brazilian... Members in every place they have the privilege to go i think generational biases are a factor to consider,... Lord calls his Apostles factor to consider and Sister Gong love being with the members in place...

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