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. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cynthia you make a great couple. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. 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. Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. His family relationships clarified, my friend said, "I feel free, at peace. But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). All rights reserved. Love you. His fear was that people would politicize me and my dad. 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. Gong had the same dreams as other young Latter-day Saints, serving in callings with a wife and children, and spending eternity in heaven with his family. So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. 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. Im sorry to hear this, but grateful that I was raised in the 50s to 70s by open minded, faithful Mormon parents, for which I am grateful for every day. Those interested in participating in the conference can register online at https://rootstech.org. Pressure from Mormon Blogosphere/Political Correctness: 0. This is a big deal. By that, I mean, sure hes of Asian decent, but he is still the same mold as all the other GAs/Apostles. Elder Gong loves learning and spending time with family. Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. Here goes: When the names of the two new apostles were read I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. 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. Family Discovery Day is a free event and will begin Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 PM, MDT. 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. He said they have had an opportunity to weep together and pray together. 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. Da de descubrimiento familiar: lder y hermana Gong. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. 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. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. That our interactions would be nitpicked to brand us as avatars of ideologies, Gong writes on a Facebook post. 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. 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. He and Ulisses Soares filled the vacancies created from the deaths of Thomas S. Monson and Robert D. @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. Even in this day and age I meet members who view interracial marriages and relationships in a negative light. He is the son of Gerrit W. Gong, an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What I hope for is a group that comes from different cultural backgrounds that can consider and represent a worldwide church. 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. I dont know of anything further back in the family tree than that. I argued my doubts to a standstill and reclaimed my beliefs from where they lay.. [9][10], In 1985, Gong became a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State. I will update the post as I get further information. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. [17] Prior to joining the BYU administration, the Gongs had spent most of their married life in Maryland and Virginia. This has been a great day in my long life! Gerrit W Gong; Education. David A. Bednar. 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. [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 Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Susan, participate in a Christmas mural project in Vietnam. Donate to the newsroom now. Yet in this case and always the Lord calls his Apostles. In the background, another newly called apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Rosana Soares. (If they are, it will be a pleasant surprise.) 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. 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. . 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. Biography. The restored gospel is for every nation, kindred, and tongue. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. There was almost no better realistic possibility than these two picks. This is a grandly unique perspective on this appointment that I had not known, nor considered until reading your article. Either way it helps us abide and grow. ChurchofJesusChrist.org. 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. The mural they created, which added light to the once colorless space, wasn't theirs. Big smiles in the Hedgehog home. Also, I suspect President Nelsons very special interest in China may have played a role in the case of Elder Gong. Here are 6 fun facts about Elder Gong. I was never so different [that] I couldnt be potentially included.. Quote #1 (the true litmus test) . My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. Similarly, we were happy and hopeful to learn of President Nelsons ties to this wonderful land. 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. Here in China, members of our small LDS ex-pat branch are thrilled at Elder Gongs call to the Quorum of the Twelve. Fairbanks. I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life, Gong says. 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. 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. But its something a couple should acknowledge and prepare for. Arent we missing that All are alike unto God? 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) However, I think that making leadership more diverse is almost certain to be a liberalizing influence over the long term. And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. Elder Gong said, "On my mother's side . )[16] Gong and his wife are the parents of four sons. 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. Winter 2003 Contact Us Advertising News & Alumni. [37] A few days later, the church announced that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19, with Gong being the first high-ranking LDS Church leader with a positive test. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? That being said, my thoughts are that we may be making more of Elder Gongs lineage than is really there. Why treat it like a zero-sum game? 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