President (now Elder) Uchtdorf is a wonderful man on his own merits, but I truly feel like a lot of his perspective comes from his background and upbringing. To read the full article on LDS.org, click here. One, he is unfailingly kind, she said. And love that something so small an interracial marriage can yet be so huge for your family and for others. 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. 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. Huh. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. Elder Gong was on my list of best case scenarios. 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. Daily news, articles, videos and podcasts sent straight to your inbox. But theres also a higher divorce rate for couples with an age difference (proportionate to each year of difference, not just big gaps). But sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 psi wont accomplish much. Elder Gerrit W. Gong and his wife, Sister Susan Lindsay Gong. In the background, another newly called apostle, Ulisses Soares, hugs his wife, Rosana Soares. 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. 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. 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. The LDS Brazilians I know are adamant that they are of European descent and that they are not Latino. I held my ground and I silenced their rage with my story as I spoke with my own voice. As far as Soares goes, He looks like a fairly typical Euro-Brazilian. Reading the D&C, it seems that revelation is often (indeed, almost always) responsive to external realities. I commented on another thread here how much I admire Sister Susan Gong. It takes strength to keep sustaining when one is ready for shifts and even sees wisdom in them, but they dont come. As he said, "We each have a story.". All three parts of Gongs identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. and one of those categories is occupation. With his wife, Susan, Elder Gong helps build Gods kingdom by serving all of His children. He later served as a special assistant in the United States State Department, as well as special assistant to the ambassador at the United States Embassy in Beijing, China. It is our fervent hope and prayer that someday soon the Lord will open the way for the spread of the gospel here in China. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. 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. I dont know how it came to us; it just did, said Sister Susan Gong. 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. There are over a billion Chinese citizens, and we non-Chinese are forbididen by law from discussing religion with them. 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. Y Magazine is published four times a year by Brigham Young University for graduates and friends. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. 2003 Apr 1;101(7):2850-7. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Thanks, New Iconoclast. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? The storyteller and artist came out in defiance of my depression, he says, with a desperate will to survive. But beyond the particulars of Gongs experience, his story has a universal message of normalcy. Love your family. Blood. I know several members of Elder Gong's extended family, and they couldn't be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, the first Asian-American Apostle, is a faithful lifelong Church member. 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.. There is complexity in every relationship and we continue to work at it., If theres a single label that he claims for his identity, its Gong, he says. Even though there are many things we dont understand, we know in Gods plan theres a place for every person in [the church].. Lost touch so you can imagine my surprise to see his pic on BCC. Reading through all the comments has been interesting. [8] He graduated from BYU in 1977 with a bachelor of arts. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. A powerful couple to help open up China. Ask Peter. Fairbanks is home to Seoul Gate Restaurant, an unpretentious spot where beef bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, traditional BBQ platters, and crispy, fried chicken are served in large portions. 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BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. He was born on December 23, 1953 and his birthplace is California, Redwood City California. 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. Currently, he is the fourteenth most senior apostle in the church.[6]. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. He began to heal, until there was one final battle: to face institutions and people who had harmed and abused him. Some places wanted to send only the best and most artistic children to participate. I love the more visible presence of minorities. I confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. They are the parents of four sons and have three grandchildren. Im sorry for that feeling in the pit of your stomachI know it all too well. But today, let us rejoice! 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. 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. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. [9][10], In 1985, Gong became a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State. No registration is required. 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. Still, they often have warred within the psyche of this 29-year-old, leaving wounds that have taken years to heal. Much of this post is good, though the backdrop of white supremacy is a bit much. Oh Lord, hasten the healing of our unbelief. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. Youd think wed try to start making trends on this issue as opposed to following them. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. Put On Thy Strength, O Zion. Gerrit W Gong; Education. The free event will feature live music, food and family discovery activities, with prizes ranging from DNA kits to a new laptop. However, I think that making leadership more diverse is almost certain to be a liberalizing influence over the long term. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) Come find your voice, your song, your harmony in Him. This means that Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! . 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. . So, I will clarify to satisfy you both. 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. . Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! -Gerrit W. Gong. 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