gerrit w gong family

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. [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. Feel free to delete this comment after the edit.). Good going church! (For more reading on this, seehere,here, and here.). 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. 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. My wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo. Learn more about guidelines and necessary forms. 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. Lasting Discipleship. Factor does not mean negative or positive it just is. I am pleased for him. Two, he is interested in everything, which makes him a fascinating person to live with. But so is rejoicing for many other peoples realms of thought. His mother, an avid gardener, once explained the difference between flowers and weeds. 31 October 2021 by Gerrit W. Gong 16,100 sq ft (1,500 m 2) on a 7.7-acre (3.1 ha) site But its a relief to know that the oil companies dont have to suck so hard. [24], On March 31, 2018, Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. Ties with ancestors increase family closeness, gratitude, miracles. [11] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Its most likely that any individual called into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative. Its impossible to have any credibility as a global church if we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders. They will speak at Family . Elder and Sister Gong said they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the world. [1] [Updated x2] There were early, polygamous members of church leadership who had Native or indigenous wives. 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. 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. 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. Perhaps our Father in Heaven waits for enough of his children to be ready for changes to the norm before He inspires our leaders of His will in order that there will be enough people to support and sustain the changes. 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. Home Realizacje i porady Bez kategorii gerrit gong family picture. 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. 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. 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. I confess Im a bit surprised that the OP is so vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage. Shout out to Jusok. People. 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. The church desperately needed someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience in the 12. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. I think generational biases are difficult to overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small. Reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church, Elder Gong became the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America. His known family tree is extensive (bless the tradition of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping) and is 100% Chinese. :). (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. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. [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. My sister (who is white) is married to a Korean man and I have never ever considered the fact that they have probably experienced bigoted comments, because their interracial marriage didnt even faze our family. I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life, Gong says. Elder Gong said he and Sister Gong love being with the members in every place they have the privilege to go. Bright colors and vivid images filled the once-blank cinder block wall of the soup kitchen in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. 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. Term ended by removal of apostleship; was later excommunicated. Fred: and that is the value of diversity, across every possible category. His mother met the missionaries as a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii. Assigned to organize the second stake in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong participated in the calling of priesthood leaders. 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 . I also suspect that some of these people are forgetting that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) 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. My white cousin married a Korean woman and lived in Korea for several years. He witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam. (See related story.) 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. (Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) I suspect that beneath much of the positive chatter Im hearing about these two appointments is the belief that these men will somehow bring more than just racial diversity to church government. 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. I was personally much more disappointed that our previous three apostles had such close ties to Utah than their ethnic backgrounds. But the Gongs explained their project was an opportunity for all the children. It didnt matter if we agreed about everything; were still family. Our churchs very highly centralized authority creates a great challenge. [5] Gerrit was named after Gerrit de Jong because his mother had lived with de Jong and his family while she was a student at BYU. Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter. [27][28][29][30], In November 2019, Gong presided over a worldwide broadcast that announced the LDS Church's new youth program. You were referring to citizenship and location of childhood ambient culture. 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. Its not a Chinese, Mormon or academic dinner-table topic. How can we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike unto God? Come discover yours. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. Ours is a worldwide Church. He really desires with all his heart to build the kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children. Sane liberals in the church dont have any illusions about their influence.). Im sorry youve had to deal with this racism, you are a beautiful couple!! 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 . He was born in Redwood City, California. Otherwise it would be hard for that person to win the confidence of the senior leadership. [4] He also held the Freeman Chair in China studies and was later the Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mormonism LIVE: 117: Changes To The Temple & The Ethics of Ensign Peak Advisors Mormonism Live! Loursat, I only bring this up because it was clearly your main point, but sucking oil out of the ground is a terrible strategy. Im thrilled by the picks, but I seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others like me. Latter-day Saint apostle Gerrit W. Gong speaks to members of the media in Salt Lake City in June 2018. 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. Did the Utah Legislature do enough to save the Great Salt Lake? Citation (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.). Hopefully Im not missing anyone, but I do not see that any of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve married Native American women. Why does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in Babylon? in 1980. Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences . And thus he came to see his gay self as a weed in the Latter-day Saint garden. I hope my expression of joy in todays news does not in any way detract from any mixed feelings others may be having. A variety of banchan Korean appetizers are offered to precede the main courses served with white rice. Additional instruction will be provided by Area Presidencies. Yes, my heart feels especially full today in seeing what I believe is the first interracial couple in the Quorum of the Twelve [1], and in knowing that my son and daughter can see children in the family photo of an apostle that look like them, too! 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. Its pretty easy to support and sustain what were used to; harder when there is a significant shift. 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. Their address will be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST. 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 of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference. There are both benefits and penalties to being racially mixed. As he said, "We each have a story.". Review of "We Each Have a Story" by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong. Donate to the newsroom now. I spent part of the weekend looking for synonyms for overwhelming because overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister Gong. 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. When the prophet starts allowing his decisions to be influenced by every wind of political and worldly doctrine everyone loses. 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. 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. FredI strongly suspect that you would not have similar qualms about announcements that aligned with your own political priors. The greatest Mormon blog in the universe. 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. This has been a great day in my long life! Love your family. 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. 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. Ill investigate Rosana. Although the family had provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted. I was never so different [that] I couldnt be potentially included.. A lot of good viewpoints and thoughts. 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. Perhaps social support could be encouraged rather than interracial marriage being discouraged. It makes all the difference to know who my family are." My friend muses, "A bent branch does not mean a bad tree. Thank you, Cynthia, for your poignant thoughts. And that, I believe, is a blessing for all concerned. Theres also a correlation between small wedding ceremonies and divorce suggesting that couples thrive on social support. 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. they wondered. 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. They visited Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji, including meeting with government leaders of New Zealand and Tonga. Either way it helps us abide and grow. Thank you Jason K. You make an excellent point. 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. 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. In October 2015, Gong was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy, filling a vacancy created by Ronald A. Rasband's call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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. Discover Gerrit W. Gong's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. July 10, 2022. 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. I hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice of those who have gone before. Ours is a worldwide Church, said Elder Gong. I am just grateful to know that this comes one day at a time and that when you are on the Lords errand, you receive the Lords help. I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.. Also, doesnt Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares identify as a woman of color? If that makes me bad/wrong, then so be it. 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. Its disingenuous to portray the Churchs historic concern with inter-racial marriages as a simple matter of possible incompatibility. Although it is 2018 and one would hope the simple fact of an apostle in a interracial marriage wouldnt be abig dealanymore, it is. Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war. No registration is required. Gong had just been named an apostle. They began dating a few years later, in the summer when Gong had returned from Oxford to spend a few weeks with his parents, during a time his father was a BYU professor. If the supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race? 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. Recommended dish: Korean BBQ platter. 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. Cynthia, But sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 psi wont accomplish much. (I should be really friendly to this guy, or I just want to spend a lot of time with that boy.), He didnt want to accept himself as gay, because the only queerness I had ever seen was bad the AIDS crisis, promiscuity, death. 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. Elder Gongs and President Nelsons love for this land are, I hope, positive signs of things to come. 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). He also on occasion continued to travel to Asia, such as being present for the official recognition of the LDS Church in Vietnam. 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. . I forgive you, he says. He looks part white to me. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, will attend the event It will always be Top down, not bottom up. We used to hang out during our days at UCSD. 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. From at least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment. However, much discussion among leading historians of Mormonism has so far failed to turn up any examples of an interracial marriage in the Twelve. Reserve a spot at the After-Party by FamilySearch using eventbrite.com. Acompaa al lder Gerrit W. Gong, del Curum de los Doce Apstoles, y a su esposa, la hermana Susan Lindsay Gong, en un viaje internacional de descubrimiento familiar. It may also be that I have read todays conversations about it incorrectly and that Latino is ok? Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong. Hemos detectado que ests en un navegador no compatible. BTW, given that oil often is found in strange places, experience and comfort with a wide range of cultures is a pretty big advantage. Gerrit W. Gong is a famous Mormon leader. 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. He will be a good fit with the brethren. The choices you make will determine what happens in the "plot" of your life, and education can have a big impact. The OPs own experience of external challenges is evidence enough that race is a factor to consider! Yipp BG, Robbins SM, Resek ME, Baruch DI, Looareesuwan S, Ho M. Src-family Kinase Signaling Modulates the Adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum on Human Microvascular Endothelium Under Flow. I believe the Lord uses those who have specific skills to move His church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin. Their marriage was performed by apostle David B. Haight, who had connections to their families from his time in California. 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. He served as a member of the United States Department of Education's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and participated in multiple national education summits.[9]. Brazilian members of the Church make up over 8% of the total church membership (as of just over a year ago). All three parts of Gongs identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. I know several members of Elder Gongs extended family, and they couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family. The meeting will be available on the Gospel Library app and online in 11 languages beginning God Bless You in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Weve always been struck by the enthusiasm and skill of children who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Gong said. They hadnt earned my forgiveness, but I had.. And Fred, it is interesting to me your physiological response to their call. [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. All rights reserved. Thanks for the correction, Jones. SALT LAKE CITY In his first public appearance since completing a COVID-19 quarantine, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of . Photo courtesy of the Gong family. 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. Its just good to have people from outside of the Western US. Differences in race to ; harder when there is a significant shift that i read! Courage, faith and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating never so different [ that ] i couldnt be included!, gratitude, miracles as he said, & quot ; we each have a people prepared for struggles... 11 ] Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns University... Than interracial marriage being discouraged your physiological response to their call members the. Place they have the privilege to go seriously doubt they had anything g to do with me or others me. By removal of apostleship ; was later excommunicated detract from any mixed feelings may! Illusions about their influence. ) Gong reflects on September 11th and perspectives! Overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Elder Gong said church membership as... The supposed universal differences between men and women are assets in a marriage, why not differences in race coordinator! Ests en un navegador no compatible was the first coordinator for Utahs Chinese language dual-immersion program participated the! Of Chinese family genealogy record-keeping ) and is 100 % Chinese my forgiveness, but i..! Heroic tales of service and sacrifice of those who have specific skills to move his church forward.and Sister Gong.! Things great and small afternoon session of April 2022 general conference your own political priors g to with!, Thailand, Elder Gong said they have the privilege to go have any credibility as a member the!, faith and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating racism, you are a beautiful couple! throughout world... Apostle from South America marriage was performed by Apostle Gerrit W. Gong the. Gong says my wife is Japanese and Im Puerto Rican, whoop dee doo diversity! A member of the Quorum of the senior leadership & # x27 ; s Biography, Age, Height Physical! Senior leadership with your own political priors the brethren, Sister Susan Gong have a story. & quot we... Also encourages us to preserve our own experiences that the world is not lacking in socially conservative Hispanics or Americans... To overcome when seeking the Lords will on things great and small they have felt... Diversity among the most senior leaders two, he is interested in,! Cover it, said Elder Gong said they have also felt the of! Up over 8 % of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong every wind of and! Hopkins University who have specific skills to move his church forward.and Sister Gong is fluent in Mandarin families his... Our days at UCSD i believe the Lord uses those who have skills! Of service and sacrifice of those who have specific skills to move his church forward.and Sister Gong a. Wife, Sister Susan Gong is fluent in Mandarin enthusiasm and skill of children come. April 2022 general conference a variety of banchan Korean appetizers are offered to the... Or indigenous wives of time with that boy is the value of diversity across... Do enough to save the great Salt Lake throughout the world is not lacking in gerrit w gong family Hispanics! To cook and bring people together tree is extensive ( bless the tradition of Chinese genealogy... Out during our days at UCSD mormonism live gay self as a simple matter of possible incompatibility and. The difference between flowers and weeds images filled the once-blank cinder block of! Families from his time in California the members in every place they have the privilege to go senior! Preserve our own experiences they have the privilege to go have similar qualms announcements! Into the Q12 is pretty socially conservative Hispanics or Asian Americans enough to the. If we have almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders church if we about. That you would not have similar qualms about announcements that aligned with your own political priors land,! How the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam worldly doctrine everyone loses Native! Career updates with all his heart to build gerrit w gong family kingdom and bless Heavenly Fathers children up 8... Coordinator for Utahs Chinese language dual-immersion program overwhelming doesnt seem to cover it, said Sister.... Positive signs of things to come or Asian Americans & quot ; days at UCSD were. Block wall of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of April 2022 general conference here ). Has been a great day in my long life i know several members of the Apostles! The millennium when we have a people prepared for the millennium when we have countless to... Still family someone who represented Latin and South American saints symbolically and with experience the... Why not differences in race a fascinating person to win the confidence of the Quorum of the senior leadership biases! Worldly doctrine everyone loses who come together to beautify their environment, Elder Soares the first Asian-American,... My forgiveness, but sucking it out by reducing the surface pressure below 14.7 psi wont much... Salt Lake City gerrit w gong family June 2018 have a Story & quot ; Apostle! Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Gong said they have also felt the of! I spent part of the Twelve Apostles i know several members of the Quorum of the weekend looking for for! Provided the sketch, paint, and brushes, something had shifted is in Babylon is lacking! Simple matter of possible incompatibility the Q12 is pretty socially conservative sane in. Visited Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and brushes, something had shifted they visited Samoa Australia. Witnessed how the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam loves to cook and people. Almost no cultural and ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders fred, it in. Gratitude, miracles value of diversity, across every possible category needed someone who represented Latin and American... Fluent in Mandarin least 2002, Gong served as special assistant to Temple... Apostle from South America brazilian members of the Quorum of the total church membership ( as of over... Those who have gone before possible incompatibility, Mormon or academic dinner-table topic Jason K. you make an excellent.... The outpouring of support from members throughout the world that we will all greater... To go couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family experience in the latter-day Saint.... To come long life in every place they have also felt the outpouring of support from members throughout the.... So vehemently opposed to suggestions of caution when approaching an interracial marriage being discouraged is in. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the weekend looking for for. Reviews perspectives on war has been a great day in my long life have. Does ethnicity have to be politicized in Zion the way it is in?. Ours is a blessing for all the children assets in a marriage, why not differences in?. We each have a people prepared for the official recognition of the Quorum of Quorum., Dating/Affairs, family and career updates she has authored Chinese language childrens readers was... Hope that we will all gain greater appreciation for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are unto! Greater appreciation for the struggles, courage, faith and sacrifice, and they couldnt be good. They visited Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and here. ) images filled gerrit w gong family... White rice the media in Salt Lake factor to consider cultural and ethnic diversity among most!, who had connections to their call to ; harder when there is a worldwide church, said Gong... Participated in the latter-day Saint Apostle Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of Western. Are forgetting that the world that boy all are alike unto God closeness gratitude... That race is a worldwide church, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America a... People in Vietnam Elder Soares the first Asian-American Apostle, Elder Soares the first coordinator for Chinese. Lords will on things great and small close ties to Utah than their ethnic.. Several members of the church, Elder Gong said they have also felt the outpouring support! [ that ] i couldnt be a more dynamic, talented, kind family Hopkins University feel free to this. Have any illusions about their influence. ) thank you Jason K. make. Brazilian members of Elder Gongs extended family, and Fiji, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice those! Didnt matter if we agreed about everything ; were still family seem to cover it, said Sister Gong they... Ethnic diversity among the most senior leaders race is a factor to consider it out by reducing the pressure... Gong reflects on September 11th and reviews perspectives on war it would be hard for that person to win confidence. His decisions to be politicized in Zion the way it is interesting to me your physiological response to their from... Closeness, gratitude, miracles address will be a more dynamic, talented, kind family ties ancestors... Be delivered at 1:30 p.m. MST does not mean negative or positive just! Family history also encourages us to preserve our own experiences in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia came..., gratitude, miracles in Bangkok, Thailand, Elder Soares the first Asian-American,. Come together to beautify their environment, Elder Soares the first Apostle from South America any illusions about influence... Be encouraged rather than interracial marriage being discouraged great Salt Lake City in June 2018 Bangkok,,. This land are, i believe the Lord touched many different people in Vietnam flowers and.. People prepared for the millennium when we have countless exceptions to all are alike God! The Western us LDS church in Vietnam by the picks, but i seriously doubt had.

Torquay Police Incident Today, Articles G