(“I should be really friendly to this guy, or I just want to spend a lot of time with that boy.”), He didn’t want to accept himself as gay, “because the only queerness I had ever seen was bad” — the AIDS crisis, promiscuity, death. So kann die Betreuung der Auszubildenden weiter erhöht werden (Quelle Qigong Ausbilder). “I thought the image was beautiful and so when I came out, I clung to the idea that I was somehow like the poppies.”. 26 Quotes by Gerrit W. Gong; “Covenant Belonging” by Sherri Jorgensen | -General Conference, Belonging, change the world, Child of God, Come Unto Christ Artwork, Covenants, Gerrit W. Gong, God's Love, Keep the Commandments, light the world, Love, Overcoming the World, Plan of Salvation, Salvation. 60K likes. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News. He is the LDS Church's first apostle of Asian descent. Mr. Gerrit Gong, and Mr. Ulisses Soares are the first non-white men appointed as LDS apostles. God Will Do Something Unimaginable. “I experienced confusion, sexual assault and rejection as I stumbled through my new life,” Gong says. “Two, he is interested in everything, which makes him a fascinating person to live with. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-gerrit-w-gong 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). Brothers and sisters, isn’t language interesting? Arab? “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 church’s “patterns and behaviors of abuse,” he says, “don’t have to be there; they are not inherent in the doctrine.”. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018. His memory is foggy, but he says he woke up four hours later, lying on the floor. (Courtesy photo by Ryan Di Spaltro) Before moving to Gerrit's current city of Provo, UT, Gerrit lived in Salt Lake City UT. [29][30][31][32], In November 2019, Gong presided over a worldwide broadcast that announced the LDS Church's new youth program. All rights reserved. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints extended three invitations Sunday evening to the faith’s 2.3 million members between the ages of 18 and 30. deductible. “I don’t know how it came to us, it just did,” said Sister Susan Gong. sltrib.com © 1996-2021 The Salt Lake Tribune. Gerrit W. Gong Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles The Miracle of Covenant Belonging The harmony of our covenants and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is heard in melodies and descants as drawing on our Savior’s Atonement helps us fulfill our covenants in a new and holier way. They came so prepared to learn. The title of his talk is Live Right Now. Donate to the newsroom now. It was a sacred time we will all cherish. All three parts of Gong’s identity have shaped him, including heroic tales of service and sacrifice, and are worth celebrating. Gong had just been named an apostle. [9][10], In 1985, Gong became a special assistant for the US secretary of state. He was called to London on a Mandarin-speaking mission in 2011. Elder Gerrit W. Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in California. The Spirit was present in abundance. 96w Reply. Elder Gong has a Dutch first name, an American middle name (Walter after his father) and a Chinese last name. Gong was born in 1953 in Redwood City, California, to Walter Gong and Jean Char and raised in Palo Alto, California. Collections. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-gerrit-w-gong Elder Gong has spent his life in the service of the Church, serving as a … Elder Gerrit W. Gong speaks in a prerecorded message broadcast during the 190th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Over the years, my family and I have been grateful for association with you and this campus. Devotional “We Seek After These Things” Gerrit W. Gong. Gerrit W. Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, urged Brigham Young University students Tuesday to learn things Having crushes on boys in elementary school. He and his lovely wife, Susan spent 3 days teaching, lifting and inspiring us. Le 17 novembre 2019, frère Gong et trois officiers généraux ont répondu à des questions sur le programme de développement pour les enfants et les jeunes. He also has responsibility in the Quorum of the Twelve for the church's Asia and Asia North areas. “I buried land mines and razor wire in my brain so that my heart couldn’t get out.”, If Gong hadn’t come out, he says, “I would have fought in the war till I died by suicide.”. https://bookofmormonresources.blogspot.com/2018/03/gerrit-walter-gong.html https://bookofmormonresources.blogspot.com/2018/03/gerrit-walter-gong.html “One, he is unfailingly kind,” she said. If you do so, they will provide you with the guidance you need to navigate life’s thorny paths. March 31, 2018 by Cynthia L. Susan and Gerrit Gong (Church News photograph) There are any number of reasons I couldn’t be happier about the newly-called Elder Gong and Elder Soares. 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. 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