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Early Life and Education
Gerrit Walter Gong was born on December 23, 1953, in Redwood City, California. He is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Gong is the church’s first apostle of Asian descent.
Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1971. He served as an LDS Church missionary in Taiwan. He then attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1977. As a Rhodes Scholar, Gong studied international relations at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in 1979 and a D.Phil. in 1980.
Career and Church Service
Professional Career
Gong’s career included roles such as:
- Special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State (1985)
- Professor at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University
- Special assistant in the United States State Department
- Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Special assistant to the president of BYU for planning and assessment
LDS Church Service
Prior to becoming a general authority, Gong served in various church positions, including:
- Stake Sunday School president
- High councilor
- Seminary teacher
- Bishop
- Stake president
- Area seventy
In 2010, he was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy. He served in the Presidency of the Seventy from October 2015 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in March 2018.
Apostleship
Gong was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018. As an apostle, he is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. He currently serves as the thirteenth most senior apostle in the church.
Personal Life
Gong is married to Susan Lindsay. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on January 4, 1980. The Gongs are parents to four sons. Notably, Gong is the first member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a multi-racial marriage.
COVID-19 Experience
In October 2020, Gong and his wife tested positive for COVID-19, making him the first high-ranking LDS Church leader with a confirmed case. They successfully completed their quarantine and Gong resumed his regular assignments after recovery.
