Elder Gerrit W. Gong was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018.
Following his call as a General Authority Seventy on April 3, 2010, Elder Gong served in the Asia Area Presidency from 2011 to 2015 and as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. He and his wife, Sister Susan Lindsay Gong, were married in 1980 and are the parents of four children.
Elder Gong was born Dec. 23, 1953, and shares a birthday with the Prophet Joseph Smith. In honor of his 67th birthday today, here are nine quotes from him this year.
Hope to endure all things
“For all of us who have faced or continue to face health challenges, I am grateful to know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers and gives us hope that we may endure all things.”
— #GiveThanks social post, Nov. 24, 2020
Word of God
“The word of God is sunlight to our souls. It is living water in our lives. To hear or feel the word of God is to feel the Lord’s face smile upon us and give us peace.”
— Young adult area devotional, Nov. 1, 2020
Temple groundbreaking
“It’s a very special blessing to participate in any temple groundbreaking and site dedication. But for us here, particularly with multiple generations in our own family, this is a special privilege. … This is a great community, and it represents such a wonderful part of the Church.”
— Taylorsville Utah Temple groundbreaking, Oct. 31, 2020
Lifelong learners
“Please pay attention in your general education classes, your major classes, your quorum classes and family home evening lessons, Sunday School and other places. You will need and use them all. … As lifelong learners and teachers, all we learn in every place and circumstance can be a blessing as we reach out to others.”
— BYU–Idaho devotional, Oct. 20, 2020
COVID-19
“We are very moved and grateful for the many well-wishes and prayers we have received from you from around the world. Thank you for your faith on our behalf. … We are most grateful to you and look forward to being with you again soon.”
— Social post following COVID-19 diagnosis and quarantine, Oct. 16, 2020
Daily miracles
“As we discover God, sometimes unexpected answers to prayers take us from the street, bring us to community, chase darkness from our souls, and guide us to find spiritual refuge and belonging in the goodness of His covenants and abiding love. Great things often begin small, but God’s miracles are manifest daily.”
— “All Nations, Kindreds and Tongues,” October 2020 general conference
Perfectionism
“For you and your missionaries to be happy and feel successful, it is essential to understand the crucial differences between the perfectionism of the world and perfection as defined by the Lord.”
— Mission Leadership Seminar, June 28, 2020
‘Hear Him’
“I have grown to understand that while we may be physically distant from each other, we do not have to be spiritually distant from Jesus Christ. You and I can use this unique time as an opportunity to ‘hear Him.’”
— #HearHim blog post on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, June 26, 2020
In each other’s hearts
“You don’t have to be in each other’s homes to be in each other’s hearts.”
— “Why we need to stay connected amid COVID-19 social distancing,” Church News article, May 28, 2020
Do and become
“In these times, we can learn much of God’s goodness and our divine potential for God’s love to grow in us as we seek Him and reach out to each other. In new ways and new places, we can do and become, line upon line, kindness upon kindness, individually and together.”
— “Hosanna and Hallelujah — The Living Jesus Christ: The Heart of Restoration and Easter,” April 2020 general conference
