Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Sister Susan Lindsay Gong

Elder Gerrit W. Gong currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He previously served as a member of the Asia Area Presidency and member of the Presidency of the Seventy.

During his 20 years in Washington, D.C., he served as special assistant to the undersecretary of state at the U.S. State Department, as special assistant to the U.S. ambassador in Beijing, China, and in several positions at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He was assistant to the president for planning and assessment at Brigham Young University until April 2010.

Elder Gong holds Ph.D. and master of philosophy degrees in international relations from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes scholar. He also holds a bachelor of arts degree in Asian and university studies from Brigham Young University. Gerrit W. Gong was born in Redwood City, California. He and his wife, Susan L. Gong, are the parents of four children and four grandchildren.

Sister Susan Lindsay Gong, a daughter of Elder Richard P. and Marian B. Lindsay, was born in Murray and grew up in Taylorsville, Utah. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English from Brigham Young University and served a mission in Taipei, Taiwan. Two weeks after her marriage in the Salt Lake Temple to Gerrit W. Gong, the Gongs moved to Oxford, England, where he was completing graduate studies. After Oxford, the family moved to McLean, Virginia. During their nearly 20 years in the Washington, D.C., area, she enjoyed raising her family, serving in the Church, and being involved in the community. The family also lived in Beijing, China.

During the ten years the Gongs lived in Provo, Utah, Sister Gong taught Mandarin Chinese and helped develop K-12 Chinese curriculum and training materials for Utah teachers and schools. Sister Gong loves to read, garden, cook, and be with family. The Gongs are the parents of four
sons and have three grandchildren. Through the years, her Church service has included Primary chorister, stake camp director, Sunday School teacher, Laurel adviser, Young Women counselor and president, Relief Society teacher, counselor, and president.