Gong was born in Redwood City, California, to Walter Gong and Jean Char. Gerrit was named after Gerrit de Jong because his mother had lived with de Jong and his family while she was a student at Brigham Young University. His mother"s family were ethnic Chinese in Hawaii, while his father"s family lived in California and other parts of the United States after his ancestors emigrated from China in the late 19th century.
Gong graduated from Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California, in 1972.
Prior to becoming a general authority he served as Assistant to the President of Brigham Young University (Brigham Young University) for Planning and Assessment. Education and career He received a bachelor"s degree from Brigham Young University and then was a Rhodes Scholar, receiving both a master"s degree and Doctorate.Phil. from Oxford University. Gong was a professor at various times at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University.
He later served as a special assistant in the United States State Department, as well as in the United States Embassy in China.
He also served as China Chair and Asia Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Even before joining the administration at Brigham Young University, Gong was involved in educational policy issues.
Marriage and family Gong is married to Susan Lindsay, a daughter of Richard P. They first met when Gong was a Brigham Young University student who would give presentations on Taiwan"s culture to missionaries about to depart for Taiwan from the Missionary Training Center, among whom was Prior to becoming a general authority, Gong served in the church as a bishop, stake president, and area seventy. 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, then as the area"s president beginning in August 2013.
In October 2015, Gong was appointed to the Presidency of the Seventy, filling a vacancy created by Ronald A. Rasband"s call to the church"s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Effective January 4, 2016, Gong transitioned from his role as president of the Asia Area and into the Presidency of the Seventy, with responsibility for the church"s North America Northeast Area.
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.
