Elder Gerrit W. Gong at home after possible COVID-19 exposure, will give pre-recorded remarks

FILE - Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at BYU during a campus devotional on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Elder Gerrit W. Gong, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is self-quarantining after a possible exposure to COVID-19 and did not attend the first two sessions of the weekend’s 190th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Gong was absent when the conference began Saturday morning. He was scheduled to speak Saturday afternoon, so he pre-recorded his remarks. President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, explained Elder Gong’s absence at the start of the afternoon session.

“Out of caution, because he has been potentially exposed recently to COVID-19, Elder Gong is at home today,” President Oaks said. “He feels fine but he recorded his remarks earlier.”

“Elder Gong has recently learned that he has potentially been exposed to COVID-19,” church spokesman Eric Hawkins said. “He is feeling well, but out of an abundance of caution is participating in general conference from home this weekend. His remarks were previously recorded for this session.”

The other 14 senior leaders of the church, including the three-member First Presidency and the other 11 members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, are gathering together for each session today and Sunday in the Little Theater of the Conference Center. They are wearing masks and sitting in chairs arranged more than 6 feet apart to follow health guidelines.

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