Page 6 - aruba-today-20180630

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 30 June 2018
New Mormon leaders bring diversity, new perspectives

By BRADY McCOMBS abuse.
Associated Press "Abuse is something we
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The don't tolerate," Soares said.
two newest members of "When it comes to light, the
a top Mormon governing church acts and tries to
panel said Thursday that help and support the one
they hope to bring a new who has been abused and
perspective as the first Lat- the one who has abused ...
in-American and the first to help the person who fol-
person of Asian ancestry to lowed this kind of behavior
a previously all-white top to repent, to change."
leadership group that helps Gong said most church
make church policy. leaders are concerned for
Ulisses Soares of Brazil and children, women and those
Gerrit W. Gong, a Chinese- who are vulnerable and
American, made the com- said Mormon parents can
ments during their first me- be confident that their chil-
dia interviews since being dren are safe.
chosen for The Church of "We take care of each oth-
Jesus Christ of Latter-day er," Gong said. "When there
Saints' leadership panel are mistakes, we catch
called the Quorum of the them when we can and
Twelve Apostles earlier this immediately take action."
year. ___
They also weighed on how The two newest members of a top Mormon governing panel, Ulisses Soares, left, and Gerrit W. POLITICAL CIVILITY
Gong, right, speak on Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Salt Lake City, during their first media interviews
the religion handles sex since being selected to the religion's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles earlier this year. Gong, who worked for
abuse reporting and politi- Associated Press the U.S. State Department
cal civility: and the Washington, D.C.-
'WE BRING NEW EXPERI- than half of the its 16 mil- from China. Gong and Soares both based Center for Strategic
ENCE' lion members outside the "The more places we go, echoed recent comments and International Studies
The selections of Soares United States. the more people we un- by top leaders that the re- before being selected for
and Gong as new mem- "We bring some experi- derstand and meet with, ligion has "zero tolerance" a lower-tier church leader-
bers of the Quorum of the ence from other areas of the greater we see that for abuse and said they of- ship panel in 2010, spoke
Twelve Apostles during the world," said Soares, an love which is a universal fering training and support about the current climate
a church conference on accountant and auditor love," Gong said. for local leaders about best of political tension in the
March 30 triggered excite- for multinational corpora- ___ practices. The religion re- United States.
ment among many Mor- tions in Brazil before join- SEXUAL ABUSE cently issued an updated "There's never been a time
mons who for years have ing church leadership. "The The religion has come un- set of guidelines for how where we needed greater
been hoping for the faith's lord uses different abilities, der scrutiny recently for the male bishops should civility, greater bipartisan-
top leadership to be more different talents to accom- how it handles sexual abuse handle sexual assault re- ship, greater vision for the
representative of a religion plish his great work. Com- reported to its local lay ports. The guidelines direct future," Gong said. "I think
has more than half of the its ing from different cultures leaders, including several them never to disregard a it's in shared vision that
16 million members outside may help us to understand lawsuits that allege church report of abuse — a more sometimes we find the ca-
the United States. the specific needs or spe- officials didn't properly direct instruction than pre- pacity to make the kinds
Soares, 59, said the religion's cific behaviors that we can pass along the reports to vious guidelines — and to of accommodations and
direction won't change be- address. We can be more police. A new lawsuit was call a church hotline that compromises that consti-
cause that's always led by sensitive. We can feel more filed this week by a woman will help them sort out how tute politics. Politics is the
Jesus Christ, but he said he empathy for the ways peo- who says her father sexually to help victims and report art of the possible, where
and Gong can enhance ple feel things." abused her as a child and the crime. we give up things in order
the church's capacity to Gong, 64, was born in Red- that Mormon church lead- Soares said that the church to gain things for the great-
meet the needs of an in- wood City, California, but ers allowed the sexual as- tries to support the victim er good. If there's ever a
creasingly global religion his grandparents immi- sault to continue by failing of the abuse as well as the time we needed some of
that now that has more grated to the United States to report it to police. person who is accused of that, it is now."q
Vaccination critic placed on probation by medical board

By MICHAEL BALSAMO he wrote the letter after her to resume vaccinating must trust our patients, the manent revocation of his
Associated Press the 2-year-old's mother de- her son and needed a let- same way our patients trust license.q
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A scribed an adverse reac- ter right away. us to look out for their best
Southern California pedia- tion to an earlier vaccina- The doctor said it ended up interest," Sears wrote .
trician and outspoken critic tion. taking more than a year to Sears has authored a pop-
of mandatory vaccinations He said he agreed to a receive the boy's medical ular book on vaccines and
has been placed on pro- settlement with the state records. advocates a staggered,
bation for 35 months by the medical board, which was "Isn't it my job to listen to my alternative vaccination
state's medical board. signed on Wednesday, be- patients and believe what schedule that contrasts
Dr. Bob Sears had been ac- cause "it was likely that I'd a parent says happened to with recommendations
cused of failing to obtain get probation anyway." her baby? Isn't that what by the Centers for Disease
a detailed medical history Sears said the child's moth- ALL doctors do with their Control and Prevention.
before writing a 2014 letter er was afraid that a judge patients? A patient's word The doctor had faced pun-
excusing a toddler from im- at an upcoming court is often the only evidence ishments ranging from a
munizations. Officials said hearing was going to force we have — as doctors we public reprimand to a per-