I’m touched that you took the trouble to reply; thank you so…

I’m touched that you took the trouble to reply; thank you so much. I’ll have a think about the next best course of action. Is the email confirming that an answer has been posted more or less simultaneous with your reply? Here’s a thing- the email came through 02. 49 UK time (but only just logged on again & opened it, some 4 1/2 hours later). About 15-20 minutes before that, I was lying awake in bed with an absolutely certain sense that someone was praying for me. Strange??To what extent is the LDS church bothered/not bothered about someone’s spiritual past? Is it something that gets looked into, or not? Many thanks for your continued patience.

Js from Northumberland, UK, 1/30/2012

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El Santo Gringo from La Jolla, California:

Hi JK. Very interesting that you felt the impression that someone was praying for you. I definitely do try to have a prayerful spirit when I answer people's questions, and I do often pray explicitly for people who post on this site. Elder Bednar, one of the world-wide leaders of our church, calls these kinds of experiences God's "tender mercies," little things that remind us that God has not forgotten us and is trying to influence our lives for the better.

Members of the LDS Church usually see someone's spiritual past as a strength, not a weakness. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the president of our church until his recent passing, once said the following: “I say this to [people of other faiths]: you develop all the good you can. We have no animosity toward any other church. We do not oppose other churches. We never speak negatively of other churches. We say to people [who are considering conversion]: you bring all the good that you have, and let us see if we can add to it.”

As a church with a strong missionary program, our converts come from many different spiritual backgrounds. This kind of spiritual diversity is a great benefit to the church; it helps us all understand the beautiful truths taught in many religions through new and interesting perspectives. Of course we believe we have something unique and precious to add, but that doesn't negate the many truths that are taught in other faiths. I hope this answer helps.