My understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been greatly improved by the teachings of religious men and women over the ages, many of whom were never actually members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Should this surprise anyone?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Have the Presbyterians any truth? Yes. Have the Baptists, Methodists, etc., any truth? Yes . . . We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons."

Our beloved Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley admonished us: "There is too much of intolerance in the world. There is too much of it in our own society. I once listened to a beautiful prayer offered by a Greek-American . . . It was an expression of gratitude to the Almighty and a plea for His favor . . . I recognized his sincerity and told him of my appreciation. I sat one evening at the table of a Jewish friend. The prayer which he uttered upon his guests and upon the table at which we sat was beautiful and moving. I was grateful for what I heard . . .

"Not only must we be tolerant, but we must cultivate a spirit of affirmative gratitude for those who do not see things quite as we see them," President Hinckley continued. "We do not in any way have to compromise our theology, our convictions, our knowledge of eternal truth . . . (But) we must learn appreciation and respect for others who are as sincere in their beliefs and practices as are we."

There is much we can learn from others. Let me share a few from so many — in an eclectic list — that have spiritually educated me.

Linda Brent was born into slavery around 1813. So desperate was Linda's desire for freedom that she spent nearly seven years hiding in a 9 x 7 by 3-feet high attic waiting until she was finally able to escape to the North. Even there she met people who treated her as an inferior simply because of the color of her skin. With influence spanning the decades she tutored me about inclusion rather than prejudice as she lived one year with Isaac and Amy Post, anti-slavery pioneers. She wrote of them that they were "practical believers in the Christian doctrine of human brotherhood. They measured a man's worth by his character, not by his complexion. The memory of those beloved and honored friends will remain with me to my latest hour."

Teresa of Avila was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1622. She helped me see the Atonement from a perspective other than my own when she taught: "May it please His Majesty (Christ) to give us understanding of how much we cost him . . . and that we must work in order to enjoy his glory . . . Test us, Lord . . . so that we may know ourselves."