Predestination absolutely is Lutheran doctrine - http://bookofconcord.org/sd-election.php - slightly different from the Calvinist angle, though mostly the same as the Anglican Articles of Religion. As to the question from @Rexlion, universalism is not on the radar of the Missouri Synod... your old friend misunderstood or had a sloppy pastor.
This may help clarify the issue of predestination: "Lutherans historically hold to unconditional election unto salvation. However, some do not believe that there are certain people that are predestined to salvation, but salvation is predestined for those who seek God.[41]Lutherans believe Christians should be assured that they are among the predestined.[42] However, they disagree with those who make predestination the source of salvation rather than Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection. Unlike some Calvinists, Lutherans do not believe in a predestination to damnation.[43] Instead, Lutherans teach eternal damnation is a result of the unbeliever's sins, rejection of the forgiveness of sins, and unbelief.[44] Martin Luther's attitude towards predestination is set out in his On the Bondage of the Will, published in 1525. This publication by Luther was in response to the published treatise by Desiderius Erasmus in 1524 known as On Free Will. Luther based his views on Ephesians 2:8–10, which says: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination
Brigid, Fr. Brench, and Charles, thank you for your clarifying comments. The young lady I refer to seemed to think (for example) that a person who was basically nice and relatively 'good,' who didn't believe in God or Christ but also didn't have anything against the idea of being given eternal life by a deity should such a deity exist, would go to heaven. Based on the comments, I'm thinking she had received some sloppy teaching or had misunderstood what she'd heard.
Moralistic therapeutic deism; before the term had been coined, I surmise. If this was the 70s, it is possible an LCMS pastor was peddling that doctrine. That was the time of the 'Seminex' controversy. I would not be totally surprised to hear of a modern LCMS cleric promoting that view in some of the districts.
Photo of bishops Aubrey Bougher, Jeffrey Bischoff, of the International Lutheran Church. Another breakoff group from the ELCA who embrace AS.