PROVO — There are no significant shortcuts in finding the answers to the question, "How do we gain more meaningful, sustaining and life-changing faith?" BYU President Cecil O. Samuelson declared May 4 during the 2007 Women's Conference.

Elder Cecil O. Samuelson

Photo by Julie Dockstader Heaps

Thousands of women gather in the BYU Marriott Center during the 2007 Women's Conference. Among those giving addresses during the two-day conference was Elder Cecil O. Samuelson of the Seventy and BYU president.

President Samuelson, a member of the Seventy, spoke during one of the concurrent sessions during the annual two-day conference attended by some 17,000-18,000 women on the BYU campus. Speaking just before him during the session in the Marriott Center was Helen S.K. Goo, a convert. (Please see excerpts on this page from her address, and see May 12 and May 19 issues of Church News for previous coverage of Women's Conference at BYU.)

In his address, President Samuelson spoke of the need for increased faith and explained, "As with most things of real worth or value, there are no significant shortcuts."

As examples, he referred to the accounts of the Apostle Paul's "dramatic and life changing" experience on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9, 22) and the Prophet Joseph's First Vision. With Paul, "we do not know the antecedent events or efforts that qualified him for this remarkable intervention by the Savior."

Further in his address, Elder Samuelson said, "By careful study of Joseph's early life, we recognize that sustained and arduous effort made by this very young man led him to the Sacred Grove and the world-changing events that occurred there. ... As it was with the Prophet Joseph, so it is with us. I have come to believe that if life always seems to be perfect, we are likely missing some very important and essential lessons and experiences. I also believe that as wonderful as some days are, few if any of us ever go long without finding something we wished were different or easier."

As an example from his own life, President Samuelson recounted the struggle he and Sister Sharon Samuelson went through to have a family in the early years of their marriage. Years after finally being able to have two sons, they adopted twins from Guatemala and then had another baby "in the usual way."

After sharing the love he and his wife have for their children and grandchildren, President Samuelson added: "My purpose in sharing these details is to bear testimony of the blessings that come through the stretching of our faith. Many of these blessings — now recognized and appreciated, but years ago not expected nor anticipated — would not have been ours without the challenges and disappointments, the tears and the trials. In fact, our lives have been so much better, fuller and richer than we could have imagined in our early married life as we fantasized about our perfect future."

In speaking of the definitions of faith, President Samuelson quoted from Hebrews 11:1 and added: "I worry that, on occasion, we may confuse our faith with certain knowledge. Certain knowledge about fundamental things is eventually essential but cannot occur without first developing and strengthening our faith."

In likening "all scriptures to ourselves," President Samuelson shared the account of Peter walking, then floundering, on the water, and the Savior's words, "Be not afraid."

"As He did with the young girl (whom He raised from the dead) and with the Apostle Peter, Jesus stretched forth His hand. He will help us in ways most appropriate to our circumstances just as He and His Father did for the young prophet Joseph Smith. None of those helped had perfect faith, but all had some faith and were doing the best that they knew how to do. That applies to us as well."

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