Testimony Stock - What's Yours Worth?

"My testimony took a 20% hit when I moved to Provo."  "Her testimony stock went up three points when she got her mission call."  "Their stock tripled after being sealed."  ...What is "testimony stock" and how do we get more of it?

tes-ti-mo-ny stock    noun
plural testimony stock
Could refer to:

1. volume of tears cried from pulpit each Fast Sunday (in cubic centimeters): SPIRITUAL TEARS
2. number of generations your family has been in the church: SPIRITUAL PEDIGREE
3. current state before the Lord: OIL IN LAMP
4. the prestige of your calling (in stewardship head count): SPIRITUAL POSTER-CHILD

Ok - so clearly the third is the only real definition.  And that "oil in the lamp" reference could be an entire post on its own...

Notes - YSA Fireside w/ Elder Oaks

Since I've moved out to Roseville, CA, I've had two meetings with members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding.  A few weeks ago - Elder Andersen came to the Roseville Stake (of which the Roseville YSA ward belongs) for a special stake conference of sorts.  And just two days ago, Elder Oaks came to do a YSA fireside for all the single kiddos in the region.  He came with the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Stevenson.  We've had a stacked deck out here for speakers.

While I should have taken better notes during the Elder Andersen meeting, I was on uncle duty, and mostly my notebook was filled with outlines of small hands and drawings of random animals and trucks.  For the YSA fireside, however, I did take some notes - and I figured I'd post them here for whoever may be interested.  The quotes that I have here are as I best remembered as I wrote my notes - there may be slight discrepancies.

Mo-(tiva)-tion

When I was but a lad, Mamma Sweet used to encourage me to hurry up by using the phrase, "come on!  Motate!".

As it happens, "motate" is not a proper word.  It exists in the urban dictionary nowadays, but not in any classical one.  I always took the meaning of "motate" to be of the same root as "motion" or "move".  And that seemed to be the same thinking Mamma Sweet had in mind, because only motion would appease her encouragement.

I never moved out of my own will back then.  I was compelled to move.  I was going to be late for church, or we were going to miss meeting dad for lunch, or I wasn't eating my cereal fast enough to catch the bus, etc.  In my "motating", I was only going through the motions.

The Human Mind

"...the things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God." 

- Joseph Smith Jr.

The development and capacity of the human mind has been on my mind (no pun) as of late. It seems the process of deepening thought, sharpening focus and extending one's attention span involves more than simply the brain.