Almost? No, Altogether!

There is one little word in our language that probably has as much tragedy packed into it as can be contained in any single word. It is a very innocent looking word: “almost”.

An illustration of its potential tragedy is indicated by an experience of the Apostle Paul.

He had been imprisoned at Caesarea, and it was the responsibility of Festus, the procurator of Judea, to conduct Paul’s trial. As Paul shared his witness in court, Festus grew very interested in both Paul and his message.

Soon after, Agrippa paid a visit to Festus and he told Agrippa about this unusual Christian missionary who was a prisoner in his custody. Agrippa expressed a desire to hear Paul’s testimony. Paul was brought before them and he said to Paul, “thou art permitted to speak for thyself.” Then Paul told Festus and Agrippa about his extraordinary experience on the road to Damascus. He told them exactly what had happened, and bore a firm and convincing testimony of the truth. Agrippa was impressed and interested. How could he doubt Paul’s sincerity or the accuracy of his statement?

But he turned his back on his conversion opportunity BY A METHOD STILL VERY COMMON AMONG US. He would not make a decision to conform to the evidence. He disposed of the whole testimony by merely saying to Paul, “Almost, thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Paul, of course, discerned the intent of this “almost”.

 It meant that even though Agrippa was within reach of his own salvation, he would do nothing about it.

Unfortunately, “almost” relentlessly and continuously shows the way to “nothing”.

Knowingly, Paul responded to the king, “I would to God that not only thou but all who hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am.”

If Agrippa had been as Paul, he would not have been “almost” persuaded. There was no “almost” so far as Paul was concerned. Paul had always been either one thing or the other. There never was a middle ground. Either Christianity was true, or it was not true.

A partial conversion must have been an unintelligible concept to Paul. Paul was altogether. He went all of the way. *

99% is never enough. The remaining 1% is the difference between “almost” and “altogether“. 

Diligent endurance begets eternal dividends. 

Here is another testimony from Paul,  2 Corinthians 12: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

All have some variety of thorn in the flesh, a weak spot, a temptation or desire that never goes away. Regardless of one’s station in life, each of us struggle from within. All deal with a weakness that leads one to say, “I will never do this again,“ or “this is the last day I do this,“ or “I will try again tomorrow.“ “Just this one more time and I will never do it again.”

Because of this enduring Achilles’ heel, a person too often sanctions “almost” and gives up rather than continuing to engage and strive toward being “altogether“. 

What “almost” has been accomplished today? Was it the same thing that was “almost” completed yesterday? 

A transition needs to be made from accepting “almost” to being whole or “altogether”.

Notice that “wholly” and “holy” not only sound similar, but are in fact related in concept.

President Ezra Taft Benson teaches about a source of encouragement that, when applied, helps to overcome weakness:  “It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.…” (“The Book of Mormon is the word of God. “ Ensign May 1975)

A solemn, regular regimen of Book of Mormon study will cause one to become whole and thus holy. Reading and pondering scriptures and the words of life inspires and feeds the soul. 

Never accept “almost”. 

Like Paul, strive to be “altogether”.

*Adapted from Sterling W. Sill. Leadership: Bookcraft 1958