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You Said:

When I was young, I borrowed a horse from a neighbor and a bunch of us went riding. The horse I borrowed was large, almost a big as a draft horse. He obviously preferred the corral and reluctantly plodded along as we headed for the open fields. No amount of coaxing or kicking made a difference to his gait.

After some time, we determined our ride was over and so we turned the horses towards home. Knowing we were headed back, my horse bolted on a dead run. That is a very, very dangerous thing to be on a large runaway horse. And, this horse was really big and much stronger than me. It didn’t care how hard I pulled on the reins he continued to run at his top speed towards home. I could picture myself and the horse going through the corral gate and me getting scraped off in the process.

Maybe the horse was stronger than I was but I had a bigger brain. So, instead of just pulling back on the reins, I pulled only on one side. The horse fought it but every time he gave me a little slack I pulled his head a bit further to the one side until finally his nose was bent all the way backwards touching my knee. Unable to see where he was going, the horse made a long arching circle in the open field and finally came to a stop.

The experience reminded me of Alma who told his son Shiblon to “see that ye bridle all your passions.”

ChatGPT said:

That’s a wonderful story, Brad — vividly told and rich with metaphor.

Your description captures several layers of meaning:

1. The Literal Lesson — How to Stop a Runaway Horse

You show quick thinking and presence of mind. Many riders panic when a horse bolts, instinctively pulling back on both reins — which only drives the bit into the horse’s mouth and can make the animal run faster out of pain or fear. By pulling on one rein, you used leverage and physics rather than force. That’s an act of both courage and intelligence — controlling the situation by redirecting, not overpowering.

2. The Moral Parallel — Bridling the Passions

The connection to Alma’s counsel to Shiblon (Alma 38:12) is beautifully apt:

“See that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.”

You didn’t suppress the horse’s energy; you channeled it. Likewise, bridling passions isn’t about killing desire or energy — it’s about giving them direction. Alma’s choice of the word bridle implies control with purpose, not suppression. The horse’s strength wasn’t the problem — it just needed guidance.

3. The Deeper Reflection — Strength and Wisdom

The story illustrates the balance between strength and intelligence, emotion and discipline. Your insight — “Maybe the horse was stronger than I was but I had a bigger brain” — could almost serve as a proverb. In many of life’s “runaway” moments, whether in anger, ambition, or fear, we can’t overpower the emotion directly, but we can out-think it, gently turning it until it can no longer see where it’s trying to go.