Lessons of a Dandy
President David O. McKay once related the story of a horse that he owned as a young man.
This horse was named Dandy, and Dandy loved freedom. He did not like being restrained or even to being fenced in.
President McKay said: “Under the saddle he was as willing, responsive, and cooperative as a horse could be. …
“But Dandy resented restraint. He was ill contented when tied and would nibble at the tie-rope until he was free. He would not run away, he just wanted to be free. Thinking other horses felt the same; he would proceed to untie their ropes.
“One day, somebody left the gate unwired. Detecting this, Dandy unlatched it and took another horse … with him, and together they … went to an old house used for storage. Dandy’s curiosity prompted him to push open the door. … There was a sack of grain. What a find! Yes, and what a tragedy. The grain was bait for rodents! In a few minutes Dandy and the other horse were in pain, and shortly afterwards both were dead.”
In the story about President McKay’s horse Dandy, there were established fences or boundaries built that he could not go beyond. If he was to avoid severe consequences or even destruction, he needed to stay within these fences.
In our lives, we also have fences. The fences which we must stay within are God’s commandments, which are principles of revealed truth.
