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Hold on there a Minute!

Many years ago, a small boy and his dad were walking up 21st street in Ogden just above Washington Avenue. They came upon a man driving a team of horses pulling a wagon load of coal. The wagon had dropped into a rut in the road and the horses could not pull it out. “The driver swore and cursed as he cracked his whip over their heads and cut the poor creatures backs.”

The boy later wrote, “Father watched only for a second before he strode up to the driver and said, ‘Hold on there a minute, young man; you can’t expect these horses to pull with their heads held up so high!’ And without waiting for an answer, he unhooked the checkreins, loosened them several inches, and then turned to the driver, who was still swearing—but in lower tones: ‘Now turn your team to the left, keep a tight hold on the reins, and command the team sternly, but without the whip!’”

The driver was about to say something in retort but seeing the look in Dad’s eyes, he thought better of it. He turned the team to the left and gave the command and the horses pulled the load out of the rut. 

The son said, “Father came back to where I was standing on the sidewalk and said, ‘Some people shouldn’t be allowed to drive horses, because they don’t show as much sense as the horses.’”

That boy was Llewellyn R. McKay, son of David O. McKay. Say what you will, but the courage to stand in defense of right—be it defending innocent horses or the honor of prophets of God is sorely needed today. 

Source: Llewelyn R. McKay, Home Memories of President David O. McKay, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 1956) p. 126