“A Tough Cowboy,” Liahona, Sept. 2001, 46–47
A Tough Cowboy
Everyone knew that Dallas Stock, a rodeo cowboy, was tough. What they didn’t know was how that toughness would be tested.
For some years Dallas had not been active in the Church, but through the loving influence of his wife, Ginny, and their five children, along with the inspired efforts of ward leaders and friends, Dallas eventually had a change of heart. As his bishop, I rejoiced to see him progress to the point that he wanted to take his family to the temple. He prepared himself, and the family set a date to go to the house of the Lord.
One week before that date, Dallas was working on the stake welfare ranch, loading bulls into trucks. A temperamental bull was not cooperating, and to protect himself, Dallas jumped behind a gate. But as the bull hit the gate, it swung around, and the bull smashed Dallas between the gate and a fence. His arm and several ribs were broken, and he was badly bruised.
That evening I visited Dallas. He was in severe pain, with his arm in a cast and his ribs taped. I suggested that perhaps the temple trip should be postponed. His response was, “Bishop, I am going to the temple next Wednesday.”
No one expected to see Dallas at church on Sunday. But he was there, fulfilling his calling by conducting Sunday School. It was a painful ordeal for him, but his devotion was inspiring to ward members.
On Wednesday Dallas, Ginny, their children, and many family and ward members attended the temple as planned. With a son on one side and a son-in-law on the other, Dallas went through the endowment session. Each time he moved, the ward members could almost feel the pain they imagined Dallas must be suffering.
After Ginny and Dallas were sealed to each other and to their children in the sealing room, the ward members, with tears in their eyes, lined up to congratulate them. I started to hug Dallas but stopped and said, “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Bishop,” Dallas replied, “I don’t hurt at all. I can tell you I haven’t hurt all day.”
“It looked so painful,” I said.
“It was hard to get up and down,” he explained, “but it hasn’t hurt at all.”
As I left the temple I was overcome by everything that had taken place. How grateful I was that Dallas had been blessed as he made every effort to get to the temple with his family. That day we witnessed not the strength of a cowboy but the strength of a spiritual giant.
Christ’s Image, by Heinrich Hofmann
Illustrations by Brian Call