A bridle is the headgear used on a horse. It includes reins and a bit, which give the rider control.
Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy and his wife Marie explained that a bridle was meant to direct, not destroy, desires and passions: “Is self-denial wise because something is wrong with our passions, or because something is right with our passions? Alma taught his son: ‘See that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.’ (Alma 38:12; emphasis added.) He did not say eliminate or even suppress your passions, but bridle them—harness, channel, and focus them. Why? Because discipline makes possible a richer, deeper love” (The Belonging Heart [1994], 302).