Animals and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), animals are considered to have immortal spirits, similar to the way that human beings have immortal spirits.cite encyclopedia|author=Packard, Sandra Bradford|article=Animals|editor=Daniel H. Ludlow|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Mormonism|publisher=Macmillan|year=1992|location=New York|id=|url=http://lightplanet.com./mormons/basic/gospel/animals.html] It is believed that animals, like humans and plants, were first created spiritually before they were created physically on Earth. [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/3 Moses 3:5] ] After their physical creation, animals "were also living souls, for I, God, breathed into them the breath of life." [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/3 Moses 3:19] ] The spirits of animals are in the likeness of their physical bodies. [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/77 D&C 77:2] ] As with human beings, animals' purpose in life is to be "fruitful and multiply"cite journal|title=Answers to Gospel Questions|author=Smith, Joseph Fielding|volume=4|pages=48|publisher=Deseret Book|location=Salt Lake City|date=1976 quoted in cite web|title=http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/hunting.htm|url=http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/hunting.htm|accessdate=2006-12-27] and have joy in their own sphere of existence cite web|title=Stewardship of God’s Creation|url= http://lds.org/newsroom/files/JS_Stewardship.pdf|date=2005|publisher=Intellectual Reserve, Inc.|accessdate=2006-12-27|format=PDF] It is also believed that animals will be resurrected [ cite journal|last=Smith|first=Joseph Fielding|title=Talk|journal=Conference Report|date=October 1928|pages=100, quoted in cite journal |last=Jones |first=Gerald E. |title=The Gospel and Animals |journal=Ensign |volume=2 |issue=8 |date=August 1972 |pages=63–65] and found in heaven. [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/77 Doctrine & Covenants 77:2, 3] ]

Various leaders of the LDS Church, have taught that animals are to be treated with kindness and respect.cite encyclopedia|author=Packard, Sandra Bradford|article=Animals|editor=Daniel H. Ludlow|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Mormonism|publisher=Macmillan|year=1992|location=New York|id=|url=http://lightplanet.com./mormons/basic/gospel/animals.html] [Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he needs them for food, and then he should not kill innocent little birds that are not intended for food for man. I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possesses animal life. It is wrong, and I have been surprised at prominent men whom I have seen whose very souls seemed to be for the shedding of animal blood.cite journal|title=Answers to Gospel Questions|author=Smith, Joseph Fielding|volume=4|pages=48|publisher=Deseret Book|location=Salt Lake City|date=1976 quoted in cite web|title=http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/hunting.htm|url=http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/hunting.htm|accessdate=2006-12-27] Lorenzo Snow even told of how he had experienced a change of heart from being an avid hunter to seeing he had no right to kill animals merely for sport. [Snow, Lorenzo. "The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow", Clyde J. Williams, ed., (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984) p. 188-189]

The LDS doctrine known as the Word of Wisdom states that the Lord ordained flesh of "beasts" and of "fowls of the air" "for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing to me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/89 Doctrine & Covenants 89:12-13] ] On the other hand, there is no prohibition against eating meat: "And whoso to abstain from meats, that man should not eat the same, is not of God; For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for , and that he might have in ." [ [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/49 Doctrine & Covenants 49:12-13] ]

Joseph Smith taught during Zion's Camp that "the Lion lieing down with the lamb as prophecied by Isaiah could not happen until man lost his vicious desire to destroy animals." [Dahl, Larry E. and Donald Q. Cannon, ed., "The Teachings of Joseph Smith" (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997) p. 38]

ee also

*Christian vegetarianism
*Animal chaplains
*Mormonism and evolution

Notes

References

*cite web |last=Cooper |first=Melanie |title=Pet Loss: An LDS Perspective|work=LDS FAQs|publisher=About Inc.|url=http://lds.about.com./library/bl/faq/blanimals.htm
*cite journal |last=Jones |first=Gerald E. |title=The Gospel and Animals |journal=Ensign |volume=2 |issue=8 |date=August 1972 |pages=63–65 |url=
*cite book |last=Nibley |first=Hugh W. |authorlink=Hugh Nibley |chapter=Brigham Young on the Environment |title=To the Glory of God |editor=T. Madsen and C. Tate |pages=3–29 |year=1972 |publisher=Deseret Book |id=ISBN 0-87579-818-7 |location=Salt Lake City
*cite web |last=Packham |first=Richard |title=Animal resurrection in the teachings of Mormon prophets| |url=http://home.teleport.com./~packham/animals.htm |date=2006