D&C 49:18-19, 21; 89:12; JST Gen. 9:10-11; Life of Joseph Smith, Cannon, pp. 174-175; Journal of Discourses 15:227
“Nephi’s denunciation of the Lamanites does not focus on hunting ‘wild animals’ (D&C 89:14) from which they would obtain both meat and clothing. Rather his attention is centered on their hunting ‘beasts of prey.’ Apparently they killed for sport, a practice strongly condemned in the scriptures (see JST, Genesis 9:10-11).” (R. Millet & J. F. McConkie, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 1:225)
“In pitching my tent we found three massasaugas or prairie rattlesnakes, which the brethren were about to kill, but I said, ‘Let them alone — don’t hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation: and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety.’ The brethren took the serpents carefully on sticks and carried them across the creek. I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger.” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 2:71-72)
“There is no statement in the scriptures indicating that the flesh of animals and birds and other living creatures was used as food before the days of Noah. It was after the landing of the ark that the Lord gave his commandment concerning the eating of flesh. ‘And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.’ (JST Gen. 9:11.) … There is no inference in the scriptures that it is the privilege of men to slay birds or beasts or to catch fish wantonly… . It was intended that all creatures should be happy in their several elements. Therefore to take the life of these creatures wantonly is a sin before the Lord… . Man should be more the friend and never an enemy to any living creature. The Lord placed them here.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Improvement Era, Aug. 1961, p. 568)
“Cease hostility with the serpents and lay aside all enmity and treat all animals kindly.” (Brigham Young, Brigham Young Manuscript History 1846-1847, Watson, pp. 142-143)
“It is a good thing to teach our boys to be kind [to animals]. A man who was working for me once on the farm came home about sundown, and said, ‘I have just killed a porcupine over there.’ I said, ‘Why did you kill it?’ ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘just for fun.’ And I said, ‘Did you kill it or is it over there suffering?’ ‘Oh, I killed it.’ Well, I wondered, so I just took time to cross those two creeks and go over to the little hill. He had not killed it. The poor creature was just stunned; its head was beaten, and it was struggling. What fun can there be in treating dumb animals in that cruel way?” (David O. McKay, Conference Report, Oct. 1951, pp. 180-181)
“I found many young boys around my age who, with their flippers and their slings, destroyed many birds. In Primary and Sunday School we sang the song:
“Don’t kill the little birds
That sing on bush and tree,
All thro’ the summer days,
Their sweetest melody.’
(Deseret Song Book, 1909, no. 163).
… It is not only wicked to destroy [wildlife], … it is a shame, in my opinion. I think that this principle should extend not only to the bird life but to the life of all animals… . It is quite a different matter when a pioneer crossing the plains would kill a buffalo to bring food to his children and his family.” (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 44-45)
“With reference to the killing of our innocent birds… . It is not only wicked to destroy them, it is abominable, in my opinion. I think that this principle should extend, not only to the bird life, but to the life of all animals. When I visited, a few years ago, the Yellowstone National Park, and saw in the streams and the beautiful lakes, birds swimming quite fearless of man, allowing passers-by to approach them as closely almost as tame birds, and apprehending no fear of them, and when I saw droves of beautiful deer herding along the side of the road, as fearless of the presence of men as any domestic animal it filled my heart with a degree of peace and joy that seemed to be almost a foretaste of that period hoped for when there shall be none to hurt and none to molest in all the land… . These same birds, if they were to visit other regions, inhabited by man, would, on account of their tameness, doubtless become more easily a prey to the gunner. The same may be said of those beautiful creatures—the deer and antelope… . I never could see why a man should be imbued with a blood-thirsty desire to kill and destroy animal life. I have known men—and they still exist among us—who enjoy what is, to them, the ‘sport’ of hunting birds and slaying them … and who will come in after a day’s sport, boasting of how many harmless birds they have had the skill to slaughter… . 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 athirst for the shedding of animal blood. They go off hunting deer, antelope, elk, anything they can find, and what for? ‘Just for the fun of it!’ Not that they are hungry and need the flesh of their prey, but just because they love to shoot and to destroy life.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 265-266)
[A hunting experience of Lorenzo Snow at age 24] “Up until now, it had never seemed to him that shooting turkeys, squirrels and other animal life was sinful… . ‘While moving slowly forward in pursuit of something to kill,’ said Lorenzo, ‘my mind was arrested with the reflection on the nature of my pursuit—that of amusing myself by giving pain and death to harmless, innocent creatures that perhaps had as much right to life and enjoyment as myself. I realized that such indulgence was without any justification, and feeling condemned, I laid my gun on my shoulder, returned home, and from that time to this have felt no inclination for that murderous amusement.’” (Thomas C. Romney, The Life of Lorenzo Snow, p. 23)
“The Lord will not judge a single animal for its treatment of man, but He will adjudge the souls of men towards their beasts in this world, for men have a special place. Familiar early Jewish and Christian teaching was that the animals will appear at the bar of God’s judgment to accuse those humans who have wronged them… . Animals do possess real rights, ‘for all things have an equal right to live (!)’ as President Joseph F. Smith would say (Gospel Doctrine, 2 vols. 1:372).” (Hugh Nibley, Brother Brigham Challenges The Saints, pp. 10,12)
“No man can be considered to be a child of Abraham who is cruel to any creature.” (Hugh Nibley, CES Lecture, Utah Valley State College Institute, June 14, 1995)