The Lie We've Been Told About Dominion.

For generations, mankind has used the word "dominion" as a heavy hand—an excuse to use, exhaust, and sometimes abuse the animals placed in our care. But true dominion is not a license for cruelty; it is a sacred stewardship. It is the calling to be a gentle guardian.

There is a quietness that settles over the homestead in the early hours. When I walk out to the pasture and see my sheep grazing peacefully, I am often struck by the immense weight of the responsibility I hold. They and all the other animals that come to us, rely on me for their comfort, their safety, and their very lives. In those quiet moments, a specific verse often echoes in my mind, one that I believe we as humans have fundamentally misunderstood for centuries.

In Mark 16:15, Jesus gives his final instructions: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

For those who specifically read the NIV.. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.     Mark 16:15  NIV

Mark 16:19 states, "So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God." Because of this timeline, the command in Mark 16:15 (often called the "Great Commission") is traditionally understood as Jesus's very last earthly instruction to His followers. It was the final, defining mission He left them with right before leaving the earth. 

Who are we to think, teach and live as if Jesus Christ did not mean what he said? 

We are so quick to assume that "creature" just means people—men, women, and children of all nations. It is human nature to want to center ourselves, to believe that this beautiful message of redemption and peace belongs exclusively to us. But the deeper I look into those words, and the more time I spend tending to the heartbeat of my own farm, the more I realize just how much God cares about the animals He made.

When we look back at the original Greek language of that verse, the word used is ktisis. It doesn't mean mankind. It means creation. Everything that was created.

Here is how the dictionary defines the word creature:

According to standard dictionaries like Merriam-Webster, the primary definitions are:

1. An animal of any type, especially a nonhuman one.

2. Anything created; a creation.

3. A human being (often used with a qualifying word, such as "a creature of habit" or "a poor creature").

Our Creator who notices when a single sparrow falls to the ground, did not exclude the rest of the animal kingdom from His message of healing. While an animal cannot understand a sermon, they absolutely experience the fruit of the gospel when the humans who care for them are transformed by it. We were instructed and are meant to bring peace, comfort, happiness, and compassion to their world while they are here. 

Proverbs 12:10 tells us, "A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."

As Christians, if we truly believe in a Gospel of love and kindness, it has to bleed into the soil of our daily lives. It must dictate how we treat the vulnerable lives in our hands. Just because we have an intended use for an animal doesn't mean we are entitled to cause them pain or stress. 

To me, this means providing a life of compassion, basic comfort and cruelty-free kindness for every animal I raise. It  should mean that when the heavy time comes to process an animal for its intended purpose, it must be done with the utmost respect. It should be quiet. It should be non-frightening. It should be entirely free of terror. We owe them that dignity. We owe it to them to acknowledge their sacrifice with gentle hands and a grateful heart.

Treating animals humanely isn't just a "nice" farming practice. It is a direct reflection of how we view the God who breathed life into them.

When He said "every creature," I firmly believe He meant exactly what it sounds like. He was asking us to take His message of love, peace, and goodness, and spread it over the entire earth—starting right in our own pastures.

For those Christians who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and for those who would like to know what has been taught by some of the church leaders  and Prophets in this specific church,...Please continue reading.... 

There is actually a rich, and perhaps surprising, history of Latter-day Saint prophets and leaders speaking out very strongly against animal cruelty and emphasizing mankind’s responsibility to be kind stewards.

Here is a look at what several key figures in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have taught regarding the treatment of animals:

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith taught that animals have spirits and will be resurrected in heaven, an idea that elevated the status of animals in early Church theology.

• The Rattlesnake Incident (Zion's Camp): During the Zion's Camp expedition in 1834, some men were about to kill three prairie rattlesnakes. Joseph stopped them, saying: "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..." He subsequently exhorted the men not to kill any animal on the journey unless it was absolutely necessary for food.

• Need for Restraint: The Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 9:11 includes a stern warning regarding the eating of meat: "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." ¹

  “Compassion upon the Earth”: | Religious Studies Center - BYU

  

  Religious Studies Center - BYU

   

Brigham Young

Brigham Young frequently taught that the way people treat the earth and its animals directly impacts the spiritual atmosphere of their communities.

• On Kindness and Peace: "Let the people be holy, and filled with the Spirit of God, and every animal and creeping thing will be filled with peace. The more purity that exists, the less is the strife; the more kind we are to our animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation will vanish away."

• Duty to Livestock: He specifically told the Saints that they must "take care of their cattle and horses" and that any man who did not do so would "lay himself liable to censure in the eyes of justice."

Lorenzo Snow

Lorenzo Snow, the 5th President of the Church, had a profound personal awakening regarding the hunting of animals.

• Abandoning Hunting: While out hunting one day, he was struck by the realization that he was killing for amusement. He recalled: "While moving slowly forward in pursuit of something to kill, 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 laid my gun on my shoulder, returned home, and from that time to this I have felt no inclination for that murderous amusement."

Joseph F. Smith

Joseph F. Smith (the 6th President) was an outspoken advocate for the humane treatment of animals, emphasizing that it was a religious duty.

• Kindness as a Duty: "Kindness to the whole animal creation and especially to all domestic animals is not only a virtue that should be developed, but is the absolute duty of mankind... It is an unrighteous thing to treat any creature cruelly."

• Humane Day: Under his leadership, the Church even instituted a "Humane Day" where the last Sunday of every month was focused on teaching kindness to animals, particularly to the youth of the Church.

George Q. Cannon

While not a Prophet, George Q. Cannon (a counselor in the First Presidency under Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow) wrote extensively about animal welfare, probably more than any other early LDS leader.

• Against Sport Hunting: "Young people should be taught to be very merciful to the brute creation and not to take life wantonly or for sport. The practice of hunting and killing game merely for sport should be frowned upon and not encouraged among us."

• Cruelty as Sin: "It is a very great sin in the sight of the Almighty for the dumb creation to be treated with cruelty or even with neglect. A merciful man is merciful to his beast."

Spencer W. Kimball

In modern times, Spencer W. Kimball (the 12th President) famously reiterated the counsel against killing for sport in the October 1978 General Conference.

• Condemning Sport Killing: Quoting a hymn, he famously said: "Take not away the life you cannot give, for all things have an equal right to live." He spoke out against the wanton destruction of wildlife, urging members not to kill small birds and animals unless it was strictly necessary to preserve human life or provide essential food.

These teachings all point toward mankind’s role as being one of stewardship and compassion, and that abusing or neglecting animals is viewed as a serious offense against the Creator. 

My message for gentle farming is as strong and hopeful as ever. Does that mean nothing bad will ever happen on the farm or in the lives of our pets, livestock and all animals in general? No, I do not believe that is what it means. But, I do believe that means our intentions, which will govern our heart and mind become our actions,  actually matter. We do not all have luxury seating for our animals in a million dollar barn. But we can do our best with what we have, to create the best environment we can for our animals. Clean water, food to eat, a comfortable place to lay their head and rest. Space to live as they were intended to live while they are here.  Allowing them the right to use their instincts, care for their young, have clean sanitary conditions to live in. Attention to their health needs. Even if our spaces are small compared to a neighbors... We can still do our best to keep things clean and orderly, safe and comfortable. We can still speak kindly, offer a gentle touch, a pat letting them know we care.

In my mind , that is how we share the gospel with every creature.  

Personally, I could never sit down to eat without knowing the animals in my care have been fed and watered first.  I could never lay down at night to sleep in my comfy bed knowing I have an animal who is living in horrendous filth, standing in knee deep wet and cold with no where dry or warm to get out of the weather.  

I still believe it is most definitely the little things that can change slowly over time and day by day to make the lives of our animals, our families and ourselves more in tune with the way things were created to be instead of what society has allowed them to become.  

I believe if we ask our creator to help us create what we need to care for the animals and creatures he gave us dominion over, He will absolutely help us do that. Through good times and sad times, He will be there to help us accomplish what He has required of us. 

Catherine, from Wild Daisy Homestead.