A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. - Prov. 12:10

Over the millennia, humans and animals have shared the earth together in a relationship defined by their common Creator, a bond woven so tightly into our culture it can never be separated.In that relationship, the Lord told Joseph Smith, the earth and its fullness were given to men, "the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;

Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment. . . .

"And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion." (D&C 59:16-17, 20.)

Humans were to have dominion over the earth, but they were also expected to be wise and reverent, and to acknowledge the Lord's generosity toward them.

And so, working within this relationship, men and animals together built the pyramids of Egypt and the cathedrals of Europe. They cleared roads, plowed fields and ground wheat. They strained their muscles in rice paddies and forests, camped together in the desert waiting for God's word to the Israelites, and roamed the steppes of Asia in search of food. Animals were buried with their masters in royal tombs, and toy animals are among a child's first playthings.

Along the way we have learned to appreciate the other forms of life that share our planet. Animals still carry our burdens, provide milk for our children and meat for our tables. They clothe us, warm us and often inspire us.

The more we learn about the world God created, the humbler we should be. President Joseph Fielding Smith once wrote, "The idea prevails in general . . . that man is the only being on the earth that has what is called a soul or a spirit. We know this is not the case, for the Lord has said that not only has man a spirit, and is thereby a living soul, but likewise the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea have spirits, and hence are living souls. But this does not make them kinsmen to the sons and daughters of God. They are our Father's creations, not His offspring, and that is the great difference between man and beast. . . .

"If, after the resurrection of the dead, we discovered that man was the only living creature with immortality, we would certainly consider it a very strange world." (Doctrines of Salvation 1:63.)

The Bible speaks of man having dominion over the earth (Psalm 8:4), but the scriptures also warn us to be wise in how we exercise that dominion. It is no small thing to be made the caretaker of the Lord's house and overseer of His creations.

We may not be doing very well in that regard. Last month, a thousand scientists from more than 50 countries produced a Global Biodiversity Assessment. It concluded that at least 4,000 plants and 5,400 animals are now threatened with extinction, and the rate of extinction in recent years is 50 to 100 times that of the past. The report also showed how staggeringly diverse our planet is: It holds an estimated 13 million to 14 million species, of which only 1.75 million have been described scientifically.

Clearly, the earth is an incredibly complicated and diverse creation. The Lord told Joseph Smith, "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves." (D&C 104:17.) Put another way, we are responsible.

In ancient times the Israelites were told they should not muzzle the ox that treadeth the corn (Deut. 25:4), a recognition that fair and humane treatment for all creatures is a divine expectation. President David O. McKay spoke often of his concern for animals. In an address in the October 1951 general conference, he said: "A true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God has created all. He is right, the author of the `Ancient Mariner,' when he deplores the killing of the albatross, when he wrote these lines:

" `He prayeth best who lovest best all things great and small

For the dear God who loveth us, he made and loveth all.' "

We should also remember that when the Savior Himself came to earth on that holy night, His first bed was a manger - a feeding trough for animals.