The mission of the Humane Society is to "create a world where our relationship with animals is guided by compassion". It doesn't mean that they necessarily endorse going vegan or vegetarian, but that whatever we do is compassionate. That means, for example, allowing chickens who provide eggs to be cage-free, that sort of thing.
You may be interested to know that they have an entire religion section, in which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is included. Click on the "religion section" link to sign up for The Humane Steward, which is their monthly e-newsletter.
Here are the relevant quotes on their LDS page.
Official Statements on Animals
Joseph Smith's divine revelations listed below assert that animals were provided by God for people's use (including for use as food), but they also explain that animals are only to be used in time of true need and are never to be wasted. Animals, they say, also have souls and will enjoy eternal life.
"Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; and it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine. All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth; and these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger." (Doctrine & Covenants 89:12-15; see also Doctrine & Covenants 49:18-21 and 59:16-20)
"Q. Are the four beasts [described in Revelation 4:6] limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders? A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity." (Doctrine & Covenants 77:3)
"Prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together. And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed; and also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth. And in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face." (Doctrine & Covenants 101:23-26)
Historical References on Animals
Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other nineteenth-century leaders of the Latter-day Saints taught that all animals should be treated with kindness and should not be killed without reason, even venomous snakes and crop-eating grasshoppers. These leaders cite a number of reasons that we should be kind to animals, including their roles as exemplars of God's glory, their similarity to humans in having souls and being capable of being saved, and, according to Brigham Young, the fact that animals obey God's law better than humans do. Perhaps most important, if humans refrain from violence toward animals, said the leaders, they will help build the Peaceable Kingdom on Earth, in which all beings will live together in harmony.
Joseph Smith on animals:
"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." (Documentary History of the Church, Vol. 2, pp. 71-72)
"[If we] would banish from our hearts this spirit to destroy and murder, the day would soon come when the lion and the lamb would lie down together." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 71)
"John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes, or men." (Documentary History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 343)
"Says one, 'I cannot believe in the salvation of beasts.' Any man who would tell you this could not be, would tell you that the revelations are not true. John heard the words of the beast giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them. The beasts were four of the most noble animals that filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect. They were like angels in their sphere." (Documentary History of the Church, Vol. 5, pp. 343-344)
Brigham Young on animals:
"Field and mountains, trees and flowers, and all that fly, swim, or move upon the ground are lessons for study in the great school of our Heavenly Father, in what is before us in good books and in the greater laboratory of nature." (Journal of Discourses 9:320)
"The animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms abide the law of their Creator; the whole earth and all things pertaining to it, except man, abide the law of their creation." (Journal of Discourses 9:246)
"Learn to control yourselves and that which is immediately around you, and always keep in view that the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms—the earth and its fullness—will all, except the children of men, abide their creation—the law by which they were made, and will receive their exaltation." (Journal of Discourses 8:191)
"Traveled 19 miles. The prairie appeared black being covered with immense herds of buffalo. May 7th [1846]. I preached in camp and advised the brethren not to kill any more buffalo or other game until the meat was needed." (Brigham Young History, 1846)
"According to present appearances, next year [1868] we may expect grasshoppers to eat up nearly all our crops. But if we have provisions enough to last us another year, we can say to the grasshoppers—these creatures of God—you are welcome. I have never had a feeling to drive them from one plant in my garden; but I look upon them as the armies of the Lord." (Journal of Discourses 12:121)
"The Spirit of the Lord and the keys of the priesthood hold power over all animated beings ... In this dispensation the keys ... will be restored, and we are to return to the favor of the Lord ... cease hostility with the serpents and lay aside all enmity and treat all animals kindly." (Brigham Young History, April 26, 1846)
"Let the people be holy, and the earth under their feet will be holy. 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 animals, the more will peace increase, and the savage nature of the brute creation will vanish away." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p. 203)
Heber C. Kimball (First Counselor to President Brigham Young) on animals:
"[Horses] have the same life in them that you have, and we should not hurt them." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, p. 137)
Contemporary References on Animals
Like the nineteenth-century leaders of the Latter-day Saints, contemporary members of the LDS Church, including several Church presidents, have argued that humans have a duty to be kind to animals and not to kill them for sport or other frivolous reasons. They argue that animals deserve such care because they, like humans, were created by God; because they have souls and will be saved through the resurrection; and because God gave humans a special stewardship responsibility toward animals, modeled most prominently by the primordial conservationist Noah.
President Joseph F. Smith on sport hunting, kindness to animals, and the Peaceable Kingdom:
"I think that every soul should be impressed by the sentiments that have been expressed here this evening by all who have spoken, and not less with reference to the killing of our innocent little birds, natives of our country, who live upon the vermin that are indeed enemies to the farmer and to mankind. 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 ... 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 by the hundreds, 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." (Gospel Doctrine, Vol. 1, pp. 371-372)
"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 as an unrighteous thing to treat any animal cruelly ... It will be a blessed day when mankind shall accept and abide by the Christ-like sentiment expressed by one of the poets in the following words: 'Take not away the life you cannot give, For all things have an equal right to live.'" (Juvenile Instructor, editorial, February 1912)
"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, especially among all the inhabitants of Zion." (Gospel Doctrine, Vol. 1, p. 371)
President David O. McKay on kindness to animals:
"A true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God created all." (October 1951; quoted in Gerald E. Jones, "The Gospel and Animals," p. 65)
President Joseph Fielding Smith on animals having souls and being saved at the time of the resurrection:
"So we see that the Lord intends to save, not only the earth and the heavens, not only man who dwells upon the earth, but all things which he has created. The animals, the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the air, as well as man, are to be recreated, or renewed, through the resurrection, for they too are living souls." (Conference Report, October 1928, p. 100)
"Animals do have spirits and ... through the redemption made by our Savior they will come forth in the resurrection to enjoy the blessing of immortal life." (Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol. 2, p. 48)
President Spencer W. Kimball on sport hunting:
"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, 1909, no. 163). ... Now, I would like to add some of my feelings concerning the unnecessary shedding of blood and destruction of life ... And not less with reference to the killing of innocent birds is the wildlife of our country that live upon the vermin that are indeed enemies to the farmer and to mankind. It is not only wicked to destroy them, 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 ... because God gave it to them, and they were to be used only, as I understand, for food and to supply the needs of men." ("Fundamental Principles to Ponder and Live," The Ensign, November 1978, p. 45)
Elder Marlin K. Jensen on living with animals and animals in heaven:
"Given affection and care, they return affection and care generously and consistently. People whose lives include relationships with animals are usually happier. For me at least, heaven will not be heaven unless the animal kingdom is part of God's kingdom." (Living After the Manner of Happiness, The Ensign, December 2002)
Elder Dean L. Larsen on living with animals:
"I have come to appreciate why our Heavenly Father placed animals on the earth to be used by man. He expects us to be kind to them and not to abuse them. They can add much to our lives while we are here on earth." (Friend to Friend, Friend, April 1977)
President Milton R. Hunter on living with animals:
“What has been our pay for feeding all these birds? As a family we have received great joy from watching them. We have come to realize that our Father in heaven provides for them as He does for us. They are part of His great plan. He created them to gladden our hearts with their songs and to give us joy in observing their beauty.” (Friend to Friend: Feeding the Birds, Friend, August 1973).
Further Resources
Givens, Terryl L. 2004. "Environment," pp. 208-213 in Terryl L. Givens, The Latter-day Saint Experience in America. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
Jones, Gerald E. 1972. "The Gospel and Animals," The Ensign 2(8): 62-65.
Nibley, Hugh W. 1972. "Brigham Young on the Environment," pp. 3-29 in Truman G. Madsen and Charles D. Tate, eds., To the Glory of God: Mormon Essays on Great Issues--Environment--Commitment--Love--Peace--Youth--Man. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.
Packard, Sandra Bradford. 1992. "Animals," pp. 42-43 in Daniel H. Ludlow, ed., Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan.
Williams, Terry Tempest, William B. Smart, and Gibbs M. Smith, eds. 1998. New Genesis: A Mormon Reader on Land and Community. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith.
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